NewBedfordPublicSchools

AcceleratedImprovementPlan

Summary

In2011,NewBedfordPublicSchoolswasnamedaLevel4districtbytheMassachusettsDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation.Thispastschoolyearhasseentremendouspositivechange.Lastyearthedistrictconcentratedintenselyondevelopingandsupportingprincipalstoimproveourschools.Principalswereprovidedwithtrainingandworkedwiththeirteachersontwomainareas:growingteachers’repertoireofstrategiestoengagestudentsandusingdatatounderstandspecificstudentstrengthsandneeds.

Ourschoolsnowhaveleaderswhoareactivelyworkingwithteacherstoimprovetheirpracticeandguidingteamstolookatevidenceofwhatstudentshavelearned.Thesetwoadvancesarethefirststepsincreatingaconstantcycleofimprovement.Theyprovideastrongfoundationforincreasingstudentprogressthatismorethanintermittentbutsustainableinallschoolsandallclassroomsduringthe2014-15SY.Thisschoolyear,thedistrictwillcontinuetodevelopprincipals’abilitiesbyprovidingtrainingattwice-monthlyPrincipals’Meetingsandwillofferdifferent levelsofsupporttoprincipalsbasedontheirschool’scontextandtheirindividualneeds.

Additionally,thedistrictwillhelpteacherstobecomemoreskillful.Thedistrictwillestablishacommondefinitionofexcellentteaching,theNewBedfordInstructionalFramework,whichwillbeaccompaniedbyaresourcebankofhigh-leveragestrategiesandtoolsforteacherstouseintheirclassrooms.TeachertrainingswillfocusontwoimportantpiecesoftheInstructionalFramework:

1.Unit-andlesson-planningbasedontheupdatedcurriculum,whichwillhelpensureteachersareteachinggrade-levelmaterialtostudents.

2.Teachers’abilitytomeeteachstudent’sspecificneedsbyusingmultiplestrategiesandstylesofteachingintheclassroom.

Thesefocusareasforteacherdevelopmentbuildonlastyear,whenteacherslearnednewapproachestoengagestudentsintheirlearning.Thisyear,theywillstrivetoplanmorerigorouslessons.Withbetterplanning,teacherscanengagetheirclasses inawaythatchallengeseachstudenttoworkatahigherlevelthanbefore,whiletakingspecificstudentneedsandlearningstylesintoaccount.

Tomakethesechangessustainable,thedistrictleadershipwillalsoinvestinstrengtheningitspartnershipwiththeNewBedfordcommunityatlarge,includingemployees,families,andcommunitymembers.The Superintendentplanstouseregularmeetingsofthefollowinggroupstoengageawiderarrayofstakeholdersduringthedecision-makingprocess:

  • TeacherAdvisoryGroup
  • GuidingCoalitionTeam(whichincludesavarietyofdistrictemployeesandrepresentativeprincipals)
  • SuperintendentForumSeries(opentothepublic)

Introductionto theInstructionalFramework

OneofthemostsignificantpartsoftheAIPthisyearistheintroductionoftheNewBedfordInstructionalFramework,whichhastwopieces.Thefirstpiece(shownbelow)isanoutlineofthecomponentsofexcellentteaching.Thesecondpieceisaresourcebankthatwillprovideteachersandprincipalswithresearch-based,high-leveragetoolsandstrategiestohelpimprove teachers’skillsrelatedtoeachofthefivecomponents.

ThecontentincludedintheFrameworkisnotnew;rather,itisamore focusedviewoftheMassachusettsEducatorEvaluationRubric.Itwillprovideteachers,schoolleaders,anddistrictleadersanopportunitytostructureandfocustheirdiscoursearoundimprovinginstructionalpractice,whichwillleadtoincreasedstudentoutcomes.PrincipalswillbeformallyintroducedtotheInstructionalFrameworkinearlySeptember,andtheprofessionaldevelopmentdaysforteachersinOctoberandJanuarywillbe alignedtoit.

TheInstructionalFramework isnot…

×Asetofnewexpectationsforteachers

×Achecklistofnecessarypiecesofalesson

×Areplacementfortheeducatorevaluationrubric

×Alaundrylistofresourcesandaspectsofaneffectivelesson

×Acure-allforimprovinginstructioninthedistrict

Tableof Contents

Summary...... 1

Introduction tothe Instructional Framework...... 2

GlossaryofTermsandAcronyms...... 4

DistrictHistory andContext...... 5

Objectives andFinal Outcomes...... 7

Ownershipof theAcceleratedImprovementPlan...... 10

Accountability forImprovement in Outcomes...... 11

ProgressMonitoringDuring the SchoolYear...... 12

Objective 1: Overview...... 15

StrategicInitiative1.1...... 16

StrategicInitiative1.2...... 17

StrategicInitiative1.3...... 18

Objective 2:Overview...... 20

StrategicInitiative2.1...... 21

StrategicInitiative2.2...... 22

Objective 3: Overview...... 23

StrategicInitiative3.1...... 24

StrategicInitiative3.2...... 25

Objective 4: Overview...... 26

StrategicInitiative4.1...... 27

StrategicInitiative 4.2...... 28

Appendix A:Initiative RoadMapsandActivities...... 29

Glossaryof Termsand Acronyms

AIP – AcceleratedImprovementPlan

Aspen 2X: Thenewstudentinformation system thatthe district willbeusingtomanage studentdata.BOY/MOY/EOY– Beginning of Year/Middle ofYear/End of Year

CAO – ChiefAcademicOfficer

CCSS– Common Core State Standards:Newresearch-based,high-quality academicstandardsthathavebeen adopted by statesacrossthe countrytohelpprepare studentsforsuccessafterhighschool.

CFA – Common Formative Assessments:Teststhatareadministeredtostudentstomonitortheirprogressandchecktheirunderstanding ofspecificcontent.

DESE –MassachusettsDepartmentof ElementaryandSecondary Education

DIBELS– DynamicIndicatorsofBasicEarlyLiteracySkills: A testprovided to students,typically inelementaryschool,tomeasure theirprogressin learningliteracyskills.

ELL–English LanguageLearner

Galileo: Thesoftware systemthatthe districtusestoadministerBOY,MOY,andEOYtestsforstudents.Instructional Framework:The Instructional Frameworkcoversthe key aspects of effectiveteachingin

NewBedford,includingplanning,instruction,data and parent communication.The frameworkdescribeswhatexemplary teachinglookslike foreachcomponent,andincludesresourcesandexamples to helpteachersimprove.

MCAS–MassachusettsComprehensive AssessmentSystem:Thestate standardizedteststhatNewBedfordstudentstook through SY2013-14.

NBHS/NBPS –NewBedfordHighSchool/NewBedfordPublicSchools

PARCC – PartnershipforAssessment ofReadiness forCollege andCareers:Newstandardizedtestsaligned withCCSSthatNewBedfordstudentswilltake starting inSY2014-15in lieu of MCAS insomegradesandsubjects.

PD – Professional Development:This is atermthatcan be usedtodescribe any training for teachers,principals,orotherdistrictemployees tohelpthemimprove theirskills.

SEI – ShelteredEnglishImmersion:Thisis astrategytoprovide specificservices tohelpELLstudents.SY –School Year

TAG– TeacherAdvisoryGroup

TCT – TeacherCollaboration Team:Groupsofteachersthatfocuson usingdata toimprove instructionalpractice.

TLS– TeachingandLearningSpecialist:This is aschool-levelposition thatprovidescoachingtoteacherstoimprove theirinstructional practice.

DistrictHistory andContext

In2011,NewBedfordPublicSchoolswasnamedaLevel4districtbytheMassachusettsDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation(ESE).InaDistrictReview,ESEidentifiedanumberofareasforimprovementforthedistrict,including:

  • Limitedprincipaloversightandaccountability
  • Lackofleadershipandcapacityatthecentralofficetosupportanimprovingeducationalsystem
  • Littleevidenceofcharacteristicsofeffectiveteaching
  • Limiteduseofformativeassessmentdatatoinforminstruction
  • Limitedeffortstoimprovethequalityofteachers’instruction
  • Highdropout,retention,suspension,andabsencerates,especiallyatthehighschool

Asthedistrictlackedsystemsandstructurestoaddresstheseareas whenitwasnamedLevel4,theNewBedfordPublicSchools(NBPS)usedthefirsttwoyearsofturnaroundworktobuildafoundationforcontinuousimprovement.Oncethatfoundationwasset,theSY13-14AIPfocusedonchangeattheschoollevel,leveraginganddevelopingprincipalsaschangeagents.TheSY14-15AIPseekstodrivechangeinclassrooms,through:

−Updatedcurriculum

−InstructionalFramework

−Continuingsupportofprincipalcapacityaroundimprovingteacherpractice

−Improveddatasystems

Thesummarybelowhighlightskeyinitiativesfromthepastthree yearsandoutlinesspecificadditionstothisyear’sDistrictAcceleratedImprovementPlan(AIP).

WHATWEHAVEACHIEVED

Year 1 (2011-2012):LayingtheGroundwork

NewBedfordPublicSchoolsmadeprogressonbuildingstructuresacrossthedistricttosupportbroaderreform.Atthebeginningofthe2011-2012schoolyear,thedistrictlackedstructuresforconveningschool-basedadministrators;hadno“dipstick”forassessingthequalityofinstructiondistrict-wide;andlackedtheschool-basedstructuresnecessaryfordata-driveninstructiontooccur,suchasschool-baseddatateams.NBPSmadesignificantprogresstowardsestablishingtheseorganizationalelements.Keyaccomplishmentsincluded:

  • Establisheddatateamsinallschools
  • DevelopedaDistrictLearningWalkprocessalignedtotheAIP
  • EstablishedmonthlyPrincipals’Reports
  • Createdmonthlyfeederpatternmeetings
Year 2 (2012-2013):Strengthening DistrictSystemsand Structures

Inthesecondyear,thedistrictimplementedanAcceleratedImprovementPlanwithtighterfocus.Thedistrict’s planemphasizedthe“through-lines”ofinstructionalleadershipandpractice,fromthedistrict’scentralofficedowntotheclassroomlevel.Inadditiontocontinuingtheaccomplishmentsabove,highlightsinclude:

  • Completedcurriculummapsbasedonpre-CCSSstandards
  • Implementedaneweducatorevaluationsystem
  • LaunchedaK-2literacyinitiativetostrengthenthereadingblock
  • RevisedtheDistrictLearningWalkprotocolandcontinueddistrictandschoollearningwalkstodeterminequalityofclassroominstruction
  • Leveragedbi-weeklyPrincipals’Meetingstodiscussinstruction
  • Appointedteachingandlearningspecialists(TLSs)
Year 3(2013-2014):Building the“Instructional Core”

Thispastschoolyear,thedistrictimplementedanAcceleratedImprovementPlanwithafocusontheimportanceofrigorousclassroominstruction.Buildingonthesamefourstrategicobjectivesfrompreviousyears,the2013-2014AcceleratedImprovementPlanfocusedonincreasingtherigorofclassroominstructioninreading,math,andscienceforallstudents.Highlightsfromthispastyearinclude:

  • Definingadistrict-widevisionforrigorousinstruction,andcreatinga“rigorrubric”tohelpprincipals,teachers,andotherleadersusecommonlanguagetodiscussexcellentinstruction
  • Redefiningtheprincipaljobintermsofinstructionalleadership,providingcoachingandprofessionaldevelopmenttoprincipalstoincreasetheirabilitytohelpteachersimprove
  • Restructuringthemiddleschoolschedulestoincorporatemorecoreclassandinterventiontime
  • Providingtargeted,intensivesupportstothemiddleschools,includingcoachingforprincipals
  • Providingprofessionaldevelopment,whichwasmanagedbyprincipals,atbi-weeklyPrincipals’Meetingstoincreasetheircapacityasinstructionalleaders
  • Recruitingandcultivatingatalentedcentralofficeteamfor2014-15SY
  • Embeddingtheuseofdatatodrivedecision-makingwiththedistrict-leveldistrictdatateamandschool-levelteachercollaborationteams

WHATWEWILLACHIEVE

Year 4 (2014-2015): Scaling Success

Lastschoolyearthedistrictgainedsometractioninembeddingafocusonrigorousinstruction andbuiltafoundationofcapacityinitsleaders.Theseeffortscreatedpocketsofgrowth,andthegoalforSY2014-15istoexpandthisgrowththroughoutthedistrictbyprovidinghigh-quality,coreinstructionineveryclassroom,builtuponafoundationofrigorouscurriculumthatissustainableandleadstodefinitivestudentachievementresults.

Theoryof Action

Thedistrict’stheoryofactioncreatedanarticulated,coherentstrategyforthedistrictbeginninginSY2013-14andcontinuingthisyear.ThestrategicinitiativesincludedintheAIPfocusonthecoreelementsoutlinedinthedistrict’stheoryofactionthatwillbringaboutsystemicchangeandimprovement.

ObjectivesandFinalOutcomes

TheAcceleratedImprovementPlandefinesfourobjectivesforthedistrict,alongwithsupportinginitiatives,asillustratedinthefigurebelow.Foreachobjective,thedistricthassettargetsforanumberoffinaloutcomes.Thesearethemeasuresoftangibleimprovementthatwilloccurduringthisyearofacceleratedimprovement.

Objective1:Prepare all NBPS students forcollege andcareersuccessbyimplementingrigorous standards and monitoringstudentprogress in attainingthosestandardsto alevelof proficiency

DistrictandSchoolImprovementPlanFinalOutcomes

  • ByEOYprincipalscandemonstratethat100%ofteachers,whoteachreading/ELAorMath,consistentlyusetheupdatedcurriculaintheirclassrooms.
  • Measuredthrough:co-planningandpre-observationmeetings,observations,meetingswithprincipals,lessonplans,TCTmeetings,andotherevidence.
  • Atleastonceperterm,CFAsalignedtoCCSScurriculumfor MathandELAwillbeadministered.
  • ByEOYprincipalscandemonstratethatatleast80%ofteachersatalllevelsofperformanceintheirbuildingusetheprioritytoolsandstrategiesintheInstructionalFrameworktoincreasetherigoroftheirinstruction.
  • Measuredthrough:observations,principalmeetingswithteachers,lessonplanreviews,TCTmeetings,samplesoffeedbacktoteachersatvaryingperformancelevels,andotherevidence.
  • ByEOYthedistrictwillrealizeatleasta40%reductioninstudentsnotproficientoradvancedinELAandMathforgradesK-5.
  • Measuredthrough:DIBELS,MCAS,andPARCCtestresults.
  • ByEOYthedistrictwillrealizeatleasta40%reductioninstudentsnotproficientoradvancedinELA,Math,andScienceingrades6-12.
  • Measuredthrough:DIBELS,MCAS,andPARCCtestresults.
  • ByEOYthedistrictwillseeatleast10%ofstudentsinthe“Warning”categorymoveinto“NeedsImprovement”andatleast10%ofstudentsinthe“Proficient”categorymoveinto“Advanced”inMathandELA.
  • Measuredthrough:MCASandPARCCtestresults.
  • Atleast90%ofstudentsremainenrolledinschoolfrom8ththrough10thgrade,basedonananalysisof3-yearcohortdata.
Objective2:Develop acollaborative and accountableculture ofusingdatatoimproveinstructionalpracticeanddecision-making

DistrictandSchoolImprovementPlanFinalOutcomes

  • ByEOYprincipalscandemonstratethatatleast80%ofteacherscandesignandimplementlessonstailoredtomeetstudentneedsbasedonanalyzingtheresultsofstandards-basedassessments.
  • Measuredthrough:administrators’assessmentoflessonplans,classroomobservations,TCTminutes,andotherevidence.
  • ByEOYthedistrictwillhaveacentralizeddatasystemforstudentdataanddistrict-wideprocessesforaccessingandanalyzingthedatacollected.
  • ByEOYtheDataandAssessmentManagercandemonstratethat 100%ofprincipalsandcentralofficeleadersandatleast80%ofteacherswilldemonstratetheabilitytoaccessdatainthecentralizeddatasystem,includingatleastonepersonateachschool.
  • Measuredthrough:evidenceincludedinteachers’educationevaluationportfolios.
Objective3:Expanddistrict,school, and educatorcapacitytodevelop, deliver,andsuperviseeffective instructiontoallstudents

DistrictandSchoolImprovementPlanFinalOutcomes

  • ByEOYatleast80%ofevaluatorsprovideconsistentgrowth-producingfeedbacktoteachers.
  • Measuredthrough:co-observationswithSuperintendent,CAO,and/orprincipalcoaches;reviewofwrittenfeedbacktoteachers;andotherevidenceprovidedintheevaluator'sportfolio.
  • ByEOYeachevaluatorwillbeabletoprovideevidencethattheyhelpedatleasttwohigh-priorityteachersimprovetheirpractice,leadingtogainsinstudentlearning.
  • ByEOYatleast10teachersand5otherbuildingleadershavebeenidentifiedas“high-potential”andhaveenteredaleadershipdevelopmenttrack,includingadditionalprofessionaldevelopmentandopportunities.
Objective4:Create,communicate,build,andsupport momentum for thevision ofNBPSthat willbe embracedbythe New Bedfordcommunityandallof itsstakeholders.

DistrictandSchoolImprovementPlanFinalOutcomes

  • ByEOYsign-inrecordsshowthatatleast60%ofstudentshadaparentorguardianparticipatinginorattendingaschool-sponsoredeventinthe2014-15SY.
  • ByEOYatleast80%ofteacherscanprovideevidenceofongoing,sustainedtwo-waycommunicationwiththefamiliesofatleast5strugglingstudents.
  • ByEOYatleast70%ofcommunitymembersrespondingtoasurveyagreethatthedistrictproactivelycommunicatesplansforcriticaldistrictactivitiestokeepthecommunityinformedandincludecommunityinputwhenpossible.

HOWWEWILLGETTHERE

The2014-2015AcceleratedImprovementPlanbuildsonthesuccessesofthepreviousthreeyears,andincludessomenewareasoffocus.NBPSwillcontinuetorefinethesystemsandstructuresithasestablished,butwillalsofocusonseveralareasofworkforgreaterimpact:

Establishingacommonlanguageofrigorandresourcestoimprovecoreinstruction(Objective1):ThedistrictidentifiedincreasingtherigorofinstructionasoneofitsmainfocusesinSY13-

14.Thisyear,thedistrictwillbuildupontheworkfromlastyear,providingteachersandschoolleaderswithfocusedprofessionaldevelopmentandresourcesaroundrigorousinstruction,including:

  • Adistrict-wideInstructionalFrameworkfocusedonfourcriticalteachingskills:
  • Standards-basedplanningandassessment
  • High-qualityinstructionalstrategies
  • Analysisofassessmentresults
  • Differentiationapproaches
  • UpdatedCCSS-alignedcurriculum
  • Aresourcebanktofacilitatedistrict-widesharingofbestpractices
  • Continuingthebi-monthlyPrincipalMeetingswithafocusonrigorousinstruction foratleast50%ofthetimeallotted

Bolsteringsupportsforstrugglingstudents(Objective1):Thedistricthasidentifiedopportunitiestoprovidegreaterquantityandqualityofinterventionsforallstrugglingstudents,includingEnglishLanguageLearnersandstudentswithdisabilities.ThemiddleschoolsmodifiedtheirschedulestocarveoutmoretimetoprovidegeneraleducationinterventionsinSY14-15.Otherstrategiestoidentifyandincreasetheeffectivenessofinterventionsinclude:

  • Integratingprofessionaldevelopmentoncontent,teachingstrategiesandaccommodationsforbothgeneraleducationandspecialeducationteachers
  • Creatingaprotocoltoguidetheidentificationprocesstoensurethatstudentsarebeingprescribedappropriatesupportsfromgeneraleducation,specialeducation,andELLstaff
  • TrainingstaffmemberstoconducteffectiveELLscreenings
  • Workingwith2-4elementaryschoolstoredesigntheirschedulesformoregeneraleducationinterventiontimeasthemiddleschoolsdidinSY13-14

Developingdistrictdatasystemstoprovidetimely,meaningfuldata(Objective2):ThesecondfocusofthedistrictinSY13-14wasaroundthedevelopmentofsystemsto usedatatodrivedecision-making.Thisyear,thedistrictwillsupporttheTeacherCollaborationTeamsateachschoolbycreatingadistrict-widedatasystemtoprovidemoreaccurateandtimelydatafromcommonformativeassessments.

Creatingsystemstodevelopinternaltalent(Objective3):Thedistrictwillcontinueitsworktoincreasethecapacityofprincipalstoserveaseffectiveinstructionalleadersthroughprofessionaldevelopmentatbi-monthlyPrincipals’MeetingsandsupportfromthenewOfficeofInstruction.Additionally,thedistrictwillcreateaformalizedleadershipdevelopmenttracktoidentifyschool-levelleaders,includingteachers,andprovidethemwithgreaterprofessionalopportunitiesanddevelopment.ThedistrictwillalsointroduceprincipalZoneLeaderstositonthedistrict’sGuidingCoalitionTeamtoensureschool-basedleadershaveavoiceindistrictdecisions.

Engagingparentsaspartners(Objective4):Teachersandprincipalswillengagefamiliesaspartnersintheirchild’seducation,identifyingvenuestoreachunengagedparentsandcollaboratingwithengagedparentstosupporttheirchild.Thedistrictwilldevelopproactivecommunicationplansforcriticaldistrictactivitiestokeepthecommunityinformedandinclude communityinputwhenpossible.

Ownership oftheAcceleratedImprovement Plan

Toensurethatprincipalsandteacherscaneasilyidentifythefinaloutcomes,strategicinitiatives,androadmapsforwhichtheyareaccountable,thedocumentusesspecificdistrictlanguageandconnectsshort-termoutcomestothegoal-settingprocessintheeducatorevaluationcycle.Forexample:

SchoolswillbeexpectedtousetheAIPfinaloutcomesasthefinaloutcomesintheirindividualSchoolImprovementPlans

Educatorswillbeexpectedtosetstudentlearninggoalsandprofessionalpracticegoalsthatarealignedwiththeshort-termoutcomesintheAIP

Districtleaderswillprovidedifferentiatedsupporttoprincipalsastheydevelop andimplementtheirSchoolImprovementPlansbasedontheaccountabilityleveloftheschool,studentoutcomesfromthepreviousyear,theprincipals’performanceonabeginning-of-yearrigorassessment

Thisyear,thedistrictisleveragingtheAIPprocessto movetoward“TransitionalImplementation,”asoutlinedbyDESEintheLevel4districtexitcriteria. TheAIPwasdevelopedwithsignificantcontributionsfromcentralofficestaff,principals,andteachers.TheSuperintendentmetwithprincipalsandrepresentativesfromthedistrict’sTeacherAdvisoryGrouptoreceivetheirinputontheAIP.Additionally,thestrategicinitiativeleaders,consistingofprincipalsandcentralofficestaff,contributedtotheplanninganddevelopmentoftheAIPbygenerating theroadmapsthatoutlinethespecificactivitiesnecessarytoimplementtheplan(seeAppendixA).

ThediagrambelowshowstherelationshipbetweenthemajorelementsoftheAcceleratedImprovementPlan.Thesethrough-linestoschool-levelandeducator-levelworkwillhelpensurethatthedistrictmaintainsalaser-likefocus onthedistrict’sfourstrategicobjectives.

TheChiefAcademicOfficerwilloverseeandmanagetheprogressforallstrategicinitiatives.Eachstrategicinitiativeisassignedtodistrictownerswhowill workwiththeCAOtooverseetheday-to-dayoperationsoftheinitiativeandreportontheplanningandprogress.

AccountabilityforImprovementinOutcomes

Accountability forStudentImprovement

TheAIPcontainstargetsforimprovementinstudentoutcomes,andallteachers,principals,anddistrictleaderssharetheresponsibilityforensuringthatstudentsreachthesefinaloutcomes.Principalsareaccountableforthelearningoutcomesofstudentsintheirbuilding,andthe Superintendentisaccountableforthedistrictoverall.

ByEOYthedistrictwillrealizeatleasta40%reductioninstudentsnotproficientoradvancedinELAandMathforgradesK-5.

ByEOYthedistrictwillrealizeatleasta40%reductioninstudentsnotproficientoradvancedinELA,Math,andScienceingrades6-12.

ByEOYthedistrictwillseeatleast10%ofstudentsinthe“Warning”categorymoveinto“NeedsImprovement”andatleast10%ofstudentsinthe“Proficient”categorymoveinto“Advanced”inMathandELA.

Atleast90%ofstudentsremainenrolledinschoolfrom8ththrough10thgrade,basedonananalysisof3-yearcohortdata.

Accountability forPrincipalImprovement

TheAIPcontainsspecifictargetsforprincipalcapacity-building.Eachprincipalisresponsible fortheirowngrowthandcapacity,aswellascollaborationwithotherprincipals.The SuperintendentandCAOareresponsibleforconductingschoollearningwalksandinter-raterreliabilitycheckstodetermineprincipalcapacityonkeymeasures,andprovidingfeedbackandaccesstoresourcestohelpprincipalsimprove.

ByEOYatleast80%ofevaluatorsprovideconsistentgrowth-producingfeedbacktoteachers.

ByEOYeachevaluatorwillbeabletoprovideevidencethattheyhelpedatleasttwohigh-priorityteachersimprovetheirpractice,leadingtogainsinstudentlearning.

Accountability forTeacherImprovement

TheAIPcontainsspecificareasforteacherimprovement.Eachteacherisresponsiblefortheirownimprovementinpractice,aswellascollaboratingwithotherteacherstohelpthemimprove.Principalsareresponsibleforcoaching,providingfeedback,leadingprofessionaldevelopment,andprovidingrelevantmaterialstohelpteachersimprove.Principalsareultimatelyaccountablefortheskilllevelandsuccessofteachersintheirbuilding.

ByEOYprincipalscandemonstratethat100%ofteachers,whoteachreading/ELAorMath,consistentlyusetheupdatedcurriculaintheirclassrooms.

ByEOYprincipalscandemonstratethatatleast80%ofteachersatalllevelsofperformanceintheirbuildingusetheprioritytoolsandstrategiesintheInstructionalFrameworktoincreasetherigoroftheirinstruction.

ByEOYprincipalscandemonstratethatatleast80%ofteacherscandesignandimplementlessonstailoredtomeetstudentneedsbasedonanalyzingtheresultsofstandards-basedassessments.

ByEOYatleast80%ofteacherscanprovideevidenceofongoing,sustainedtwo-waycommunicationwiththefamiliesofatleast5strugglingstudents.

Accountability forDistrictActivities

FortheAIPfinaloutcomesthatdescribeimportantdistrict-levelactions,theroadmapsprovidedinthisdocumentnametheownerforspecificinitiatives.Thoseownersareresponsibleformanagingandcompletingtheactivitiesaccordingtothetimeline,andtheSuperintendentandCAOwillmonitorprogressthroughquarterlyAIPcheck-inmeetings.

ProgressMonitoringDuringtheSchoolYear

TrackingStudentProgress

ThefivemainmethodsthedistrictwillemploytomonitorstudentlearningthisyearareDIBELStests,GalileoBenchmarkassessments,commonformativeassessments,teacher-writtenassessments,andexaminationsofstudentworkartifacts.DIBELS,Galileoassessments,andCFAsareorganizedatthedistrict-level,whileteacher-writtenassessmentsandexaminationsofstudentworkartifactsaremorevariableacrossschoolsandclassrooms.

ThedistrictwillimplementtheGalileotestsandCFAsasfollows:

1.DistrictDataTeamidentifiesprioritystandardsbyanalyzingstudentanswersfromprevioustests

2.Galileoand/orDIBELStestsassessstudentsonprioritystandards

3.PrincipalsandteachersusetheGalileoresultstoadjustinstruction,emphasizingandre-teachingthestandardsonwhichstudentsstruggled

4.CFAsarecreatedtoreteststudentsonstandardswithwhichtheypreviouslystruggled

TrackingSchoolProgress

Thedistricthascreatedasystemtomonitortheprogress ofindividualschoolsandtosupportschoolleadersastheyimplementtheAIP.EachprincipalwillbematchedwithaliaisonfromtheOfficeofInstructiontosupportthemthroughouttheyearandensurethateachschoolisontracktoexperiencesignificantstudentgrowth.Theliaison’ssupportwillfocusonsupportingprincipalsintheireffortstoimproveteacherpracticeinthefiveareasoutlinedintheInstructionalFramework.

Tracking District Progress

TheChiefAcademicOfficerwilloverseetheAIPworkinthedistrictthisyear,usingfourmainmethodstomonitorprogress.BelowisadescriptionofthedifferentprocessesthatwillbeusedtotrackprogressonbothstudentoutcomesandAIPactivitiesfromthedistrict-level.

Objective 1:Overview

Initiativesmarked by astar indicate that theyare new for SY 14-15.

WHATWEWILLACHIEVE

WhyaretheseFinalOutcomescriticaltoachieve?

Whilelastyear’sfocusonrigorousinstructionledtonoticeableimprovementsinteacherpractice,theimpactonstudentlearningwasnotasgreatashoped.Analysisofteacherassessmentsandpracticeshowedthateven whenclassroomswerehighlyengagingandteachersusedrigoroustechniques,lessonswerenotconsistentlydesignedwithmasteryofgrade-levelstandardsinmind.EspeciallywiththeupcomingtransitiontoPARCCassessments,robustCCSS-alignedcurriculummapswillbecriticaltoensureteachersunderstandthestandardstheymusthelpstudentsmaster.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

Thedistrict’sworkinSY13-14focusedoncreatingstructuresthatwillsupporttheimplementationofastrong,CCSS-alignedcurriculum.Examplesofthisinclude:

  • MiddleSchoolSchedulesandtheElementaryLiteracyBlocks:Themodificationstotheelementaryandmiddleschoolschedulestosupportmoregeneraleducationinterventionswillbenefitfromastrongcurriculum.Teachersnowhavemoretimetoprovidedifferentiatedinstruction inELAandmathtotheneedieststudents,whichwillbestrengthenedsignificantlybyadistrict-widecurriculumwithhighstandards.
  • District-andSchool-LevelDataUse2:Thedevelopmentofthedistrictdatateamandteachercollaborationteamswillsupportthisinitiative.Theseteamswillbeabletomakemoremeaningfulcomparisonsacrossschoolsandclassroomswhentheyareconfidentthatthesamecurriculumisuseddistrict-wide,whichwillleadtomoreeffectiverecommendationsforimprovingpractices.
  • ProfessionalDevelopmentonRigor:Thedistrictaddedschool-levelTeachingandLearningSpecialists(TLSs)toprovidecoachingandsupporttoteachersoninstructionalpractice andcontinuestoprovidetrainingforprincipalstohelpincreasetheircapacitytobeinstructionalleadersintheirschools(seeStrategicInitiative3.1).
Short-TermOutcomes1.1

a)BySept30themathcurriculummapsforgradesK-8willbeupdatedandprovidedtoschools.

b)ByOct31aprogressmonitoringplanwithpacingguidelinesandacommonformativeassessmentschedulebuiltaroundthemathcurriculummapsforgradesK-8willbecompleted.

c)ELAcurriculummapsforgradesK-5willbedevelopedandsentviaemailtoschoolsandpostedontheNBPSwebsitebyOctober30.

d)ELAunitsofstudyformiddleschoolELAcurriculumwillbeupdatedandpostedontheNBPSwebsitebyNovember30.

2 “Emerging and SustainingPractices for School Turnaround.”April2013.MassachusettsDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation.

WhyisthisFinalOutcomecriticaltoachieve?

Improvinginstructionalpracticerequiresaprocessandcultureofcontinuousimprovementthatisembeddedineverylevelofthedistrict.TheInstructionalFrameworkhastwoparts:ahigh-leveloutlineofthecomponentsofaneffectiveinstructionalapproachandaresourcebanktosupportteachersandprincipalsastheyimplementtheconceptsintheframework.Creatingacommonlanguageandframeworktodiscusswhichinstructionalapproachesleadtothemoststudentlearning isacriticalsteptowardthenecessaryshiftincultureandpractice.Further,creatingaresourcebanktosupplementtheframeworkthatteachersandschoolleadersfromacrossthedistrictcanleveragetosharetoolsandstrategieswillcatalyzethespreadofbestpracticesinclassrooms.

Additionally,whilethedistrictispursuingaplanthatwouldincreasethetimeallottedforprofessionaldevelopment(tofourhourspermonthofTCTtimeandtwohourspermonthofafter-schoolsessions)alargepieceofthedistrict’sapproachtodevelopingteacherpracticeisembeddedindailywork.Thus,providinghigh-qualityresourcesforinstructionalleaderstousewhencoachingteachersiscriticallyimportantinthedistrict’seffortstoincreasetherigorofinstruction.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

InSY13-14,thedistrictdevelopedgoalsandprocessesthatfocusedoncertainpiecesoftheinstructionalcycle,suchasmini-observationsforprincipalsandTCTmeetingsforteachersusingdata.Thisresultedindisparateeffortstoimproveinstructionalpractice,withsomeeffortsmakinggains,butwithoutanexplicitconnectionbetweentheinitiatives.ForSY14-15,thedistrictplanstodevelopacomprehensiveInstructionalFrameworkthatwillexplicitlyintegrateallaspectsofimprovinginstruction,includingpedagogy,theuseofdata,andinstructionalleadership.TheInstructionalFrameworkwillbealignedwiththerigorrubricthatthedistrictdevelopedlastyearandwiththeMassachusettsEducatorEvaluationtool.

Short-TermOutcomes1.2

InstructionalFrameworkiscompletedandadoptedbydistrictleadershipbeforethedistrict-wideprofessionaldevelopmentdayinOctober.

Beforethedistrict-wideprofessionaldevelopmentdayinJanuary,100%ofteachershavebeenaccuratelyevaluatedbasedontheInstructionalFrameworkandevaluatorshavecommunicated1-2focusareasforgrowthwitheachteacher.

Atleast90%ofteachersattendasessionduringthedistrict-wideprofessionaldevelopmentdayinJanuarythatistargetedtowardtheirfocusareaofgrowthfromthe InstructionalFrameworkasidentifiedbyprincipalobservations.

WhyaretheseFinalOutcomescriticaltoachieve?

Accuratelyidentifyingstudentneedandprovidingappropriatesupportsisacriticalpriorityforthedistrict.InSY2012-13,just10%ofNewBedfordstudentswithdisabilitiesand4%ofELLstudentswererated“Proficient”ontheELAMCAS.Lessthan1%ofstudentswithdisabilitiesandELLstudentswererated“Advanced.”3Studentsneedtostartonapathtosuccessearly,butthedistrictalsoneedstoprovideappropriatesupportstokeepstudentsontrack.ThedistrictismakingaconcertedeffortthisyeartoimprovescreeningofELLstudentsandidentificationofspecialneeds,sothatstudentsneedingspecializedsupportswillgetthemearlierandstudentswhohavestruggledinclasswillreceiveeffectiveinterventions.Thedistrictcurrentlyover-identifiesstudentswithspecialneedsandvastlyunder-identifiesELLstudents,andfixingthesetwoprocesseswillhelpmorestudentsreceivetherightinterventionsattherighttime.

Inadditiontoimprovingidentification,thedistrictmustalsoprepareallteacherstomeettheneedsofstudents,sincenearlyallteacherswillhaveELLstudentsorstudentswithspecialneedsintheirclasses.Thedistrictwillalsobuildonthecurrentmagnetprogramtoensurethatmorestudentsreceivehigh-qualityenrichmentandextensionopportunities.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

Thedistrict’sworkinSY13-14focusedonsimilarFinalOutcomesandthedistrictleadershipbelievesthesearethecorrectmeasuresofprogress.Thedistrictmadeprogresstowardthesegoals,butunfortunatelydidnotachievetheminSY13-14.ThedistricthasmadestridesinanefforttouseamoreeffectiveapproachtoaccomplishingtheFinalOutcomes,whichinclude:

  • MiddleSchoolSchedulesandtheHighSchoolRedesign:Themodificationstothehighschoolandmiddleschoolschedulestosupportmoregeneraleducationinterventionswillprovideteacherswithmoretimetoprovidedifferentiatedinstructiontotheirneedieststudents.Anincreasedfocusonhigh-rigorgeneraleducationinterventionswillhelpschoolsmakesignificantgainswithstrugglingstudents.

32013Report Card:New Bedford.DepartmentofElementaryand SecondaryEducation.Linkhere.

Short-TermOutcomes1.3

AtBOYtheprofessionaldevelopmentsessionsforthenewReadingStreetprogramwillbeintegratedsothatbothgeneraleducationandspecialeducationteachersreceivethesametraining.

Thedistrictwilldecreasebyatleast70%thenumberofstudentslabelednotproficientonthestandardsincludedinthemathandELAOctoberCFAcomparedtoBOYGalileoresults.(CFA#1testingwindow:10/6-10/24)

Thedistrictwilldecreasebyatleast70%thenumberofstudentslabelednotproficientonthestandardsincludedinthemathandELAFebruaryCFAcomparedtoMOYGalileoresults.(CFA#2testingwindow:2/2-2/13)

ByMOYthedistrictwilldecreasebyatleast 20%thenumberofstudentsnotproficientonDIBELSingrades K-2,comparedtoBOYDIBELSdata.

ByDec1thedistrictwillfinalizeaguideforspecialeducationfacilitatorstosupporttheminaccuratelyidentifyingstudentneeds,whethertheyoriginatefromalackofcontentknowledge,aneedforELLservices,non-academicneeds,oradisability.

ByendofDecember,allstudentsidentifiedforELLscreeninghavebeenscreened.

ByEOY,atleasttwonewschoolswillhavedevelopedplansforimplementinginterventiontimeforstrugglingstudentsintheirscheduleforthefollowingschoolyear.

NBHSwilldecreasebyatleast50%thenumberofstudentswhoarenotpromotedfrom9thgradeto10thgradecomparedtoJune2014.

SYSTEMS/STRUCTURES/STAKEHOLDERSTOSUPPORTOBJECTIVE1:

OfficeofInstruction

Commonformativeassessments

Schoollearningwalks

TeacherCollaborationTeams(TCTs)

SpecialeducationidentificationprocessandELLstudentscreening

Educatorevaluationratingsforteachersandevidencecollection

TeacherAdvisoryGroup

GuidingCoalitionTeam

Thesystems andstructuresfoundinObjectives2and3are alignedwiththisinitiative.PleaserefertotheinitiativesinObjectives2and 3foradditionalactivitiesandaction stepsrelatedtotheuseofdataand expandingcapacityforengaginginstruction,bothofwhich needtohappentoaccomplishObjective 1.

Objective2:Overview

WHATWEWILLACHIEVE

WhyisthisFinalOutcomecriticaltoachieve?

Knowingwhetherornotstudentsaremakingsteadyprogresstowardclearlearningtargetsisessentialforstayingontrackforsuccess.Ifteachersknow whereeachstudentisinhisorherlearningtrajectory,theywillbeabletoadjustinstructionandprovidespecificinterventions,therebygreatlyincreasingthelikelihoodthatallstudentswillreachtheidentifiedlearninggoals.Researchhasshownthatteacherscanimprovetheirownpracticethroughcollaborationwiththeirpeers,sothe teachercollaborationteamsareanopportunityforteacherstoengageindataanalysisandsharestrategiestoimprovetheirowninstruction.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

Thedistrict’sworkinSY13-14focusedonbuildingtheteamsandstructuresnecessaryforusingdatatoinformdecision-makingonadistrict-andschool-level.Thisincludedtheformationofthe districtdatateamandteachercollaborationteams.Nowthatthedistricthasdevelopedcapacityandprocessesaroundtheuseofdata,afocusforSY14-15willbeonimprovingteacherpracticebased ontherecommendationsofteachercollaborationteamsandtocreateastrongmarriagebetweenTCTsandinstructionalpracticesinclassrooms.

Short-TermOutcomes 2.1

ByOct30100%ofschool-basedinstructionalleaderswillhaveassessed100%oftheirteachers’capacitytodesignand/oradaptstandards-basedassessments.

ByMOYatleast80%ofprincipalswilldemonstrateevidenceofmodelingdatauseandprovidinggrowth-producingfeedbacktoteachersondatause,asmeasuredbyevidencepresentedduringtheirmid-yearevaluations,conversationswiththeSuperintendentandotherdistrictleaders,observationswithpeersanddistrictleaders,etc.

ByMOYatleast80%ofteacherswilldesignand/oradaptandadministerstandards-basedassessmentstoidentifystudentneedsandmonitorstudents’progresstowardstheirlearninggoals,asmeasuredbydistrictandschoolleaders.

WhyisthisFinalOutcomecriticaltoachieve?

Aprerequisitetotheeffectiveuseofdatais havingtechnologicalandproceduralsystemsinplacesothatalllevelsoftheorganizationcanaccessaccurate,relevant,andtimelydata.NewBedfordPublicSchoolshas verylow-qualitydatasystemsinthedistrict,whichrequirelabor-intensiveandinefficientprocessestoaccessdata.Thesesystemscausesignificantlagtimebetweenwhenassessmentsareadministeredandwhenthedataisreadytoanalyze.Withouthavingaccesstodatainatimelymanner,itisdifficultforteachercollaborationteamstoleveragedatatoimproveinstructionalpractice.Upgradingandimprovingthesystemsforaccessingdatawillstrengthenandfacilitatemoreeffectiveuseofdataacrossthedistrict.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

Thedistricthasmadegainsinitsworkdevelopingstructuresaroundtheuseofdata, establishingstructuresandprotocolsforTCTsandtheDistrictDataTeam.Nowthatthedistricthasdevelopedcapacityandprocedures,afocusforSY14-15willbeonimprovingthetechnicalanddepartmentalsystemsinplacetocollect,synthesize,andprovidedatafordistrict-andschool-levelneeds.Improvingandintegratingthedistrict’sdatasystemswillhelpmakethejobsoftheDistrictDataTeamandtheTeacherCollaborationTeamsmuchmoreeffective,efficient,andimpactful.

Short-TermOutcomes 2.2

ByendofMarch100%ofdatacurrentlyavailablewillbeuploadedandaccessibleinAspenX2.

ByEOY100%ofteachersat2-3pilotschoolswilldemonstratetheabilitytoproducereportsandanalyzedatainthecentralizeddatasystem,asmeasuredbyevidenceincludedinteachers’educationevaluationportfolios.

SYSTEMS/STRUCTURES/STAKEHOLDERSTOSUPPORTOBJECTIVE2:

OfficeofInstruction

Commonformativeassessments

Districtdatateam(DDT),andteachercollaborationteams(TCTs)

InstructionalFramework

Objective 3:Overview

WHATWEWILLACHIEVE

WhyaretheseFinalOutcomescriticaltoachieve?

Amajorcomponentofthedistrict’stheoryofactionisthatteachersinthedistrictwilldeliverrigorousinstruction,whichwillleadtostudentgains.Principalsandotherschoolleaders,suchasTeachingand LearningSpecialists(TLSs),needtosupportteachersinthesepursuits.Specifically,schoolleadersneedtoprovidestronginstructionalleadershipandgrowth-producingfeedbacktocreateacultureofcontinuousimprovementaroundinstructionalpractice.Additionally,teachersthroughoutthedistrictmusttakeownershipforimprovingtheirownpractice,recognizingtheirownneedtoimprove,andseekingoutprofessionaldevelopmentandcollaborationopportunities.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

Thedistrict’sworkinSY13-14focusedonestablishingacommonlanguageandunderstandingofrigorwithprincipals,whoarethekeyfactorsindrivingchangeintheirschools.Intheupcomingyear,thedistrictplans tofocusonteacherunderstandingandownershipofrigorintheclassroom.Principalsarekeyfiguresincommunicatingwithteachersaboutrigorandsupportingthemastheystrivetoincreasetherigoroftheirinstruction.

Short-TermOutcomes3.1

BytheendofOctoberallevaluatorswillidentifyatleasttwohigh-priorityteachersintheirschoolsonwhichtheevaluatorswillplaceaparticularfocusforimprovement.

ByFebruary15allevaluatorswillbeabletoprovideevidenceoffocusedinstructionalcoachingwithatleastthetwoteachersthatwereidentifiedashigh-priorityintheirbuildingasmeasuredbyobservationsbySuperintendent,CAO,orcoaches;reviewofwrittenfeedbacktoteachers;andotherevidence.

ByJune15allzonegroupswillparticipateinaminimumofsixschoollearningwalkstoincludeclassroomvisits.

WhyisthisFinalOutcomecriticaltoachieve?

Anexcellentdistrictrequiresexcellentleadersandteachers.Creatingaformalizedsystemtoidentifyhigh-potentialstaffmembersandcultivatetheirtalentswillallowthedistricttodevelopitsowntalentateveryleveloftheorganization.Thiswillallowthedistricttobothdevelopitsowntalentaswellasattracthigh-capacityexternalcandidates.IncreasingtheleveloftalentacrossthedistrictwillhelpdriveandsustaintheimpactfulchangesoutlinedinthisandpreviousAIPs.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

StrategicInitiative3.1seekstocreateafoundationofhighly-skilledindividualsthatcanimplementtheworkofthedistrictforyearstocome.AchallengethatthedistrictencounteredinSY13-14wasthediscrepancy betweenthetremendousamountofworkneededtoturnthedistrictaroundandthecapacityandskilllevelofthedistricttalentpool,especiallyinthecentraloffice.Institutingahumancapitalpipelinewillallowthe districttodevelopitsownpeople,creatingaself-sustainingcycleofgrowthinNewBedford.

Short-TermOutcomes 3.2

ByDec1thefollowingwillbedefined:

  • Objectives,design,andstructureoftheleadershipdevelopmenttrack
  • Potential“stretch”assignmentsforparticipants
  • Selectioncriteriatoidentifyprogramparticipants

ByFeb1participantsintheleadershiptrackwillbeselected.

ByApril1thefirstmeetingofthefirstleadershiptrackcohortwilltakeplace.

SYSTEMS/STRUCTURES/STAKEHOLDERSTOSUPPORTOBJECTIVE3:

OfficeofInstruction

OfficeofHumanCapitalServices

TeachingandLearningSpecialists

InstructionalFramework

TeacherAdvisoryGroup

GuidingCoalitionTeam

Objective 4:Overview

TheoverarchingintentofObjective4istocreateandenactavisionforeducationforNewBedfordPublicSchoolthatisembracedbystaff,students,families,andthebroadercommunitytopreparestudentsforsuccessafterhighschool.Inordertoachievethisvision,weneedtoengagefamiliesinunderstandingandshapingtheirchild’slearningexperiencesaswellastobeadvocatesforrigorousacademicinstructionthroughouttheirschoolcareers.

ThestrategicinitiativesinObjective4for2013-14wereaimedatestablishingafoundationwhichpavedthewayforincreasinglysubstantivefamilyinvolvementovertime.

ThetwostrategicinitiativesinObjective4for2014-15seektotransitionfromone-waycommunicationtosustained,two-wayengagementbetweenNewBedfordPublicSchoolsanditsstudents’familiesinInitiative4.1andthe broadercommunityinInitiative4.2.ThegoalistoprovidethefamiliesandthecommunityatlargewiththeabilityandknowledgetosupportthelearningofNewBedfordstudentsoutsideoftheschoolday.

WHATWEWILLACHIEVE

WhyaretheseFinalOutcomescriticaltoachieve?

Everystudent’seducationisapartnershipbetweenschoolandfamily.Familiesshouldfeellikevaluablemembersoftheschoollearningcommunityandfeelequippedwithtoolsandstrategiestosupporttheirchild’sachievement.Additionally,ensuringeffectiveon-goingcommunicationbetweenschoolsandfamilies contributestobuildingtrustingrelationships,whichcanhelpbolsterstudentsuccess.EspeciallyforELLstudents,whoseparentsmighthavedifferentculturalexpectationsabout involvementinschool,thedistrictwillmakeaconcertedefforttoengageparentsandteachthemhowtosupporttheirstudents.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

Thedistrict’sworkinSY13-14focusedoncreatingawelcomingenvironmentinschoolsandcommunicatingthiseffortwiththefamiliesofstudentsandthebroadercommunity.Lastyear’sworkwasanecessarystepinbuildingarelationshipwiththecommunity,andthedistricthopestoleveragelastyear’sworktoencouragethefamiliesofstudentstoactivelyparticipateinschool-relatedactivities.

Short-TermOutcomes4.1

ByOct.1,thedistrictwillpilotanewconferencesmodelatselectedschoolsandgatherfeedback.

ByJan.1,identifyvenuesandchannelstoreachparentsineachcommunityandcreateacalendaroftouchpointsfortheremainderoftheyear.

WhyisthisFinalOutcomecriticaltoachieve?

Therearemanyindividuals,families,andorganizationsthathaveastakeinthesuccessofNewBedfordPublicSchools.Communicatingwiththesestakeholderstogeneratesupportforthedistrict’sAIPiscriticaltoimplementingtheaggressiveeffortsthatthedistricthasplannedforthenearfuture.Buildingrelationshipswithkeycommunitystakeholdersisalsointegralinsustainingcommunitysupportforthedistrictinthelong-term.EffectivecommunicationtotheNewBedfordcommunitywillhelpminimizetheresistancetothechangesoutlinedinthisdocument,whichwillallowforacceleratedimprovementinstudentoutcomesanddistrictperformance.Additionally,manyofthesestakeholdershaveresourcesthatcouldbeinvestedtosupplementandsupportcertaindistrictinitiatives,buttheseresourceshavebeenleveragedinconsistentlybyNBPSinthepast.

HowdoesthisStrategicInitiativebuildonthedistrict’spreviouswork?

Thedistrict’scommunitystakeholderoutreachinSY13-14focusedonbuildingasupportiverelationshipwiththeSchoolCommitteeandtheMayor’soffice.Theseeffortsprovedhighlysuccessful,asthedistrictandcityleadersapprovedabudgetwithnoreductionsforthefirsttimeinrecenthistory.ThedistrictlookstobuilduponthissupportfromkeystakeholdersinthelocalgovernmentandtotransitionoutreacheffortstothefamiliesofNewBedfordstudents,localorganizationsandtaxpayersaboutthedistrict’sAIP.

Short-TermOutcomes4.2

ByNov1,thedistrictwillcreatecommunicationcalendarforthe4-5criticalareasidentified.

ByNov.1,thedistrictwilldetermineifapartnerisneededtoorganizethesurvey,andselectapartnerifso.

SYSTEMS/STRUCTURES/STAKEHOLDERSTOSUPPORTOBJECTIVE4:

SchoolImprovementPlans

Parent-teacherconferences

Educatorevaluationratingsforteachersandevidencecollection

Principal,schoolbasedadministrator,andcentralofficeadministratoreducatorevaluationratings

SuperintendentForumSeries

Appendix A:InitiativeRoadMaps andActivities

Objective 1: Prepareall NBPS students forcollegeand careersuccessby implementingrigorousstandards and monitoring studentprogressinattaining thosestandards toa levelofproficiency

Initiative 1.1:DevelopandimplementCCSS-alignedcurriculummaps

Team Leader(s):BethDoherty(Math) andLisa Dion (ELA)

Team Members:RepresentativesfromtheTeacherAdvisoryGroup

Final Outcomes:

a)ByEOYprincipalscandemonstratethat100%ofteachers,whoteachreading/ELAorMath,consistentlyusethenewcurriculaintheirclassrooms.

  • Measuredthrough:observations,meetingswithprincipals,lessonplans,TCTmeetings,andotherevidence.

b)Atleastonceperterm,CFAsalignedtoCCSScurriculumformathandELAwillbeadministered.

Short-Term Outcomes:

BySept30themathcurriculummapsforgradesK-8willbeupdatedandprovidedtoschools.

ByOct31aprogressmonitoringplanwithpacingguidelinesandacommonformativeassessmentschedulebuiltaroundthemathcurriculummapsforgradesK-8willbecompleted.

ELACurriculumMapsforElementarySchool(K-5)developedandsentviaemailtoschoolsandpostedontheNBPSwebsitebyOctober30.

ELAunitsofstudyformiddleschoolELAcurriculumwillbereviewed.UpdatedandpostedontheNBPSwebsitebyNovember30,2014.

Roadmap

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Math

FinalizemathcurriculummapsforgradesK-8.

  • ResearchandcompileCCSS-alignedresourcestoincludeincurriculummaps.
  • Draftcurriculummapsbasedonfeedbackfromgrade-levelteacherteams.
  • SendthefinalcurriculummapstoschoolsandpostthemontheNBPSwebsiteuponapprovalfromtheCAO.

Developcurriculummapsforthedistrict’sEnvisionMathpilotatParkerElementary.

  • DraftanewcurriculummapthatalignstheEnvisionMathK-5curriculum.
  • SolicitfeedbackonEnvisionMathcurriculummapsfromParkerElementarystaff.
  • SendthefinalEnvisionMathcurriculummapstoschoolsuponapprovalfromtheCAO.

Sept.30:Mathcurriculummapsforgrades K-8 will beupdated and provided toschools.

ImplementaprogressmonitoringplanwithpacingguidelinesfortheupdatedK-8mathcurriculummapsandCFAs.

  • Meetwithschoolleaderstoidentifyonepointpersonformathcurriculumateachelementaryandmiddleschool.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

  • Meetwithschoolleaders,gradelevelteams,andpointpeopleformathcurriculumtodetermineunitpacingguidelinesforthenewcurriculummaps.
  • Outlinethecommonformativeassessmentschedule.
  • DraftaprogressmonitoringplancombiningpacingguidelinesandtheCFAschedulesforgradesK-8.
  • FinalizeprogressmonitoringplanuponapprovalofgradelevelteamsandtheCAO.
  • Organizemonthlycheck-inswithpointpeopleformathcurriculumtosupportthemastheyimplementtheprogressmonitoringplanattheirschools.

DevelopsystemsforprovidingprofessionaldevelopmentonmathinstructioningradesK-8.

  • ThreeNBPSstaffareselectedandtrainedtobefacilitatorsofEDCtrainingsforstaffingrades6-8.
  • Meetwithtrainingfacilitatorstodeterminethegoals,schedules,androlesforthesessions.
  • ProvidetenEDCtrainingstostafffromgrades6-8.
  • Identifyspecificlook-forsfromthetrainingandcommunicatethemtoschoolleadersforuseduringobservations.
  • Meetwiththepointpeopleformathcurriculumfromeachschooltodraftanewsystemforprovidingprofessionaldevelopmentonmathinstruction.
  • Presentthedraftplantodistrictleadersforfeedback.
  • Finalizeplanformathprofessionaldevelopment.
  • ImplementapilotofthenewplanforprofessionaldevelopmentbyextendingthecontentfromtheEDCtrainingstostaffingradesK-5.
  • RevisethenewprofessionaldevelopmentplanbasedonlessonslearnedfromtheK-5pilotbeforefullimplementationinSY15-16.
  • Developatentative1-2yearscheduleformathprofessionaldevelopment.

Updatemathcurriculum,curriculummaps,andunitsofstudyforgrades9-12.

  • Contentinstructionalleaderreviewsthecurrentcurriculumandresearchessuccessfulapproachesinotherturnarounddistricts.
  • DraftnewcurriculumwithsupportfromtheOfficeofInstruction.
  • MeetwithCAOtofinalizenewcurriculum.
  • ContentinstructionalleaderworkswithteacherPLCstodevelopcurriculummapsandunitsofstudy.
  • ContentinstructionalleaderandadministratorstrainteachersonbestpracticesforusingthenewcurriculummapsandunitsofstudyduringPLCtime.

Implementaprogressmonitoringplanformathingrades9-12.

  • ContentinstructionalleadersdraftpacingguidelinesandCFAsforupdatedcurricula.

Oct.31:Math progressmonitoring plansforgrades K-8 will beupdated and provided toschools.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

  • WorkwithasamplingofteacherPLCstorefinepacingguidelinesandCFAcontent.
  • MeetwithCAOtofinalizepacingguidelinesandCFAs.
  • ImplementCFAsbasedonpacingguidelines.

EnglishandLanguageArts

DevelopcurriculummapsthatarealignedtothenewReadingStreetcurriculumingradesK-5.

  • DistributeReadingStreetmaterialstoelementaryschools.
  • ReviewthenewReadingStreetcurriculumandmaterials.
  • UpdateK-5curriculummapstoalignwithReadingStreetandCCSSstandards.
  • MeetwithasamplingofprincipalsandTCTstoreceivetheirinputontheupdatedcurriculummaps.
  • MeetwithprincipalsandCAOtofinalizeupdatedcurriculummaps.
  • PrincipalsuseTCTtimetotrainteachersonupdatedcurriculummapsandmaterials.

UpdateELAunitsofstudyforgrades6-8.

  • Meetwithprincipalstoreviewthecurrentunitsofstudy.
  • Draftnewunitsofstudybasedonrecommendationsfromprincipals.
  • MeetwithprincipalsandCAOtofinalizeunitsofstudy.
  • PrincipalsuseTCTtimetotrainteachersonupdatedunitsofstudy.

ImplementaprogressmonitoringplanwithpacingguidelinesfortheupdatedK-8ELAcurriculummapsandCFAs.

  • Meetwithprincipalstodraftpacingguidelinesforeachgradebasedonupdatedcurriculummapsorunitsofstudy.
  • DraftCFAsbasedontheupdatedcurriculummapsforgradesK-5andunitsofstudyforgrades6-8.
  • MeetwithprincipalsandCAOtofinalizeCFAsandpacingguidelines.
  • PrincipalsworkwithTCTstoimplementnewcurriculummapsandpacingguidelines.
  • AdministerCFAsbasedonthepacingguidelines.UpdateELAcurriculum,curriculummaps,andunitsofstudyforgrades9-12.
  • ContentinstructionalleaderreviewsthecurrentcurriculumwithsupportfromDESE.
  • DraftnewcurriculumwithsupportfromDESEandOfficeofInstruction.
  • MeetwithCAOtofinalizenewcurriculum.
  • ContentinstructionalleaderworkswithteacherPLCstodevelopcurriculummapsandunitsofstudy
  • ContentinstructionalleaderandadministratorstrainteachersonbestpracticesforusingthenewcurriculummapsandunitsofstudyduringPLCtime.

Objective1:PrepareallNBPSstudentsforcollegeandcareersuccessby implementingrigorousstandardsandmonitoringstudentprogressinattainingthosestandardstoalevelofproficiency

Initiative1.2:Teachers usetheInstructionalFrameworktoguideinstruction

Team Leader(s):Andrea Curtis andPegMongiello

Team Members:

RepresentativesfromtheTeacherAdvisoryGroup

Final Outcomes:

a)ByEOYprincipalscandemonstratethatatleast80%ofteachersintheirbuildingusethetoolsandstrategiesintheInstructionalFrameworktoimprovetheirpractice.

  • Measuredthrough:observations,meetingswithprincipals,lessonplans,TCTmeetings,andotherevidence.

Short-Term Outcomes:

InstructionalFrameworkiscompletedandadoptedbydistrictleadershipbeforethedistrict-wideprofessionaldevelopmentdayinOctober.

Beforethedistrict-wideprofessionaldevelopmentdayinJanuary,100%ofteachershavebeenaccuratelyevaluatedbasedontheInstructionalFrameworkandevaluatorshavecommunicated1-2focusareasforgrowthwitheachteacher.

Atleast90%ofteachersattendasessionduringthedistrict-wideprofessionaldevelopmentdayinJanuarythatistargetedtowardtheirfocusareaofgrowthfromtheInstructionalFrameworkasidentifiedbyprincipalobservations.

Roadmap

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

DevelopcontentoftheInstructionalFramework.

  • Draftapreliminaryframeworkshowingtheconnectionsbetweenthethreeaspectsoftherigorrubric:standards-basedunitdesign,well-plannedlessonsandhighexpectations.
  • Determineanddocumentwhatproficiencyshouldlooklikeforeachaspectoftheframework.
  • ReviewthepreliminaryframeworkwiththeCAOandteachers,andincorporateinput.
  • PresentthepreliminaryframeworktoprincipalsatAug.18-20meetingsforfeedback,andpreviewhowtheframeworkwillbedevelopedandused.
  • Selectevidence-basedstrategiesormethodsthatteachersshoulduseforeachaspectoftheframework.
  • Compileandorganizevideos,guides,referencesandothermaterialsthatteachersshouldusetodeveloptheirpractice.
  • Compileandorganizerealexamplesillustratingproficientorexemplaryunitdesign,lessonplansorengagingstudentswithhighexpectations.
  • Createapageonthewebsitewherealltools,strategies,andexamplescanbeaccessed.
  • Createafinalizedbinderforthe2014-15InstructionalFramework.

Introducethecontentoftheframeworktoalllevelsofthedistrict.

  • CreateanoverviewPDsessionexplainingwhattheframeworkisandhowinstructionalleadersshoulduseitwithteachers.

Oct.31:InstructionalFrameworkiscompleted andadopted.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

  • DelivertheoverviewPDsessiontoprincipals.
  • Coordinatewithallprincipalstoensuretheyintroducetheframeworktotheirstaff(e.g.infacultymeetings,startofyeartraining,etc.)
  • Create2-3PDsessionstointroducethekeyaspectsoftheframeworktoteachers.
  • ForeachoftheteacherPDsessions,createa“trainthetrainer”sessionforprincipals,TLSsorstrongteachers.
  • EngageprincipalstodevelopaplanfordeliveringtrainingonOctoberPDday,e.g.willschoolscombine?Howwillteachersbegrouped?Whowill

deliverthetrainings?

  • Holda“trainthetrainer”workshopforthetrainersoftheOctoberPDsessions.
  • ImplementPDsessionsonOctoberPDday,includingexitticketsorothermethodtoassessteacherlearning.

Provideongoingtrainingandmonitoringforteachers,linkedtotheframework.

  • CoordinatewithdatainitiativeteamstodevelopanapproachtointegratetheframeworkintoTCTs.
  • WorkwithTeam3.1(Principalcapacity)todevelopatooltotrackteachercapabilitiesontheframework.
  • PrincipalsobserveeachteacheratleastoncebetweenOctoberandJanuarytoassesscapabilitiesontheframework.
  • Collectalistfromeachprincipaldetailingthecapabilitiesobservedforeachteacher.
  • DevelopaplanforJanuaryPDday,groupingteachersbycapabilities.
  • CoordinatewithTeam3.1tohelpprincipalsprovideongoingdifferentiatedsupporttoeachteacher,focusingon1-2primaryareasforimprovement.
  • TCTsusetheInstructionalFrameworkasaguidefordiscussionabouthowinstructionalpracticeinfluencesstudentoutcomesandhowtoimproveinstructionbasedonfindingsinstudentdata.
  • PrincipalsworkwithteachingandlearningspecialistsandotherevaluatorsattheirschooltoconductobservationsandcoachingalignedtotheInstructionalFramework.

Oct:District-wideprofessional developmentdayintroducesteacherstoframework.

Jan:District-wideprofessional developmentdayprovidesdifferentiated training toteachers.

Objective 1: Prepareall NBPS students forcollegeand careersuccessby implementingrigorousstandards and monitoring studentprogressinattaining thosestandards toa level ofproficiency
Initiative 1.3:Provide appropriatesupportstostrugglingstudents
Team Leader(s):AshleyHebert
TeamHeatherLarkin,SoniaWalmsley,representativesfromtheTeacherAdvisoryGroup,Special
Members:EducationFacilitators
Final Outcomes:
a)ByEOYthedistrictwillrealizeatleasta40%reductioninstudentsnotproficientoradvancedinELAandMathforgradesK-5.
  • Measuredthrough:MCAS,PARCC,andDIBELStestresults.
b)ByEOYthedistrictwillrealizeatleasta40%reductioninstudentsnotproficientoradvancedinELA,Math,andScienceingrades6-12.
  • Measuredthrough:MCASandPARCCtestresults.
c)ByEOYthedistrictwillseeatleast10%ofstudentsinthe“Warning” categorymoveinto“NeedsImprovement”andatleast10%ofstudentsinthe“Proficient”categorymoveinto“Advanced.”
  • Measuredthrough:MCASandPARCCtestresults.
d)Atleast90%ofstudentsremainenrolledinschoolfrom8ththrough10thgrade,basedonananalysisof3-yearcohortdata.
Short-Term Outcomes:
AtBOYtheprofessionaldevelopmentsessionsforthenewReadingStreetprogramwillbeintegratedsothatbothgeneraleducationandspecialeducationteachersreceivethesametraining.
Thedistrictwilldecreasebyatleast70%thenumberofstudentslabelednotproficientonthestandardsincludedinthemathandELAOctoberCFAcomparedtoBOYGalileoresults.(CFA#1testingwindow:10/6-10/24)
Thedistrictwilldecreasebyatleast70%thenumberofstudentslabelednotproficientonthestandardsincludedinthemathandELAFebruaryCFAcomparedtoMOYGalileoresults.(CFA#2testingwindow:2/2-2/13)
ByMOYthedistrictwilldecreasebyatleast20%thenumberofstudentsnotproficientonDIBELSingrades K-2,comparedtoBOYDIBELSdata.
ByDec1thedistrictwillfinalizeaguideforspecialeducationfacilitatorstosupporttheminaccuratelyidentifyingstudentneeds,whethertheyoriginatefromalackofcontentknowledge,aneed forELLservices,non-academicneeds,oradisability.
ByendofDecember,allstudentsidentifiedforELLscreeninghavebeenscreened.
ByEOY,atleasttwonewschoolswillhavedevelopedplansforimplementinginterventiontimeforstrugglingstudentsintheirscheduleforthefollowingschoolyear.
NBHSwilldecreasebyatleast50%thenumberofstudentswhoarenotpromotedfrom9thgradeto10thgradecomparedtoJune2014.
Roadmap
Activity / Aug / Sep / Oct / Nov / Dec / Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / May
Developspecialeducationstructurestoensurethatstudentsarereceivingtheappropriateservicesandsupports.
  • Reviewtheofficialproceduresusedcurrentlyinthedistrictforspecialeducationreferrals.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

  • ConductPDforallspecialeducationfacilitatorsontheofficialproceduresforreferrals,emphasizingtheirroleincorrectlydeterminingeligibility.
  • Conductinterviews,observationsandreviewsampleIEPstodeterminehowfacilitatorsimplementthereferralprocesswithfidelity,andareasforPD.
  • Usedataonnewreferralsandidentificationratetoassessconsistencyacrossdifferentfacilitators.
  • Writeasummaryoffindings.
  • Determinerequiredchangestopolicyandadditionaltrainingneedstoensurethatfacilitatorsareeffectiveatidentifyingstudentswithdisabilities.
  • Monitortheidentificationrateofspecificspecialeducationfacilitatorsasachecktoensurethattheyareimplementingthereferralprocedurewithfidelityandequityacrossthedistrict.
  • Engageaworkgroupofspecialed,generaledandELLteacherstocreateaprocesstoidentifystudentneedwhenthereisoverlapbetweenELL,SPEDandacademicstruggles.
  • Createadistrictrubricandprocessguidetocreategreaterequityacrossthedistrictwhendeterminingstudentneeds(bothacademicandnon-academic).

ConductscreeningstoidentifyELLstudents,alignresourcesandprogramstostudents.

  • SendhomelanguagesurveysouttothefamiliesofallNewBedfordstudents.
  • IdentifystudentstoscreenforELLservicesbasedonthehomelanguageandMCASdata.
  • TrainteacherstoconductscreeningandassessmentstodetermineifstudentsneedELLservices.
  • ScreenstudentswhoarelikelytoneedELLservicesbasedonthehomelanguagesurveyandstudentperformancedata.
  • DevelopprocedurestoscreenpotentialELLstudentsforimplementationnextyear,leveragingthegreaternumberofteachersthatcanconductthescreening.
  • DraftpreliminaryELLstaffingandprogrammingforSY15-16basedonupdatedstudentneed.
  • Determinecostsforstaffingandtransportation.
  • Determinerecommendedchangesinstudentassignmenttoschoolstoensureservicesareavailable.
  • Communicatewithparentsaboutrecommendedchangesinschoolassignments.

TrainteachersonkeystrategiesforELLstudents,andtrainprincipalstomonitoruse.

  • DevelopPDforteachersonfivestrategies:
  • PromptELLstudentstotalkmoreinclassandbemoreengaged
  • IntegrateELLstudentsintogroupsforclassroomactivities
  • SeatELLstudentsinfront
  • Includealanguageobjectiveinadditiontothemasteryobjectiveforeachlesson
  • Pre-teachingkeyvocabularyterms

Dec1:The district willfinalize a guide for specialeducationfacilitatorstosupport theminaccuratelyidentifying studentneeds.

Dec31:All studentsidentified for ELLscreening havebeenscreened.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

  • Createlistof“look-fors”thatprincipalscanusewhenobservingclassroomswithELLstudents.
  • Trainprincipalson“look-fors.”
  • ConductPDforteachersonOctoberdistrictPDday.
  • ConductSEIendorsementcoursesfor450teachersandadministrators.
  • DevelopproceduresandsystemstoincludeACCESSinthelistofdatathatteachers,TCTs,andtheDDTanalyzeforSY15-16.

Developcontentandresourcesthatsupportteachersprovidinggeneraledinterventions.

  • Assesswhichschoolscurrentlyhavededicatedinterventiontimebuiltintoschedules.
  • WorkwithTeam2.1todevelopresourcesforteachinginterventions,focusedon:
  • Usingdatatodeterminestandardstore-teach
  • Planningalessonstartingfromastandard
  • Multiplestrategiesforeffectiveinstructionanddifferentiation
  • Uploadtoolsandresourcestoresourcebank.
  • WorkwithTeam2.1tocreatePDforTLSsonaccessingresourcesforeffectiveinterventions.
  • LeverageTLSstosupporteffectivegeneraleducationinterventionsintheschoolsthatalreadyhavethestructuresinplace.
  • Identify2-4schoolsthatwanttoaddinterventiontimetotheirschedule,andworkwiththemtodevelopaplanfornextyear.Providetrainingon:
  • Leveragingschoolschedulestoallocatesufficienttimeforinterventions
  • Creatinginterventiongroupsthatarebasedonstudentdata
  • Creatingprocessestoenterandexitstudentsbasedonperformancethroughouttheschoolyear

Developcontentandresourcestosupportteachersinchallengingacceleratedlearnersincoreclasses.

  • Conductfocusgroupswithteachersaboutchallengeswhendifferentiatinginstructionforacceleratedlearners.
  • Developandcompileresourcesforteacherstousewhendifferentiatinginstructionforacceleratedlearners.
  • IncludetheseresourcesintheInstructionalFramework.
  • ConductatrainingonstrategiestodifferentiateinstructionforacceleratedlearnersinageneraleducationclassroomataPrincipals’Meeting.

EnsurethatPDisintegratedforallteachers:generaled,ELL,SPED.

  • OrganizeReadingStreetPDtoincludegeneraleducation,specialeducation,andELLteacherstogether.

EOY:Atleast twonew schools will havedevelopedplansfor implementinginterventiontime for struggling students intheir scheduleforthe following school year.

BOY:Professional development sessionsforthe new ReadingStreet programwill beintegrated so thatbothgeneral educationand special educationteachersreceive thesame training.

Objective 2: Develop a collaborativeand accountablecultureofusingdata toimproveinstructionalpracticeand decision-making

Initiative2.1:Increasedata-driven decision-making

Team Leader(s):Lisa Yatesand KarenTreadup

Team Members:

ContentInstructionalLeadersfromNBHS,representativesfromtheTeacherAdvisoryGroup

Final Outcomes:

a)ByEOYatleast80%ofteacherscandesignandimplementlessonplanstailoredtomeetstudentneedsbasedonanalyzingtheresultsofstandards-basedassessments.

  • Measuredthrough:administrators’assessmentoflessonplans,classroomobservations,TCTminutes,andotherevidence.

Short-Term Outcomes:

ByOct30100%ofschool-basedinstructionalleaderswillhaveassessed100%oftheirteachers’capacitytodesignand/oradaptstandards-basedassessments.

ByMOYatleast80%ofprincipalswilldemonstrateevidenceofmodelingdatauseandprovidinggrowth-producingfeedbacktoteachersondatause,asmeasuredbyevidencepresentedduringtheirmid-yearevaluations,conversationswiththeSuperintendentandotherdistrictleaders,observationswithpeersanddistrictleaders,etc.

ByMOYatleast80%ofteacherswilldesignand/oradaptandadministerstandards-basedassessmentstoidentifystudentneedsandmonitorstudents’progresstowardstheirlearninggoals,asmeasuredbydistrictandschoolleaders.

Roadmap

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Agreeonexpectationsarounddatauseforteachersandschool-basedinstructionalleaders

  • Identify~3focusareaswithinthedatacycleforadministratorsandteacherstofocusonoverthecourseoftheyear(e.g.,focusarea1:designingandadaptingstandards-basedassessments)
  • SeekinputfromtheSuperintendent,CAO,teachers,etc.onthesefocusareas
  • Finalizefocusareas

Communicatetheseexpectationsandfocusareastoteachersandinstructionalleaders

  • Createuser-friendlymaterial(e.g.,2-3slides,newsletter)forprincipalstousetocommunicateexpectationsandfocusareastotheirstaff
  • ShareanddiscussexpectationsandfocusareasataPrincipals’Meetingnearthebeginningoftheyear.
  • IdentifyandcommunicatethekeycomponentsofeffectiveTCTstoprincipalsandstaff,enablingteamstomoveawayfrommerecompliancetoadeeperunderstandingandchangeinclassroompractice
  • AtOctoberprofessionaldevelopmentday,principalscommunicateexpectationstotheirstaff(e.g.,infacultymeetings,TCTmeetings,training,newsletter,etc.)
  • Inallcommunications,replacethephrase“re-teachplans”withthephrase“lesson”tomessagethatre-teachplansarejustoneofmanyformsoflessonplans

Oct.:100%ofprincipalsand teachersare aware ofdistrict-wide expectationsfordatause.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Developandshareresourcestosupportteachersineffectivedatause

  • Creatematerialsforanonlineresourcebankforteachersincludingexemplarsandsamplesoflessonplansanditemanalysis,potentialformstouse,rubricsforTCTobservationsandre-teachplans,etc.
  • DevelopandshareacalendarofrecommendedactionsforTCTs(e.g.,topics,dataanalysis,etc.)throughouttheyearalignedwiththedistrictassessmentcalendar
  • Sharetheresourcebankwithschool-basedinstructionalleadersandteachers

Buildschool-basedinstructionalleadershipcapacitytosupportandmonitorteachers

  • WorkwithTeam3.1(PrincipalCapacity)todevelopatooltotrackteachercapabilitiesonusingdatatodriveinstruction
  • ProvideprofessionaldevelopmentforprincipalsataPrincipals’Meetingonthefirstfocusarea

(designingand/oradaptingstandards-basedassessments)

  • Forallfocusareas,principalssharePDmaterialswithschool-basedinstructionalleaders(e.g.,APs,TLSs)whoalsosupportandmonitorteachers
  • School-basedinstructionalleadersassessthecapacityofteachersonthefirstfocusarea.
  • Createaprincipals’toolkitbasedonmaterialfromtheteacherresourcebankforprincipalstouse tosupportandcoachteachers
  • Calibrateforinter-raterreliabilityviajointobservationsordiscussionswithprincipalsandCAO
  • ProvideprofessionaldevelopmentforprincipalsataPrincipals’Meetingonthesecondfocusarea
  • School-basedinstructionalleadersassessthecapacityoftheirteachersonthesecondfocusarea
  • ProvideprofessionaldevelopmentforprincipalsataPrincipals’Meetingonthirdfocusarea
  • School-basedinstructionalleadersassessthecapacityoftheirteachersonthethirdfocusarea
  • Provideongoingprofessionaldevelopmentforprincipalsonhowtomodeldatauseandprovidegrowth-producingfeedback
  • Establishopportunitiesforprincipalcollaboration(e.g.,throughfeedergroups,informalwalk-throughs,Principals’Meetings)
  • School-basedinstructionalleaderssupportteachersindevelopingtheirskillsineachfocusarea

*The focusareasare TBD.

Jan.30:100%ofprincipalshave assessed 100%oftheirteachers’ capacity infocusarea2.*

Oct.30:100%ofschool-based

instructionalleadershave assessed100% of their teachers’ capacityinfocusarea1.*

March30:100%ofprincipalshave assessed 100%oftheirteachers’ capacity infocusarea3.*

Objective 2: Develop a collaborativeand accountablecultureofusingdata toimproveinstructionalpracticeand decision-making

Initiative2.2:Builddistrictsystems arounddata

Team Leader(s):DataandAssessment Manager

Team Members:

DistrictDataTeam

Final Outcomes:

a)ByEOYthedistrictwillhaveacentralizeddatasystemforstudentachievementanddistrict-wideprocessesforaccessingandanalyzingthedatacollected.

b)ByEOYtheDataandAssessmentManagercandemonstratethat100%ofprincipalsandcentralofficeleadersandatleast80%ofteacherswilldemonstratetheabilitytoaccessdatainthecentralizeddatasystem,includingatleastonepersonateachschool.

  • Measuredthrough:evidenceincludedinteachers’educationevaluationportfolios.

Short-Term Outcomes:

ByendofMarch100%ofdatacurrentlyavailablewillbeuploadedandaccessibleinAspenX2.

ByEOY100%ofteachersat2-3pilotschoolswilldemonstratetheabilitytoproducereportsandanalyzedatainthecentralizeddatasystem,asmeasuredbyevidenceincludedinteachers’educationevaluationportfolios.

Roadmap

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Establishavisionforhowschool-based

instructionalleadersandteacherswilluseacentralizeddatasystem.

  • DeterminewhatteachersshouldknowandbeabletodousingthedistrictdatasystembySeptember2015
  • SeekinputfromtheSuperintendent,CAO,teachers
  • Communicatethevisiontoprincipals
  • Createuser-friendlymaterial(e.g.,2-3slides,newsletter)forprincipalstousetosharethevisionwiththeirstaff

SetupacentralizeddatasystemusingAspenX2.

  • Developanassessmentcalendarforstateanddistrictlevelassessmentsandsharewithschool-basedstaff
  • Identifywhatdatawillbeincludedinthedatasystem,e.g.,studentdemographics,grades,contactinformation,attendancedata,transportationdata,stateanddistricttestresults,commonformativeassessments,etc.
  • IdentifywhichdatacanbecollectedanduploadedthisschoolyearandwhatwillbeaddedtothesysteminSY15-16(e.g.,CFAs)
  • Determinewhatdataneedstobeuploadedfromothersystems(e.g.,iPass)andwhatneedstobecollected
  • Collectanduploadthedata.
  • SpotcheckdataasitiscollectedanduploadedintoAspenX2tocheckfordataqualityandaccuracy
  • Selectandsetuptestscanningmachinestoallowteacherstoscanassessmentseasily
  • LinkthetestscanningmachinesystemtoAspenX2

Oct30: 100%of

principalswillbe aware ofthe goalsfor thecentralized datasystem.

Feb.28:Datato becollected inSY14-15 isuploaded into AspenX2.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Pilotthesystem.

  • Identify2-3schoolsinwhichtopilotthedatasystem
  • Develop2-3PDsessionsforteachersonhowtoaccessanduseAspenX2tobepilotedinSY14-15androlledoutdistrict-wideinSY15-16
  • Develop2-3PDsessionsforteachersonhowtoanalyzedistrictandschool-leveldatainAspenX2tobepilotedinSY14-15androlledoutdistrict-widein

SY15-16

  • Pilottrainingsin2-3schoolsandreviseasnecessarytoensurematerialisuser-friendlyandeffective
  • Solicitfeedbackfrompilotschoolsonhowtomakethedatasystemmoreaccessible,easiertouse,andmoreinformativeforteachers’practice
  • Communicatetheexpectationtoprincipalsandcentralofficeleadersthat100%ofstaffwillaccessthesystembyendoftheyear
  • Creatematerialforprincipalstocommunicatethisexpectationtoalltheirteachers
  • Teachersincludeevidenceofhavingaccessedthedatasystemintheirportfoliosofevidence
  • CoordinateandaligneffortswithTeam2.1Analyzedistrict-,school-,andclassroom-leveldata.
  • Createguidanceforschool-basedinstructionalleadersandteachersonthemostusefulreportsforassessingstudentprogressinGalileoandDIBELsforusethisyearandinAspenX2forusenextyear
  • Draftkeyquestionsforschool-basedinstructionalleadersandteacherstoanswerinlookingatdataresults
  • ShareguidanceandkeyquestionsintheonlineresourcebankforteachersandataPrincipals’Meeting
  • Analyzedistrict-levelandschool-leveldatatoidentifytrendsandprogressbysubgroup,grade,school,etc.
  • Createuser-friendlyreportssummarizingthedistrict’sprogresstosharewithkeystakeholders(e.g.,SchoolCommittee)asneeded

March30:At least 90%ofteachers inpilot schoolswill have attendedtrainings.

Dec30: Resourcesforteacherscreatedanduploaded into onlineresource bank.

Objective3:Expanddistrict,school,andeducatorcapacitytodevelop,deliver,andsuperviseeffectiveinstructiontoallstudents

Initiative 3.1:Developevaluators’ capacitytoimproveteacherpractice

Team Leader(s):PaulaBaileyand TammyMorgan

Team Members:

Final Outcomes:

RepresentativesfromtheTeacherAdvisoryGroup

a)ByEOYatleast80%ofevaluatorsprovideconsistentandconstructivefeedbacktoteachers.

  • Measuredthrough:observationswithSuperintendent,CAO,and/orprincipalcoaches;reviewofwrittenfeedbacktoteachers;andotherevidenceprovidedintheevaluator'sportfolio.

b)ByEOYeachevaluatorwillbeabletoprovideevidencethattheyidentifiedatleasttwohigh-priorityteachers,andhelpedtheseteachersimprovetheirpractice,leadingtogainsinstudentlearning.

Short-Term Outcomes:

BytheendofOctoberallevaluatorswillidentifyatleasttwohigh-priorityteachersintheirschoolsonwhichtheevaluatorswillplaceaparticularfocusforimprovement.

ByFebruary15allevaluatorswillbeabletoprovideevidenceoffocusedinstructionalcoachingwithatleastthetwoteachersthatwereidentifiedashigh-priorityintheirbuildingasmeasuredbyobservationsbySuperintendent,CAO,orcoaches;reviewofwrittenfeedbacktoteachers;andotherevidence.

ByJune15allzonegroupswillparticipateinaminimumofsixschoollearningwalkstoincludeclassroomvisits.

Roadmap

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Developandadministerrigorassessmentsforevaluators.

  • DrafttheBOYrigorassessmentforevaluators,includingidentifyingvideosofclassroomlessonsandwritingquestionsbasedonthevideos.
  • ReviewrigorassessmentwithCAOtofinalizecontent.
  • DocumentanexemplarresponseforeachquestionontheBOYrigorassessment.
  • Administertherigorassessmenttoallevaluators.
  • AdistrictteamgradestheBOYrigorassessment,withDMCsupport.
  • Identifyexemplarresponsesduringgradingtouseasmodelswithzonegroups.
  • DevelopcontentfortheMOYrigorassessment.
  • AdministertheMOYrigorassessmenttoallevaluatorswhotooktheBOYrigorassessment.
  • AdistrictteamgradestheMOYrigorassessment,withDMCsupport.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Createandimplementthezonegroupstructureforevaluators.

  • Identifygroupprotocols,supportsthatthedistrictwillprovide,andthecontentfocusofeachzonegroup.
  • Identifysupportpersonandprincipalleaderforeachofthezonegroups.
  • DevelopstructureandprotocolsforthezoneleaderPLCtosupportprincipalsastheyleadtheirpeers.
  • Determinehowhigh-priorityteachersmightparticipatezonegroupsbeforeorafterzonegrouplearningwalks.
  • Finalizesupportsforeachzonegroupandzoneleader.
  • Zonegroupsdevelopcommunicationplanstoinviteidentifiedteacherstoparticipateinthezonegroupatappropriatetimesthroughouttheyear.
  • ZonegroupsandzonegroupleaderPLCmeetthroughouttheyearusingthedefinedprotocols,includingamonthlymeetingthatrotatesbetweenschoolswithineachgroup.

Developaformalizedcoachingmodelforadministratorstousewhendevelopingteachers.

  • Researchcoachingmodelsthathaveproventobeeffectiveinotherdistricts,especiallyturnarounddistricts.Presentfindingstozoneleaderstogetinput.
  • PresentrecommendationstoCAOtofinalizecoachingmodelforthedistrict.
  • Communicatetozoneleadersabouttheirroleinpilotingthenewcoachingmodel.
  • Workwithzoneleaderstodefinehowthecoachingmodelwillbeused.
  • Zoneleadersimplementthenewcoachingmodelanddocumentsuccessfulstrategies.
  • IdentifytherelationshipbetweenthecoachingmodelandtheInstructionalFrameworkfromInitiative1.2andcommunicatethiswithallevaluators.
  • ZonegroupscompilethesuccessfulstrategiesandtoolsfromSY14-15intoaresourceguideforotherevaluatorsinthefuture.

Objective3:Expand district,school,and educatorcapacity todevelop,deliver, and superviseeffectiveinstructiontoall students

Initiative 3.2:Humancapitalsystemandpipeline

Team Leader(s):HeatherEmsley

Team Members:

AkilahAlleyne

Final Outcomes:

a) ByEOYatleast10teachers and5otherbuildingleadershavebeenidentifiedas“high-potential”andhaveenteredaleadershipdevelopmenttrack,includingadditionalprofessionaldevelopmentandopportunities.

Short-Term Outcomes:

ByDec1thefollowingwillbedefined:

  • Objectives,design,andstructureoftheleadershipdevelopmenttrack
  • Potential“stretch”assignmentsforparticipants
  • Selectioncriteriatoidentifyprogramparticipants

ByFeb1participantsintheleadershiptrackwillbeselected.

ByApril1thefirstmeetingofthefirstleadershiptrackcohortwilltakeplace.

Roadmap

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

Developthecontentandstructuresfortheleadershipdevelopmenttrack.

  • Researcheffectivepracticesforleadership

developmentinotherdistricts.

  • Researcheffectivecompensationstructuresforleadershipdevelopmenttracksinotherdistricts.
  • Identifydistrict-levelprojectsthatcouldserveas“stretch”opportunitiesforparticipants.
  • Draftprogramscheduleandstructureaddressingsupplementalskill-buildingsessionsanda“stretch”assignment.
  • Definecompensationforparticipantstobeapprovedbydistrictleadership.
  • Developaprocesstoselectparticipants.
  • Developastructuredreviewprocessforparticipantsaftertheycompletetheirstretchassignments.
  • Developthecontentfortheskill-buildingsessionsandidentifyindividualstoleadeachsession.

Implementtheleadershipdevelopmentprogram.

  • Selectprogramparticipants.
  • Pairprogramparticipantswithanin-districtmentor.
  • Convenemonthlyskill-buildingsessions.
  • Participantsworkontheirstretchassignmentsthroughthesummer.

Dec.1:Stretchassignments fortheprogramwill beidentified.

Dec.1:Theselectionprocessforparticipantswill be defined.

Feb. 1:Programparticipants selected.

Objective4:Create,communicate,build,andsupportmomentumforasharedvisionofNBPSthatwillbeembracedbytheNewBedfordcommunityandallofitsstakeholders
Initiative4.1:Increaseschooloutreachtofamilies
Team Leader(s):SoniaWalmsley
TeamRepresentativesfromtheTeacherAdvisoryGroup
Members:
Final Outcomes:
a)ByEOYatleast80%ofteacherscanprovideevidenceofongoing,sustainedtwo-waycommunicationwiththefamiliesofatleast5strugglingstudents.
b)ByEOYsign-inrecordsshowthatatleast60%ofstudentshadaparentorguardianparticipatinginorattendingaschool-sponsoredeventinthe2014-15SY.
Short-Term Outcomes:
ByOct.1,thedistrictwillpilotanewconferencesmodelatselectedschoolsandgatherfeedback.
ByJan.1,identifyvenuesandchannelstoreachparentsineachcommunity andcreateacalendaroftouchpointsfortheremainderoftheyear.
Roadmap
ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay
Helpteachersbemoreeffectivewithparent-teacherconferencetimetosupportELLandotherstrugglingstudents.
  • HoldafocusgroupwithparentsfromELLcommunitiestoaskwhatexpectations,needs,fearsandquestionstheyhaveaboutconferences.

  • Createavideoforparentstoshowatbeginning-of-yearopenhouses.

  • Workwithteachersandparentstodesignabest-practicemodelforparent-teacherconferences.

  • Createvideotrainingforteachersexplainingkeybestpracticesandexpectationtostayintwo-waycommunicationwithparentsof5students.
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  • Introducenewmodeltoprincipalsforfeedback.

  • Emailallteachersaskingthemtowatchthetrainingvideosandusethepracticesatconferences.

  • Observeconferencesatselectschools.

  • Gatherfeedbackfromprincipalsaboutconferences.

  • Meetwithparentsandteacherstogatherfeedback.

  • Incorporatefeedbackandupdatetrainingmaterialsfornextconferences.

  • Implementupdatedtraining.

Meetparentswheretheyareandequipthemwithmoretoolstosupporttheirstudents.
  • Holdfocusgroupwithfamilies(runbyParentSupportSpecialists)todetermineculturalevents,centersandmediainNewBedfordforkeycommunities,e.g.Spanish-speaking,Portuguese-speaking,andAfrican-American.

ActivityAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

  • Useresultsoffocusgroupstocreateoutreachcalendaroftouchpointsforeachcommunity(e.g.radioad,visittochurch,etc.)includingatleast3foreachcommunity.
  • Identifymainmessagestoeachcommunity,providingskillsandknowledgeparentsneedtohelp

theirstudents(e.g.cometoschoolevents,haveaquietspaceforhomework,askyourchildwhattheylearned,readwithyourchild,etc.)

  • Determinewhichteacherscanleadeachevent.
  • Developmaterialsforeachtouchpoint.
  • Trackvisitsandattendance/responseforeachtouchpoint.
  • UsetouchpointstodirectfamiliestotheFamilyWelcomeCenter,asappropriate.
  • Documentlessonslearnedfornextyear.Collectmorethoroughandcurrentcontactinformationforparents.
  • WorkwithITandDataManagertocreateawaytorecordallrelevantformsofcontactinformationintheSIS.
  • Developaformforfamilies tofillinrelevantcontactinfo,andawaytoindicatepreferredcontactmethod.
  • Maketheformavailableonpaper,webandemail.
  • Contactfamiliesvianoteshome,email,all-callandotherchannelstoaskthemtofilloutcontactinfo.
  • Coordinatewithprincipalstoenlisthelpofteacherstocollectandupdateallfamilycontactinfo.
  • IdentifystudentswhostilllackfamilycontactinfoinSIS,andworkwithteacherstocollectmissinginfo.
  • Developatrainingvideoforteachersonaccessingcontactinfoandapproachestoreachparents.

Jan.1:Identifyvenuesand channels to reachparents ineachcommunity.