Transcript Slide 1

Race to the Top Funds
and
Community Schools
Monday November 30, 2009
www.communityschools.org
Reforming
America’s
Education
System
Reforming
America’s
Schools
Early
Learning
K - 12
Higher
Education
Standards & Assessments
Effective Teachers & Leaders
Data Systems
Struggling Schools
www.communityschools.org
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U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan
Community schools are “not in
conflict” with other reforms and
indeed “central to reform.”
www.communityschools.org
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U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan
Q: What education reforms do you want to see during your
administration?
A: We’re pushing real hard around more time. That means lots
of different things, but really it’s a recognition that six hours
a day, five days a week, nine months out of the year doesn’t
quite work. It’s really trying to redefine fundamentally what
it means to be a school. So I think it means a longer day; I
think it means all the values and principles around
community schools: art, drama, academic enrichment,
GED, [English as a second language], family literacy nights.
Really engaging the community: health care clinics, early
childhood, the whole gamut. Making school the center of
family life. ~Education Daly March 25, 2009
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Race to the Top:
Competition Structure
• $4Billion
• Incents and supports states taking a systemic approach
to education reform; winning states will
comprehensively address all four reform areas
• States are the applicants and they apply individually
(not part of a consortia)
• At least 50% of funds must flow through states to
participating LEAs (including public charter schools
identified as LEAs) based on Title I, Part A allocation
formula
• LEAs must sign MOUs with State
• Non-binding budget ranges as guidance
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Priority 1 - Absolute: Comprehensive
Approach to Education Reform
• Comprehensive and coherent reform agenda that
clearly articulates its goals for implementing
reforms in the four education areas described in
the ARRA [standards and assessments; effective
teachers and leaders; data systems and struggling
schools]) and improving student outcomes
statewide, establishes a clear and credible path to
achieving these goals, and is consistent with the
specific reform plans that the State has proposed
throughout its application.
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Priority 2 - Competitive: STEM
• State’s application to address the need to (i) offer
a rigorous course of study in mathematics, the
sciences, technology, and engineering; (ii)
cooperate with industry experts, museums,
universities, research centers, or other STEMcapable community partners to prepare and
assist teachers in integrating STEM content across
grades and disciplines, in promoting effective and
relevant instruction, and in offering applied
learning opportunities for students.
www.communityschools.org
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Priority 3- Invitational: Innovations for
Improving Early Learning Outcomes
• Practices, strategies, or programs to improve
educational outcomes for high-need students
who are young children (prekindergarten
through third grade) by enhancing the quality
of preschool programs. Of particular interest
are proposals that support practices that (i)
improve school readiness (including social,
emotional, and cognitive); and (ii) improve
the transition between preschool and
kindergarten.
www.communityschools.org
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Priority 4-Invitational: State
Longitudinal Data Systems
• Integrate data from special education
programs, English language learner programs,
early childhood programs, at-risk and dropout
prevention programs, and school climate and
culture programs, as well as information on
student mobility, human resources school
finance, student health, postsecondary
education, and other relevant areas.
www.communityschools.org
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How Could RTT Address Chronic Absence?
•
Include annual attendance (e.g. total days of attendance and
total possible days enrolled) in longitudinal student data base.
(Missing in at least 6 states: CA, ID, IL, ND,NJ, and NY)
•
Analyze and report on chronic absence levels by district,
school, grade and student subpopulations.
•
Offer professional development to educators on early warning
signs of drop out – inc. chronic absence and how to respond.
•
Support school community collaboratives (AKA community
schools) to identify and address barriers to school attendance.
•
Require underperforming schools to address high levels of
chronic absence.
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Priority 5- Invitational:
P-20 Coordination, Vertical and Horizontal
Alignment
• Pans to address how early childhood programs, K-12 schools,
postsecondary institutions, workforce development organizations,
and other State agencies and community partners (e.g., child
welfare, juvenile justice, and criminal justice agencies) will
coordinate to improve all parts of the education system and create
a more seamless preschool-through-graduate school (P-20) route
for students. Vertical alignment across P-20 is particularly critical
at each point where a transition occurs (e.g., between early
childhood and K-12, or between K-12 and postsecondary/careers)
to ensure that students exiting one level are prepared for success,
without remediation, in the next. Horizontal alignment, that is,
coordination of services across schools, State agencies, and
community partners, is also important in ensuring that high-need
students have access to the broad array of opportunities and
services they need and that are beyond the capacity of a school
itself to provide.
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Priority 6 : School-Level Conditions
for Reform, Innovation and Learning
• (i) Selecting staff;
• (ii) Implementing new structures and formats for the school day or year
that result in increased learning time (as defined in this notice);
• (iii) Controlling the school’s budget;
• (iv) Awarding credit to students based on student performance instead of
instructional time;
• (v) Providing comprehensive services to high-need students (as defined
in this notice) (e.g., by mentors and other caring adults; through local
partnerships with community-based organizations, nonprofit
organizations, and other providers);
• (vi) Creating school climates and cultures that remove obstacles to, and
actively support, student engagement and achievement; and
• (vii) Implementing strategies to effectively engage families and
communities in supporting the academic success of their students.
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RTT: Intervention Models
• Turnaround
• Convert to Charters or contract with
EMO
• School Closure
• Transformation
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RTT: Transformation Model
• Developing and increasing teacher and school
leader effectiveness.
• Comprehensive instructional reform
strategies.
• Increasing learning time and creating
community-oriented schools.
• Providing operational flexibility and sustained
support.
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Increasing Learning Time
• “using a longer school day, week, or year schedule to significantly increase
the total number of school hours to include additional time for (a)
instruction in core academic subjects, including English; reading or
language arts; mathematics; science; foreign languages; civics and
government; economics; arts; history; and geography; (b) instruction in
other subjects and enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded
education, including, for example, physical education, service learning,
and experiential and work-based learning opportunities that are provided
by partnering, as appropriate, with other organizations; and (c) teachers to
collaborate, plan, and engage in professional development within and
across grades and subjects.” (Page 22, RTT Notice of Application)
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Increasing Learning Time and
Community Oriented Schools
• Required Activities
– Schedules and strategies for increased learning time
– Ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement
• Permissible Activities
– Partner with parents and parent organizations, faith- and
community-based organizations, health clinics, other State or
local agencies, and others to create safe school environments
that meet students’ social, emotional, and health needs;
– Improve school climate and discipline through positive
behavioral supports or steps to eliminate bullying and
students harassment.
www.communityschools.org
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RTT: Turnaround Model
• Required Activities
– Provide appropriate social-emotional and
community oriented services and supports for
students
• Permissible Activities
– Any required or permissible activities under the
transformation model
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Education Dept: Title I, Part A
• Guidelines define community schools
A community school is both a place and a set of
partnerships between the school and other community
resources. It provides academics, health and social
services, youth and community development, and
community engagement, and brings together many
partners to offer a range of support and opportunities
for children, youth, families, and communities. The
school is generally open for extended hours for everyone
in the community. Community schools may operate in
all or a subset of schools in an LEA. (p. 29,
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/guidance/ti
tlei-reform.doc)
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Great Teachers
• Core academic subjects, including English; reading or
language arts; mathematics; science; foreign
languages; civics and government; economics; arts;
history; and geography; (b) instruction in other
subjects and enrichment activities that contribute
to a well-rounded education, e.g., physical
education, service learning, experiential and workbased learning opportunities that are provided by
partnering, as appropriate, with other
organizations.
www.communityschools.org
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Great Leaders
• Ability to Lead toward:
– Deeper understanding of community served by
school
– Enriched Learning
– Family & community engagement,
comprehensive services, socio-emotional
development, partnerships with various
community agencies
– Distributive (collaborative) leadership
www.communityschools.org
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Action for Advocates
• Community Schools: A Comprehensive and
Coherent Approach to Reform
• Effective Teachers and School Leaders (including
Teacher Professional Development & Principal
Preparation)
• Capacity Building
• Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems
• Financial Incentives for LEAs
• Family and Community Engagement
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Comprehensive and Coherent
Approach
• Coherent Vision
• Integration Of Key RTT Elements
• P-20: Horizontal and Vertical Integration
• Data and Results-Driven
• Effective and Efficient Use of Resources
• Sustainability
•BE BOLD
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Great Teachers and Leaders
• School Culture and Climate Matters
• Family and Community Engagement
• Engaged Learning
• Partnership Development
www.communityschools.org
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Action for Great Teachers
• Preparation and Professional Development To
– Work effectively with parents/families.
– Provide more engaging instruction in core academic
subjects that links students to the real world and their
communities.
– Provide enrichment activities such as service learning,
experiential, and work-based learning during increased
learning time.
– Work with community partners to provide students with
the supports they need to learn.
www.communityschools.org
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Action for Great Leaders
• Preparation and Professional Development to:
– Lead in a collaborative or distributive leadership context.
– Use data on early warning sides of dropping out including early
chronic absenteeism, truancy , reading by 3rd grade; parent
engagement, school climate and culture, student health, student
mobility.
– Effectively engage parents/families in the education of their children.
– Support teachers and work with community partners to provide more
engaging instruction that links students to the real world and their
community context.
– Provide enrichment activities such as service learning, experiential and
work-based learning. How to lead and manage community partners to
provide students with the supports they need to learn.
www.communityschools.org
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Capacity Building for
Community Schools
•
•
•
•
Training and technical assistance
Creating site-based learning laboratories
Use of technology
Suggested topics include: developing LEA-wide
systems of community schools; student engagement,
family and community engagement; data and resultsdriven planning; partnership development,
evaluation; financing and communications;
coordination of programs at the school site; and the
development and management of site-based planning
teams.
www.communityschools.org
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Action for Comprehensive
Data Systems
• Advocate for:
– Attendance by individual students –chronic absence;
– School culture and climate factors (e.g. , safety,
engagement, connectedness to teachers);
– Student health (e.g., vision, hearing, dental,
asthma);
– Family involvement in children’s education;
– Student mobility; and
– Encourage integration of existing SEA and other
state agency data bases.
www.communityschools.org
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Incentives for the Development of
Community Schools
• Encourage LEAs to form or strengthen
community-wide systemic partnerships
• Allocate RTT funds to cover a portion of the
funding for community school coordinator
positions
www.communityschools.org
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Family and Community Engagement
• Invest in proven strategies for family and community
engagement at all levels: school, LEA/community,
and states such as leadership development
academics and parent universities.
• Provide financial assistance to build the capacity of
existing parent/family coordinators in LEAs.
• Develop indicators to measure family and community
engagement.
www.communityschools.org
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Race to the Top Timeline
•
•
•
•
Phase I Applications: Mid-January
Awards: April 2010
Phase II Applications: June 1
Awards: September 2010
www.communityschools.org
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State RTT Budget Ranges
• Category 1 – $350-700 million: California, Texas, New York, Florida
• Category 2 – $200-400 million: Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia,
Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey
• Category 3 – $150-250 million: Virginia, Arizona, Indiana,
Washington, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Missouri, Maryland,
Wisconsin
• Category 4 – $60-175 million: Minnesota, Colorado, Alabama,
Louisiana, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, Kentucky, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Connecticut, Utah, Mississippi, Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas,
Nevada
• Category 5 – $20-75 million: New Mexico, Nebraska, Idaho, West
Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana,
Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming,
District of Columbia
www.communityschools.org
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Key Steps
• Get in the conversation at the state
level
• Talk with LEA leadership about how
community schools can contribute to
their RTT strategy
www.communityschools.org
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Contact Information
Martin Blank
President, Institute for Educational Leadership
Director, Coalition for Community Schools
4455 Connecticut Ave, NW Suite 310
Washington, DC 20008
202-822-8405 x167
[email protected]
www.communityschools.org
www.communityschools.org
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Community Schools
THE
TIME
IS
NOW!!!
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