SECTION 2 ADAMS 14 SCHOOL DISTRICT RFQ FOR LEAD PARTNER ORGANIZATION SUBMITTED BY PHALEN LEADERSHIP ACADEMIES Earl M. Phalen Direct: 617-818-1959 emphalen@phalenleadershipacadamies.org 1 Table of Contents Section 1 - Letter of Interest P. 3 Section 2 - Experience and Qualifications P. 5 Section 3 - Scope of Services P. 69 Section 4 - Schedule P. 95 Section 5 - References P. 115 Attachment: Resumes 2 SECTION 1 January 14, 2019 Sean Milner, Executive Director of Finance & Operations Adams 14 School District Commerce City, CO 80022 Dear Mr. Milner, Phalen Leadership Academies is honored to present our proposal to become a lead partner organization for the Adams 14 School District. This potential opportunity is exciting for us, as it would allow us to work in close collaboration with the Owner, school leadership, board and staff to achieve significant, positive academic achievement outcomes for Adams 14 students, setting them firmly onto a path of success. Phalen Leadership Academies (“PLA”) is a nonprofit network of high-quality public schools that help children (whom we call “scholars”) excel in their academics and grow as well-rounded individuals. Our mission is to ensure that all children can meet high academic and social standards, and thrive as leaders at home, in their communities, and in the world. PLA was founded in order to serve children who have historically not had access to a high-quality education. We achieve this by providing high quality schools for underserved students and transforming struggling schools into the high-quality schools that our children deserve. PLA currently serves over 5,000 children across 14 schools in Indiana, Florida, and Michigan, where the vast majority of children are from traditionally underserved populations. Network-wide, 89% of the children we serve are African American and Latino, and 82% live in poverty. Our model is specifically designed to raise the achievement of historically underserved students by providing a rigorous, personalized, and well-rounded educational experience for all students. Core elements of our model include: • • • • • • • Rigorous curriculum; Data-driven, small-group, and standards-aligned instruction; Rigorous, standards-aligned interim assessments; High quality training and professional development; Coaching cycles that develop and retain teachers; Hands-on, enrichment learning experiences for all scholars; and Authentic partnerships with parents. This data-driven model has been the core engine for raising the academic achievement of our scholars. A wide range of learning opportunities also help scholars explore their interests, reinforce core subject skills in hands-on projects, increase awareness of possible career paths, and see the relevance of their learning to their lives. 3 Our model has successfully transformed five F-rated schools into A-rated schools. Our scholars consistently improve their state test scores each year; surpass their peers in their home district; and achieve some of the highest academic growth in the regions we serve. In addition, this multi-state turnaround model has been replicated in several varied and unique educational landscapes, and we believe that it can be scaled to the District level (indeed, we function, in essence, as a multi-state public school network). Enclosed please find a proposal describing our interest and capacity to provide leadership level turnaround efforts for the District. We would also welcome the opportunity to be considered as management operators to elementary and middle schools within your district, in addition to being considered as a lead partner organization. We greatly look forward to the discussing this opportunity in further detail, in an effort to work in partnership with you in a collective journey towards educational excellence. Sincerely, Earl Martin Phalen Founder & CEO emphalen@phalenacademies.org (617) 818-1959 4 SECTION 2 1. Proposed Personnel. Identify the individual who will be the main point of contact and any other already-identified team members who will be responsible for providing services for the duration of the project. Provide an overview of the experience, background, and responsibilities--including résumés or curricula vitae for those individuals. The District reserves the right to determine the acceptability of these individuals. The main point of contact for this opportunity with be Mr. Earl Martin Phalen, the Founder & CEO of Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA). While at Harvard Law School, Earl founded Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL), which grew from a local community service project to a national non-profit educating 15,000 children annually and from an annual budget of $12,000 to $27.5M annually. Earl then founded Summer Advantage USA, a summer reading program that has served 20,000 children in six states since its inception in 2009. As a result of the impact of Summer Advantage, Earl and his team were encouraged to expand their 25-day summer program model to a year-round school model. The resulting network of K-12 public schools is called the George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA), named in honor of his parents. PLA currently has 14 schools serving nearly 6,000 students, helping our most vulnerable communities achieve exceptional educational outcomes. In addition to transforming multiple F-rated schools into A-rated schools, nine out of PLA’s 10 partners are outperforming their host district. PLA’s oldest school is five years old, and scholars at that school outperformed the state average on both the ELA and math portions of the state test. Beyond academics, PLA scholars have created original plays, delivered theatrical performances, built mobile apps, and constructed their own submersible robots. PLA’s organizational structure, which is anchored in meeting our schools’ needs, consists of three key pillars of support: • • • The central functional management team that interfaces directly with our partner schools and our regional school support teams, and provides functional support and strategic oversight; Regional school support teams that provides functional support and strategic oversight, understand local contexts and challenges, and interface directly with partner schools; and Quality assurance systems implemented collectively by both teams to ensure school- and district-wide excellence. Mr. Phalen leads these teams that are responsible for providing services for the duration of the project; he provides direct leadership for the central office team, which includes leadership positions that manage the academic, talent management, operational, and administrative efforts that support PLA’s turnaround success. The specific functional department areas include the Academic Department, the Human Resources Department, the Special Education Department, the Communications Department, the Legal Department, the Compliance Department, the Operations Department, and the Finance Department. 5 PLA is also one of a few organizations whose leadership team are reflective of the children served. More than 70% of PLA school leaders and PLA leadership are people of color, and our current board of directors is comprised of more than 50% people of color. The following bios briefly outline the collective experience and responsibilities of key central office staff who, in addition to Mr. Phalen, will lead the turnaround efforts. Their full resumes are attached as Attachment 1. Andrea Robinson, Chief Academic Officer: Andrea has 23 years of working in the field of education as an educator, instructional coach, building leader, and state DOE employee. She received her BA from Indiana University in elementary education and her master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. Andrea worked as a teacher in the intermediate grades in a Title I elementary building. She received the Sallie Mae First Class teacher award and Olin Davis Award. She was also recognized for her passion in teaching when she was honored with the district-wide Indiana Teacher of the Year award in 2009. She eventually became the instructional coach for her a K-5 building where she used her knowledge of best practices to lead other educators in professional development, classroom management, differentiation, PBIS, tiers 1-3 instruction/intervention and data analysis to drive effective classroom instruction. As a building leader, she helped lead her building from an accountability grade of an F to an A in two years. Andrea has also provided professional development for the University of Indianapolis’ elementary education program and for educational webinars with Kappa Delta Pi. Andrea most recently worked at the Indiana Department of Education in the Office of School Improvement as an Outreach Coordinator for Marion County, working closely with schools and districts to develop best practices for schools in turnaround status. After conducting classroom walk-throughs and leadership/staff interviews, she worked with the school leadership team to develop the next steps that met the needs of each individual school. She often provided differentiated professional development for each school for this process. Andrea also served as the IDOE case manager for a district in the State Development Network (SDN) to ensure the development of district system alignment and improve student achievement. Andrea is responsible for delivering curriculum and learning materials to support teacher and leadership development, building teacher capacity and their understanding of best instructional practices, creating professional development programs based upon needs determined through classroom observations, assisting teachers and leaders with effectively using formative data for differentiating and adjusting instruction, and conducting regular classroom observations and providing feedback to support the growth of our teachers. Nicole Fama, Academic Director: Nicole Fama is a seasoned educator with over 15 years of district, education, and innovation experience, along with a track record of success in urban school turnaround. Before coming to PLA, she taught for 12 years with Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) at various levels (third, sixth, and tenth grades at Title I schools). She also served as an IPS Dean of Student Discipline and Culture for six years before transitioning to her role as a building principal. During her time with IPS, she was part of the leadership team at Arlington Woods High School that founded Project RESTORE; she created, wrote, and coordinated all discipline policies and procedures under the new program. As part of this effort, Nicole has led turnaround efforts at three Indianapolis schools, improving their state ratings from Fs to As. She has gone on to build positive student, parent, and community relationships to sustain the academic results Project RESTORE creates. Nicole has been a principal for four years and is currently serving as school leader at both a K-6 building and a middle school. Both of these schools have earned and are maintaining an A6 rating. While teaching Nicole was voted teacher of the year twice and was named a Hubbard Top 10 Outstanding Educator in 2014. She has also received the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty award, the Indianapolis Peace in the Streets award, and the Senator Richard Lugar Patriot award. Nicole served in 2016-17 as the committee chair of the Indiana Education and Testing Reform Panel after being directly appointed by former Governor Mike Pence. In 2017, Nicole was awarded with the highest honor the Indiana Governor can bestow, the Sagamore of the Wabash Award. Nicole has a BS in Elementary Education from Indiana University and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University. Nicole continues to strive for excellence through her commitment to ensuring that as many scholars as possible have access to the PLA model. Nicole has primary responsibility for strategic implementation and management of all aspects of school performance and operations for a specific region’s network of schools. She sets academic visions and goals and takes ultimate responsibility for academic alignment, ensuring instructional quality and academic performance across her assigned region. Danielle Robinson, Academic Director: Danielle is a native of Columbus, Ohio, and is committed to serving children and families in low-income communities. She has served as an educator for over 16 years and has taught all subjects in 1st through 10th grades. During her twelveyear classroom-teaching career, 77% of Danielle’s students met or exceeded state performance standards in reading and 85% exceeded state performance standards in math. Danielle serves as an instructional leader for PLA schools in Gary and Fort Wayne, Indiana and in Detroit, Michigan. As a PLA academic leader, she provides vital support to school leaders and educators network-wide. Danielle has primary responsibility for strategic implementation and management of all aspects of school performance and operations for a specific region’s network of schools. She sets academic visions and goals and takes ultimate responsibility for academic alignment, ensuring instructional quality and academic performance across her assigned region. Amber Deckard, Director of Recruitment Amber is an accomplished executive in the nonprofit industry. She has over 20 years’ experience in nonprofit leadership, including human resources and talent management. Amber first joined the team in 2010 as a Regional Director for Summer Advantage, where she was instrumental in helping the program reach thousands of scholars across the country. In 2014 Amber was called to serve as a Regional Vice President for a national nonprofit charged with improving birth outcomes and health equity for moms and babies in the U.S. During her tenure, Amber was successful in building teams across 26 markets in the Midwest, as well as supporting a reduction in both premature birth and health equity disparities—both critical focuses for the foundation. In October of 2018 Amber rejoined the PLA Team as Director of Recruitment to help positively impact children across the country by partnering with our schools to source, attract, and hire exceptional educators who share our unwavering passion for empowering scholars from underserved communities. Amber leads the department responsible for talent sourcing, interviewing, and hiring of our national team, regional teams, summer seasonal staff and all school-based personnel including academy leadership, teachers, and support staff. The department also manages talent systems, strategy planning and recruitment data. Steeped in the philosophy of finding the "best of the best", the Amber and her team seek to onboard staff that underscore our mission, vision and highperformance rigor and expectations 7 Helen Dixon, Director of Human Resources Helen is responsible for leading the recruitment, selection and placement of all employees. Helen has over 10 years of recruitment experience. Prior to joining PLA, Helen served as National Director of Recruitment for New Leaders for New Schools, a non-profit which specializes in recruiting and developing exceptional teachers into urban school principals. Formerly the Director of Recruitment for the City of Chicago, Helen was the architect of an enterprise-wide recruitment program for 38,000 employees and 43 operating departments. Prior to the City of Chicago, Helen served as a Senior Recruitment Officer and Marketing Manager for the Chicago Public Schools. During her tenure, she provided district-wide recruitment and employment guidance for 600 schools and implemented new strategies to meet annual workforce requirements. Helen is responsible for guiding and managing human resources functions, which include: policies and programs, leadership in retention, employee orientation, policy development & documentation, employee relations, compensation & benefits, HR regulatory compliance, and collaboration on performance management, employee training and development. As the organization continues to grow, she will also be responsible for driving strategic HR planning and scaling. Melissa Ross, Director of Compliance & Reporting: Melissa Ross has 12 years of experience completing state reporting and providing compliance oversight for schools in Michigan. She has worked in both traditional public and charter schools with student populations that range from 500 – 5000 students. Along with compliance and state reporting, Melissa has managed Title I programs and budgets that range from $500,000 to $3,000,000. In her 12 years of compliance, Melissa has also been instrumental in helping her schools to receive literacy grants, early childhood and reading grants. Before working in school compliance, Melissa was a Reading specialist for two years and taught in the classroom for 10 years. As a teacher, Melissa has experience that ranges from teaching 3rd - 11th grade students. All of her teaching experiences occurred in an urban setting. In all of her experiences, Melissa Ross has paid attention to data and used it to better the situation. She is dedicated to giving all students the chance to learn in the best possible environment. Melissa completed her administrator’s certification program at Oakland University in 2012 with a 4.0 average. Melissa received her Master’s in Reading with a Reading Specialist Certificate and her Bachelor’s Degree in English Language Arts with a Minor in Elementary Education from Grand Valley State University. Melissa has been a member of the MEAP Content Committee for 5 years. She also has been a member of the Michigan Pupil Accounting & Attendance Association (MPAAA) for 12 years and a member of Volunteering for the Disabled (VAD) for 15 years. Melissa’s responsibilities consist of leading our network-wide compliance management systems, and ensuring that they are implemented with fidelity. She oversees all of our reporting functions at the local, state and federal levels, and ensures that we meet all of our compliance requirements. Tahirah Thompson, Regional Operations Manager: Tahirah was born and raised in Northern California in the Bay Area. She graduated with honors from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in Business with an emphasis on Marketing. Prior to joining the Phalen Leadership Academy team, her major work experience included artist retail marketing with SonyBMG in New York, and analyst & project management work with Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) in San Francisco. During her time at PG&E, Tahirah realized that she was passionate about children, education, and service to the underprivileged youth. Taking a leap of faith towards her passion, she transitioned from the corporate world to the education sector. Since changing her career path to 8 education, she has served as a 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math interventionist, an 8th grade special education math teacher, and a 6th grade social studies teacher in the Metro Atlanta Area. In her most recent position, prior to joining Phalen, she has served as the Director of Operations at a turnaround charter school in Chicago. As an experienced Director of Operations, at a Chicago Public Charter school, she has exceptional leadership skills, is highly organized, has a knack for logistics planning, and pays great attention to detail. She has successfully implemented numerous school wide systems and procedures, managed faculty and data, and worked side by side with the principal to improve the overall functionality of the school. Tahirah is responsible for implementing numerous school wide systems and procedures, managing faculty and data, and working side by side with school leaders to improve the overall functionality of our schools. Leticia Sampson, Director of Special Education Leticia came to PLA with 19 years of experience in special education. Her previous position was with Total Education Solutions where her services were contracted to assist schools in maintaining compliance in their special education departments. She had also been an integral team member of PLA’s Michigan schools as a contracted employee. Leticia grew up in Detroit and has worked in many counties across Michigan. She also spent time in Washington, D.C., and was employed as the Program Director of a special education day school. Leticia obtained her Ed.S. from Wayne State University and is current working on her Ed.D. in Education Leadership and Policy Studies. Leticia is responsible for managing all of PLA’s especial education services, including ensuring that all special education programming is in compliance with state and federal laws. She ensures that our special education teachers and teachers with inclusive classrooms are delivering excellent instruction and meeting the needs of PLA’s students who have IEP plans and who receive special education services. Alejandra Love, Director of Professional Development: Alex has worked in education nonprofits for the past decade, including roles at Building Educated Leaders for Life, Oasis Children Services, and the Neighborhood Initiatives Development Corporation’s Children and Families Program. Alex has published half a dozen articles for T+D Magazine, which is published by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), and LEARN, which is published by the NY Metro chapter of ASTD. Her articles have been reprinted and excerpted in various publications and websites. Alex graduated from Bernard Baruch College earning a Master’s of Public Administration in dual majors – Nonprofit Administration and Public Management. In 2008, she graduated cum laude from Lehman College, earning a BA in African and African American Studies, with a minor in Early Childhood Education. Alex was inducted into the national African American Studies honor society. Alex is responsible for assessing network-wide staff development needs, developing training programs to meet those needs, and evaluating the effectiveness of implemented programs. She also maintains and updates “PLA University”, a comprehensive online resource and training platform that supports our employees’ professional growth. Eva Spilker, Chief Financial Officer Eva has served as Controller and Finance Director at Diamondback Direct, an international division of Quadriga Direct Mail Holdings—a leading global provider of direct marketing services. Her 9 responsibilities included all finance and accounting functions as well as short- and long-term forecasting, payroll and benefit management, internal and external reporting, executive team and board presentations, margin and audit management, and annual budgeting. Eva’s career in finance began in the Corporate Financial Consulting Division of Ernst & Young in Baltimore, Maryland. She then transitioned to the Economics Group of CSX Intermodal where she developed long term planning models as well as all capital expenditure justifications and analyses. After CSX, Eva transitioned to a partner role in a regional advertising agency where she managed all finance and operations functions. Eva holds an economics degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Eva is responsible for all aspects of our consolidated financial management including monthly financials, state and federal grants, cash management, budget creation and management, cash flow forecasting, board reporting and payroll. She is also responsible for audit management, vendor and bank relationships and all state, federal and philanthropic grant financial reporting. Nicole Scott, General Counsel Nicole Scott joined PLA with over 10 years of experience as an attorney and leader in the education/charter school industry. Most recently, Nicole served as Chief of Employee Solutions & Legal Affairs for KIPP Los Angeles Schools. In this role, Nicole served as General Counsel and led the human resources department for all school sites operated by KIPP LA. Nicole also managed the relationship between KIPP L.A. and Los Angeles Unified School District, the organization’s authorizer. She was instrumental in getting a K-8 charter school approved through Compton Unified School District for KIPP as well. Prior to joining the KIPP team, Nicole worked with the Inner City Education Foundation as SVP of Talent and General Counsel where she was instrumental in getting the first charter middle school approved through Inglewood Unified School district. Before committing her career to education, Nicole was an associate at a leading law firm in Los Angeles and worked for various entertainment companies such as Sony Pictures and the William Morris Agency. Nicole is a proud alumna of Spelman College and the UC Berkeley School of Law, Boalt Hall. Nicole is responsible for setting the overall vision and managing the Legal and Compliance department. Her duties include handling the legal business of PLA in a manner that supports senior leadership and school leadership in mitigating legal matters, so that their focus can remain on student achievement; protecting the interests of PLA and its students in both external and internal legal matters; providing advice and counsel across teams to achieve ongoing compliance in support of our organization's mission. 2. Process for Added Capacity. Provide an explanation for how the organization will recruit and select additional team members or organizations to support this work and ensure that all staff have the needed skills and experience to do this work. Our turnaround structure is designed to quickly and effectively ramp up our operations when starting a new partnership. Our central office team instills the frameworks, systems, and processes for a new project, based on our successful turnaround model. We then deploy a local regional academic team to lead our efforts on the ground. Both the central office team and the regional office team consist of comprehensive academic and operational departments to ensure that our schools are 10 fully supported in their turnaround efforts. Detailed information on this organizational structure can be found in Question 4 of this section. In order to recruit team members and organizations to fit our outlined staffing needs, we have codified our recruitment systems and processes, and through these resources are able to add capacity to support our projects in a measured, data-driven and goal-oriented manner. We think of our process for recruitment in terms of the following categories: people, processes, and systems. People Our systems and processes have been created and are implemented by our talented human resources and recruitment staff. These efforts are led by our central office Human Resources Department, which includes a National Recruitment Division, a Regional Recruitment Division, a Benefits Management Division, and a Human Resources Division, and is staffed by teams of recruiters and human resources associates. These positions work together to ensure that our central office, our regional academic teams, and all of our schools, are fully staffed with individuals that both pass a rigorous screening process, as well as embody PLA's mission, vision and high-performance rigor and expectations. Processes Our Recruitment Department has several processes in place to maintain a healthy pool of candidates for all three of our functional staffing needs (our schools, our central office team, and our regional academic team). These are codified in a recruitment best practices “playbook,” and include timelines and goals for recruiting candidate pools throughout the year (we structure the year into recruitment seasons), templates and outlines for different stages of the interview process, strategies around following up with candidates, and other essential processes that support all of our staffing needs. With regards to our central office staff and our regional academic teams, our National Recruitment Department implements these processes in order to ensure that these teams are fully staffed. With regard to ensuring that our schools are fully staffed, we have codified a unique set of processes; our philosophy is to minimize disruptions to our schools in the turnaround process, and rather than replace educators and school leaders, we work to support them through a multi-tiered professional development system. However, it is sometimes necessary to recruit additional talent for our schools. Our process for school recruitment, which is led by our Regional Recruitment Division, and embodied in a “recruitment playbook,” focuses on a year-long timeline and uses several proactive recruitment techniques as well as sets expectations for recruitment progress through several recruitment seasons. Specifically, to recruit educators, we engage in a mixed-media and multi-strategy search to identify talent and staff that underscore our mission. This includes recruiting through referrals, job board postings (e.g. Idealist.org), social media, and education intermediaries, as well as partnerships with mission-aligned organizations (i.e., Teach for America, The New Teacher Project) and professional associations. Diversity is also a cornerstone of our recruitment efforts. Some of the methods we have used to achieve this purpose include advertising with Historically Black Colleges and Hispanic Serving Institutions. For this project, we would work closely with Metropolitan State University of Denver and University of Colorado Denver, as these institutions have been identified as Hispanic Serving Institutions. Metropolitan State has also been identified as having an excellent education program; we would work closely with them as well as with the University of Colorado at Greeley, 11 which also has an exceptional education department, in order to recruit highly skilled candidates that are aligned with our mission and values. We hire highly qualified teachers through a rigorous, multi-stage screening process, and we use a standard screening process that is customized to local markets. During the first phase of the interview process, candidates will complete an online application and participate in one phone interview with our Director of Recruitment and another with a Principal. Applicants then complete a writing sample and leadership assessment test. If successful, candidates will be advanced to the second phase of the selection process, which includes an interview day with a panel of educational experts. There are four components to this interview day: candidates present a 5-7 slide PowerPoint highlighting their background, reasons for becoming a teacher, and their teaching and leadership accomplishments; candidates watch a video of a teacher teaching and highlight the teacher’s strengths and areas for improvements; candidates respond to a range of scenarios involving issues that might arise with scholars, parents and their peers; and candidates will be presented with student data for several scholars and are asked to explain how they would work to help each child succeed. The hiring process will be open to all credentialed teachers. Our process for recruiting our school leaders mirrors the process that we use for recruiting our teachers. Once a school leadership candidate is identified, we have a similarly rigorous, multi-stage screening process. During the first phase of the interview process, candidates complete an online application and participate in an intensive phone interview with one of our recruiters. Applicants then complete a writing sample and leadership assessment test. If successful, candidates are advanced to the second phase of the selection process that includes an Interview Day with a panel of educational experts. Notably, we also work to recruit leadership from within our schools. The process for developing leaders from within is called the PLA Pathway to Leadership Program. The program is designed to help our highest performing educators transition into roles of School Leadership. We understand the value of high-quality educators and know that providing opportunities for their growth means passion, innovation, and results for scholars. The program is comprised of two distinct pathways: • Educator to Instructional Coach/Assistant Principal. A one-year program designed for high-performing, passionate, scholar-oriented educators who are preparing to support a building in the capacity of Assistant Principal. The primary focus areas are academic instruction, staff management, coaching and feedback. Individuals will participate in rich cohort experiences, shadowing, and independent leadership activities to gain a working knowledge of how to lead a PLA school with excellence. • Instructional Coach/Assistant Principal to Principal. A one-year program designed specifically for individuals who already hold an Instructional Coach/Assistant Principal position at a Phalen Leadership Academies school. The primary focus areas of this program are change management, transition planning, strategic planning, instructional coaching, and performance management. Individuals will participate in rich cohort experiences, shadowing, and independent leadership activities to gain a working knowledge of how to lead a PLA school with excellence. 12 In addition to technical ability, staffers must possess a deep philosophical alignment that supports high performance, consistent achievement and advocacy for our scholars. We regard these skills, knowledge and abilities as non-negotiables and drivers for success. This professional profile is unique, and as a result, we have developed tailor-made selection criteria, which serve as a blueprint to ensure we select leaders, teachers and support staff with targeted skills. Once the candidate becomes a team member, we continue to evaluate and assess staff using metrics aligned with our selection criteria. Below are the qualities we look for: Belief Personal Responsibility Results-Driven Communication & Interpersonal Teacher Proficiency Classroom Management Collaboration All staffers believe that all scholars/children can learn, and should be given the opportunity to reach their highest potential Staffers possess relentless self-efficacy; holding themselves and other team members accountable for the achievement of our scholars/children Has a track record of achieving goals and results Has the ability to establish impactful relationships across diverse and various groups High instructional aptitude Ability to set a positive tone, culture and expectations Understands the value of teamwork Our model and culture are built to recruit high quality educators in the following ways: • • • • • • High-performing, and highly entrepreneurial school culture that satisfies high quality teachers’ intrinsic desire to succeed and contribute to the success of the school; Mission-driven culture that satisfies high quality teachers’ desire to transform the lives of children; Highly individualized learning environment in which teachers are supported by teaching fellows and students work in small groups; High quality pre-service training and ongoing professional development; Regular and substantive support and feedback from school leaders so teacher can grow professionally; and Opportunities to take leadership roles in professional development, such as leading common planning sessions or creating enrichment experiences for scholars. We understand the value of high-quality educators and know that providing opportunities for their growth means passion, innovation, and results for scholars. Systems In the field of recruitment, it is essential to maintain organized data around your pool of candidates, and to have systems in place to manage the recruitment and benefits process. We use a comprehensive system called Ultipro which provides our Human Resources and our Recruitment Departments with a framework from which all of our efforts are organized and supported. Ultipro’s features include: 13 • • • • • • • • Candidate Applications and Resume Collection (we also have familiarity with Taleo, a cloudbased talent management-system, in terms of our recruitment efforts) Management of the Recruitment Pipeline Tracking of Candidate Responses during Interviews Management of Payroll Services and physical checks Management of Benefits and Benefit information Ensuring that our HR staff is up to date on compliance Ensuring that all instructional staff is up to date with credentials and licenses Administering all tax information and forms This system allows us to efficiently manage hundreds of employees and thousands of candidates on an annual basis. Employee Development: We work to ensure that all employees are supported and given the resources they need to develop professionally. For our administrative and central office staff, as well as for our regional academic teams, the Human Resources department works to ensure that all employees have the needed skills to undertake their efforts. With regards to our school leaders and educators, our Academic Department and the Director of Professional Development manages our multi-tiered professional development system, which includes our system of observation and feedback, called the Coaching Cycles, weekly check ins on progress with Professional Learning Communities, and our online learning module, PLA University. Further, both the Recruitment and Human Resources team use Ultipro, allowing them to serve greater numbers of employees in an efficient manner. This professional development system is outlined in further detail in Section 3, Question 1. Our talented staff, and our rigorous, streamlined and efficient systems and procedures for hiring and supporting staff allows us to quickly ramp up to ensure that our projects are fully staffed, and ultimately make it possible for us to achieve our organizational goals. 3. Organizational Experience. Describe your organization’s experience at both the school and school district levels with turnaround implementation, educational programming, analyzing and designing operations, working with existing leadership staff, and efforts toward stakeholder engagement (e.g., parents, students, local board, district administrators, school administrators, teachers, community members, local businesses and organizations). Experience with Turnaround Implementation: Our experience with turnaround efforts is extensive and spans three states. Our turnaround improvement model is based on our Turnaround Principles for Success. Schools that implement these principles with fidelity succeed. Our educational program also utilizes best practices in data-driven instruction and differentiated learning to deliver instruction in core subject curricula – and to create a uniquely rigorous and personalized learning experience for every child. The Turnaround Principals for Success include: a. Strong school leadership: We believe that the success of any school hinges on a strong school leader. A PLA school leader is expected to uphold the standard of excellence out scholars deserve through communication, coaching and commitment. 14 b. Positive climate and culture: The culture of a school can make or break a scholar’s educational experience. Building a culture of excellence, acceptance, positive behavior and growth is just as important as rigorous curriculum. We have a structured process for ensuring a positive, strong and loving culture exists for our scholars. c. Highly effective, data-driven educators: Our model focuses on selecting and developing exceptional educators who are able to use assessment data to continuously improve the quality of instruction. Our goal is to retain over 80% of the educators in the schools in which we serve. We believe that through the implementation of our education model, high quality professional development, and the PLA Coaching Cycle, scholars will receive the high-quality instruction that they deserve and staff will receive the professional support and development they need to be effective. d. Evidence-based, standards-aligned curricula: Our schools utilize evidence-based curricula to push students to perform beyond the required expectations of their grade level in the main subject areas of literacy and math. e. Rigorous, frequent assessments: Based on our scope and sequence documents, teachers implement regular formative and benchmark assessments to evaluate student mastery of content in reading, writing and math. Assessments are designed to be both highly rigorous and to align to state standards. Our teachers also gain a holistic look at children’s progress through state assessments; interim assessments tied to state standards; adaptive learning quizzes that target specific standards; and qualitative data (such as scholar, parent and teacher surveys). Consistent and rigorous evaluation of student performance helps ensure both higher quality instruction and higher academic achievement. f. Extensive differentiated, small-group, and standards-aligned instruction: One of the unique core components of our model is that it implements regular assessments while maximizing the time that scholars can spend in small-group and one-to-one instruction with effective teachers, TAs, or coaches. Consistently providing differentiated instruction that targets specific standards, based on the results of assessment data, has been one of the core reasons for scholars’ strong growth. g. Enrichment experiences: Each day, scholars will take courses in art, music, STEM and physical fitness. In addition, scholars may also hear from inspirational guest speakers; participate in educational field trips to college campuses, professional workplaces, museums, and cultural landmarks; and lead service projects to build connections to their communities and their futures. We believe children learn best when they are engaged and they make connections between school, their communities and their futures. h. Strong parental engagement: We recognize the importance of family engagement on student achievement and we use a scientifically-proven process for engaging families. Some of the elements of this process include training teachers to effectively communicate with parents; creating a welcoming environment for families; holding regular meetings with parents where families and teachers dive in depth into a scholar’s academic and behavioral progress; and hosting fun events throughout the year that celebrates their student’s progress. 15 The strong execution of this evidenced-based turnaround model has led to the successful turnaround of multiple failing schools. Our multi-state charter network consists of 14 partners; in addition, two prior schools, IPS School Numbers 88 and 99, were transformed from F-rated schools into A-rated schools, and as a result of the strong academic growth and state letter grades, were taken back over by the local school district. The list of our past and current school partners can be found below. SCHOOL NAME IPS School #99 IPS School #88 George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy IPS School #93 IPS School #103 Thea Bowman Elementary School Thea Bowman Middle/High School James and Rosemary Phalen Middle School James and Rosemary Phalen High School Timothy L. Johnson Elementary School Timothy L. Johnson Middle School Trix Academy Higher Institute of Arts and Technology Foster Elementary School Sheehy Elementary School Oak Park Elementary School STATE Indiana Indiana Indiana BEGINNING DATE July 1, 2008 July 1, 2013 July 1, 2013 END DATE June 8, 2013 June 15, 2016 Current partner Indiana Indiana Indiana July 1, 2016 July 1, 2016 July 1, 2016 Current partner Current partner Current partner Indiana July 1, 2016 Current partner Indiana July 1, 2017 Current partner Indiana July 1, 2018 Current partner Indiana July 1, 2017 Current partner Indiana July 1, 2018 Current partner Michigan Indiana July 1, 2017 July 1, 2018 Current partner Current partner Florida July 1, 2018 Current partner Florida July 1, 2018 Current partner Florida July 1, 2018 Current partner Our experience with managing multiple contracts across several states is illustrated in the summary below: Indiana: • Contracts with Indiana Charter School Board to manage schools • Contracts with Indianapolis Public Schools to manage schools • Contract with Trine – Education One to manage schools 16 Florida: • Contract with Hillsborough County Public Schools to manage schools Michigan: • Contract with Central Michigan University to manage a school Colorado: • Approved charter network and school management partner with Colorado Department of Education; notably, the only organization chosen in both categories. Turnaround Model Philosophy and Results: One of the unique aspects of our turnaround model is our focus on minimizing disruptions to each school that we serve during the turnaround process. Our philosophy is to retain existing school staff, and—through our professional development systems, school culture policies, educational model, and oversight—to transform underperforming schools. With this guiding core principle, we have successfully transformed multiple schools, while maintaining most of the existing staff and school leadership. Highlights from our track record illustrate the power of this philosophy, and the effectiveness of our implementation, as we have: • • • • • • Transformed five F-rated schools into A-rated schools, all within three years of becoming a partner; Increased scholars’ passing rates on Indiana state ELA and Math tests by 11% in just one year – the highest standardized test growth for all schools in Central Indiana in 2015-16; Earned school rankings of #4 and #5 in the district in Indiana for strongest growth (with 8.2% and 8.1% increases in state test score proficiency growth, respectively); Accelerated progress towards grade-level proficiency with 72% of scholars showing standard to high annual growth on the state test; Achieved an average of 92% passing on IREAD (Indiana state reading exam) at founding school since opening year; and Raised the academic achievement of scholars who come from low-income families, whose performance on the state exam surpasses the district by 10% in math and by 24% in ELA. Further, nine out of our 10 partners (results are not yet available for four new partners) are outperforming their host district. Our oldest school is five years old, and scholars at that school outperformed the state average on both the ELA and math portions of the state test. As one of the few organizations serving students of color to be led by leaders of color, we also have a proven track record of helping underserved students achieve significant academic gains. The following highlights illustrate this: • • • In 2017-2018, Latino scholars at PLA schools exceed the district average by 28% on the Math ISTEP, and by 33% in ELA. Scholars who are English Language Learners at PLA schools perform 21% higher than the district average, and 8% higher than the state average. In 2017-2018, black scholars at PLA exceed the district average by 29% on the ELA state assessment, and by 11% on math. 17 • PLA scholars who come from low-income families surpass the district by 10% in math and by 24% in ELA on the state test. In sum, we have extensive experience in working successfully with districts and governmental agencies, as well as experience in creating effective partnerships with these entities, and in managing a network of schools, in order to best serve students. While the work of managing schools has significant challenges, we always work collaboratively with our partners to ensure that our students are receiving the high-quality education and support they need and deserve. In addition, we have proven experience scaling our impact with strong quality; we have successfully translated our turnaround model, with all of its built-in support systems and processes, across three states, serving over 5,000 students. Accordingly, we are currently managing a network of schools and students that is similar in size to the Adams 14 District, and given our past success in implementing our turnaround model across multiple states, we feel that we are primed as an organization to scale our model to meet the needs of the Adams 14 District. However, should we not be selected as a lead partner organization, we would welcome your consideration to serve the Adams 14 School District as a multi-school turnaround operator. If further specificity is needed, we could offer the most targeted turnaround efforts at the elementary school level. Experience with Educational Programming: We have considerable experience with educational programming, and through our talented, experienced central office staff’s leadership, our regional academic team’s direct guidance, our professional development systems and support for our educators and school leaders, and our research-based instructional systems and processes, have successfully turned around schools across multiple states, giving thousands of scholars the opportunity to achieve academic greatness. Our instructional model is evidence-based, designed by highly successful educators, and focuses on instruction that is personalized and data-driven. Our academic model had proven very effective for turning around the academic performance of students who have attended chronically underperforming schools. This model was also designed by educators who have decades of experience working with students of color living in low-income communities. This design is built into the instructional framework at each of the schools, wherein educators understand scholar needs and have high expectations for all students. Specifically, our academic model contains the following elements: • Daily differentiated, data-driven instruction and intervention: Both our instructional strategies and school day schedule are designed to maximize the amount of differentiation possible for all students. Whenever possible, we offer small-group intervention to students through our rotational instructional model. This consists of a 30-minute targeted intervention block where small groups (6-8 scholars) who perform similarly in a subject area work with a teacher or specialist on modules that accelerate their growth. Groups are identified through rigorous data analysis based on weekly and interim assessments, and interventions are aligned with curricula. During individualized intervention, progress feedback sessions for scholars with IEPs include check-ins about IEP goals, as well as teacher-student reviews of assessment data to determine appropriate interventions. Differentiated instruction also allows each ELL student the individualized instruction needed for growth, customized to their current level of language acquisition. 18 • • • • Frequent assessments to identify student needs and build cumulative rigor: Frequent assessment, along with results-analysis, improves student outcomes; however, most schools test students quarterly, semi-annually, or even only annually, impeding teachers’ ability to intervene at critical points in scholar development. Our approach provides consistent and accurate student data via weekly curriculum-based assessments in subjects including vocabulary, grammar, reading, and math. Because we reframe tests as a core classroom learning activity, scholars look forward to this opportunity to improve on past performance and weekly results provide ongoing motivation for students. Frequent assessment benefits students with disabilities and ELL students, providing new data each week on scholar progress so that teachers can measure progress toward IEP goals or English language proficiency and rapidly adjust instruction appropriately. The intentional focus on data-driven ownership of academic progress offers a unique take on using data to improve student outcomes. Progress feedback to help students achieve at higher levels: Our model embeds a focus on student mindsets within our instructional approach. Students who attend chronically lowperforming schools often have a fixed academic mindset. After facing many educational barriers, students can develop a pessimistic perception of their own abilities. Our model addresses this by offering regular progress feedback sessions in which educators guide students to reflect on their own continuous improvement and their willingness to take on greater challenges, empowering students to learn from their growth process. Educators help students visualize their progress and provide praise for effort (rather than praising grades earned). This process is particularly helpful to ELL students and students with disabilities, who may otherwise conflate a language barrier, or learning challenges stemming from a disability, with a limited ability to learn. Evidence-based, standards-aligned framework for curricula: We work collaboratively with our partners to advise a framework for evidence-based curricula aligned with the relevant state standards. For our schools, research-based, vertically-aligned curricula such as Harcourt Journeys and Saxon Math have been successful. Developed by some of the nation’s leading researchers, these curricula have a proven track record of raising student achievement for all student populations (Educational Research Institute of America, 2009). Our teachers also utilize or develop customized pacing guides for ELA and math that align with state standards; these plans guide the specific skills taught and the academic standards a child should master each week. Highly effective, data-driven educators: Our model focuses on selecting and developing exceptional educators who are able to use assessment data to continuously improve the quality of instruction. Our goal is to retain over 80% of the educators in the schools in which we serve. We believe that through the implementation of our education model, high quality professional development, and the PLA Coaching Cycle, scholars will receive the high-quality instruction that they deserve, and staff will receive the professional support and development they need to be effective. While we work to retain the teachers that are at our school sites, when necessary, we also work to hire teachers who are able to meet our standard of excellence through a very rigorous, multi-stage screening process that consists of an online application; phone interview; in-person interviews; observation of the candidate’s classroom teaching; modeling of data-driven teaching; and completion of intensive preservice professional development. We ensure that our educators have the skills needed to deliver data-driven instruction both through regular feedback from exceptional school leaders, mentoring from highly effective peers and coaches, and ongoing professional 19 • • development. In this way, we place or support the development of an effective and datadriven teacher in every classroom. Positive climate and culture: The culture of a school can make or break a scholar’s educational experience. Building a culture of excellence, acceptance, positive behavior and growth is just as important as rigorous curriculum. We have a structured process for ensuring a positive, strong and loving culture exists for our scholars. Our approach to promoting positive behaviors begins by setting high expectations for all scholars; we call our students scholars to reinforce these expectations. Additionally, our schools implement a multi-tiered system for recognizing and rewarding scholar progress, effort, and behavior. Some of our methods include verbal recognition and praise, a school store, Phalen Falcon of the Month, awards ceremonies, and quarterly trips. Our schools also implement a set of logical consequences when scholars don’t meet expectations aimed at supporting scholars to achieve both academic and behavioral excellence. In addition, scholars receive daily grades for behavior, effort, and academics that are recorded on a weekly progress report each Friday that requires a parent’s signature. Deans, counselors, and mentors support our scholars to help them realize their best selves and develop their community-oriented character. Ultimately, all of our school culture policies and procedures seek to promote character in our scholars, where scholars see themselves as leaders in their school and community. Enrichment experiences: At PLA, we know that it is important to cultivate well-rounded, highly engaged scholars so that they will be successful in the 21st-century work force and in the world. Our enrichment classes are aimed at increasing scholars’ awareness of possible career paths and leadership opportunities in their school and community. These courses are also aimed at increasing scholars’ awareness of themselves, their culture, and cultures around the world. We provide a high-quality enrichment program that includes extensive opportunities for scholars to see the relevance of their learning to other areas of their lives and to their futures. Scholars select from among a series of five-week enrichment courses where they completed project-based activities under the direction of an educator. This year, course topics included engineering, Zumba, photography, character development, health and wellness, culture & citizenship, Black History, entrepreneurship, public speaking, debate, ballet, West African dance, and drumming. These experiences are designed to put our scholars at the driver’s seat and help them take ownership of their learning. Through our expansive experience with implementing educational programming, we know that when our educational model is implemented with fidelity, our scholars will achieve significant gains in their academic performance. Experience with Analyzing and Designing Operations: We have standardized how we manage our turnaround efforts with regards to operational functions; we approach these efforts through the lens of the following categories: people, procedures and systems. People Our central office team provides leadership support around our operational efforts. Each department consists of several divisions, staffed by teams of talented individuals with years of experience in their various areas. This leadership team works to instill the frameworks, systems and processes of our successful turnaround model. We then deploy a regional academic team, which leads our efforts on the ground, within our partner schools. The efforts of both teams ensure that 20 quality assurance systems are implemented in order to drive school- and district-wide excellence. The structure of our central office leadership team and our regional academic teams, as well as their internal divisions include: Central Office Departments: Academic Department: The systems and processes led by this department are essential to both our academic and operational success. The divisions within this department include: • Academic Instruction Division • Professional Development Division • Curriculum Division • Special Education and ELL Division Operations Department: This department provides oversight for all of our operational support areas, and includes the following divisions: • Academic Data Analysis Division • Student Information System Division • Process Oversight Division • Network Policy Development Division • Tech Support Division Human Resources Department: Our central office Human Resources Department provides critical operational support to staff our central office, regional and school teams. This department consists of the following divisions: • National Recruitment Division • Regional Recruitment Division • Human Resources Division • Benefits Management Division Communications Department: This department provides operational support in terms of engaging with families and the community, and consists of the following divisions: • Communications Division • Marketing Division • Social Media and Digital Communications Division Compliance Department: This department contains comprehensive divisions to support our total network’s compliance needs, including the following: • Title I Compliance Division • Special Education and ELL Compliance Division • Operational Compliance Division Finance Department: This department manages all of our network’s operations with regards to finance and accounting, and consists of the following divisions: • Financial Management and Accounting Division 21 • • Payroll Division Audit Management Division Regional Academic Teams (each geographic region may have more than one regional team, depending on its enrollment and size): • • • • Regional Director: Leads all aspects the implementation of our turnaround model. Regional Recruitment Manager: Manages our recruitment of school leadership and educators at the local level for our school partners. Regional Operations Manager: Leads the implementation of all of our operational systems and processes at the local level. Regional Compliance Manager: Responsible for collaborating with the central office compliance department and managing all areas of school and staff compliance at regional school sites. Systems Our central office team and our regional academic teams use cross functional systems to manage the operations of our schools, maximizing and streamlining our efforts. Each department has specific systems, including but not limited to the following examples: Academic Department: • The Coaching Cycles • Weekly Professional Learning Communities • PLA University • Leadership Institute (training Institute for school leadership opportunities) • New Teacher Training Institute (initial training institute for our educators) • Infinite Campus (comprehensive system for attendance, gradebook, and parental involvement) • Live School (a positive behavior management software tracking system) • Kickboard (a positive behavior management system) Human Resources Department • Ultipro (a comprehensive human resources management system – more detail is provided on this in Question 2 of this Section) • Taleo (a candidate management system) Communications Department: • Vertical Response (our e-newsletter system) • Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) • PLA Website (central hub for sharing information) • PLA App (available for iOs or Android) Compliance Department: • Epicenter (system that we use with all of our authorizers to docket and manage reports, deliverables, and other compliance requirements) 22 Operations Department: • Infinite Campus (demographic and enrollment data tracking) • ZenDesk (help desk system) • Five Star Technology (implements systems for email, hardware, wireless services, device management, ethernet, and other on-site technology needs) • Renaissance Learning (provides a suite of assessment services) Finance Department: • Book-keeping software (used for our financial management needs) Processes Each of our comprehensive departments in our central office team and our regional academic teams have frameworks of operational processes that support our operational systems; the implementation of these processes with our systems ensure that our turnaround model is being supported in our schools with fidelity, and in turn, that our scholars are being supported in their journey towards academic success. Academic Processes: Comprehensive Needs Analysis (CNA): When we first partner with a school, we initiate an audit, the CNA, wherein we use a checklist, a “playbook” and a rubric to evaluate the school’s operations. In order to comprehensively evaluate these efforts, we use onsite visits, interviews with key leaders and stakeholders, and surveys to gather the necessary data. Following this audit, we implement our series of systems that are designed to streamline and enhance the operations at the school level. We also make sure to address any “brick and mortar” issues immediately following this audit, including fixing facilities, ironing out vendor issues, and fixing any bus transportation issues. Each school is unique, and our processes and systems are designed to pivot with individual needs. PLA Platform: This process encapsulates the implementation of our turnaround model. Each of the categories in the graph below consists of its own processes that our Academic Department and regional academic teams deliver around our systems in order to implement our turnaround model effectively. These processes include but are not limited to: System Instructional Design - system that facilitates the creation of instructional tasks that require higher-order, complex thinking Data-Aligned Instruction Differentiating and Scaffolding Instruction Process Providing the design support for our educators to facilitate the creation of sophisticated instructional tasks. Critical to academic growth, aligns instructional and lesson plans to the appropriate grade level performance of our scholars, as well as giving instructors data-driven goals for our scholars’ academic growth. Providing our educators with the tools necessary to create lesson and instruction plans that are differentiated to meet every scholar’s academic needs, and scaffolded to ensure that 23 Coaching Cycles Professional Learning Communities PLA U Leadership Institute Summer Institute Infinite Campus Live School scholars are supported in their academic growth. Conducting frequent, tiered coaching cycles with teachers and providing immediate feedback. Implementing weekly meetings with cohorts of peers to encourage peer-to-peer development and communication. Implementing goals and expectations around the completion of PLA U learning modules for every staff member. Engaging teachers and school leaders in leadership opportunities Implementing targeted, summer training sessions to support new teachers and additional training for all teachers Implementing goals and expectations, as well as audit checks so that all staff use the software with fidelity. Implementing a positive school-wide system used for routines, procedures, and expectations. Human Resources Processes: Our Human Resources department implements a series of processes around the framework of our recruitment and human resources systems. These processes are captured in a “playbook” that we use to ensure that these operations are implemented with fidelity across our regions. The processes include: System Ultipro Recruitment Management Playbook Performance Management System Processes Training all central office and regional staff to use Ultipro. Requiring the use of it across all recruitment and human resource functionalities, including when recruiting new candidates, interviewing new candidates, managing the onboarding of new candidates, disseminating benefit and tax information to new candidates. Requiring the regular use of Ultipro training modules to ensure all staff are aware of new compliance and regulatory issues. Ensures consistent training around best recruitment practices and ensures that all recruitment staff are implementing these best practices with fidelity. Ensures that all of our employees are evaluated on a fair and consistent rubric. 24 Communications Processes: Our communications department has created processes around the framework of our systems to ensure that these operational tasks can be implemented with fidelity across our regions. These processes include: System Vertical Response Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) PLA Website (central hub for sharing information) PLA App (available for iOs or Android) Process Creating templates for e-newsletters to be sent out to communities and parents. Creating templates for social media posts and implementing requirements for the frequency of posts. Creating template pages for each school site. Implementing goals around the usage and downloading of the app. Compliance Processes: Our compliance department works cross-functionally with our other departments and regional academic teams to implement processes around our Epicenter system to ensure that all regional sites remain in full compliance. These processes include but are not limited to: System Epicenter Process Implementing requirements for the capture and submission of data for reporting requirements. Implementing requirements for inventories of equipment. Operations Processes: Our operations department has a series of processes around the framework of systems it implements to ensure operational integrity across our regions, including but not limited to: System Operational Audit Infinite Campus ZenDesk (help desk system) Five Star Technology Renaissance Learning Process Conducted by operational team when first partnering with a school as a baseline, then will spiral throughout the school year in order to ensure compliance and efficiency. Setting requirements around the usage of Infinite Campus with regards to capturing demographic and enrollment data, and instituting audits to ensure this usage. Instituting trainings for all staff on the help desk functions and monitoring its usage. Implementing best practices, requirements around usage, device management, and audits for all email and internet usage. Ensuring that staff are trained in its usage. Setting in place requirements, goals and audits of its usage as an assessment tool. 25 Financial Processes: Our finance department implements comprehensive internal financial control processes for each of our schools, as well as strong financial controls over expenditures and records retention procedures. These processes are aligned with the department’s systems and with the financial reporting requirements of the State Board of Accounts (SBOA), and the US Department of Education (USDOE). Process Processes that our financial department implements include: Authorization and Approval controls for expenditures. Segregation of Duties controls for expenditures. Payroll and Benefits controls for expenditures. Expense Reports controls for expenditures. General Operating Expenses controls for expenditures. Review and Reconciliation controls for expenditures. Accordingly, we have extensive experience with analyzing and assessing operations, and in designing effective operational systems, to ensure that our school leaders can focus on supporting our educators and scholars in their collective efforts to achieve academic greatness. Experience with Working with Existing Leadership Staff: With regards to working with existing District staff, we form long-term, collaborative relationships with these partners, and have strong working relationships with the school districts that we operate within, including Indiana Public Schools and Hillsborough County Public Schools. We work with our District partners around students and enrollment, around parental engagement, and around aligning the school day schedule with the personalized learning model that we implement. We also work closely with them on issues of: • Nutrition and provision of meals for students • Bus and other transportation issues • Vendors • Payroll and Benefits for school staff • Recruitment of school staff and school leadership positions With regards to school leadership, one of the unique aspects of our model is that we have successfully transformed multiple schools while maintaining most of the existing staff and school leadership. Our philosophy is to retain existing school staff, and—through our professional development systems, school culture policies, educational model, and oversight—to radically transform underperforming schools. On average, we retain approximately 80% of a school’s existing staff and leadership. This philosophy has been proven successful based on our track record. Experience with Efforts toward Stakeholder Engagement (e.g., parents, students, local board, district administrators, school administrators, teachers, community members, local businesses and organizations): We believe that stakeholder engagement in the turnaround process is critical to the success of our school partners. and through our impressive turnaround experience, have developed best practices for involving them. Below are some of the ways we engage key stakeholders: Parents: Family engagement is one of the central elements in our turnaround efforts and engaging authentically with our families is part of our organizational DNA. To smooth the transitional process, we meet with families prior to the launch of our new school partnership, to understand 26 what they are looking for in their child’s school. These meetings also afford the opportunity to communicate to parents what will happen during the transition and how it will improve the quality of their children’s educational experience. Throughout the school year, we deepen our relationships with our families by hosting Parents in Touch days at the school, where families and teachers can delve into a scholar’s academic and behavioral progress; and inviting families to visit their child’s classes, participate in field trips, or support the school in any way they feel comfortable. Examples of family events that PLA schools have hosted in the past include late summer ice cream socials, open houses, and schoolwide scholar recognition events. We also communicate regularly with families through biweekly report cards, parent newsletters, and making calls home not only to report challenging behavior, but also to praise examples of positive behavior. By maintaining an open-door policy and inviting families not only to school events, but also to participate in the classroom where they can meaningfully engage with our scholars, our parents can further positively impact the life of our school. Our family engagement process ensures that families are able to a) voice their input on their child’s academic needs and interests; b) understand the PLA model and how it works within the school to strengthen student achievement; and c) access real-time feedback from our educators through regular communication channels. By involving the whole family, we pave the way to strong student academic success. Students: Student engagement is also a key pillar of our turnaround efforts. Providing consistent care for the holistic well-being of each scholar, along with a nurturing environment in which to learn, makes students excited to return to PLA year after year. Our schools experience steady increases in enrollment due to both our family engagement program and our high-quality educational model—in one instance, current enrollment as at 451 students, up from 341 in 2014 – 15. As part of our well-rounded educational model, we provide extra support to children facing the challenges that come with living in poverty. Because of our close involvement with our scholars, we have regular opportunities to listen intently to their needs, support them in their learning process, and giving shared ownership to our scholars in making academic progress. In our current schools, examples of this extra support include: • Teacher lunches with groups of kids who are facing the same challenging situations (e.g. being homeless, having an incarcerated parent, or being in foster care). • Wraparound services and after-school programs as needed. • Blessings in a Backpack on Fridays where we send kids home with backpacks of food for the weekend. Because we offer a well-rounded learning experience—one that also includes regular enrichment activities, a caring, student-centered school culture, and a diverse school staff that reflects the demographics of the students—kids are engaged in their own education and are excited to attend PLA schools. We know that when students are engaged, they are more likely to succeed. We also deeply engage our students in their own academic success and progress. In biweekly checkin sessions, teachers will review with students their progress on weekly assessments, identify standards for further learning, and set a quantifiable goal for the next check-in. During these sessions, PLA teachers guide students in recognizing their own improvement and reflecting on the effort and hard work that created improvement. This is further facilitated by only praising growth during check-in sessions, not letter grades. We also explicitly and regularly reward students for progress toward shared goals. Our structured recognition of student progress formalizes positive observations from monitoring sessions in order to improve student outcomes. Our schools celebrate 27 student achievement by displaying student work and teacher kudos in both hallways and classrooms, communicating regularly with parents about kids’ successes, and honoring kids who do things for others. Our “caught-being-kind” strategy rewards students with a golden ticket for a tangible reward (for example, a fun, educational field trip). Consistently positive attention for effort, improvement and successes, no matter how small, engages students and encourages them to take ownership of their academic success. We believe this involvement and ownership is a key piece of our turnaround efforts. Below is an excerpt of a statement from one of our students who attended the Phalen Leadership Academy: I didn’t know what I was missing until I went to PLA. This is the only “real” school that I have ever been to. This is a really great school. When I was a student [at a previous school] I did not care about my academics. School was a place to hang out, fight, damage property, skip class, and make people laugh. I didn’t know that school was supposed to be anything different. I came to PLA last year after having over 10 suspensions at [my previous school]. I walked into a place where they were really learning, teachers cared, the school was clean, and no one was fighting. I wasn’t sure if I would fit in. I didn’t know if I could do it. I struggled in the beginning. PLA was hard and I wasn’t used to doing so much work. But, when they started talking about college, and all of the sports teams, and the field trips I decided that I wanted to do better. I could be better. I knew that if I did what they told me to I could make it. For the first time, I had options besides working at the gas station, in a fast food restaurant or running the streets. I had a REAL chance. When I went to my first college visit with PLA I decided that I wanted to go to college for the first time in my life. I would be the first person in my family to graduate high school and college. This student’s thoughts on how our schools can impact a student’s trajectory in life further underscore the power of inspiring students to take ownership of their academic success. Teachers: Our educators are also a key pillar in our turnaround efforts, and we work closely to engage them. We focus heavily on supporting our educators, (and on developing existing staff) through our successful professional development model, in order to amply prepare our educators to implement our academic turnaround plans. This support includes the PLA Coaching Cycle, which provides regular walkthroughs, observations, and live feedback to educators. Throughout the year, teachers also receive regular, substantive support and feedback from highly effective peers and monthly professional development sessions help enhance critical skills and meet student needs. Specifically, the PLA Coaching Cycle platform includes six domains or focused areas of observations based on Charlotte Danielson’s framework. Each domain includes eight indicators for success, creating a very quick and efficient walk-through form for each domain. The six domains are as follows: • • • • • • Culture and Behavior Management Classroom Management and Environment Scholar Engagement Effective Lesson Components Level 1 Instructional Execution Level 2 Instructional Execution The first step of the Coaching Cycle is to conduct intentional walk-throughs, looking for evidence of best practices. Each walk-through takes no more than 10-12 minutes. The second step of the cycle is 28 to lead effective coaching conversations with each teacher. Relationship-building is crucial during this step of the process. During this step it is imperative that the coach offers coaching side by side, gives positive feedback, and asks leading questions that guide the teacher to identifying their own next steps. Timely feedback has a significant impact on implementation. Research says there is a 70% chance of implementation if feedback is delivered within 24 hours of observation; after the first 24 hours, the likelihood of implementation drops 10% each day feedback is not delivered. The next step of the Coaching Cycle is collaboratively creating a bite-sized goal for change to make both the teacher and coach accountable for the change. The final step before the cycle repeats is a follow-up observation from the same domain, looking for evidence of change according the bite-sized goal they created. This support also includes weekly professional learning communities, we engage with our teachers and encourage the sharing of peer-to-peer resources and support. These meetings are also used to do data deep-dives for our instructors, and to collaborate on individual student strategies. Our regional academic staff provides leadership, support and structure at each school site for these meetings, including providing presentations on different professional development topics as well. Finally, this support also includes PLA University, an online platform combined with in-person, onsite experiences. To accelerate educator growth prior to and throughout the year, PLA University provides opportunities for staff members to engage in comprehensive modules of learning focused on curriculum development, parent engagement, behavior management, lesson planning, classroom management, school culture, and school policies/procedures. The platform’s 72 specialized modules are equipped with narrated presentations, videos, activities, best practices, and additional resources. PLA University modules are differentiated in order to serve professionals on a spectrum of their career trajectories, offering customized growth pathways for teachers, leaders, and staff members. With these substantial systems of support, we help our teachers to become actively engaged in our academic turnaround efforts, and we convey our deep appreciation of their valuable efforts in our turnaround projects. Local Board: Each of our schools has its own Board, and we have developed standardized communication systems to engage them in our turnaround efforts. Listed below are the various systems that we have developed for consistent communication with local boards: • • • • • Our Academic team prepares student achievement reports for regular board meetings that are provided to Board Chairs and committee liaisons. Our Finance team communicates regularly with Board Chairs, sharing reports and updates regarding budgeting, significant purchases, partnership agreements etc. Our Communications team shares monthly e-newsletters including the latest, most important updates and events. Our functional leaders and school administration meet bi-weekly and share the most recent successes and challenges with each other. Our academic team, board chairs and committee liaisons communicate directly and regularly through school visits. 29 • Our professional development processes, particularly Coaching Cycle and PLA University, provide a reservoir of real-time data points and resources that can be shared with board chairs and committee liaisons as needed. District and School Administration: Engaging the District and School Administrations in our turnaround efforts is also an essential piece of our standardized turnaround efforts. We work collaboratively with all of our District partners throughout the turnaround process and have excellent relationships with them in all of the states within which we operate. In the past we have frequently participated in community events, such as town hall meetings, bus tours, group site visits, and round table talks. For this project, we will work with the District develop a plan of engagement based on their past experience with the community, in order to promulgate all necessary communication in a consistent manner. Community Members, Local Businesses and Organizations: When we first partner with a school, we identify community partnerships that provide meaningful support to our scholars. Our partnerships typically focus around enrichment services, socio-emotional support, extended learning time services, and family support. Beyond formal partnerships, we want our community partners to participate in the life of our schools. In our experience, it is not the number of community partners, or even the attractiveness of their services, but the quality of their outcomes, and how well they fit with one another that make the difference. We build strong relationships with our communities through open, honest and ongoing communications. With the support of our communications and marketing department, we also conduct a strategic outreach effort to ensure that the community is well informed, through digital and traditional communication methods, including newsletters, our website, social media, and phone calls. We have found that consistent communication is critical to engaging the community in our efforts. Examples of our past experience with these stakeholders, and how we engage with them in our turnaround efforts include the following: • • • Pre-school services: In some of our schools we partner with high quality preschool education providers that provide a holistic approach to child care and education, supporting children’s social, emotional, and educational needs. Early learning centers are often situated on our campuses, providing a natural transition for our younger scholars, as they immerse themselves in our culture and program. We will look for partners that employ highly qualified staff and provide curriculum-based learning, in addition to structured and responsive care. Socio-emotional support: Given the level of trauma created by poverty and the exceptional obstacles that our scholars face at home, having adequate support staff and effectively engaging families is often a critical part of our school turnaround efforts. We typically work with schoolbased mental health and wellness programs to provide services such as general screening/assessment; behavioral counseling, crisis intervention, health screenings, staff training, family counseling, and referral services. These services are particularly beneficial for students with special needs. By aligning our mental health providers with our response-to-intervention system, we are able to effectively identify special needs and provide appropriate support based on our scholars’ individual needs. Family support: In all of our turnaround efforts, we look to identify strong community-based 30 • • programs that are able to support working families in their efforts to reach self-sufficiency, by providing financial and employment assistance. At our current schools, we provide families with access to several critical support services, including job readiness workshops, basic office skills training, access to continuing education, financial literacy workshops, and college planning. Additionally, we will continue to partner with local churches and neighborhood associations to help families access community resources. Local universities: A key part of our schools’ educational focus is preparing children for college starting at an early age. In all of our turnaround projects we seek to partner with nationally recognized universities, in order to provide scholars with customized campus visits, including opportunities to talk to admission officers, students and professors from various disciplines. Additionally, we have provided scholars with special learning experiences, such as partnering with an arts school to provide scholars with music education using real instruments; or partnering with a medical school to provide hands-on dentistry field experience. Local businesses: We have historically developed strong relationships with local and national businesses in service of our families. In our current schools, we have partnered with several notable corporations, including KeyBank to provide financial literacy workshops for families, Cummins to provide hands-on STEM education, the Glick Company to provide Parent Advocates who work to increase family engagement in their child’s education at home and at school, and University Health to provide free hearing and vision screenings, just to name a few. In sum, we have substantial experience in engaging critical stakeholders in our turnaround efforts, and we can easily deploy our standardized best practices for engaging them when taking on a new turnaround project. Further, we know that each district is unique in its needs for key stakeholder engagement, and our best practices for engagement are designed to be collaborative and flexible, in order to best reach these critical individuals and organizations. 4. Provide a description of your organizational structure. Our organizational structure is anchored in meeting our schools’ needs through three key pillars of support: • The central functional management team that provides functional support and strategic oversight • Regional school support teams that understand local contexts and challenges, and interface directly with partner schools; and • Quality assurance systems implemented collectively by both teams to ensure school- and district-wide excellence. The leadership and educators of our partner schools and districts are central to our organizational structure. Our regional academic teams and central office team collectively bolster school and district staff with quality assurance and vital academic and functional support. This allows our partner schools to focus fully on providing high-quality instruction to our scholars by implementing the PLA educational model. Central office team Our central office team is highly skilled in key functional value-adds including instructional leadership and curriculum development; extended learning opportunities; talent selection; training and professional development; program and organizational development; evaluation and assessment; 31 and budget and grants management. Central office leadership brings decades of classroom experience, school and instructional leadership track record, project management expertise, and substantial knowledge in key operational aspects, including compliance, reporting, and program management. The central office team provides strategic oversight to regional teams and is overseen by the PLA Board of Directors. The central office team consists of the following functional domains: Academics: The Academics team within our central office ensures the PLA educational model is implemented strategically, and with fidelity across all schools. This includes providing the following support: • Delivering curriculum, lesson plans and learning materials to support teacher and leadership development; • Building teacher capacity and their understanding of rigorous, high-quality and data-driven instructional practices; • Assisting teachers and leaders with effectively using assessment and progress monitoring data for differentiating and adjusting instruction; • Conducting regular classroom observations and providing feedback to support the growth of our teachers; and • Implementing Coaching Cycles, weekly professional learning communities and PLA University as intensive professional development resources for educators. Special Education: The Special Education team ensures elements of the PLA educational model embedded within all functional frameworks are aligned with the needs and academic achievement outcomes of special education populations. Support activities thus include: • Ensuring curriculum lesson, plans, learning materials and all other academic framework elements are accessible to, and meet the needs of special education students; • Ensuring the operational framework is aligned with ensuring accessibility to and addressing the needs of special education students; • Ensuring recruitment policies account for specialized staff to address the needs of special education students; • Ensuring legal and compliance frameworks include compliance with laws pertaining to special education; and • Ensuring school-wide communication and stakeholder engagement strategies are accessible to, and aligned with the needs of special education students. Human Resources: The Human Resources team ensures the educator cohorts across all schools are optimized to support the strategic implementation of the PLA educational model with fidelity. Towards this goal, recruitment team provides the following support: • Talent sourcing, interviewing, and hiring of our national team, regional teams, summer seasonal staff and all school-based personnel including academy leadership, teachers, and support staff; 32 • • • Creation & Implementation of HR policies: exhibit leadership in retention, employee orientation, policy development & documentation, employee relations, compensation & benefits, HR regulatory compliance, and collaboration on performance management, employee training and development; Managing talent systems, strategy planning and recruitment data; and Maintaining and updating org-wide development programs such as Coaching Cycles & PLA University. Operations: The Operations team ensures school capacity and infrastructure support the strategic implementation of the PLA educational model with fidelity. This includes the following: • • • • • • Reviewing current data systems and protocols ensuring they are aligned with educational needs and outcomes; Implementing the most value-maximizing, timely use of school resources; Ensuring all contracts, certificates, licenses, background check records and inspections are in place and up to date for all school support services, especially health, nutrition and safety services; Working with school to ensure reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities onsite and in transportation; Establishing playbooks such as for vendor management (incl. Assessment of effectiveness), on-time procurement of instructional materials and supplies and inventory management; and Provision of management and oversight for all other support services for schools such as health, nutrition and wraparound services. Finance: The Finance team of the central office ensures sustainability and financial agility whilst the PLA educational model is implemented. Support services include: • • • • • • • • • Ensuring financial viability, sustainability and excellence organization-wide with sufficient resources to support operations; Ensuring compliance with audits, as well as local financial compliance laws and regulations; Maintenance, provision and retention of accurate and up to date financial records; Maintaining insurance certificates in compliance with and as required by local school boards, authorizers and other local authorities; Preparing comprehensive annual budgets; Establishing fiscal management and oversight policies and an accounting system with internal controls; Implementing payroll systems; Preparing monthly closing financial statements, board reports and supporting grant reports; and Supporting with the preparation of POs, vendor agreements and contracts. 33 Legal & Compliance: The Legal & Compliance department ensures that the required state laws, compliance policies and regulations are followed school-wide whilst implementing the educational models. This includes: • • • • • • • • • • Ensuring school- and district-wide compliance with current local laws and regulations; Creating and providing partnership agreements, contracts, authorizer agreements, and all other legal documents; Facilitating governance-related policies and procedures, such as bylaws; Ensuring clear student enrollment policies and their availability to all concerned parties; Establishing specific, detailed plan for preparing and responding to emergencies (life safety procedures such as fire drills and emergency evacuation) and its availability to all concerned parties; Support with developing required policies and procedures related to serving Special Education students, student discipline (including Special Education students), complaints/grievances, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and other applicable laws; Ensuring appropriate policies are available to students and their families in a Student and Family Handbook; Supporting the creation, maintenance and implementation of HR contracts, policies and procedures; Supporting Operations with maintaining certificates, licenses and procedures related to health, nutrition and wraparound services; and Protecting school and district interests in internal and external legal matters. Communications: Our communications team within the central office staff ensures school- and district-wide communication strategies are in place to support the effective implementation of the PLA education model. To this end, the team provides the following support: • Establishing stakeholder engagement policies that schools can easily replicate and apply to engage key stakeholders such as families; • Ensuring efficient school- and district-wide communication; • Supporting data gathering such as parental surveys to progress monitor success of turnaround plan and implementation; • Using a combination of scholar & family-focused events, allowing partner schools to safeguard and sustain the valuable relationships they have established with their local communities; • Supporting schools and district in maintaining strong relationships with donors, assisting in solicitation, stewardship and recognition of donors; and • Supporting HR with recruitment touchpoints for high-quality candidates to support operational needs. Regional school support teams Our regional teams have experience building deep knowledge on the nuances of local contexts such as state laws, accountability frameworks, recruitment policies, compliance requirements and much more. Our process is to staff our regional academic teams to provide our partner schools with functional support in the following domains: 34 • • • • • • • Academic framework including curriculum, lesson plans, assessments, educator recruitment, training, development and evaluation Special Education programming framework ensuring accessibility and customization of all elements of academic framework to meet the needs of special education students Human Resources policies and procedures including recruitment, training, development and evaluation of school leadership and staff Operational framework including operational capacity, infrastructure, data systems, brick and mortar considerations, support services, and much more Financial management framework including sustainability, reporting, controls, policies and procedures Legal & Compliance frameworks including state laws, authorizer requirements, and more Communications framework including engagement strategies for all key within-school and within-community stakeholders The regional academic teams are overseen by the central office team and the PLA Board of Directors. Quality Assurance Systems Collectively, our regional teams and central office teams implement school-wide quality assurance systems that ensure efficiency in understanding and meeting our partner schools’ needs, whilst maintaining operational excellence. These systems include: Academic Framework and Progress Monitoring Systems: High-quality curriculum aligned with scholar needs, structured lesson plans, frequent assessments and progress monitoring are some of the elements of the PLA education model that form the academic framework of our partner schools. These frequent, evidence-based academic interventions serve to assure instructional quality across our schools. Educator Development & Training Systems: PLA’s Coaching Cycles, professional learning communities and PLA University are quality assurance systems implemented by both regional and central office teams that provide intensive, high-quality educator development year-round. This ensures that an educator cohort that is operationally aligned towards academic achievement outcomes is maintained at each school and district wide. Structural Accountability and Communication Systems: Regional and central office teams also ensure there is accountability and strong communication built into the fabric of all schools districtwide. At the school level, our school principals report to the school’s governing board. The school’s governing board, as well as the PLA Board of Directors, are held accountable for the performance of the school to the district or authorizer’s board. Some of the governing board’s responsibilities include: academic performance management, budgeting, financial oversight, authorizer accountability reporting, legal counsel, and facility support. With regards to turnaround efforts, our central office team meets as often as weekly with school leadership to monitor intervention efforts. At the District level, our central office team will meet just as frequently with the Board or Owner to also provide updates with regards to these efforts. 35 Operational Management Systems: Regional and central office teams collectively ensure school- and district-wide operational agility, through efficient management of school capacity and resources, directly aligning all operational activities and expenses with educational outcomes. Financial Oversight & Management Systems: In addition to the financial management provided by our regional and central office teams, one of the most important responsibilities of the governing board is to ensure the financial viability of the school. Through monthly reviews, the governing board compares financial reports against budget and cash flow projections. The governing board also collaborates with the PLA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to create and maintain monitoring processes to help ensure that the school is meeting cash flow projections. These processes include weekly cash flow monitoring by the finance department, recording daily transactional updates within the general ledger, and reviewing payroll disbursements. Additionally, the CFO will work with school staff to ensure that proper accounting and financial policies and procedures are followed. During quarterly meetings, the school governing board conducts a comprehensive review of the organization’s activities through the review of financial reports and creates a balanced scorecard, which illustrates performance measures such as academic gains, employee satisfaction, system functionality, and financial stability. The governing board reviews and votes to adopt the annual operating budget. PLA’s Turnaround Principles of Success: PLA’s Turnaround Principles of Success in themselves act as quality assurance systems. These include: (i) strong school leadership; (ii) positive climate and culture; (iii) evidence-based, standards-aligned framework for curricula; (iv) extensive data-driven, differentiated, small-group, and standards-aligned instruction; (v) highly effective, data-driven educators; (vi) rigorous, frequent assessments; (vii) enrichment experiences; and (viii) strong parental engagement. When these principles are implemented with fidelity, we know that students in our partner schools will achieve significant gains in their academic performance, with high student retention school-wide. Turnaround Management Systems: Through our efficient organizational structure, our educators are empowered to deliver high quality education with clear accountability around data-driven outcomes. Deliverables around turnaround efforts are checked on in a consistent manner, and communication with regards to turnaround efforts is also provided in a consistent manner. 36 5. Organizational Theory of Action and Implementation. Define your organization’s theory of action. Provide a description of how you implement this theory, including how you incorporate research-based strategies. Highlight how communities are included in the theory and implementation work. Explain your organization’s expertise and experience engaging community stakeholders in systemic school and school district improvement and turnaround work. Identify unique challenges/approaches that you have experienced with developing and implementing a successful turnaround plan. Our theory of action is evidence-based, works to engage key stakeholders, and has proven to be highly successful in turning around under-performing schools. Below is an illustration of our model: Theory of Action: If we recruit, develop, and retain highly effective, data-driven educators; provide job-embedded, ongoing coaching system for educator professional development; administer rigorous, frequent assessments; provide scholars with extensive differentiated, small-group, and standards-aligned instruction; utilize rigorous, standards-aligned curricula; offer outstanding enrichment experiences for our scholars; and support strong parental engagement, then we can expect to effect successful school turnaround. Highly effective, data-driven educators: Our model focuses on selecting and retaining exceptional educators who are able to use assessment data to continuously improve the quality of instruction. We hire new teachers and leaders who are able to meet our standard of excellence through a very rigorous, multi-stage screening process that consists of an online application, phone interview, in-person interviews, observation of the candidate’s classroom teaching, modeling of data37 driven teaching, and completion of intensive pre-service professional development. We ensure that our educators have the skills needed to deliver data-driven instruction both through regular feedback from exceptional school leaders, mentoring from highly effective peers and coaches, and ongoing professional development. In this way, we ensure that an effective and data-driven teacher leads every classroom. Researchers have consistently found that a teacher’s level of effectiveness and data competency have a direct influence on student achievement (Carlson, Borman, & Robinson, 2011) and the racial achievement gap in metropolitan districts (Hanushek et al. 2005). Job-embedded, ongoing coaching system for educator professional development: PLA knows that teachers need continuous practice, demonstration, and peer coaching in order to embed training into changed practice and translate training to student outcomes (Joyce & Showers, 2002; Cohen et. al., 2011) Indeed, such ongoing professional development (PD) for teachers is critical to successful turnaround models and helps to ensure collaborative, continuous improvement of instructional practices (Joyce & Showers, 2011; Pondiscio, 2016). PLA’s Coaching Cycles professional development program ties learning from PD activities directly to experiential practice: instructional coaches observe educators in the classroom, then provide feedback within 48 hours. Teachers put new knowledge into practice immediately with built-in accountability, since the observer returns to confirm implementation of classroom-level changes. Coaching Cycles’ innovative use of frequent data and empowerment of teachers to leverage their own autonomy helps educators use data to modify instructional practices. Successful turnaround models must coach teachers to 1) continuously use data to inform educational strategies and 2) effectively lead collaborative teacher-student data review and goal-setting sessions (Dobo, 2017; Connelly, 2011); Coaching Cycles combines continuous educator coaching with real-time, weekly student data analysis to drive student improvement. Rigorous, frequent assessments: PLA’s monitoring of student progress begins with rigorous, frequent, and standards-aligned assessment for learning (AFL), or “formative assessment, that is, assessment intended to promote student learning” (Arter, 2003). Based on our scope and sequence documents, teachers implement regular formative and benchmark assessments to evaluate student mastery of content in reading, writing and math. AFLs are designed to be both highly rigorous and to align to state standards. A wealth of data shows AFL improves student outcomes: consistent and rigorous evaluation of student performance is correlated with higher quality instruction and higher academic achievement (Delisio, 2007; Peariso, 2006; Rothman, 2006; Olson, 2005). AFL helps lowachievers more than other students and, compared to other educational interventions, the impact of AFL on underperforming students is larger—findings particularly relevant as most students come to PLA schools significantly behind grade-level (Arter, 2003). Using assessment results, teachers will be able to select appropriate instructional interventions, decide which skills to target, and group students for collaborative learning (National Literacy Trust, 2008; Stiggins and Chappuis, 2008; Olson, 2007). A study by Shanahan, Hyde, Mann, and Manrique (2005), conducted for students from an urban school district found that combining standards-based curriculum guides with benchmark assessments was correlated with a statistically significant gain in student achievement. Black and Wiliam’s (1998) meta-analysis of 250 studies found that when teachers used frequent assessments to adjust ongoing instruction, students demonstrated increased mastery of content and improved test performance. Extensive differentiated, small-group, and standards-aligned instruction: One of the unique core components of our model is that it utilizes differentiated instruction to maximize the time that scholars can spend in small-group and one-to-one instruction with effective teachers, TAs, or 38 coaches. Differentiated instruction is defined as finding multiple ways to structure a lesson so that each student has an opportunity to work at a moderately challenging level and at each student’s own pace (Tomlinson, 1999). The impact of providing extensive differentiated instruction on elementary students’ achievement is well-documented. In a study of third grade students receiving differentiated instruction, researchers found that these students’ scores on the state exam increased by a statistically significant margin (Parsons, 2004; McAdamis, 2001). Beecher & Sweeney (2008) found that using differentiation with all students drastically reduced racial achievement gaps and improved attitudes about school. Differentiated learning also positively impacts social development and is correlated with learning responsibility as well as developing an inner sense of control (Clark, 2002). PLA’s instructional strategies and school day schedule are designed to maximize the amount of differentiation possible for each scholar. Rigorous and standards-aligned curricula: Our schools utilize cumulative, rigorous, standards- aligned, and evidence-based academic curricula to push students to perform beyond the required expectations of their grade level in the main subject areas of literacy and math. We use researchbased, vertically-aligned curricula, such as Harcourt Journeys and Saxon Math, which have been developed by some of the nation’s leading researchers and have a proven track record of raising student achievement for all student populations (Educational Research Institute of America, 2009). Our teachers utilize or develop customized pacing guides for ELA and math that align with state standards, and these plans guide the specific skills taught and the academic standards a child should master each week. Enrichment experiences: In our current PLA schools, we offer enrichment courses in STEM, health, physical fitness, social studies, art, music, and drama. In addition to enrichment courses, our current PLA scholars also participate in educational field trips to college campuses, professional workplaces, museums, and cultural landmarks, as well as lead service projects to build connections to their communities and their futures. When instructional programs expose students to a wide variety of disciplines and draw upon student interests, students are more engaged in learning (Reis and Fogarty, 2006; Siegle and McCoach, 2005). In an intensive, longitudinal study following students attending an urban elementary school (Beecher and Sweeny, 2008), researchers found that enrichment learning resulted increased positive attitudes toward school, increased student engagement in learning and increased student performance on district and state assessments. In fact, student achievement on state tests from 1997 to 2004 showed improvement in all subject areas and in all levels of proficiency (ibid.). Furthermore, the average percentage of students at or above proficiency on state reading, writing and math assessments increased across all demographics (ibid.). Students also made significant gains on closing the achievement gap between ethnic and socioeconomic groups (ibid.). One of the core features of our model is our belief that every child will benefit from a well-rounded, enriching learning experience. Strong parental engagement: Recognizing the importance of partnering with families, we developed and employ a scientifically validated process that ensures we effectively engage our parents. PLA taps into the incredible potential that is unlocked when parents become engaged in their child’s education. Research bears out the importance of parental involvement. When parents are involved, students have higher test scores, increased motivation, better attendance, decreased use of drugs/alcohol, and fewer instances of violent behavior (Rose, Gallup, & Elam, 1997). In fact, family participation in education is twice as predictive of students’ academic success as family socioeconomic status (Walberg, 1984). Some of the evidence-based elements of PLA’s parent engagement process include training teachers to effectively partner with parents; creating a 39 welcoming environment for our families; holding an orientation that outlines our expectations of parents and what they can expect from us; regularly communicating with parents about their child’s performance; and hosting fun events throughout the year that celebrate their children (Chaplin and Capizzano, 2006). Our parents are invited to sit in classes, participate in field trips, support scholarled community service projects, or participate in any way that they feel comfortable. Description of Implementation of Theory of Action: Our partnerships with schools begin with a Comprehensive Needs Analysis (CNA), which is performed as an audit of the school’s academic and operational functions. The school is evaluated through observations, interviews with key stakeholders, reviews of available data, and surveys. Once a baseline understanding of where the school stands on our performance rubric has been achieved, a plan of action is implemented. These action plans vary in their intensity, but all include the key elements of our theory of action. At their most rigorous, an intervention plan could include the following strategies: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Provide weekly visits, both in-person and virtually, with direct support around the PLA academic priorities. Conduct bi-weekly instructional reviews, providing data analysis and reporting to measure growth. Conduct bi-weekly review meetings with the school leadership team to report on turnaround status. Provide curriculum implementation professional development for both ELA and Math as well as instructional resources. Provide training and coaching on curriculum mapping to ensure all standards are being met with the appropriate level of cognitive complexity and scholar autonomy when using the curriculum. Provide full training and full immersion of the Coaching Cycle for every leader and teacher in the building. Provide on-line professional development and support through the web-based platform PLA University. To ensure fidelity in implementation of our theory of action, PLA conducts quality assurance on a comprehensive level through several processes, including: • • Systems to ensure we employ only the best educators: To ensure that we recruit highly effective, data-driven educators, we employ a rigorous, multistage screening, hiring, and onboarding process (detailed elsewhere in this application), including a thorough review of credentials, transcripts, and references. To ensure that we retain the best educators, we also use a rigorous, standards aligned performance evaluation system (RISE, aligned with Coaching Cycles) that we have developed over time. This system employs a comprehensive 360-degree performance review and analyzes student test scores, classroom observations, attendance, and parent/scholar surveys as part of the evaluation of our teachers. Systems to ensure that educator professional development is effective: The elements of our educator professional development process, centered on the PLA Coaching Cycles, work together to ensure that every teacher participates in professional development experiences appropriately differentiated for various experience and skill levels. Successful PD processes, in turn, ensure that the PLA model is implemented with fidelity and that students receive the support they need to succeed. 40 • • • Continuous improvement systems within the academic model: To ensure that every scholar in every PLA school can benefit from a high-quality educational experience, we employ multiple systems to monitor scholar progress on a student, class and school-wide level. Analysis of frequent assessments results and subsequently using that analysis to inform changes to instruction; mapping standards-aligned curricula and creating curricula-based lesson planning; continually strategizing ways to adapt differentiated small group instruction based on student data and needs; and offering outstanding enrichment experiences for our scholars ensure quality of instruction and of educational experience. Comprehensive communication and outreach process to ensure parental engagement: In additional to implementing our proven family and community outreach process, we also invite feedback on that process and on satisfaction levels through surveys, focus groups, and community meetings. We then use feedback data to improve our outreach methods and to address any other issues. Additional quality assurance systems: PLA’s systems have built-in, intentional quality control measures. For example, our operations and finance systems are adequately developed to address the complexities entailed in managing multiple schools in multiple states. These systems serve to ensure that PLA has the capacity to continue to offer high-quality educational experiences to children in underserved communities. Our organizational/reporting structure ensures accountability at the individual level, for when every employee is contributing their best, PLA can offer its best to our scholars. All of these systems and more work in concert to assure quality at every level. This plan illustrates our implementation of our theory of action at the school level; with regards to district-level turnaround efforts, we would implement a similar assessment and intervention plan. The specific timeline and plan for the implementation of our turnaround efforts with regards to this opportunity is included in Section 4 of this proposal. How communities are included in our theory of action: Communities are an integral part to our theory of action. With the initial CNA, community stakeholders are involved in our data gathering and evaluation, through both interviews and surveys. We speak with current organizational and community partners as well. Once we begin implementing our turnaround efforts, we work to involve the community as well as communicate our efforts to them. Further, we communicate regularly with the community on a variety of platforms, as outlined in Question 9. Specifically, the key components of our theory of action include communities in the following ways: • • Local educators at schools newly partnered with PLA are a vital part of the community. We involve educators in every step of the turnaround process and employ multiple processes (CNA, academic and operational audits, professional development programs, etc.) to ensure that we are actively gathering educator input, as we respect and value the community knowledge that teachers have to contribute. In implementing the Coaching Cycles professional development program (along with other components of our PD work), we collaborate with local staff at the teacher, school leader, and district administrator level to decide how to best integrate implementation of these PD processes with current PD being offered. Our Professional Learning Communities involve educators in communities of practice and build collaboration among colleagues. 41 • • • • • PLA’s practice of administering frequent assessments offers an ideal opportunity to communicate with parents. We send assessment results home to families as part of biweekly report cards and encourage parents to go over these results with their children. Small-group instruction offers the perfect opportunity for school visitors to experience the PLA classroom; visiting parents, educators, community partners, or administrators can sit with small groups to see first-hand how our model works in practice. Curriculum mapping, grade-level team work, and norming sessions, among other such strategies, offer further opportunities for teachers to work in community with one another, provide professional support to each other, and together create a positive work environment. PLA’s enrichment experiences for scholars create exciting partnerships with community organizations, as we invite local experts to teach a variety of classes or to serve as guest speakers. Parent and families are often the most important part of our communities; the family outreach we conduct is a cornerstone of including the community in our theory of action. Furthermore, our wraparound services, often provided by our community partners, keep both families and scholars engaged, since basic needs must be met in order for students to thrive and for parents to have the time and energy to support their children. PLA employs robust best practices with regards to including the community in our turnaround efforts. Identify unique challenges/approaches that you have experienced with developing and implementing a successful turnaround plan: We are a proven turnaround operator with a track record of turning around existing, underperforming schools, as well as launching new, high quality schools. Below are some of the most prominent challenges that we have encountered, and ways in which our model is effectively positioned to address each of them: ● Maximizing instructional time: In schools and communities that struggle with low performance, we find that time for core subject instruction is often limited, and the actual amount of instruction children receive each day can vary significantly from the schedule. Our model maximizes the amount of time scholars spend in core instruction and the impact of that time. Our model restructures core instruction using our rotational instructional approach, which provides up to two hours of instruction in each subject through a strategic mix of whole-group, small-group, and one-to-one instruction. We also implement monitoring systems, such as frequent walkthroughs of classrooms from central office or instructional leaders, to ensure that this model is being implemented with fidelity. ● Making effective use of student achievement data: A challenge we often see is for schools to collect meaningful data on student achievement and to make effective use of that data to target student instruction. Our model provides methods for generating meaningful, ongoing data on student progress. Teachers gain a holistic look at children’s progress through a combination of state assessments, interim assessments tied to state standards, adaptive learning quizzes that target specific standards, and qualitative data (scholar, parent, and teacher surveys). Our model then provides schools the systems that educators need to make use of this data to sufficiently customize instruction. Our performance management system enables the analysis of scholar performance data at the individual, class, grade and school levels, which allows educators to identify on an ongoing basis the skill areas where scholars need to improve. Additionally, we put in place the staffing and professional development supports to provide coaching, support, 42 and expertise to teachers on methods for analyzing student assessment data and designing effective interventions. ● Ensuring effective systems for reinforcing positive behaviors: We have found that a key challenge is providing adequately trained personnel and behavioral management systems that can consistently create positive, caring, and supportive learning environments. We provide schools with school-wide discipline policies and an aligned incentives system that rewards positive behaviors and student progress. Clear staffing and training plans are developed to ensure that staff are effectively placed and trained to implement these policies with fidelity, to provide more intensive behavioral interventions when necessary, and to create a positive culture and learning environment. ● Forming strong partnerships with families: When entering a new community, we often find that part of the reason children and schools may be struggling is because families and parents are not engaged. At our schools, families are always involved in planning for the optimal growth and development of their child. We have a clear system for engaging families that leverages existing school structures. Some of the elements of our process include training teachers to effectively partner and communicate with parents; sharing with families, on a regular basis, how their child has grown; creating a welcoming environment for our families; holding regular meetings with parents, such as our “Parents In Touch” days, where families and teachers can dive in depth into a scholar’s academic and behavioral progress; and hosting fun events throughout the year that celebrate our scholars. ● Developing educator effectiveness: In struggling schools, we find that teachers may not have access to high quality professional development, and the development that they receive may not be tied closely to their classroom needs. We offer custom- built systems that can be implemented at a new or turnaround school to support educator development. Throughout the school year, ongoing professional development is anchored by the “Coaching Cycle” process, which provides regular walkthroughs, observations, and live feedback to educators. Coaches or instructional leaders review educator effectiveness in key areas such as student engagement and data-driven instruction to identify areas of strength and areas for growth, create professional growth goals, and provide the coaching educators need to meet those goals. Throughout the year, teachers also receive regular and substantive support and feedback from highly effective peers, and monthly professional development sessions help teachers enhance skills that are critical to meeting student needs. To accelerate educator growth prior to and throughout the year, we also offer “PLA University,” our online platform where, as mentioned previously, staff members engage in comprehensive modules of learning focused on curriculum development, parent engagement, behavior management, lesson planning, classroom management, school culture, and school policies and procedures. The platform’s 72 specialized modules are equipped with narrated presentations, videos, activities, best practices, and additional resources. PLA University modules are differentiated in order to serve professionals on a spectrum of their career trajectories, offering customized growth pathways for teachers, leaders, and staff members. ● Engaging staff and adults to embrace culture shifts: A core element of transforming the learning environment of any school or creating a positive learning environment in a new school, is to ensure that educators are able to embrace a school culture built around rigor, 43 structure, and high expectations. Our approach puts in place strategies to help educators embrace a high-performing and highly entrepreneurial school culture that satisfies their intrinsic desire to transform the lives of the children they serve. These include providing educators with high quality pre-service professional development that highlights our school culture; providing mentoring, feedback, modeling, and recognition, as well as highly targeted monthly training sessions, to encourage teachers to embrace and meet high expectations; providing extensive opportunities for teachers to lead within the classroom and within the school. ● Maximizing the capacity of school leaders to lead school change: One of the most important challenges at any school is ensuring that school leaders have the expertise and support that they need to effectively lead school change and ensure strong student achievement. As shared above, we have a strong professional development system in place to increase the effectiveness of school leaders, focused on data- driven instructional leadership, ongoing evaluation of student progress, and systems and processes for maintain a high-performing school culture. In the case where a change in leadership is needed, we utilize a proven, rigorous selection process to select leaders. We provide extensive support, coaching, and guidance to ensure that we can retain exceptional both school leaders and classroom educators, and that they can continue to grow in their ability to lead school change. For example, we hold weekly meetings with school leaders (a) to collaboratively solve problems, (b) to share strategies for improvement, and (c) for central office leaders to provide functional support so school leaders can concentrate on delivering the best education for kids. Our leaders also meet regularly with mentors, who share effective school turnaround strategies, and we provide leaders with opportunities to learn from nationally-recognized trainers and peers. We know that every community is unique with regards to the challenges it faces on the path to creating high quality schools. We are a highly collaborative organization that is ready to work closely with our partners to meet their specific needs. 6. Understanding of National, State, and Local Context. Describe your organization’s understanding of the state’s educational landscape (e.g., accountability system, role of local control) and local context (e.g., demographics, District’s history of turnaround status, community involvement). Explain how your organization is qualified to serve culturally and linguistically diverse students, those at risk of academic failure, gifted and talented students, those students with learning disabilities, and those students who are historically underserved. Describe your organization’s expertise and experience in multicultural/multilingual education, pedagogy awareness, and second language acquisition, as well as working directly with the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. Describe your organization’s expertise and experience negotiating with exclusive representatives of employee groups on matters of wages, hours, and working conditions. PLA will work with Adams 14 to gain a comprehensive understanding of the state’s educational landscape and local context. It will be crucial for the Lead Partner organization to have a full and detailed understanding of Colorado’s educational landscape, including Colorado’s accountability system, the role of local control, and funding. This understanding will facilitate our efforts to 44 collaboratively assess current systems already in place, then work with the school board and district administration to address any areas of need. Colorado’s Accountability System: Each year, every Colorado school and district receives a performance rating from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) based on several factors, including assessment results. If a school or district receives a performance plan type (CDE rating) of Priority Improvement or Turnaround—the two lowest ratings possible—that school/district is put on the state’s Accountability Clock. If the school is on the Accountability Clock for five consecutive years, the State Board of Education (SBE) must direct an action to the local board of education (one of the Accountability Clock pathways, below). Districts also have an opportunity to appeal a rating if they feel it is not accurate. If at any point on the Accountability Clock a school/district receives a rating above Priority Improvement, that school/district is no longer on the Accountability Clock, and for any future years on the Accountability Clock, the clock is reset. For example, if School ABC has been on the clock for four years, but for SY 2017-18 received a performance rating of Improvement, School ABC is now off the clock. If School ABC then gets a rating of Turnaround for SY 2018-19, it will be back on the Accountability Clock, but will start the count over at year 1. Once a school or district has completed five years on the Accountability Clock, the state can direct the local school board to one of five Accountability Clock Pathways: Change in Management, Charter School Conversion, Innovation Status, School Closure, or District Reorganization. It is then the responsibility of the local board and school district to implement the SBE’s order or face further sanctions. Before deciding what action to direct, the SBE requests that both the Commissioner of Education and the State Review Panel make recommendations. At this point, the school district can also submit a proposal with recommendations for moving forward. The SBE makes the final decision, taking into account all of these factors, as well as public comments gathered, results from any state monitoring processes, and the history of the school/district in question. Once the district or school has completed five years on the Accountability Clock and the state intervenes, the role of local control is significantly decreased. However, the district still has responsibilities and retains some control over the turnaround process. The district must create a turnaround plan, submit that plan for approval, and upon approval from the SBE, implement that plan. It is also the district’s responsibility to select any external partners and keep in close contact with SBE to ensure that the approved plan is being implemented. In the case of Adams 14, the district will retain power over certain employee decisions; however, in making staffing decisions the district must consider the recommendations of the External Management Operator (EMO) once the EMO’s contract has begun. Local context: The Adams 14 school district, located in Commerce City directly north of downtown Denver, currently has 11 public schools serving grades K – 12 (seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools) and two preschools. The district employs more than 900 staff members, including approximately 470 teachers, 390 support staff, and 45 administrators. In the 2017 – 18 school year, 45% of teachers in Adams 14 were considered inexperienced; in comparison, only 8% of educators in the wealthier Littleton district were new to the field. Adams 14 has the state’s highest proportion of English-language learners. Please see the table below for further information about the district’s student demographics: 45 Adams 14 School District Student Enrollment and Demographics 2018-19 Students Enrolled Free/Reduced Price Meals ELL Students Students of Color Latino White Black Multiracial American Indian Asian Pacific Islander 7,467 84.1% 56.6% 88.3% 83.5 % 11.7 % 2.6% 1.2% 0.7% 0.3% 0.1% It is our understanding that the top of the school district’s organizational hierarchy starts with the leadership of the Adams 14 Board of Education. The superintendent reports to the local board and oversees four major divisions within the district. These divisions are: • Curriculum and Instruction • Budget and Finance • Human Resources • Federal Programs, Interventions, and Technology Rounding out the leadership structure are the Communications & Strategy department and Student Support Services. Adams 14 Turnaround Status: It will be crucial for the Lead Partner organization to have a full and detailed understanding of Adams 14’s turnaround status, including its history, the State Board’s final order to the district, and next steps (in accordance with both the final order and Colorado law). Below, we summarize our current understanding of the district’s turnaround status. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with the district to gain a comprehensive, on-the-ground perspective. The Adams 14 school district has been on Colorado’s Accountability Clock for eight years, having received a rating of Priority Improvement or Turnaround for each of those years. Under Colorado’s Education Accountability Act of 2009 (SB 163), after five years on the Accountability Clock the Colorado State Board of Education (SBE) must issue a directive to the underperforming district or school about which of five Accountability Clock Pathways to enter in order to effect significantly improved performance on a district and/or school level. In addition to the district, five schools in Adams 14 are currently on the Accountability Clock: ● ● ● ● ● Central Elementary, on Year 6 Rose Hill Elementary, on Year 3 Hanson Elementary, on Year 2 Lester Arnold High School, on Year 1 Adams City High School, on Year 8 46 The table below summarizes the performance history of these five schools and the district as a whole: History of District and School Performance on the Accountability Framework School Year 2009 2010 2011- 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 -10 -11 12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 Adams 14 School District T T T PI PI n/a* T PI PI Central Elementary I I PI PI PI n/a* PI PI PI Rose Hill Elementary T PI PI T I n/a* T T PI Hanson Elementary T T P PI I n/a* I I PI Lester Arnold High PI T T PI I n/a* I I PI School Adams City High School T PI PI PI PI n/a* PI T PI * Not applicable; when the state changed student achievement tests, legislators declared a timeout for 2015. Key: T = Turnaround, PI = Priority Improvement, I = Improvement, P = Performance Adams 14 has faced challenges on multiple fronts, and the SBE’s final order cited several of these challenges. Staff turnover in the district is higher than state, with a total turnover rate of 25% in 2017-18. Principal turnover in Adams 14 was 52% in the same year, nearly twice the rate of the state as a whole; one district school had six principals in six years. In July of 2018, Chalkbeat reported that administrators from the district’s leadership team were also leaving at a high rate: “Just four of the 11 directors who started the 2017-18 year remain with the district.” High staff turnover places an extra burden on those who remain and, within schools, makes it difficult to provide the consistency children need. Morale, the work environment, and school culture are also negatively affected. The Adams 14 school district received, over the course of five years, more than $6.3 million in grants, much of it earmarked for school improvement. Despite this funding, the district is currently in the bottom 1%on Colorado’s district performance framework, and points on the performance framework have decreased since last year. One result of the district’s low performance is that students and families are choosing to opt out of district-run schools. In December, The Denver Post reported that “in 2017 alone, 30 percent of students living within Adams 14’s boundaries transferred to different districts. . .” In the SBE’s final order to Adams 14, dated November 27, 2018, the SBE reported, “The District . . . has been among the lowest-performing school districts in Colorado for as long as reliable data has been collected. In the 2017 school performance frameworks, six of the District’s seven elementary schools received Priority Improvement or Turnaround plan types . . . Although the preliminary 2018 performance frameworks show progress, . . . three elementary schools remain accredited as Priority Improvement or Turnaround status . . .” The Colorado State Board of Education first became involved with the district’s Accountability Clock process in May of 2017; at that time, the district proposed a turnaround plan centered on an external management partnership with the organization Beyond Textbooks. After reviewing recommendations from the State Review Panel and the Commissioner of Education, the state approved the district’s revised proposal, saying that if the plan was implemented with fidelity, it should result in significantly improved performance. The state also removed Adams 14’s 47 accreditation, but then stayed that removal on the condition that the district implement the proposal with fidelity, along with any recommendations made by Beyond Textbooks, and that a plan to monitor progress would be developed. Subsequently, Adams 14 showed improvement during the 2017-18 school year. Three schools that had been on the Accountability Clock raised their rating to Improvement status or higher; as a result, the three schools in question—Dupont, Kemp and Monaco Elementary Schools—are no longer on the Accountability Clock. Alsup Elementary, Kemp Elementary, and Kearney Middle School all earned a Performance rating as a result of having demonstrated that all three schools meet or exceed standards. This is a notable accomplishment since it was the first time that three Adams 14 schools received a Performance rating. Both Rosehill Elementary and Adams City High School (ACHS) improved their ratings from Turnaround to Priority Improvement. Unfortunately, and despite these successes, Adams 14 did not achieve the stated goals of their turnaround plan. As a result, the matter once again came before the SBE. At the request of the Commissioner of Education, the State Review Panel (SRP) submitted another report to the State Board of Education on October 10, 2018. The Adams 14 school district was rated as “not effective” or “developing” for many indicators (the two lowest ratings possible). The SRP found that the district lacks the capacity and infrastructure needed for change. Beyond Textbooks, on its own, did not provide enough support, so the SRP recommended working with another external management operator (EMO) to provide management, not just partnership. Finally, the report stated that the district needs to remain open to serve students. This analysis was consistent with the results of CDE’s monitoring process, and the self-evaluation of Adams 14 aligned with many of these points, as well. The state accepted and considered public comments before making a final determination. At the SBE meeting on November 14, 2018, the board decided to turn control of Adams 14 over to an external operator. The final order was released on November 27, 2018; the order summarized the history of the process, relevant facts, and issued a directive that within 90 days, Adams 14 must select a “public or private entity who will serve as Lead Partner with the local board in the management of the district.” The district must then notify the SBE of their selection; the State Board has the authority to approve or deny the selection. Following approval, the district has 30 days to execute a contract with the selected Lead Partner, with services to start no later than July 19, 2019. The Lead Partner’s duties & powers include: ● Making all decisions about the instructional program and subsequent implementation. ● Recruiting and retaining personnel. ● Recruiting and recommending service providers and EMOs for individual schools. ● Recommending changes to collective bargaining agreement. ● Recommending changes to district policies. ● Deciding which, if any, components to carry forward from the 2017 Revised Pathways Proposal, including the partnership with Beyond Textbooks. The order also included stipulations for the local board on the consideration, approval, and rejection of recommendations of the Lead Partner, as well as consequences for the district if it does not adhere to the order. Adams City High School (which also came before the SBE at the same time) will be subject to the evaluation of the Lead Partner; by September 1, 2019, the Lead Partner must submit a report to both the local and State Board Education with recommendations for next steps 48 for turnaround at ACHS. Finally, if in the future the district’s performance rating is Improvement or higher for two or more years, the district may apply to SBE for a modification of the order. The community has been very involved in this process, and the Adams 14 district has made commendable efforts to ensure that parents and community member had both access to information and input on decisions regarding the turnaround process. Adams 14 hosted a community stakeholder meeting in late October, and then another community meeting in early December of 2018 to inform the community about the SBE’s order to the district, talk about next steps, and get feedback about what the community wants in an EMO. Adams 14 has been proactive in providing updates about the SBE’s order and the EMO selection process on district’s website in both Spanish and English, including FAQ documents, draft versions of the RFQ, the district’s presentation to the SBE on November 14, and highlights of the SBE’s decision. Adams 14 also implemented processes for the community to provide input on the RFQ draft, which informed the development of the final version. Finally, the district opened the opportunity to join the EMO selection committee to anyone interested and posted applications to serve as a committee member in both languages on the website, along with instructions for applying. PLA is well-equipped to support Adams 14 in meeting the conditions of the State Board’s final order by creating district-wide change and high-quality educational experiences so the children attending Adams 14 schools can thrive. How PLA is qualified to serve culturally and linguistically diverse students, those at risk of academic failure, gifted and talented students, those students with learning disabilities, and other students who are historically underserved: We are familiar with the demographics of the Adams 14 School District and are committed to supporting the expansion of the district’s biliteracy program. In addition, we will explore partnering with several local organizations to provide further wraparound services and programming in order to better serve the students within the Adams 14 School District. We will work with the district to screen and identify potential partners; below are some potential options: ● Journey Through Our Heritage at MSU Denver is a program that partners college peer mentors with local high school students in a year-long program to immerse students in African American, Native American, and Latina/o Studies. The program also offers opportunities for students to participate in service learning projects throughout the community, be a part of the Mauricio Saravia Literary Journal, and connect with leading local cultural arts and science institutions. At the end of the year, students participate in an academic knowledge bowl between partner high school teams. ● Padres y Jovenes Unidos is a multi-issue organization led by people of color who work for educational equity, racial justice, immigrant rights, and equal access to achieve a better quality of life. One core belief of the organization is that all children, regardless of race, income, or immigration status, deserve equal access to high-quality public schools that prepare them for college. Current programs include Latino civic engagement, college prep for all students, immigrant students’ rights, and building healthy schools (advocating for healthy meals in low income schools). ● El Centro Humanitario promotes the rights and well-being of day laborers and domestic workers in Colorado through education, job skills, leadership development, united action and advocacy. El Centro’s programs include know your rights trainings, direct access to jobs, workforce development, job skills training, leadership development and community building. 49 ● Clinica Tepeyac provides culturally competent health care and preventative health services for the medically underserved, including behavioral health services. The evidence-based Promotora de Salud program offers bilingual, community-based workshops and provide one-on-one coaching on a number of topics aimed at empowering community members to effectively manage their health, including classes on cancer awareness, healthy cooking, and exercise. ● CLLARO, or the Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy and Research Organization, serves the community as a resource for data-driven research which informs CLLARO’s leadership development and grassroots advocacy training programs. The organization’s mission is to empower Latinos through leadership development, advocacy, and research to strengthen Colorado. The organizations advocacy training includes a program for parents about advocacy for local schools, with the goal of improving educational outcomes for Latino students. In addition to the Adams 14 biliteracy program, the comprehensive systems PLA has in place to support linguistically diverse (English Language Learner or ELL) students will ensure that our ELL scholars will thrive. Our ELL scholars will spend as much time as possible in mainstream classrooms in order to ensure the greatest academic and social achievement. Our teachers will participate in extensive, ongoing professional development on how best to serve ELL scholars. PLA views the provision of services to English Language Learners as culturally responsive and necessary to ensure the equitable provision of educational services to all students. Schools can utilize a bilingual education model to ensure that ELL students achieve English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing. PLA will hire teachers who are bilingual in Spanish and English to provide academic content instruction, bilingual teaching assistants to provide additional classroom support, and bilingual parent advocates to bridge any communication gap between parents and staff. ELL scholars will be assessed using the LAS Links standardized test to determine precise English language capabilities. If the scholar meets the legal definition of English Language Learner, then the scholar will have access to services designated for English language learners, including auxiliary texts, supplemental curricular tools and time with staff members specifically trained in best practices to serve ELL scholars. Our instructional approach in serving ELL scholars within the classroom will be rooted in the most respected research in the field. As laid out by the Center for Applied Linguistics, our targeted ELL instruction will have the following characteristics: ● Instruction for ELL scholars will focus on the same building blocks used for non-ELL scholars: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. ● We will not only focus on literacy instruction for our ELL scholars, but also oral fluency in English, as oral fluency and literacy achievement are closely linked and yet oral fluency is often overlooked. ● As oral fluency and literacy in the scholar’s native language can be beneficial in the literacy instruction in English, the scholar’s first language will be welcome in the classroom. ● As much as possible, teachers will use gesture, non-verbal cues, and repeat instructions; bilingual and pictorial texts will also be made available in the classroom when appropriate. These strategies will allow us to tailor the required curricula for ELL students. This duality in instruction will give students the opportunity to participate fully in our educational model. Our approach is specifically designed to provide students from under-resourced communities, especially those at risk of academic failure, with access to a high-quality education and to needed 50 services. Our rigorous staff selection process focuses on selecting educators who have a deep commitment to and a proven track record of raising the achievement of economically disadvantaged students, as well as an understanding of our scholars’ needs. The PLA instructional model is designed to provide the level of personalization that such students need through data-driven instruction, small-group learning environments, and one-to-one intervention. The model has proven highly effective in raising the achievement of children who are performing below grade level or who are at risk of academic failure. Our educational model is designed to help children who enter our schools gain academic skills more quickly than they would within a traditional school. Because our scholars come to us from underserved communities and struggling local public schools, they arrive at our school on average two to three years behind academically. While one year of annual growth toward grade-level equivalency is standard, it is critical for our scholars to accelerate this growth in order to move toward grade-level proficiency and ultimately to excel academically. On average, PLA scholars gain 1.25 years of academic skills per year in reading and math. The PLA educational model is designed to provide additional, targeted instruction to students who are at risk academically. In addition to regular whole-group instruction, we provide data-driven, supplemental learning opportunities embedded in the school day. We implement Tier 2 interventions in literacy and math, in which small groups of students work with certified educators on targeted curricula. Students also receive additional Tier 3 interventions that offer intensive, oneto-one instruction using research-based modules to target skill deficits. The program provides additional supports to sustain academic growth, and our program also creates stronger connections between home and school. Personnel such as Parent Advocates enhance parent involvement in student achievement by conducting home visits and outreach to parents, informing parents on scholar progress through weekly reports, and coordinating wraparound services to meet individual student needs. Student/Family Support Services Coordinators work with family engagement personnel to ensure students have access to resources for at-home learning. We train teachers to authentically partner with families and understand the particular strengths, needs, and challenges of low-income families. Schools can provide after-school and summer programs to extend and reinforce the regular school curriculum. Additionally, PLA will form partnerships with local service providers to help children and families living in poverty overcome the challenges they face each day through access to outside support services to meet more intensive needs. Intrinsic to the PLA model are extra supports to ameliorate academic underperformance. In the classroom, we provide a greater degree of personalized care and attention to students by utilizing an instructional model geared toward extensive small-group and individualized instruction. Through this approach, scholars spend the majority of their instructional time in groups with a low studentto-staff ratio. This allows all scholars to learn in a stable and consistent. environment where they feel cared for, listened to, and engaged in their learning. Creating this environment is particularly important for retaining students who are at risk academically, as they have a greater need for individualized attention, access to caring mentors, and engaging learning experiences. Additionally, school support staff, such as social workers and behavior specialists, will screen for, diagnose, and help students address the often difficult social, emotional, and psychological challenges that result from trauma that our students often experience. We will employ a social worker to provide on-site care for students and work closely with high-quality local social service providers to refer students and their families for appropriate services, such as housing assistance and mental health care. Providing these wraparound services helps to ensure that students are getting the support they need in order to be able to learn when they are in the classroom. 51 We have a series of strategies in place for meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. PLA’s rigorous curricula encourages the accelerated progress of these scholars. This model allows for a significant amount of individualized instructional time so that scholars who are performing above grade level will be able to explore challenging content and skill-development exercises. In addition to these opportunities for accelerated learning already built in to the school day, PLA offers academically advanced scholars an extra enrichment opportunity, called GATE (Gifted and Academically Talented Education). This is a short pull out period (approximately 30 minutes) twice a week that exposes academically advanced scholars to subjects and topics that they may not be able to explore otherwise, for example astronomy, archaeology, or chemistry. To qualify for this program, scholars must score a 130 on an IQ test, and place in the 99th percentile in two subjects of a standardized test of reading, writing and math. This program begins in second grade. If a participating scholar falls behind in his/her regular classes, the scholar will not continue with the program. A highly effective teacher leads this program who has been specifically trained and licensed through local opportunities to provide this accelerated support. For students with any type of disability, including learning disabilities, we will ensure that our approach is appropriately customized to ensure compliance with federal and state law. Students with special needs have access to the general education curriculum, educational and culture-building activities such as field trips and recognition events, enrichment classes, and standardized testing, all of which support their development. Our approach also ensures that students with disabilities receive the required and appropriate support services as outlined in their IEPs and 504 plans. Throughout the year, our team will utilize a Response-to-Intervention (RTI) process to identify students who will qualify for special education services, including students with learning disabilities. At any point in the RTI process, a parent, guardian, or staff member may request a formal evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services. Once parental consent has been obtained, the principal or special education coordinator will form the multidisciplinary team and conduct an evaluation. The team will be comprised of the child’s parents and a group of qualified professionals who have training and experience specific to the needs or suspected disability of the child; the same group will serve on the child’s IEP team. Following the evaluation, a case conference committee (CCC) will determine the scholar’s eligibility, if any, for special education and related services. If a determination is made that a scholar is eligible, an IEP that meets the special education and related service needs of the scholar must be developed. Scholars with documented medical conditions that impact academic performance, but who are otherwise ineligible for special education, may qualify for additional supports in school delineated by a 504 plan. The IEP team, which includes the student’s general and special education teachers, therapists, a public agency representative, and parents, will collaboratively determine the specific services the district will offer the student. The IEP will describe the student’s strengths as well as academic, developmental, and functional needs. Annual goals will be established for the student which will determine the specific services the district will provide to help the student meet those goals. The IEP will be developed based on the needs of the individual student and will not be driven by costs in meeting those needs. At our schools, the roles and responsibilities related to special education will be assigned to key members of the faculty. This approach will encourage ownership and accountability, in addition to ensuring compliance with the special education program. These staff members will be responsible for providing a full continuum of services, ranging from inclusive to consultative, to scholars with learning disabilities, mild or moderate cognitive disabilities, emotional disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, and speech/language impairments. Ancillary or related services, 52 such as behavior management, physical therapy, and interpreting, and special transportation, will also be provided for scholars with disabilities. Our expertise and experience in multicultural/multilingual education, pedagogy awareness, and second language acquisition, working directly with the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, and experience negotiating with exclusive representatives of employee groups on matters of wages, hours, and working conditions: We are one of only a few school management organizations in the nation led by people of color. Our founder, the majority of our senior leadership team, the majority of our board, and the majority of our school leaders are people of color. Our partner selection process centers on cultural alignment. PLA has also been successful in recruiting high percentages of teachers of color, both male and female. We understand the needs of our community because we come from the neighborhoods we serve. Children who are already dealing with challenges that accompany living in poverty—as do the majority of our students—deserve extra care and attention from adults who share their background and possess the expertise to guide them to success. PLA’s organizational design and structure make the diversity, equity and inclusion conversation much different for us than for other organizations in our sector, the vast majority of which are primarily white-led. We support multicultural education through a variety of avenues, including our efforts to provide positive adult role models who are people of color, the ways in which we engage and partner with our families, field trips that expose our children to the world, annual college campus visits for all of our scholars, integration of Latino and Black literature into our core academic curriculum, inclusion of our children and families in the arts, decoration of school classrooms and hallways with pictures of people of color who are heroes, inventors, artists, politicians and scholars, and exposure of our scholars to the careers of the future, just to name a few. We will continue these and other efforts and remain a model organization for those who truly strive for diverse, inclusive and equitable organizations. For our children to feel they have the power and agency to transform their lives, they need access to experiences that build trust, self-esteem, and social capital. PLA has created an enrichment curriculum that fosters integrity-based leadership through nurturing pride in children’s racial and ethnic identities. Modules highlight Latino and Black role models, along with stories about how these individuals realized their dreams. This program allows scholars to envision themselves in a variety of career settings and connects them with mentors who reflect their heritage and ultimately help them achieve their potential. Research demonstrates the importance of role models for children of color. In 2002, researcher Sabrina Zirkel surveyed a group of middle school students over a period of two years. Her findings showed that, in comparison to students without role models of the same gender and race, students who did have matched role models earned higher grades, spent more time planning their futures, and could articulate a higher number of life goals, particularly those that focused on education and/or a career. “Race- and gender-matched role models . . . provide concrete information to young people regarding what is possible for them as members of specific social groups” (Zirkel, 2002). For example, race and gender-matched physicians show children that “people like me” can and do grow up to be doctors (ibid.). Evidence suggests that early exposure to learning environments encountered in postsecondary settings can mitigate the postsecondary achievement gap for students of color and for low-income students. At PLA, frequent guest speakers, career days, and visits to college campuses give scholars 53 the chance to meet directly with such race- and gender-matched role models—professionals who come from fields such as medicine, law, business, and engineering. Such experiences will prepare our children for further success in school and in the 21st century world, as well as helping them to believe in themselves and their capacity to pursue their dreams. We have streamlined our programming content so there is intentionality and cohesion around the core principles of cultural empowerment, scholar agency, and self-expression. Some examples of programming we have offered as part of our cultural learning program include: • Our scholars are putting together a short film production about the new age of civil rights and the empowerment of young people to speak up for what they believe, with the help of the New York Film Academy. The production will be titled Rosa2018, a reference to Rosa Parks and what her story means to young people today. • We offer a stellar program, Building Dreams, an evidence-based character-building curriculum created by Superbowl champion Marlin Jackson of the Indianapolis Colts focused on affirming the inherent value and dignity of every child. The goal of the Building Dreams program is to assist underserved youth in developing the academic and social-emotional skills necessary to be successful in the classroom and in life. • Past field trips in the Indianapolis area have included the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the Freedom Center (a support and activism community center for disability rights), and the Underground Railroad Museum. We are truly excited to collaborate with Adam’s 14 to celebrate diverse cultures and instill a sense of pride in children’s ethnic and racial identities. As noted throughout this proposal, PLA’s educational model was built from a pedagogically aware perspective. Our model was developed by veteran educators who have received recognition for outstanding work in their field and who have extensive turnaround experience. Furthermore, since the PLA central office manages the operational elements of running our schools, our educators can focus their efforts on what they do best—educating children. Educators are the driving force in every PLA school and in implementing our educational model. We have a series of strategies in place for meeting the needs of ELL students, and we will ensure that the school provides ELL services in the manner required by applicable law (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires schools to take steps to ensure that students with limited English proficiency can fully participate in school programs and services). Additionally, our approach will be appropriately customized to ensure complete compliance with federal and Colorado standards for the education of ELL students. We are excited to partner with the district to implement the Adams 14 Board of Education’s recent decision to reinstate the expansion of the biliteracy program to fourth grade (and potentially beyond). We know that overwhelming support from parents and the community informed this decision, and we look forward to input from the district and the community about the possibility of renewing the partnership with the BUENO Center for Multicultural Education at CU Boulder so that more district teachers can earn the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse state endorsement. Early data suggests that the Adams 14 biliteracy program has accelerated the academic growth of participating students, and we anticipate that the biliteracy program will serve as a crucial component of the district’s turnaround success. 54 PLA understands that we will be supporting the district in collaborating with the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. We are familiar with the circumstances leading to the resolution agreement between the OCR and the district in February of 2014, and we are committed to working in partnership with Adams 14 to ensure that the district continues to be in compliance. We know that Adams 14 has made great strides since then to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students, staff, and parents. We were particularly encouraged to read about the district’s progress in the May 2016 report by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights titled “Delivering Justice.” The OCR noted that “the district took proactive steps to ensure further equity by establishing a Spanish-speaking advisory committee . . . The purpose of this committee is to empower families whose first language is not English to become engaged partners in their children’s education and to discuss important topics concerning the district. The district also hired new staff to focus on equity, language instruction, and STEM, and hosted speakers who spoke about the importance of education and academic achievement, equity, and encouraging students to achieve their dreams. As a result of his distinguished leadership, the White House identified [the superintendent at the time] as a Champion of Change in September 2014.” Similarly, in June of 2015 the ED.gov website’s official blog, Homeroom, featured a post from the former U.S. Secretary of Education and former Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights that highlighted the successes of Adams 14. PLA looks forward to collaborating with Adams 14 to continue these commendable efforts. We also look forward to working with the local teachers’ union and negotiating equitable terms on matters of wages, hours, and working conditions. PLA recognizes that students, staff, and the district all benefit when teachers feel they are valued through fair compensation and have a supportive work environment. 7. Organizational Capacity. Define the capacity your organization has to complete this project. Provide evidence that you can meet the scope of this request in a coherent and timely fashion. Include conditions and structures that need to be in place for successful completion of this project. Organizational Capacity to Complete Project: Our organizational capacity is what facilitates the highly effective nature of our turnaround model. The combination of our people, processes and systems, honed from decades of experience, adds capacity in an effective manner, and supports our schools, our school leaders, our teachers, and our scholars, driving funneling them all towards academic success. People: Our comprehensive and experienced central office and regional academic staff has high levels of expertise in all areas of school operations, network management, professional development, recruitment, finance, human resources, business operations, and more. Critically, we have a robust academic central office leadership team with decades of experience, having served in teaching, coaching, administration roles across schools and districts. Over the course of their careers, this academic leadership team has produced strong outcomes for children for many decades. Our central office team works directly with our regional academic teams, and through the support that these teams provide, our educators are empowered to deliver high quality education with clear accountability around data-driven outcomes. 55 Systems and Processes: Each of our central office leadership departments has several divisions; within these divisions are robust systems and processes in place that can be easily deployed and are highly transferable. This substantial roster of established best practices and systems is outlined in Question 3 of this Section. All of these systems and processes have been codified and are ready for immediate implementation with regional academic teams and on school sites. Our frameworks and processes are solutions-focused, and with this focus we are able to overcome common administration issues. Further, all of our central office leadership departments are crossfunctional, and highly collaborative. These characteristics of the leadership departments combine to form a network that has the necessary capacity to complete its programmatic efforts. The table below outlines each of our central leadership office departments, and highlights some of the capacity that they provide to our schools, through the added value of their systems, structures and procedures. While these examples highlight our capacity at the school level, we feel that this model can be scaled to the district level as well, given our past experience in simultaneously providing these services in multiple schools, in multiple states. However, should PLA not be selected as the district leader through this opportunity, we would offer our services at the school level. Specifically, we could provide targeted turnaround services to the cohort of elementary school located within the Adams 14 District. PLA Central Office Team Academic Department Select Examples of Systems and Processes that Add Value • • • • • Codified initial academic audits. This includes SIOT (Strengths, Areas of Improvement, Opportunities and Threats), and CNA analyses. Codified Instructional Model, which includes small group, data-based assessments, and differentiated instruction. Standard assessments of curriculums and provision of rigorous curriculums if one is not already in place. Use of Infinite Campus and other enrollment playbooks, which streamlines enrollment. Provision of educational services for distinct student populations as required by law, as outlined by PLA’s Director of Special Education. Added Capacity Our academic systems and procedures are highly effective and have a proven track record of effecting tremendous academic achievement. Implementing these transferable systems with fidelity assures a school of academic success, and takes the guess work out of which systems to implement to achieve maximum results. A school can quickly implement these systems and procedures, with PLA’s support, and focus its efforts on its most important work – guiding its scholars towards academic success. Further, our professional development systems work together to effectively support the existing staff and leadership at school sites, minimizing the disruption to a school’s performance that mass layoffs and mass on-boarding of new staff can cause to student achievement. These systems also add capacity in that school leaders can easily implement substantial 56 • Human Resources Department • • • • • Standardized professional development system, comprised of the Coaching Cycles, Professional Learning Communities, and PLA U, designed to support and retain staff and school leadership. Standardized job descriptions, based on PLA’s recruitment rubric, designed to attract candidates with key character elements. Use of Ultipro to streamline recruitment and on-boarding on new staff. Standardized interview day structure and evaluation rubric. Benefits analyses to assist employees in the transition from one benefits system to PLA’s system. Recruitment and retention playbooks. Standard templates for digital and traditional communications. Communications Department • Compliance Department • Use of Epicenter and processes around its use. General Counsel Department • Ensures that all schools are in legal compliance with all applicable state and federal support for their teachers in a highly personalized and data-driven manner. PLA’s standardized recruitment and screening process saves school leadership the time and effort it takes to recruit and on-board new team members, adding capacity to their efforts. Providing our schools with templates for communications eliminates the time needed to prepare the venues for information. Further, our processes that set standards and goals for the frequency of these communications ensures that our families and communities are consistently getting the information that they need to stay abreast of their student’s progress. Ensuring that all data and record management is up to date and that all of our partners are consistently and accurately submitting required reports at the state and federal level significantly adds capacity to school leadership, giving them more time to focus on supporting their educators. Managing these efforts for schools and school leadership allows them to focus on academic achievement. 57 Finance Department requirements, statutes and regulations. • Budget preparation. • Accounting operations. • General ledger management. • Financial reporting. • Payroll, employee benefits, payroll tax compliance. • Spending and administering any grant funding. • Participating in any audits, and preparing the academy budgets for modification, amendment, or approval. We can easily take over these financial functions for any school, and prepare all of these efforts in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and as required by the Uniform Budgeting and Accounting Act. Performing these functions for schools and school leaders gives them added capacity so that they can focus on improving academic achievement. Accordingly, with these highly effective people, systems and processes in place, we have a proven framework that gives us the capacity to complete our programmatic efforts. PLA Platform: The capacity that our central office leadership team and our regional academic teams provide can also be illustrated through the PLA Platform, which is how we codify the implementation of our turnaround model. The PLA platform encapsulates the key pillars of our turnaround model, and illustrates how our departmental systems and their accompanying processes come together on the ground to support academic success. The platform is illustrated in the graphic below: 58 Each of our central office’s systems and processes that add capacity fall within the PLA Platform’s pillars. Examples of some of these departmental systems and processes, though not all, can be found below is each of the PLA Platform’s pillars: Effective Leadership - systems that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • The Coaching Cycles • Weekly Professional Learning Communities • PLA U • Leadership Institute Processes that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • • • Provision of high-quality oversight through the Coaching Cycles Leaders are visible and consistent with expectations through the Coaching Cycles and the Leadership Institute Focus is kept on sustaining academic growth through the weekly Professional Learning Communities Climate and Culture – systems that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • Liveschool • Kickboard Processes that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • Goals set around frequent observations and the provision of support to provide that the school community maintains a culture that is safe, loving, and nurturing • Expectations set that classroom instruction is urgent and well-paced • Expectations set that school-wide transitions are smooth • Expectations set that a positive school-wide system is used for routines, procedures, and expectations Effective Instruction – systems that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • The Coaching Cycles • PLA U • Summer Institute Processes that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • Implementation of curriculum that is research-based and standards aligned • Expectations set that instructional tasks that require higher-order, complex thinking will be designed and implemented • Expectations set and monitored in terms of data being used to make informed decisions regarding instruction • Goals set and supported to retain over 85% of the high performing teachers Collaborative Staff – systems that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • The Coaching Cycles 59 • • • Sumer Institute Training On-Site Regional Academic Professional Development PLA U Processes that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • Setting the expectations that faculty and staff embrace a growth-oriented mindset • Ensuring that professional development is directly aligned to goals for improving instructional practices • Systems for supporting new teachers are part of the professional culture and expectations • Consistent, targeted, summer training sessions are provided to support new teachers and additional training for all teachers Curriculum, Assessments and Interventions: Systems that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • Edulastic 100 • Mastery Connect • Curriculum Mapping Processes that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • Approved, research-based school curricula that is aligned to state standards and implemented consistently • Curriculum maps have been created to align to the standards and ensure they are taught to the appropriate level of rigor • Weekly, common formative assessments are used to gauge student progress and inform instructional decisions Support Systems: Systems that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • Parent Teacher Conferences • Mom and Dad specific events (All-Pro Dads, Muffins with Moms) • Summer Enrichment Programming • Communication apps (LiveSchool, Kickboard, ClassDojo, Seesaw, etc.) Processes that support this pillar include, but are not limited to: • Consistent encouragement families to participate in the school community and scholar learning • Bi-weekly academic, behavior, and effort reports • Expectations are set and consistently checked in on in terms of around forging relationships with community partners Accordingly, we have a significant organizational framework that provides us with the capacity to complete this project. Whether viewed departmentally, or through the lens of how our departments, teams, systems and process work together to implement our turnaround model, it is evident that our framework and model are robust and fully capable of being implemented in a successful manner in the Adams 14 School District. 60 Ability to Meet Request in Coherent and Timely Fashion: As is illustrated in Section 4, we have developed a robust schedule through which we will be able to implement our turnaround efforts in a coherent and timely fashion. Further, our central office has established clear policies, procedures, and training to ensure strong compliance with all state and federal requirements and requests in a timely fashion. PLA central office staff conducts regular monitoring checkpoints and biweekly walkthroughs with school leaders to anticipate, identify, and resolve any potential operational challenges and ensure staff and administration in our partner schools are in full compliance. Our central office team possesses strong experience and expertise in school operations; finance (including financial compliance including state audits); grants management and compliance; and authorizer accountability reporting and compliance. We have a proven track record of compliance with state statutes, authorizer standards, and federal grant regulations, including: • Maintaining full compliance, with no open corrective action items with the state department of education. • Submitting 100% on-time, accurate, and compliant authorizer reports and state compliance requirements. • Meeting standards according to the state K-12 Accountability System (A-F ratings). • Consistently receiving full accreditation status and showing compliance with all legal standards. Accordingly, through the detailed schedule and timeline that we have created for this project, and through our standard systems and processes, we are prepared to meet the various District requests in a coherent and timely fashion. 8. Proposed Progress Monitoring Systems. Describe the systems that your organization will put in place to track and monitor the turnaround efforts (e.g., school visits, accountability for implementation, and accountability for student performance). Describe how you will define success. When monitoring the turnaround effort, we consider the progress of the school, our educators, and our scholars. Our progress in each of these areas is supported and monitored by a robust network of systems. Systems to Track Turnaround Efforts at the School Level: PLA’s entire school improvement model is based on the Turnaround Principles for Success (these principles are outlined in Question 3 of this Section). The Turnaround Principals for Success include strong school leadership; positive climate and culture; highly effective, data-driven educators; evidence-based, standards-aligned curricula; rigorous, frequent assessments; extensive differentiated, small-group, and standardsaligned instruction; enrichment experiences; and strong parental engagement. Schools that implement these principles with fidelity succeed. In order to monitor the implementation of the Turnaround Principles at the school level, our regional academic teams use our constellation of systems that we use to that effect. Specifically, the systems that we put into place in order to implement and track the Turnaround Principles for Success in our schools include, but are not limited to, the following: 61 System Turnaround Principle that System Supports How System Tracks Efforts The Coaching Cycles Supports strong school leadership through consistent feedback in real time Ensures that educators are consistently being observed and offered constructive feedback. Tracks the improvement of educators as well. Supports highly effective, data-driven educators through the provision of weekly deep-dives on student data. Focuses educators and school leadership on student data and ensures the weekly review of such data. Supports the implementation of frequent assessments, and supports the implementation of extensive differentiated, small-group, and standardsaligned instruction through its training modules. Tracks attendance and participation of all educators and school leaders in their professional development efforts. Supports highly effective, data-driven instructors, as well as the implementation of frequent assessments, and supports the implementation of extensive differentiated, small-group, and standardsaligned instruction through its training modules Tracks student progress through consistent data points. Supports strong parental engagement by allowing parents to access student performance indicators in real time. Tracks attendance and student performance as well as parental engagement. Weekly Professional Learning Communities PLA University Weekly Assessments Infinite Campus 62 Live School Promotes a positive school climate and culture through its support of positive behavior management Tracks all behavior management efforts and incentivizes positive behavior management. Systems to Track Turnaround Efforts with Students: Scholar progress is closely monitored at each stage of intervention to determine the need for further research-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, special education, or both. This process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all scholars in the general education classroom. Struggling learners will be provided with interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning. These services may be provided by a variety of personnel, including general education teachers, special educators, and specialists. Progress is closely monitored to assess both the learning rate and level of performance of individual scholars. Educational decisions about the intensity and duration of interventions are based on individual scholar response to instruction. Components of our system include: • Tier 1—High-Quality Classroom Instruction, Screening, and Group Interventions: All scholars receive high quality, scientifically-based instruction provided by qualified personnel to ensure that their difficulties are not due to inadequate instruction. Scholars are screened on a periodic basis to establish an academic and behavioral baseline and to identify struggling learners who need additional support. Scholars identified as being at-risk through universal screenings and/or results on state- or district-wide tests receive supplemental instruction during the school day in the regular classroom. • Tier 2—Targeted Interventions: Scholars not making adequate progress in the regular classroom in Tier 1 are provided with increasingly intensive instruction matched to their needs on the basis of performance levels and rates of progress. Such scholars receive targeted, small-group intervention based on their current skill level. Frequency and intensity vary across group size, duration of intervention, and level of training of the professionals providing instruction or intervention. These services and interventions are provided in small-group settings in addition to instruction in the general curriculum. • Tier 3—Intensive Interventions and Comprehensive Evaluation: At this level, scholars receive individualized, intensive interventions that target each scholar’s skill deficits. This oneon-one tutoring can happen within the core instructional block, but more frequently it takes place in the afternoon, where scholars work with teachers to catch up on key skills. Scholars who do not achieve the desired level of progress in response to these targeted interventions, after thorough consideration including both academic and non-academic factors, are referred for a comprehensive evaluation for special education services. The data collected during Tiers 1, 2, and 3 are included and used to make the eligibility decision. Another key component of how we monitor student progress is rigorous, frequent assessments. Based on our scope and sequence documents, teachers implement regular formative and benchmark assessments to evaluate student mastery of content in reading, writing and math. Assessments are designed to be both highly rigorous and to align to state standards. Our teachers also gain a holistic look at children’s progress through state assessments; interim assessments tied to state standards; adaptive learning quizzes that target specific standards; and qualitative data (such as scholar, parent 63 and teacher surveys). Consistent evaluation of student performance helps ensure both higher quality instruction and higher academic achievement. Systems to Track Turnaround Efforts with Educators and Professional Development: The main vehicle for our turnaround efforts with our staff is our suite of professional development systems. It is through these systems that we work to develop the existing staff with our partner schools, and ensure that they become highly effective and data-driven. The first of these systems (outlined more fully in Section 3) is the PLA Coaching Cycle, which provides regular walkthroughs, observations, and live feedback to educators. Coaches or instructional leaders review educator effectiveness in key areas such as student engagement and datadriven instruction to identify areas of strength and growth, create professional growth goals, and provide the coaching that educators need to meet those goals. Throughout the year, teachers also receive regular, substantive support and feedback from highly effective peers and monthly professional development sessions help enhance critical skills and meet student needs. The second system is our weekly professional learning communities. These weekly meetings ensure that educators have consistent time to review their student data, and are given the time to work with their peers as well as receive outside professional development from our regional academic teams. The third system is PLA University, an online platform combined with in-person, on-site experiences. To accelerate educator growth prior to and throughout the year, PLA University provides opportunities for staff members to engage in comprehensive modules of learning focused on curriculum development, parent engagement, behavior management, lesson planning, classroom management, school culture, and school policies/procedures. The platform’s 72 specialized modules are equipped with narrated presentations, videos, activities, best practices, and additional resources. PLA University modules are differentiated in order to serve professionals on a spectrum of their career trajectories, offering customized growth pathways for teachers, leaders, and staff members. In order to track our efforts in supporting our educators through our professional development systems, we also use a rigorous and comprehensive 360 degree performance review system. This system uses student test scores, classroom observations, attendance and parent and scholar surveys to evaluate each educator and leader’s progress. This system also uses a set of Core Competencies that apply to all positions: Belief, Personal Responsibility, Communication & Interpersonal Skills and Results. We also have Sub Competencies specific to each position, including Leadership, Teaching Proficiency, Classroom Management, Collaboration, School Culture and more. The teachers and administrators who meet Academy standards are extended offers to return the following year; those who are working hard and meeting some standards and missing others will be provided additional coaching, guidance and professional development. Those who fail to meet standards are not invited to come back. We feel that this comprehensive network of tracking systems can be scaled to the district level; these collaborative systems ensure that we are monitoring our efforts consistently and that we are holding ourselves and our partners to the highest accountability standards. How PLA Defines Success: PLA defines success in a multi-tiered fashion. We aim to serve all students by creating a school culture that focuses on rigorous academic support and comprehensive 64 social and emotional learning. The majority of our scholars are children of color who have not had the opportunity to access quality schooling. We believe that all children can learn regardless of their race or background; our children deserve educational opportunities that prepare them to be competitive, globally-minded citizens in the 21st century. It is important that our children know the life-changing potential of receiving a quality education and transition from their K-12 educational experience to post-secondary options that will ultimately lead to successful adulthood. Our model emphasizes that potential in both our academic and non-academic learning and teaching. We know that when schools implement our turnaround model with fidelity, we will achieve success and accomplish our vision for our scholars; in that regard, we define success through the effective implementation of our turnaround model at our school sites. We also set goals around the academic success of our schools, and define success through their achievements. After three years of a partnership, PLA expects all of its schools to outperform schools of similar demographics; after five years, it expects the scholars to outperform the relevant state or regional average on standardized testing. Further, we expect that each of our schools will experience a 3-5% increase in proficiency on the state accountability assessment on an annual basis. Finally, we set goals around our retention of our teachers Our annual goals are to retain over 85% of our high performing teachers (highly effective or effective). 9. Communication and Stakeholder Input. Describe how your organization will communicate with stakeholders (e.g., local board, district staff, school staff, students, the community, other organizational partners, and state-level stakeholders) on early- and long-term indicators of success. Discuss strategies for engaging stakeholders in meaningful ways throughout the process of setting a vision, creating a plan, implementing the plan, progress monitoring to include communicating successes and areas for improvement, while maintaining total transparency to the process to all stakeholders. How will you have consistent communication and feedback with stakeholders. At PLA, we understand that consistent and transparent communication, engagement and feedback are essential elements in our turnaround efforts. We have developed several strategies to that end, and have codified these strategies into our best practices that are implemented with every turnaround effort. As outlined below, our communication strategies for the different key stakeholders involved in these efforts ensures that we engage them throughout the process of setting a turnaround vision, creating a plan, implementing the plan, and monitoring our progress towards our goals. These strategies are as follows: Communicating with Parents: Communication is critical to our efforts. We view parents as key partners in their child’s success, and they play an integral role in facilitating our school culture. We regularly communicate with parents regarding their child’s academic progress, behavioral needs, and successes at our “Parents In Touch” days and throughout the year. Teachers send home biweekly report cards that include test scores, teacher comments, and a rating of a child’s effort and behavior each day during the previous week. We ensure that parents receive and discuss their child’s progress by requiring parents to sign and return report cards each week. We also distribute to parents a regularly published newsletter containing important school updates, upcoming events, reminders, and links to resources in the community. Every other week, we make encouraging and informative phone calls home to every parent to ensure that our communications are personal, friendly, and 65 create a very welcoming culture. We often host fun, family-focused events throughout the year that celebrate scholars and their growth. In October this year, over 700 family members attended our Halloween “Trunk-or-Treat” community event. In addition to formal events, we invite parents to sit in on classrooms to support their child at any time, particularly if their child is struggling academically. We also invite parents to go on class field trips. We thus deploy a comprehensive family communication and engagement plan comprised of a variety of tried and true strategies. Communicating with Students and School Staff: Our educators are another core pillar of our stakeholder engagement strategy. Our communication style with staff is one that is very open and honest, and we make every effort to ensure that educators in our partner schools feel heard and respected. They interact directly with students every day, establishing a deep understanding of each of their student’s needs. We believe it is our responsibility then to support our educators in determining ways in which these needs can be best met, and providing development and training opportunities for areas that may require improvement or more intensive support for each educator. In the Coaching Cycle process (outlined in more detail in Section 3), communications are always rooted in data and real-time feedback, and we ask our administrators to do their best to provide observation feedback within 48 hours of the walkthroughs that they conduct. This practice is further reinforced in the weekly professional learning communities, with the goal of building a community of practice at the school. Feedback cycles between our team and the partner school’s educators are frequent, with two-way communication and educators empowered to be at the center of targeted, evidence-based interventions for student success. As is also outlined in our response to Question 3, regular and consistent communication with students is also critical to our turnaround success. Our educators check in with students and their progress on a weekly basis, and we work, through goal-setting and structured recognition of student progress, and positive behavior reinforcement techniques, to promote student ownership of learning. Communicating with Local Boards: Every school that we partner with has its own board, and the systems that we use to communicate with them, as is also outlined in Question 3, include the following techniques: • Our academic team prepares student achievement reports for regular board meetings that are provided to the Board Chair and committee liaisons. • Our Finance team (led by our CFO) communicates regularly with the Board Chair, sharing reports and updates regarding budgeting, significant purchases, partnership agreements etc. • Our Communications team shares monthly e-newsletters including the latest, most important updates and events. • Our functional leaders and school administration meet bi-weekly and share the most recent successes and challenges with each other. • Our academic team, board chair and committee liaisons communicate directly and regularly through school visits. • Our professional development processes, particularly Coaching Cycle and PLA University, provide a reservoir of real-time data points and resources that can be shared with board chair and committee liaisons as needed. 66 Communicating with other Key Stakeholders: In addition to successfully communicating with and engaging our families, students, boards, and educators, we work to communicate frequently and often with our state and district level stakeholders. Systems that we have put into place to ensure consistent communications with our district-level partners include, but are not limited to: • Quarterly Meetings • Data-based decision making and collaborations around student enrollment and educator recruitment • Roundtable meetings • Leadership meetings • Site visits We have very good relationships with our current state and district partnerships; we work with our partners to establish communication and engagement strategies in a collaborative manner, to best meet their needs. We have found that consistent, frequent, and transparent communication is key to maintaining these relationships. Communicating with the Community: Our coordinated marketing and communications strategy supports our community engagement efforts. We are committed to achieving excellence and building strong relationships with our communities through open, honest and ongoing communications. With all of our turnaround efforts, we conduct a strategic outreach effort to ensure that the community is well informed. Below are some of our communication channels: • PLA online presence: PLA uses its main web page, social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a YouTube Channel with features from our schools), and the PLA Mobile App to share news, updates, and events with the community. • Parent newsletters: We regularly send out news about each schools and include items about the larger PLA network. • Targeted mailers, phone calls to parents, and even radio campaigns, have also been particularly effective vehicles for communication. • We will also work with the district to implement more formal community communication efforts, such as town hall meetings, and will collaborate with the district on these efforts. As with all key elements of the process, we work closely with our partners to ensure that communications are consistent with district and school policy, and aligned with shared strategic priorities. Formal Reporting: As a result of the support provided to our schools by the central office, we also have the capacity and processes in place to ensure the timely and accurate submission of data for state and federal reporting requirements, as well as consistent and frequent communication with district level stakeholders. The strong leadership of our functional teams—academics, development, compliance, finance, and operations—ensures effective coordination with school personnel to obtain the proper information and data points necessary to complete reporting requirements. Our teams use real-time collaborative project management tools to oversee this successful process; we have ensured timely and accurate data submission for state and federal reporting requirements. This is one of PLA’s key strengths: since the central office takes on this responsibility, our schools can efficiently provide needed data and focus their energy primarily on instruction. By implementing a process where school leaders and central office teams can effectively communicate and collaborate, state and federal reporting requirements will be completed in a timely and accurate manner. Our 67 team will ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, including but not limited to, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. sec. 1400 et seq., NRS 388A Charter School Provisions, and School Safety & Discipline requirements. Accordingly, our communication strategies provide us with a variety of venues from which we can engage with all of our key stakeholders. We know that in order to achieve our robust academic goals, we must work ensure that everyone involved is on the same page, as we work together towards supporting our scholars and helping them to achieve academic greatness. 68 SECTION 3 Provide an overview for this project. This overview should demonstrate a clear understanding of the Owner's needs and provide clear direction toward how the organization has the capability, capacity, and willingness to complete of the scope of work. In compliance with the State Board of Education’s Order, the Lead Partner’s duties and powers must include but not be limited to the following: 1. Implementing an evidence-based instructional program, including developing/recommending curriculum, assessment systems, scheduling, and professional development; Evidence-based Instructional Program: Our instructional program is evidence-based, designed by highly successful educators, and focuses on instruction that is personalized and data-driven. Small-group instruction is a central vehicle for providing mastery-based academic scaffolding, creating a uniquely rigorous and personalized learning experience for every child. This approach, as demonstrated by our track record, has proven very effective for turning around the academic performance of students who have attended chronically underperforming schools. Our instructional model was designed by educators who have decades of experience working with students of color living in low-income communities. This design is built into the instructional framework at each PLA school, wherein educators understand scholar needs and have high expectations for all students. Our schools utilize rigorous, evidence-based curricula and instructional design to scaffold students toward academic excellence. Our approach addresses the needs of each school’s student population and accelerates progress towards grade-level proficiency. The goal of literacy instruction at our schools is to create lifelong readers; our instructional model places a unique emphasis on core skills to help children master literacy by grade three and gain skills in all domains of language development, including reading, writing, and speaking. Scholars acquire the foundational math knowledge needed to succeed in higher-order math courses, as well as an understanding of the myriad ways that math is important in everyday life. Our curricula engage children in math by creating multiple points of entry into the subject so that scholars are actively constructing their knowledge of mathematical concepts while becoming proficient at performing math. We consistently implement best practices by regularly administering assessments; using data to drive teaching strategies; providing extensive differentiated, small-group, and standards-aligned instruction; and integrating personalized learning to ensure that all students are supported and challenged to achieve academic success. Specifically, the PLA instructional model employs the following best practices: Daily differentiated, data-driven instruction and intervention: Both our instructional strategies and school-day schedule are designed to maximize the amount of differentiation possible for all students. Whenever possible, we offer small-group intervention to students through our rotational instructional model. This consists of a 30-minute targeted intervention block where small groups (669 8 scholars) who perform similarly in a subject area work with a teacher or specialist on modules that accelerate their growth. Groups are identified through rigorous data analysis based on weekly and interim assessments, and interventions are aligned with curricula. During individualized intervention, progress feedback sessions for scholars with IEPs include check-ins about IEP goals, as well as teacher-student reviews of assessment data to determine appropriate interventions. Differentiated instruction also allows each ELL student the individualized instruction needed for growth, customized to their current level of language acquisition. A unique core component of our model is that our small group instruction will be differentiated based on weekly test results. Data points from curriculum-based quizzes, adaptive learning software (where resources allow), weekly assessments, formal interim assessments (such as Renaissance Learning’s STAR reading and math assessments, which provide each child with a national percentile rank score) and standardized state tests provide opportunities for teachers to track scholars’ progress and rapidly adjust instruction to meet the needs of each scholar. Based on this data analysis, teachers will develop lessons that truly meet children where they are and support them to achieve at their highest capacity. Frequent assessments to identify student needs and build cumulative rigor: Frequent assessment, along with results-analysis, improves student outcomes; however, most schools test students quarterly, semi-annually, or even only annually, impeding teachers’ ability to intervene at critical points in scholar development. In contrast, our approach provides consistent and accurate student data via weekly curriculum-based assessments in subjects including vocabulary, grammar, reading, and math. Because PLA reframes tests as a core classroom learning activity, scholars look forward to this opportunity to improve on past performance. Weekly test results also provide ongoing motivation for students. Frequent assessment benefits students with disabilities and ELL students, providing new data each week on scholar progress so that teachers can measure progress toward IEP goals or English language proficiency and rapidly adjust instruction appropriately. The intentional focus on data-driven ownership of academic progress offers a unique take on using data to improve student outcomes. Based on our scope and sequence documents, teachers implement weekly benchmark assessments to align with curriculum to support retention, stamina, and rigor in student mastery of content in reading, writing and math. Assessments are cumulative and will align in substance and grading scheme with Colorado’s CMAS exam to familiarize students with the format of this standardized state assessment. Assessment scores will be posted school-wide the following day, providing scholars and teachers with an instant look at children’s proficiency, and classrooms will compete to earn the highest scores each week, consistent with our focus on creating a high-performing school culture. PLA schools also administer interim/benchmark assessments and standardized-state assessments. Progress feedback to help students achieve at higher levels: Our model embeds a focus on student mindsets within our instructional approach. Students who attend chronically low-performing schools often have a fixed academic mindset. After facing many educational barriers, students can develop a pessimistic perception of their own abilities. Our model addresses this by offering regular progress feedback check-ins in which educators guide students to reflect on their own continuous improvement and their willingness to take on greater challenges, empowering students to learn from their growth process. Educators help students visualize their progress and provide praise for effort (rather than praising grades earned). This process is particularly helpful to ELL students and 70 students with disabilities, who may otherwise conflate a language barrier, or learning challenges stemming from a disability, with a limited ability to learn. Encouraging students to set goals—and determine steps to achieve those goals—gives students a sense of control and ownership over their own success, a factor conducive to learning and intrinsic student motivation. During biweekly check-ins, PLA teachers implement research-based practices proven to raise student achievement, helping students: 1) know what high-quality work looks like; 2) develop skills to objectively evaluate their own work compared to the standard; and 3) use strategies to guide improvement of their work. PLA’s intentional focus on shared, data-driven ownership of academic progress supports continuous improvement in student performance. Maximized instructional time through consistent, efficient, and visible structures: Our model maximizes the amount of time scholars spend in core instruction and the impact of that time. We restructure core instruction using a rotational instructional approach, which provides up to two hours of instruction in each subject through a strategic mix of whole-group, small-group, and selfpaced learning. Our model enables schools to implement a highly individualized learning model in which students have the opportunity to receive individualized instruction in small groups of no more than eight scholars. We leverage support staff available at each school to lead small-group time in the classroom on a regular basis during core reading and math instruction (90-120 minutes each) for students who need extra intervention. Our instructional coaches provide daily support to teachers and TAs in collecting, understanding, and utilizing data in differentiated instruction, improving teachers’ ability to create personalized learning experiences for each child. Greater differentiation of instruction helps all students, and particularly those from low-achieving subgroups, rapidly raise their achievement. Additionally, we ensure that each school’s daily and yearly schedule is structured so as to help teachers support kids; for example, staff is very intentional about minimizing transition time in order to get to instruction time as soon as possible. In all our schools, we have expanded core content instructional time; by working collaboratively with Adams 14 and the staff at each school, we will customize this approach at each school to ensure the greatest possible benefits. Highly effective, data-driven educators: Our model focuses on selecting and developing exceptional educators who are able to use assessment data to continuously improve the quality of instruction. Our goal is to retain over 80% of the educators in the schools in which we serve. We believe that through the implementation of our education model, high quality professional development, and the PLA Coaching Cycle, scholars will receive the high-quality instruction that they deserve, and staff will receive the professional support and development they need to be effective. While we work to retain the teachers that are at our school sites, when necessary, we also work to hire teachers who are able to meet our standard of excellence through a very rigorous, multi-stage screening process that consists of an online application; phone interview; in-person interviews; observation of the candidate’s classroom teaching; modeling of data-driven teaching; and completion of intensive pre-service professional development. We ensure that our educators have the skills needed to deliver data-driven instruction both through regular feedback from exceptional school leaders, mentoring from highly effective peers and coaches, and ongoing professional development. In this way, we place or support the development of an effective and data-driven teacher in every classroom. Enrichment experiences: At PLA, we know that it is important to cultivate well-rounded, highly engaged scholars so that they will be successful in the 21st-century work force and in the world. Our 71 enrichment classes are aimed at increasing scholars’ awareness of possible career paths and leadership opportunities in their school and community. These courses are also aimed at increasing scholars’ awareness of themselves, their culture, and cultures around the world. We provide a highquality enrichment program that includes extensive opportunities for scholars to see the relevance of their learning to other areas of their lives and to their futures. Scholars select from among a series of five-week enrichment courses where they completed project-based activities under the direction of an educator. This year, course topics included engineering, Zumba, photography, character development, health and wellness, culture & citizenship, Latino History, entrepreneurship, public speaking, debate, ballet, West African dance, and drumming. These experiences are designed to put our scholars at the driver’s seat and help them take ownership of their learning. A strong and positive school culture: A core element of transforming the learning environment of any school is to ensure that educators are able to embrace a school culture built around rigor, structure, and high expectations. Our approach puts in place strategies to help educators embrace a high-performing and highly entrepreneurial school culture that satisfies their intrinsic desire to transform the lives of the children they serve. These include providing educators with high quality pre-service professional development that highlights our school culture; providing mentoring, feedback, modeling, and recognition, as well as highly targeted monthly training sessions, to encourage teachers to embrace and meet high expectations; and providing extensive opportunities for teachers to lead within the classroom and within the school. We also provide schools with an aligned incentives system. This system rewards positive behaviors and student progress, implements more intensive behavioral interventions when necessary, and creates a positive culture and learning environment. Time and again, we have seen our partner schools gain control of chaotic situations through this system, and these schools now enjoy positive, caring, and supportive learning environments. High-quality oversight of PLA academic priorities: Our building leaders utilize the Coaching Cycle to ensure that our schools are providing the highest-quality instruction; leaders conduct weekly classroom walkthroughs and coach teachers prior to formal evaluations. PLA’s Coaching Cycle provides regular walkthroughs, observations, and live feedback to educators. Coaches or instructional leaders review educator effectiveness in key areas such as student engagement and datadriven instruction, in order to identify areas of strength and growth, create professional growth goals, and provide the coaching educators need to meet those goals. Throughout the year, teachers also receive regular and substantive support and feedback from highly effective peers, and monthly professional development sessions help them enhance the skills that are critical to meeting student needs. Maximizing the capacity of school leaders to lead school change: To effectively implement our instructional program, we must ensure that school leaders have the expertise and support that they need to effectively lead school change and ensure strong student achievement. As shared above, PLA has a strong professional development system in place to increase the effectiveness of school leaders. This system is focused on data-driven instructional leadership, ongoing evaluation of student progress, and systems and processes that maintain a high-performing school culture. We provides extensive support, coaching, and guidance to ensure that we can retain both exceptional school leaders and classroom educators, and that they can continue to grow in their ability to lead school change. For example, we hold weekly meetings with school leaders (a) to collaboratively solve problems, (b) to share strategies for improvement, and (c) for PLA central office leaders to provide functional support so school leaders can concentrate on delivering the best education for scholars. 72 Our leaders also meet regularly with mentors, who share effective school turnaround strategies, and we provide leaders with opportunities to learn from nationally-recognized trainers and peers. Forming strong partnerships with parents: When entering a new community, we often find that part of the reason children and schools may be struggling is that there is a disconnect between families and schools/districts. At PLA schools, families are always involved in planning for the optimal growth and development of their child. We have a clear system for engaging families that leverages existing school structures. Some of the elements of this process include training teachers to effectively partner and communicate with parents; sharing with families, on a regular basis, how their child has grown; creating a welcoming environment for families; holding regular meetings with parents, such as our “Parents In Touch” days, where families and teachers can dive in depth into a scholar’s academic and behavioral progress; and hosting fun events throughout the year that celebrate scholars. In sum, our instructional model has seen resounding success in supporting our teachers and students in their goals of achieving academic greatness. We know that every school and community is unique with regards to the challenges it faces on the path to being exceptional for its students. The elements of our educational model help schools realize their potential for children, and we are a highly collaborative organization that is ready to work closely with partners to meet their specific needs and help children succeed. Developing/Recommending Curriculum: We do not prescribe a curriculum for schools, but instead we require that the curriculum that a school uses be aligned with state standards, evidencebased and rigorous. This strategic choice is based on the recognition that changing a curriculum can be very disruptive to a school and its staff members and that forced changes can take up valuable time away from educators, in addition to draining valuable resources that the school may not be able to afford. We try to minimize these disruptive factors if a school already uses an evidence-based curriculum. If desired, we are ready to recommend a curriculum from a vetted suite of options that are evidence-based. Below you can find two examples of curriculum that PLA schools have adopted in the past: Literacy Curriculum — Harcourt Journeys: Harcourt Journeys curriculum is a leader in the field. A 2009 study by the Educational Research Institute of America analyzed low-income students in grades 1-5 across four states; this study found that students using Harcourt Journeys had statistically significant growth in reading skills when compared to a control group, and that growth from pre-test to post-test for English language learner (ELL) students was equal to non-ELL students. Online materials included in the curriculum provide extended learning opportunities for scholars, as well as real-time data for teachers to analyze. In addition, materials for ELL scholars are already built in. This field-tested curriculum was developed with help from the nation’s leading reading researchers, including Irene Fountas, the country’s foremost expert on guided reading instruction. Math Curriculum — Saxon Math: Saxon Math has a 30-year track record of delivering proven results for students in grades K–6. Its design allows students to develop the mathematical foundations needed for success in algebra and beyond; scholars will truly integrate and retain critical math skills using real-life examples. The curriculum’s approach moves from concrete to pictorial representation to abstract understanding. Lesson flexibility allows classroom activities to meet both standards and student needs. Lessons include a significant number of practice math problems, giving students many opportunities to apply their knowledge. Rubrics help teachers evaluate the quality and 73 rigor of their lessons. Saxon Math encourages analytical thinking, communication of mathematical ideas, and the development of problem-solving skills. We evaluate the curriculum that a school uses as a part of the initial academic audit, which is conducted by our Chief Academic Officer and her team once PLA enters into partnership with a school. In addition to reviewing the curriculum’s evidence base and standards alignment, the most critical element is to ensure that the curriculum is used with high effectiveness. Some of the curriculum implementation factors that our audit will look for include: ● Is the curriculum is being used with fidelity and/or supplemented with purposeful standardsbased resources? ● Have curriculum maps been created to align with the state standards and ensure all standards are being met? ● Do educators understand how to unpack the standards and create scholar-friendly objectives, as well as clear criteria for success for both teachers and scholars? ● Are standards taught in isolation or does instruction continue to build on mastered standards throughout the year? ● Are priority standards taught prior to state accountability assessment? ● Is testing academic vocabulary addressed and included in instruction ALL year? ● Does the curriculum address every standard? We add value to an existing curriculum by ensuring that both the curriculum and proven instructional practices are implemented with fidelity. This is intensively supported by our Coaching Cycles professional development process, which provides a level of oversight and evaluation with regards to the fidelity of curriculum implementation. Assessments: We will utilize the following methods to measure our progress toward achieving our stated academic goals: Diagnostic Assessments: Diagnostic and summative assessments identify incoming students’ knowledge, skill levels, interests, and any signs of special needs. PLA utilizes: • Nationally-Normed Assessment in Reading and Math: We administer nationally-normed assessments at the beginning of each year (such as NWEA or Renaissance Learning STAR) to measure progress against standards in both literacy and mathematics. We use assessments that are aligned with Common Core State Standards and highly rated for reliability and validity by organizations such as the National Center on Intensive Intervention or the National Center on Response to Intervention. • Curriculum-tied diagnostic surveys/quizzes: Placement tests within our reading and math curricula will round out diagnostic assessments and help teachers appropriately differentiate instruction. • Adaptive software placement quizzes: Where resources allow, we will also use diagnostic assessments that align with state standards via adaptive learning software. These assessments are rigorous, adaptable, and suitable for students with disabilities. 74 Benchmark/Interim Assessments: Several benchmark assessments measure progress toward goals: • Reading Inventory: Quarterly reading inventories measure progress in reading levels. Students identified through the RTI process for Tier 2 and 3 interventions may be assessed more frequently. • Nationally-normed Reading and Math Assessments: Literacy and math tests administered at mid-year evaluate progress toward academic goals. • Curricula-based benchmark tests: Based on our curriculum maps, scope, and sequences, benchmark assessments evaluate student mastery of content in any subject. Formative Assessments: Teachers will identify formative assessments in their lesson plans and conduct regular checks for understanding during instruction. Strategies PLA teachers will employ include: • Questioning: Teachers will be trained to use appropriately rigorous levels of questioning based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge to ascertain students’ content knowledge and conceptual understanding. • Checklists: Teachers will develop grade-wide checklists to identify student mastery of specific skills. These tests extend student assessment beyond screening tests and are used to inform instruction relative to the skills of phonological awareness, phonics, number sense, and computation. • Observation: Teachers will be expected to document anecdotal evidence of student learning, especially through interactions during one-on-one conferencing and small group instruction. • Adaptive software assessments: Computer-based content offers built-in assessments that provide immediate feedback. This allows both students and teachers to determine mastery and to pace instruction appropriately. Moreover, parents can monitor students’ learning and administrators can evaluate teachers. Summative Assessments: Students will be regularly evaluated on their mastery of skills and knowledge as defined by state standards: • CMAS: All eligible students will take the state’s standardized assessment annually. • Nationally-normed Reading and Math Assessment: Scholars will also take a nationallynormed exam end-of-year assessment to assess growth in these subjects. We have a comprehensive system in place for using assessment data to continuously improve scholar outcomes. Each day, teachers use the results of weekly quizzes and interim assessments to ensure that every scholar receives small-group or one-to-one instruction that is personalized based on their needs and strengths. On a weekly basis, our educators analyze assessment data to identify scholar needs, to customize lesson plans based on this data, and to identify the special supports or resources a scholar may need in order to achieve at their highest potential. On a quarterly basis, our educators and leaders comprehensively assess scholars’ learning trends and achievement data. All of these layers of assessment help us build on scholar growth and ensure strong ongoing monitoring, tracking, and adjustments of performance throughout the year. Scheduling: Continuing our collaborative approach, we will work closely with each school in Adams 14 to determine a schedule that works best for all key stakeholders and meets the crucial 75 needs of each school’s students and educators. Below is an example of a daily schedule for one of our partner schools, designed to maximize core subject instructional time. Example Daily Schedule Time 8:45 a.m. 9:20 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 9:50 a.m. 10:10 a.m. 10:35 a.m. 10:45 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 11:10 a.m. 11:25 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 12:45 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:20 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 2:10 p.m. 3:20 p.m. 3:35 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Course/skill Students enter classroom and begin Morning Work Teachers review Morning Work Vocabulary development Reading skill for the week Reading comprehension – reading for understanding Restroom break Phonics skills Silent reading Fluency – modeling and practice Preparation for specials Specials – music, art, or physical education Lunch Recess Read-Alouds by the teacher Spelling Restroom break Grammar skills Math skills Assign homework Dismissal begins Dismissal ends Afterschool activities begin Included below as an example is a summary of a day in the life of a teacher at one of our partner schools. All duty assignments and schedules for Adams 14 staff and students will be created with full input from and in collaboration with leadership and staff from each Adams 14 school. A teacher who works at a PLA school has one goal in mind: to make sure that every student who attends this school is successful. As a teacher, I set extremely high standards for students in both academics and behavior. I expect my children to follow our school’s procedures as soon as they walk through the door, as well as to know that their education is of the utmost importance. As a second grade teacher at a PLA school, I arrive at least an hour before the school day begins at 7:30. Whether I am grading papers, creating an authentic quiz or morning work to target essential skills, making copies, or creating hands-on learning centers during this time, I put in hours of planning time beyond the typical eight hour work day to ensure that all of my students achieve at high levels. I may lead up to three classes per day, depending on my subject and grade level. Typical instructional hours in core academic subjects take place from 9:30 to 3:30, with classes in ELA and math separated into 90-minute instructional blocks. 76 Each day, I have morning work ready prior to my students arriving. Morning work consists of minilessons, typically created by teachers, to be given in the time between when students finish breakfast and when they start their primary lessons for the day. It is rigorous but can be completed in a short amount of time, and students are aware of the expectation to complete morning work in a timely manner. The morning work I create strategically targets specific academic skills relevant to what my students have been learning that week and is designed to motivate students to learn; my students know that morning work period is a time to stretch their mental muscles and grow, not a time to finish homework. The bell rings at 9:15 a.m., and each morning I stand in my usual position in front of my classroom door, coffee in hand. As the students make their trek from the cafeteria where they have eaten breakfast to the classroom, I am ready to greet each one of my students by name. Students know they will get a cheerful “Good morning!” and a hug, high five, or fist bump. As I stand at the door, I have no concerns as to what is happening behind me in the room—morning procedures are run like clockwork. Students hang their coats and backpacks, they make sure they have sharpened pencils, and they walk to the Behavior and Effort board to check their grade for the previous day. They are ready to learn, because as a teacher at our school, they know this is what I expect. I finish greeting children as students sit quietly and complete their morning work. If they complete their morning work, they then reach inside their desk for extra work or a book, or turn to quietly assist a peer with his or her work. At 9:30 a.m. on the dot, students know they are to be finished with their morning work. I collect their work, and we are ready to begin core instruction. My instructional day always begins with students coming together in our gathering spot. My students make their way to their spot, their homework and Behavior Chart in hand. Every day, I complete a Behavior Chart for each student that will let parents know how their child performed, both academically and behaviorally. This is to be signed every night and returned each morning. As a teacher, I know this chart helps immensely to keep students in check during the day. After collecting homework and charts, my students and I greet each other as a whole classroom, and I share my expectations and goals for our day. My students thrive off routine, and I know that starting each day in the same way will set the tone for a successful learning day. A 90-minute reading block follows our gathering meeting. In my classroom, I use the Guided Reading method. I begin with a whole-class mini lesson. I read a book I have chosen aloud to the class, pausing to model a reading strategy that we are working on. As I read, students are able to practice the reading strategy using the turn-and-talk method with a partner; this allows for students to use higher-level thinking to analyze and discuss the text. Following the read-aloud session, I instruct students to return to their seats for our 30 minutes of Word Work. This time allows students to work on phonics skills crucial to reading, such as blending and vowel pairs. This is also a time to review vocabulary words, helping students practice for a weekly vocabulary test. After our Word Work time, we move on to Guided Reading Centers. Guided Reading Centers are my students’ favorite part of the day. I have worked to identify the reading levels of my students and have placed them in groups accordingly. During this time, my five reading groups move around the room completing their teacher made, hands-on learning center for the day. Centers change daily, and I make sure the work is appropriately meeting the needs of my low-ability students as well as my high achievers and grade-level middle students. During this time, I also meet with a different group every day to closely monitor their reading fluency and mastery of our new reading skill for the week. 77 After lunch and recess, my students return to class ready for their weekly math test. Today is Thursday, and we have worked hard all week learning our new math skill. Every Friday, I introduce a new math skill that will be tested the following week. Throughout the week, I have given handmade quizzes targeting previous and new skills, monitored peer tutoring, and have worked closely with my lowest-performing students to ensure their success on our math test. Pencils and paper in hand, I lead my class to the computer lab to take our test. The math test is long and rigorous, but it is part of our school’s routine, and my students look forward to Thursday when they can show off their new math skills. I walk around and watch as my students work out each problem on their paper and carefully select their answers on the computer. As a teacher, I am nervous to find out what our class average will be, as it will be posted in the hallway the following day. Being a teacher at our school keeps me accountable and helps drive me to deepen the level of my instruction each day. We near the end of the day and get ready for dismissal. My students whisper excitedly about who will be number one tomorrow, as the top scoring class on the math test is awarded the Golden Cup to display for the week. I wonder this as well, as it exciting to have your hard work as a teacher displayed in your students’ performance. Before dismissal, I fill out behavior charts and distribute them along with homework, reminding students to make sure charts are signed and homework is turned in first thing tomorrow morning. I walk my class silently to the appropriate staging area for dismissal, as talking in the halls is not permitted during this time. In the gym or office, I closely monitor my class and expect no talking or noise as they wait to get on their bus or wait for their parent/guardian. The school day is over, but the work day is not. I, and many other teachers, exchange exhausted chatter as we head back to our classrooms to prepare for the next day. Long after the final bell, many of us spend hours continuing to grade, make copies, create quizzes and homework, filling out behavior and effort charts, and brainstorming ways to enhance learning in our classrooms. Being a teacher, especially at our school, is a very rewarding and challenging job. There is always room to improve, there are always new approaches to teaching, and there are always new and better ways to deal with a behavior problem. There is not a minute I am not focused on improving as a teacher and ensuring my students are successful. Setting high expectations for my students is a critical part of our approach and, I believe, the only way to guarantee achievement. Professional Development: A critical element of our school improvement process is developing existing staff; we work to retain existing staff at our school sites, minimizing disruptions during the turnaround process. Our robust professional development programs are central to these efforts, and include three elements: the Coaching Cycle, weekly professional learning communities, and PLA University. The primary goals of PLA’s professional development program are to: (1) prepare team members to effectively implement the pedagogical model; (2) communicate expectations for collaboration and professional behavior; (3) prepare educators to build positive partnerships with scholars and families; (4) prepare educators to effectively execute approved curriculum, instructional texts, and materials; and (5) prepare staff to uphold school-wide scholar behavior management and maintain school culture policies. The Coaching Cycle: The PLA Coaching Cycle is a process that supports growing teachers in an intentional manner. The PLA Coaching Cycle platform includes six domains or focused areas of observations based on Charlotte Danielson’s framework. Each domain includes eight indicators for 78 success, creating a very quick and efficient walk-through form for each domain. The six domains are as follows: ● ● ● ● ● ● Culture and Behavior Management Classroom Management and Environment Scholar Engagement Effective Lesson Components Level 1 Instructional Execution Level 2 Instructional Execution The first step of the Coaching Cycle is to conduct intentional walk-throughs, looking for evidence of best practices. Each walk-through takes no more than 10-12 minutes. The second step of the cycle is to lead effective coaching conversations with each teacher. Relationship-building is crucial during this step of the process. During this step it is imperative that the coach offers coaching side by side, gives positive feedback, and asks leading questions that guide the teacher to identifying their own next steps. Timely feedback has a significant impact on implementation. Research says there is a 70% chance of implementation if feedback is delivered within 24 hours of observation; after the first 24 hours, the likelihood of implementation drops 10% each day feedback is not delivered. The next step of the Coaching Cycle is collaboratively creating a bite-sized goal for change; both the teacher and coach are accountable for the change. The final step before the cycle repeats is a follow-up observation from the same domain, looking for evidence of change according the bite-sized goal. The PLA Coaching Cycle has an online platform that allows leaders at both the network level and the school level to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement, both holistically for the school and individually for the teachers. Teachers immediately receive their observation feedback through email following the walk-through. The sophisticated analytics provide leaders with feedback to ensure we are coaching up our teachers or coaching out ineffective teachers to ensure we provide our scholars with the education they all deserve. A toolbox of strategies and resources for each coaching area is also available within the Coaching Cycle online platform. This toolbox allows the coach to click directly on the link and share with the teacher. It is recommended that the coach go through the resource with the teacher to increase the likelihood of implementation, then follow through by sharing the resource with them to revisit on their own time. The toolbox provides short video clips, activities, articles, book recommendations, and PLA University modules to assist with teacher growth. 79 The following graphic provides a sample feedback loop from the PLA Coaching Cycles platform, the main driver for continuous professional development at partner schools. Professional Learning Communities: Each week, teachers participate in Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, in which they come prepared with student assessment data and performance artifacts to (a) collaboratively analyze student data and identify areas in need of improvement; (b) compare and share instructional strategies and resources; (c) collaborate design appropriate interventions, including for example the incorporation of content literacy across subjects within a grade; (d) develop and refine curriculum mapping; and (e) organize model lessons on specific strategies and standards so that teachers can learn from their peers to improve their own practice. These weekly meetings also provide a venue for educators to collaborate and learn new skills from their peers. During PLC meetings, teachers can develop interventions and learn new approaches to implementing best practices. PLA’s Academic Leadership Team supports each school in facilitating their professional learning communities and the culture of learning that is essential to supporting these communities. PLCs include focused workshops, planning time, and data deep-dives. During these sessions, educators collaborate with their peers and evaluate student data to inform upcoming instruction, and they also work to map and align their pacing guides across grades and subject areas. Educators also have space to exchange best practices and ask each other for support. PLC topics can include Differentiated 80 Instruction, Partnering with Parents, Effective Classroom and Behavior Management, Analyzing Student Data, Effectively Implementing Online and Classroom Curricula, and more. PLA University: PLA University is an online learning hub hosted on the Instructure Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) that is aligned to teacher evaluation tools, with resources available for teachers and school leaders to download and customize. PLA University’s 72 modules fall into seven categories. Full course modules are available for each topic complete with quizzes, teacher reflection, and self-evaluation. The content of each training module includes narrated presentations, videos, classroom activities, implementation examples, an online discussion forum, shareable resources, and research/scholarly articles. Completion of modules is tracked in the Canvas LMS. Modules include topics such as Scholar Behavior and Classroom Management; Curriculum Mapping; Implementing Evidence-Based Curricula; Evaluation, Assessment, and Data-Driven Instruction; and Parents as Partners. You can see a few illustrative screenshots of PLA University below: 81 In general, our pedagogy is focused on individualizing the learning experience for scholars. This focus on personalization is reflected in our teacher training on key strategies that support differentiated instruction, including data-driven instruction, small-group learning, collaborative teaching, and personalized learning. PLA U is specifically designed to complement the two main professional development vehicles (Coaching Cycles and weekly professional learning communities) that we use to support our educators. PLA U adds value to these professional development practices by adding a self-paced component to the growth of educators. For example, when a coach conducts a walkthrough of a classroom and observes that the teacher needs to improve on classroom management, she can direct the teacher to the corresponding modules in PLA U for further reinforcement. Accordingly, our comprehensive professional development system is robust and is primed for immediate implementation at our school partner sites. This system is critical to our philosophy of working to retain the existing staff at our school sites and provide them with the professional development and training that they need to guide our scholars toward academic success. 2. Recruiting and retaining personnel, including responsibilities formerly entrusted to the superintendent, such as: teacher and administrator placement, transfer, and evaluation; recommending to the local board the non-renewal or renewal of employment contracts, action on at-will employees, and action on the superintendent’s contract; and employee group negotiations; One of our strategic priorities is to strengthen our partner schools by recruiting and retaining a) highly effective, data-driven educators; and b) strong school leadership. The PLA educational model and culture are built to support educator and leadership excellence through: • • High quality, frequent, personalized and data-driven pre-service training and ongoing professional development for educators through Coaching Cycles, professional learning communities and PLA University; Regular and substantive support and feedback from school leaders so teacher can grow professionally; 82 • • • • Opportunities to take leadership roles in professional development, such as leading common planning sessions or creating enrichment experiences for scholars, as well as Pathways to Leadership; Year-round evaluation process and professional development of our school leaders to build upon their strengths; High-performing, and highly entrepreneurial school culture that satisfies educators’ and leaders’ intrinsic desire to succeed and contribute to the success of the school; and Mission-driven culture that satisfies our educators’ and leaders’ desire to transform the lives of children. Recruiting highly effective, data-driven educators While we strive to retain the current staff at schools, it is sometimes necessary to recruit new talent. For educator identification and recruitment, we engage in a strategic mixed-media search to identify talent and staff who underscore our mission. This includes utilizing the following recruitment touchpoints: • University partnerships; • Partnerships with mission-aligned organizations (i.e., Teach for America, The New Teacher Project); • Referrals; • Job board postings; • Social media; • Professional associations; and • Education intermediaries (i.e., the MDE). Diversity is also a cornerstone of our recruitment efforts. Some of the methods that have been used to focus on this include advertising with Hispanic Serving Institutions, as well as with the Black Ivy Alumni League and Black MBA Association, posting on Idealist.org; and more. For this project, we would work closely with Metropolitan State University of Denver and University of Colorado Denver, as these institutions have been identified as Hispanic Serving Institutions. Metropolitan State has also been identified as having an excellent education program; we would work closely with them as well as with the University of Colorado at Greeley, which also has an exceptional education department, in order to recruit highly skilled candidates that are aligned with our mission and values. Recruitment process: We hire highly qualified teachers through a rigorous, multi-stage screening process, that is customized to local contexts. During the first phase of the interview process, candidates will complete an online application and participate in one phone interview with our Director of Recruitment and another with a Principal. Applicants then complete a writing sample and leadership assessment test. If successful, candidates will be advanced to the second phase of the selection process, which includes an interview day with a panel of educational experts. There are four components to this interview day: candidates present a 5-7 slide PowerPoint highlighting their background, reasons for becoming a teacher, and their teaching and leadership accomplishments; candidates watch a video of a teacher teaching and highlight the teacher’s strengths and areas for improvements; candidates respond to a range of scenarios involving issues that might arise with scholars, parents and their peers; and candidates will be presented with student data for several scholars and are asked to explain how they would work to help each child succeed. The hiring process will be open to all credentialed teachers. 83 Selection criteria: In addition to technical ability, staffers must possess a deep philosophical alignment that supports high performance, consistent achievement and advocacy for our scholars. We regard these skills, knowledge and abilities as non-negotiables and drivers for success. This professional profile is unique, and as a result, we have developed tailor-made selection criteria, which serve as a blueprint to ensure we select leaders, teachers and support staff with targeted skills. Once the candidate becomes a team member, we continue to evaluate and assess staff using metrics aligned with our selection criteria. Below are the qualities we look for: Belief Personal Responsibility Results-Driven Communication & Interpersonal Teacher Proficiency Classroom Management Collaboration All staffers believe that all scholars/children can learn, and should be given the opportunity to reach their highest potential Staffers possess relentless self-efficacy; holding themselves and other team members accountable for the achievement of our scholars/children Has a track record of achieving goals and results Has the ability to establish impactful relationships across diverse and various groups High instructional aptitude Ability to set a positive tone, culture and expectations Understands the value of teamwork Recruiting strong leadership While we work to develop most of our leaders from within, the recruitment process for leaders mirrors many of the strategies that are utilized to identify strong teachers. We intend to work collaboratively with Adams 14 district staff and leadership to determine strategically optimal processes for school leadership recruitment. Typically, our school leadership recruitment process is as follows: 1. Hold an introductory meeting to determine candidate interest and alignment with mission. 2. Candidate submits curriculum vitae/resume and letter of interest. 3. Hold interview to determine the potential member’s capacity to fulfill essential responsibilities, including, but not limited to: a. Supporting school’s overall strategic priorities and goals; b. Reviewing budgets and aligning internal capacity to meet those goals; c. Progress monitoring year-round and implementing corrective action to ensure trajectory towards goals; d. Supervise and support educators to deliver high-quality instruction; e. Support scholars towards academic achievement and socio-emotional growth; f. Stakeholder engagement to develop strong community partnerships that strengthen the school; and g. Liaising with district for school-wide reporting, and other items as needed. 4. Based on initial meetings and interest, invite prospective school leaders to visit our school. 5. Hold an additional meeting to share feedback on the candidate and reach a mutual decision regarding the candidate’s interest level and commitment to serve. 84 Complementing recruitment, the process for developing leaders from within is called the PLA Pathways to Leadership Program. The program is designed to help our highest performing educators transition into roles of School Leadership. We understand the value of high-quality educators and know that providing opportunities for their growth means passion, innovation, and results for scholars. The program is comprised of two distinct pathways: • Educator to Instructional Coach/Assistant Principal. A one-year program designed for high-performing, passionate, scholar-oriented educators who are preparing to support a building in the capacity of Assistant Principal. The primary focus areas are academic instruction, staff management, coaching and feedback. Individuals will participate in rich cohort experiences, shadowing, and independent leadership activities to gain a working knowledge of how to lead a PLA school with excellence. • Instructional Coach/Assistant Principal to Principal. A one-year program designed specifically for individuals who already hold an Instructional Coach/Assistant Principal position at a Phalen Leadership Academies school. The primary focus areas of this program are change management, transition planning, strategic planning, instructional coaching, and performance management. Individuals will participate in rich cohort experiences, shadowing, and independent leadership activities to gain a working knowledge of how to lead a PLA school with excellence. Every year, PLA’s principals also participate in the PLA Leadership Institute. Some elements of this summer institute include: • • • Network leaders gather together to collaborate and support one another for a two-day institute that includes Roles and Goals; PLA Academic Model; PLA University; Curriculum & Assessment; Special Education; Human Resources; and more. Leaders receive training on key network initiatives, such as the PLA Coaching Cycle; Classroom Observation Inter-Rater Reliability; Infinite Campus; and more. Principals engage in collaborate team-building sessions developing a network of peers from around the country to rely on once the school year begins. Retaining highly effective educators and strong leadership We strongly believe in the importance of ensuring that all of our schools have strong leaders, and highly effective data-driven educators. While some believe that underperforming schools can only be improved by replacing most of the existing staff, we do not. In fact, we believe that investing in the development of existing staff is critical to a successful school turnaround. Typically, we are able to retain over 80% of the educators at our partner schools. These high retention rates are a direct result of the following strategies: High-quality professional development: Our data-driven, intentional and frequent professional development is built upon strategic resources which include: Coaching Cycles, professional learning communities and PLA University. Collectively, they provide a professional development framework to our educators that encourages their excellence and empowers them to deliver high-quality instruction. 85 Weekly progress monitoring: With frequent classroom observations and walkthroughs through Coaching Cycles as well as weekly progress monitoring, educators are empowered in their autonomy to take ownership of their students’ academic progress. This encourages retention as educators develop an achievement orientation and strive to improve student proficiency levels and content mastery over the year. Data-driven culture: Owing to our evidence-based turnaround and intervention strategies, the culture at our partner schools is very data-driven. The effect of educator effectiveness on scholar achievement is evident through the data. Opportunities for growth: As mentioned previously, we believe in developing our educators to become strong leaders through PLA’s Pathways to Leadership program. Opportunities for personal and professional growth for our educators are many, and we invest significant resources into ensuring our educators develop a growth mindset. Frequent feedback, support and recognition: In addition to competitive pay, our school leaders, the Coaching Cycles process and professional learning communities collectively deliver frequent feedback and support to our educators. PLA prides itself on continually recognizing our educators’ efforts towards excellence in instruction. We deeply appreciate our educators and strive to make them feel part of a supportive, encouraging community. Furthermore, we work to retain our school leaders just as we focus on retaining our teachers, with the following techniques: commitment to the development of leaders; and adequate resources and supports to ensure that they are successful. Our philosophy of working to retain existing staff and leadership at our school partner sites has served us well. We have successfully transformed some of the lowest performing schools in the states in which we operate, all while retaining most of the existing staff. Evaluation Process/Recommendations for Renewals of Contracts/Action on At-Will Employees/Teacher & Administrator Placement and Transfers All staff at our partner schools go through a formal performance evaluation process. Our educator evaluation plan is reviewed periodically to ensure it continues to be effective. The steps in our yearround educator evaluation plan include the following: • • • Step 1 – Beginning-of-Year Conference: the teachers meets with the primary evaluator near the beginning of the school year (August or September). The purpose of the meeting is to review the evaluation process and highlight priority competencies and indicators. Returning Teachers on an improvement plan will write a professional development plan with the primary evaluator near the beginning of the school year. Step 2 – Classroom Observations: During the school year, evaluators (both primary and secondary) will collect evidence through a series of observations and conferences. Step 3 – Mid-Year Conference (at evaluator’s discretion): This conference is to be held in November, December, January, or February where the primary evaluator and teacher meet to discuss performance thus far. This conference will be mandatory if a teacher is in jeopardy of being rated as ineffective or improvement necessary based on prior observations 86 • • • or has been rated ineffective or needs improvement on an evaluation within the past 3 years. This conference is also mandatory for any teacher that is new with less than 3 total years of teaching experience. Step 4 – Teacher Effectiveness Rubric Scoring: The primary evaluator compiles ratings and notes from observations, conferences, and other sources to reach a final Teacher Effectiveness rubric score. Step 5 – Summative Teacher Evaluation Scoring: The final Teacher Effectiveness Rubric score is then combined with the scores from the teacher’s scholar learning measures in order to calculate a final rating. Step 6 – End-of-year summative evaluation conference: The primary evaluator meets with the teacher in a summative conference to discuss all the information collected in addition to the final rating. A copy of the completed evaluation, including any documentation related to the evaluation, must be provided to the teacher within seven days of the end-of-year summative evaluation conference. At the end of the year, our goal is to retain over 85% of our strong performers (rated 3 or 4). This evaluation process also strategically informs and guides our decision-making process with regards to teacher and administrator placement and transfers. We believe that through the implementation of our strong recruitment, educator evaluation and retention policies, our partner schools will maintain highly effective educators and strong leadership district-wide. Superintendent Contract/Group Negotiations: With regards to the superintendent’s contract and employee group negotiations, we would work collaboratively with the Owner and District to come to the best and most effective solutions. 3. Recruiting and recommending to the local board management operators needed for individual schools, as well as any services providers needed to support particular programs; PLA is itself a management operator with extensive experience in turnaround schools. We can easily deploy academic teams that will approach school turnaround efforts with our extraordinarily effective school improvement model. This improvement model is based on our Turnaround Principles for Success. Schools that implement these principles with fidelity succeed. Our educational program also utilizes best practices in data-driven instruction and differentiated learning to deliver instruction in core subject curricula – and to create a uniquely rigorous and personalized learning experience for every child. The Turnaround Principals for Success include: • Strong school leadership: We believe that the success of any school hinges on a strong school leader. A PLA school leader is expected to uphold the standard of excellence out scholars deserve through communication, coaching and commitment. • Positive climate and culture: The culture of a school can make or break a scholar’s educational experience. Building a culture of excellence, acceptance, positive behavior and 87 growth is just as important as rigorous curriculum. We have a structured process for ensuring a positive, strong and loving culture exists for our scholars. • Highly effective, data-driven educators: Our model focuses on selecting and developing exceptional educators who are able to use assessment data to continuously improve the quality of instruction. Our goal is to retain over 80% of the educators in the schools in which we serve. We believe that through the implementation of our education model, high quality professional development, and the PLA Coaching Cycle, scholars will receive the high-quality instruction that they deserve and staff will receive the professional support and development they need to be effective. • Evidence-based, standards-aligned curricula: Our schools utilize evidence-based curricula to push students to perform beyond the required expectations of their grade level in the main subject areas of literacy and math. • Rigorous, frequent assessments: Based on our scope and sequence documents, teachers implement regular formative and benchmark assessments to evaluate student mastery of content in reading, writing and math. Assessments are designed to be both highly rigorous and to align to state standards. Our teachers also gain a holistic look at children’s progress through state assessments; interim assessments tied to state standards; adaptive learning quizzes that target specific standards; and qualitative data (such as scholar, parent and teacher surveys). Consistent and rigorous evaluation of student performance helps ensure both higher quality instruction and higher academic achievement. • Extensive differentiated, small-group, and standards-aligned instruction: One of the unique core components of our model is that it implements regular assessments while maximizing the time that scholars can spend in small-group and one-to-one instruction with effective teachers, TAs, or coaches. Consistently providing differentiated instruction that targets specific standards, based on the results of assessment data, has been one of the core reasons for scholars’ strong growth. • Enrichment experiences: Each day, scholars will take courses in art, music, STEM and physical fitness. In addition, scholars may also hear from inspirational guest speakers; participate in educational field trips to college campuses, professional workplaces, museums, and cultural landmarks; and lead service projects to build connections to their communities and their futures. We believe children learn best when they are engaged and they make connections between school, their communities and their futures. • Strong parental engagement: We recognize the importance of family engagement on student achievement and we use a scientifically-proven process for engaging families. Some of the elements of this process include training teachers to effectively communicate with parents; creating a welcoming environment for families; holding regular meetings with parents where families and teachers dive in depth into a scholar’s academic and behavioral progress; and hosting fun events throughout the year that celebrates their student’s progress. The strong execution of this evidenced-based turnaround model has led to the successful turnaround of multiple failing schools. 88 If we are not selected as a lead partner, given this extensive experience as a school turnaround operator, we would offer this response to the Adams District 14 RFQ as an application to be a school turnaround operator. After evaluating the educational landscape, we believe that we could provide the most targeted services to the cohort of elementary schools located therein. Service Providers: Our schools provide services that address the unique needs of the students at each school site. In order to determine what service providers are needed, we will connect with current school partners, then work with educators who are connected with the community to build any additional partnerships necessary to meet student needs. Building on the successful community school model we have developed with our current schools, we will work to identify community partnerships that provide meaningful services and support to our scholars and families. In partnering with schools in the past, we have engaged local community-based agencies to connect scholars and families to key services such as mental health, employment, afterschool, medical/dental services, and housing. Examples of these organizations can be found in Question 3. 4. Recommending to the local board needed changes to the District’s collective bargaining agreement ahead of each annual process for amending said agreement. We have consistently worked in a collaborative manner with our district partners, ensuring that our efforts align with their direction. For this project, we will also work collaboratively with the Owner and District with regards to the collective bargaining agreement. 5. Evaluating District policies and recommending amendments, revisions or deletions to the local board. We will work collaboratively with the Owner and District to make recommendations as to the District’s policies. We have extensive experience with school turnaround efforts and can use this experience as a framework from which to make recommendations. Further information to this effect can be found in Section 4, within our timetable and schedule. 6. Ensuring operational excellence, coordinating community engagement efforts, supporting local governance training, and, ultimately, driving substantive school and District improvement; Our turnaround efforts focus on operational excellence and community engagement; we go into these efforts in greater detail in Section 2, Question 3. Further specifics on these efforts include the following: Operational Excellence: We believe the most effective way to ensure operational excellence is to build on current strengths, in terms of both people and systems, while increasing alignment to datadriven objectives. Our goal is to build capacity and intervention strategies into the existing school structure and culture. As opposed to one-time professional development events, we implement a continuous Coaching Cycle. As opposed to mass replacement, we focus on retention, coaching and feedback for improvement. We use real-time and historical data, from a variety of sources to gauge areas for improvement. With that framework, we believe that the departments that should exist in 89 service of children’s education must be retained. At the same time, we listen to the needs of our educators, and in our current schools, have demonstrated strong responsiveness to ensure those needs are met. Quite often, it is the maximization of time, talent and resources that most profoundly impact student outcomes, not the unilateral belief of what works and what doesn’t. Strong instructional leadership, spearheaded by school administrators and instructional coaches; strong classroom leadership, spearheaded by data-driven educators; strong professional development, focused on continuous feedback and improvement; strong wraparound services, anchored in results and quality of services, are some of the essential elements required for school success. Our operational excellence is buoyed by our ability to add capacity to our schools and their leaders; we accomplish this by strongly supporting our school leaders with services provided by our central office leadership departments. Some of the value-adds provided by the central office include staff professional development; staff recruitment and retention; payroll and benefits; student data analysis; operational and vendor management; legal and compliance support; grants management and more. The services provided by our central office are intended to empower our educators to focus their time and energy on delivering the best quality of education to kids. The systems and procedures that we employ to add this capacity are all completely transferable and we are able to deploy them quickly across a range of educational landscapes. This feature of our organization uniquely positions us as ideal managers of large networks of schools. Community Engagement Efforts: We believe that it is critical to form strong relationships with our families. As one of few Black-led organizations, engaging authentically with our families is part of our organizational DNA. We are able to build trust with families because we authentically engage and partner with families from the very start. We meet with families prior to the launch of our new school partnership, for example, to understand what they are looking for in their child’s school. Throughout the school year, we deepen our relationships with our families by hosting Parents in Touch days at the school, where families and teachers can delve into a scholar’s academic and behavioral progress; making calls home not only to report challenging behavior, but also to share examples of positive behavior; and inviting families to visit their child’s classes, participate in field trips, or support the school in any way they feel comfortable. It is this continuous engagement with our families that has helped generate remarkable support from our families. Hosting parent events is a signature component of our community engagement strategy. Examples of family events PLA schools have hosted include: • • • • • • Late summer ice cream socials, which serve as an opportunity for parents to meet teachers and school administrators. Open houses to familiarize parents with the core school components as well as to expectations. One-on-one parent-teacher meetings, called Parents In Touch days where teachers provide an in-depth, customized look at each child’s performance and behavior through an analysis of student data. All-Pro Dads breakfasts and Muffins with Moms, which provide a warm environment to get to know our parents, answer their questions and share how we will support their children. Events that showcase our children’s accomplishments, including holiday celebrations, January Art Fair, Black History Month Expo, and basketball games. Schoolwide scholar recognition events, which serve as a chance for parents to see their 90 • children shine. In addition to formal events, we invite parents to sit in on classrooms to support their child at any time, particularly if their child is struggling academically. We also invite parents to go on class field trips. We also reach out to the community on a variety of platforms; the full list of venues can be found in Question 9. At PLA, guest speakers, career days, and visits to college campuses give scholars the chance to meet directly with race- and gender-matched role models—professionals who come from the community and who specialize in fields such as medicine, law, business, and engineering. Such experiences will prepare our children for further success in school and in the 21st century world, as well as helping them to believe in themselves and their capacity to pursue their dreams. We also offer children field trips to local arts and cultural institutions in their community. Each school participates in multiple age-appropriate cultural experiences annually. Governance Training: Like the best kind of professional development, we believe that the most effective leaders are ones that has hands-on experience and knowledge about the work they are entrusted to manage. Critical decision-making is always centered around our educational priorities and the outcomes we envision for our scholars. In this construct, we define governance training more dynamically than the standard concept. Training goes beyond hiring consultants to deliver one-time session; governance training is a continuous experience. Some of these continuous experiences include: • Educational model description and implemented best practices through our online e-learning platform, PLA University; • School visits and classroom observations; • Data-dives and best practices sharing from instructional leaders; and • Guest speakers from leading educational institutions. Ultimately, our goal with governance training is for our leaders and our educators to work together as a team in service of our mission and our scholars; further we always work collaboratively with our district partners and authorizers to provide tailored governance training. In sum, our effective school turnaround model, combined with our dedication to forming lasting connections to our families and the community as a whole has successfully led to several school turnarounds, and underscores our multi-pronged, comprehensive approach to school turnaround. These efforts have led to substantive school improvements, and we believe that this model can be scaled to also lead to District-wide improvements. 7. Determining whether to continue provisions of the Revised Pathways Proposal from 2017, including, but not limited to the District’s Partnership with Beyond Textbooks; and In all of our turnaround efforts, our underlying philosophy is one of minimal disruption, collaboration and intensive support. Using this framework, if selected, we will undertake a comprehensive analysis of the District’s current state and could at that time make decisions with regards to current efforts and partners, in strong collaboration with the Owner. 91 8. Such other and further authority as the Lead Partner reasonably needs to create systemic improvement in teaching and learning We affirm that we will work collaboratively with the Owner and District to ensure that turnaround efforts are implemented with minimal disruption and intensive support, to the benefit of the students in the Adams 14 School District. 1. Additionally and specifically, the District expects to see expertise in the following: Organization Cultural Shift- Aligning, developing, and supporting human and professional capital where all stakeholders are motivated to commit to whole-system transformation; developing existing and new teachers and leaders while insisting on high expectation learning experiences for all; developing trust and confidence needed to increase student achievement. PLA’s turnaround model is based on valuing human capital at all levels, from our students, to our teachers, school leaders, families, and communities. At every stage in our turnaround effort, our systems, procedures and techniques all drive home the same message, that we are working collaboratively towards academic success, and that in order to succeed, everyone has to both believe that success is possible, as well as be invested in the success. Our multi-state charter network’s impressive results illustrate our success in aligning, developing and supporting our human capital, and further prove that all of our stakeholders are engaged in our efforts, are motivated to commit to whole-system change, and that all believe that our scholars can and will achieve academic greatness. Specifically, the chart below illustrates some of the key ways in which we align, develop and support our human capital to commit to whole-system transformation through our framework of systems and processes. Alignment Professional development systems – (Coaching Cycles, Weekly PLCs, and PLA U) - Our system of professional development aligns our staff network-wide to express our core values. Development Professional development systems – (Coaching Cycles, Weekly PLCs, and PLA U) – These systems develop and support our network of staff, helping them to become excellent educators with a data-driven mindset, who work with our scholars on their path to academic greatness. Support Professional development systems – (Coaching Cycles, Weekly PLCs, and PLA U) - Our philosophy of working with existing staff and developing their skills as educators, engages our educators and school leaders in our commitment to wholesystem transformation. We build our teams up; developing trust and confidence goes hand in hand with teachers that are confident in their craft. Data-Driven Instruction Data-Driven Instruction – Data-Driven Instruction – these – (implementing ensuring that our educators processes cultivate a data-driven curriculum that is implement these strategies mindset, which then translates to our research-based and network-wide develops our scholars and their families, instituting standards aligned, educators into highly a system-wide transformation. designing and effective teachers, all working Facilitating the training and implementing towards improving student implementation of these best instructional tasks that academic outcomes. practices also supports our educators 92 require higher-order, complex thinking, scaffolding instruction) – implementing these instructional best practices across our network aligns our educators and school leaders with core elements of our turnaround efforts. CNA Process, and subsequent School Improvement Plan – Using a consistent rubric and plan ensures that all key stakeholders are aligned with the turnaround improvement plans Enrichment Experiences – Scholars are provided with classes outside of the core academic subjects on a daily basis in order to spark their interest. Dance, music and art classes are just a few examples of what is offered. These classes align scholar interests with academics, they focus on cultural relevance, and they are intentionally offered on a daily basis Family Engagement – our systems around family engagement create a fundamental culture shift in our schools, and align parents, educators, and school leaders with a common vision for quality education. network-wide in the key strategies that improve student outcomes. School Improvement Plan – Supports on-going professional learning communities and provides a reference point for teachers to revist during the school year. School Improvement Plan – This is an on-going resource that the school uses to develop aligned resources towards educational priorities, to develop the educational program over the course of the year, to help it to choose particular providers, and develop our educators on their alignment with our school objectives. Enrichment Experiences– Enrichment Experiences – These The classes are very hands on classes support the self esteem and as well to engage multiple social-emotional development of our learning modalities. Further, scholars. Their on-going they help to develop various participation spirals throughout the life skills. school year. The classes are holistically designed to help our scholars engage in school and improve with core subjects while developing their interests. Family Engagement – Our family engagement processes developing strong engagement among our family members, through formal and informal gatherings and opportunities for engagement. Family Engagement - we are developing our families to be authentically engaged. Our validation of their voice as family members creates authentic partnerships. Our comprehensive network of systems and processes work to align our educators and school leaders on our turnaround efforts, they develop their skillsets in order to implement the necessary 93 turnaround framework, and through these efforts feel supported in their work, which in turn leads to their engagement and support of our turnaround model. 2. Instructional Transformation- Providing instructional clarity and transformation resulting in strong infrastructures, effective planning, and effective lesson delivery; creating a Districtwide instructional framework and reporting system for first best instruction that is researchand standards-based, rigorous, and culturally responsive; developing and bolstering intervention and enrichment supports for literacy, numeracy, English language learners, and those students identified with special instructional needs; and developing and expanding Early College and Career and Technical Education opportunities. Our instructional framework and our theory or action achieve instructional clarity and transformation, and accomplish all of these standards outlined above. We expound upon our systems and theory of action in Section 2, Questions 3,5,6,7, and 8, and in Section 3, in Question 1. 3. Leadership Development- Creating rigorous school and District accountability systems that provide guidance for leadership, coaching, teaching, assessing, and monitoring learning; and providing support for expectations for ongoing Professional Learning Community work to create the collective efficacy of all staff. We firmly believe in leadership development and have multi-layered systems that we implement to achieve this. We expound upon these systems in great detail throughout this proposal; however, the most detailed description of these systems can be found in Section 3, Question 1. 94 SECTION 4 – SCHEDULE Provide a 6-month assessment plan detailing current practices in the District. Additionally, provide a high-level master plan schedule, including key milestones, from the first 6 months to the date to the completion of the project continuing for a term of not less than four years (48 months). Six-month assessment plan: To fully understand the current practices and strategic priorities of the Adams 14 school district, PLA implements a three-stage assessment plan, including a pre-service audit. We will collaborate with the district to refine the specifics, but provided below is a tentative framework: Task Responsible Staff Stage One: Initial Inquiry (January to February 2019) Tentative Timeline Review and assess in detail Adams 14 website, RFQ and resources Review Adams 14’s Unified Improvement Plan 2017-2018 as per the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Review CDE’s Accountability resources including state assessments, standards and resources Review Adams 14 district academic performance on CDE’s Accountability standards, particularly School and District Performance Frameworks Establish initial understanding of Adams 14’s academic framework Review Adams 14 performance relative to local school districts Review Adams 14 school and district performance relative to state PLA Academics Team January 2019 PLA Academics Team January 2019 PLA Academics Team January 2019 PLA Academics Team January 2019 PLA Academics Team January 2019 PLA Academics Team February 2019 PLA Academics Team February 2019 95 Task Responsible Staff Review performance of key student PLA Academics Team demographic groups in the Adams 14 school district Review best practices in the industry with PLA Academics Team particular focus on high-performing districts Initial review and assessment of current Special PLA Special Education Team Education program Initial review and assessment of HR policies and PLA Human Resources Team practices Initial review and assessment of operational PLA Operations Team infrastructure and capacity including data management systems Initial review and assessment of financial PLA Finance Team management policies & procedures, based on historical data and current practices Initial review and assessment of legal & PLA Legal & Compliance team compliance policies and procedures Initial review and assessment of communication PLA Communications Team policies and stakeholder engagement practices In collaboration with district staff, develop data PLA Academics Team and Adams 14 district dashboard for district-wide and school-bystaff school academic performance progress monitoring Stage Two: On-Site Analysis (March to April 2019) Tentative Timeline February 2019 Align Turnaround Principles of Success framework for evaluation of schools in Adams 14 district Implement PLA’s Comprehensive Baseline Instructional Review process Conduct live walk-through observations of realtime classroom instruction PLA Academics Team March 2019 PLA Academics Team March – April 2019 PLA Academics Team March – April 2019 February 2019 February 2019 February 2019 February 2019 February 2019 February 2019 February 2019 February 2019 96 Task Conduct interviews with school leadership teams, educators and students with a focus on understanding the current academic framework Conduct interviews with school leadership teams, SPED educators and students with a focus on understanding the current Special Education program and its strengths, as well as challenges Conduct interviews with school leadership, educators and human resources staff to understand current policies, strengths and challenges Conduct interviews with school leadership, educators and operational staff to understand current operational capacity and infrastructure as well as related strengths and challenges Conduct interviews with school leadership and finance staff to understand current financial management policies and challenges Conduct interviews with school leadership and legal team to understand relevant local laws, regulations, procedures and practices, as well as any current challenges with compliance Conduct interviews with school leadership to understand current communication and stakeholder engagement strategies and challenges faced therein In collaboration with district staff, develop data dashboard for district-wide and school-byschool academic performance progress monitoring Conduct parent interviews and/or surveys, as needed Responsible Staff PLA Academics Team Tentative Timeline March – April 2019 PLA Special Education Team March – April 2019 PLA Human Resources Team March – April 2019 PLA Operations Team March – April 2019 PLA Finance Team March – April 2019 PLA Legal & Compliance team March – April 2019 PLA Communications Team March – April 2019 PLA Academics Team and Adams 14 district staff March – April 2019 PLA Academics Team March – April 2019 97 Task Responsible Staff Implement initial audit of current schedule, PLA Academics Team curriculum, assessments, tiered instruction, data points, walk-throughs, professional development as well as school’s climate and culture Assign initial evaluation score to schools based PLA Academics Team on Turnaround Principles of Success framework Tentative Timeline March – April 2019 April 2019 Stage Three: Action Plan (May to June 2019) Formulate Comprehensive Needs Assessment across all functional areas and stakeholder groups based on key findings from initial inquiry and on-site analysis Debrief Adams 14 school district leadership sharing findings of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Collaboratively identify and set goals for all functional areas with Adams 14 district for implementation phase (July 2019 to July 2023 i.e. 48 months) Engage in condition setting for academic framework to be implemented with fidelity Engage in condition setting for Special Education program to be implemented with fidelity Engage in condition setting for Human Resources policies & practices to be implemented with fidelity Engage in condition setting for operational framework to be implemented with fidelity Engage in condition setting for financial management to be implemented with fidelity PLA Academics Team with input and support from all functional teams May – June 2019 PLA Academics Team (with input and support from all functional teams) and Adams 14 district staff PLA Academics Team (with input and support from all functional teams) and Adams 14 district staff May – June 2019 PLA Academics Team February 2019 PLA Special Education Team February 2019 PLA Human Resources Team February 2019 PLA Operations Team February 2019 PLA Finance Team February 2019 May – June 2019 98 Task Engage in condition setting for legal policies and compliance procedures to be implemented with fidelity Engage in condition setting for communication and stakeholder engagement strategies to be implemented with fidelity In collaboration with district staff, develop data dashboard for district-wide and school-byschool academic performance progress monitoring Align all functional domains of action plan (e.g. staffing plan, operational plan etc) in preparation for implementation phase Responsible Staff PLA Legal & Compliance team Tentative Timeline February 2019 PLA Communications Team February 2019 PLA Academics Team, Operations team and Adams 14 district staff February 2019 PLA Academics Team and Adams 14 district staff May – June 2019 High-level master plan schedule: Following the 6-month assessment, the implementation phase commences on the notice to proceed date i.e. July 1, 2019, concluding in July 2023 i.e. 48 months. PLA’s proposes the following high-level master plan schedule for the implementation phase, with eight key management domains: a) Educational Program; b) Human Resources; c) Financial Management; d) Operations & Support Services; e) Legal & Compliance; f) Governance; g) Stakeholder Communication; and h) Lead Partner Management. In the table below, an annual overview has been provided for a timeline of tasks throughout the year. In collaboration with Adams 14 staff, PLA expects this process to be replicated each year throughout the four-year term. Task Educational Program Responsible Staff Timeline Academic Achievement & Growth Review, assess and align core curricula and programming Review, assess and align special educational programming PLA Academics Team in collaboration with July, 2019 – August, 2019 School Staff PLA Special Education Team in collaboration July, 2019 – August, 2019 with School Staff 99 Task Review, assess and align English Learner programming Align pacing guides with curriculum in core subjects Ensure curricula and instructional materials are effectively customized for special education students Ensure curricula and instructional materials are effectively customized for EL students Identify and align interim, formative and benchmark assessment tools Ensure student assessments are effectively customized for special education students Ensure student assessments are effectively customized for EL students Identify, align and integrate student data management system with educational program and assessment framework Assess and align technology needs with educational program Select educational equipment and supplies in alignment with school needs Educational supplies and equipment procured Review educational vendors and partners to determine effectiveness Ensure student behavior management policy is effectively customized and inclusive of special education students Ensure student behavior management policy is effectively customized and inclusive of EL students Responsible Staff PLA Special Education Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Special Education Team in collaboration with School Staff Timeline July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Special Education Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Special Education Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Special Education Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with District Procurement Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Special Education Team in collaboration with School Staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Special Education Team in collaboration July, 2019 – August, 2019 with School Staff 100 Task Assess and align wraparound student support service providers, including special education and EL services Finalize agreements with programmatic partners Review, align and plan athletics program and extracurricular options Align and identify teacher assignments by grade level and classroom Oversee and provide ongoing guidance on the execution of the educational program Provide high quality, and state compliant special education services Oversees ongoing SPED program compliance, including identification, assessments, delivery and services to students Facilitate performance monitoring meetings to gather feedback and tackle academic challenges Conduct quarterly review and alignment of instructional pacing map, standards progression, and classroom resources Train staff on Coaching Cycles, Professional Learning Communities and PLA University data driven decision-making Provide on-going PD on the use of manipulatives and lesson design through workshops and demonstration lessons Bi-weekly observations to include focus on effective implementation of CAS aligned curriculum Implement Infinite Campus as student information system Responsible Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff Timeline July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff School Staff with guidance from PLA Special Education Team PLA Special Education Team July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with School Staff Weekly, throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Biweekly, throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 Throughout each school year Throughout each school year Throughout each school year Quarterly, throughout each school year 101 Task Academic team implements coaching cycles focused visits where they provide summary and next steps Provide PD to staff at each school to support implementation of Infinite Campus for assessments Introduce effective implementation of CAS aligned curricula framework Create district formative assessments in ELA and Math within Infinite Campus Literacy curriculum aligned to Colorado academic standards and supports language development Implementation of common district assessments within an assessment housing system to ensure consistent grade level expectations and teaching cycles Implementation of data-driven instruction and curricula frameworks at various campuses Review school day schedule and align with educational programming to maximize student learning time. School schedules (adapted to each school) to include a min. of 30 min reteach/enrich block Professional Development for educators in biliteracy cohort teachers focused on evidence based instructional strategies Special Ed staff will provide differentiation framework and co-teaching professional development to general education and special education Professional development on CRA method provided to secondary math teachers Responsible Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline Quarterly, throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics & HR Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA SPED and Academics Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics & HR Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 102 Task Professional Development for language-related teaching provided to secondary Special Ed teachers Professional Development for all teachers on designing and implementing workstations and small group instruction Professional Development for all teachers regarding engaging students and maximizing instructional time Implementation of CO-MTSS framework to include tiered supports, data driven decisionmaking and instructional best practices Supporting coaches with critical conversations, best instructional practices and communication Training of staff on how to effectively write and implement CLO into lessons Provide instructional materials that can be used in the general education classroom to augment instruction, provide differentiation training to general education staff, provide co-teaching strategies training to general education and special education and restructuring services, especially at the elementary level to increase service in general education Instructional approach that organizes instruction by English language proficiency levels and follows a continuum of linguistic skills Professional development for classroom teachers in providing explicit support for all students in acquiring the language needed to comprehend and express understanding of grade level work Responsible Staff PLA Academics & HR Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline Throughout each school year PLA Academics & HR Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics & HR Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics & HR Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics & Operations teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics & HR Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year Throughout each school year By the beginning of each school year 103 Task Implementation of biliteracy classes and professional development provided to support implementation of research based best instructional practices Site visits to provide quality assurance review, guidance and feedback for implementation of evidence-based instructional strategies Direct instruction of vocabulary, use of reading comprehension strategies and the concrete, representational and abstract (CRA) strategies for problem solving, that will increase student performance. Targeted reteach and enrichment tutoring cycles at each site to focus on differentiated support for students Quarterly check-in to make sure that students are on track to graduate. Grade checks are done weekly so that work can take place immediately in reteach and enrich to help teachers stay on top of getting students to graduation Implement Coaching Cycles for teachers and professional development for Principal Implement District and Building Accountability and Advisory Committees Parent forums implemented to increase parent involvement Quarterly survey to go out to all staff at each building to measure Culture and Climate of each building and Staff member Create systems and monitor discipline and behavior data to inform areas for needed improvement Responsible Staff PLA Academics & HR Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline Throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Monthly, throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Quarterly, throughout each school year PLA Academics & HR teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics & Operations teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics & Communication teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics & Communication teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 Throughout each school year Throughout each school year Quarterly, throughout each school year 104 Task School staff will track grades at each level to inform areas for support Provide support and policy guidance surrounding student dropout/withdrawal process to prevent students being dropped without following intervention procedures Implement district-wide, data-driven instruction Introduce district-wide progress monitoring and regular, interim & annual formative and summative assessments Provide continued PD for data-driven, smallgroup instruction and frequent assessments through observational walkthroughs of Coaching Cycles, demo lessons given by peers in Professional Learning Communities and PLA University modules PLA staff provides support in quarterly meetings to ensure staffing and job descriptions implemented at schools aligns with educational outcomes and grant funds District Truancy Officer sends bi-weekly attendance reports for students who are chronically absent or habitually truant and in need of interventions. Additionally, all building level attendance liaisons have been trained in early identification and intervention plans Submit attendance data for all schools to Superintendent Complete quarterly data meetings to ensure building leaders are informed and supported with next steps with improvement planning efforts Responsible Staff PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Quarterly, throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Bi-weekly, throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics and Operations teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year Throughout each school year July, 2019 – August, 2019 Quarterly, throughout each school year 105 Task District Instructional Leadership team conducts monthly classroom visits with school principal looking for instructional practices based on a district developed "classroom visit" protocol. The results will be shared with school principals for continuous improvement and making district decisions on supports needed Professional Development on how to use DIBELS for progress monitoring to inform necessary interventions to support increased student literacy Title I Requests Form to be used to identify research aligned to instructional strategies request, based on a needs assessment using data and best practice to support the item/product that will be used to support deficiency Create new and more effective survey response strategies for and communication methods Implementation of Dibels/IDEL Assessment to inform early literacy interventions to support reduction of students on READ Plans Set up system to progress monitor district targets as well as to communicate with Superintendent, CAO Mandatory data meetings to discuss and evaluate data with specific goal setting aligned with schools reaching Improvement or Performance levels Increase parent engagement opportunities within school and district through implementation of Parent Forums and both District and School Accountability groups Responsible Staff PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline Throughout each school year PLA Academics & HR teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Communications team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics & Communications teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Quarterly, throughout each school year PLA Communications team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year Throughout each school year 106 Task Principals meet bi-monthly to discuss data trends district wide Student Engagement Responsible Staff PLA Academics team & school Principals Timeline Bi-monthly throughout each school year Review and align student behavior management PLA Academics Team, Special Ed team in July, 2019 – August, 2019 policy, also ensuring alignment with needs of collaboration with Adams 14 staff Special Education and EL students Review written policies/procedures for services PLA Academics Team, Special Ed team in July, 2019 – August, 2019 to SPED students, student discipline, grievances, collaboration with Adams 14 staff FERPA, and state Public Access laws Update Student and Family Handbook with PLA Academics Team in collaboration with July each year above policies (including suspension/expulsion, Adams 14 staff school health records, and Board Meeting policies) Provide socio-emotional supports and PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Throughout each school year wraparound services to facilitate a caring, Adams 14 staff supporting environment for students Serving the unique needs of culturally diverse populations specifically Latinx Students and Families Evaluate current partnerships with local organizations (e.g. SWAP program) Determine need for additional partnerships to provide culturally responsive services If applicable, reach out to local organizations to meet this need, with a focus on partnering with organizations offering services by and for the Latinx community (e.g. Padres y Jovenes Unidos, Journey Through Our Heritage at MSU Denver, Clinica Tepeyac, CLLARO, etc.) Implement partner services and ensure that they continue to meet student/family needs Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness PLA Regional Director in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Regional Director in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Regional Director in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 PLA Regional Director in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Mid-August, 2019 (by first day of school); ongoing Early August, 2019 Early August, 2019 107 Task Provide enrichment activities to students related to college- and career-readiness, such as college visits Support academic achievement outcomes that secure a path of success towards college and/or career Provide socio-emotional support that encourages soft skills for college and/or career Human Resources Responsible Staff PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year PLA Academics Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year Meet with school and district leaders to review staff effectiveness and identify staff selected for retention Conduct observations, meetings and interviews with staff identified for retention Implement vetting process for retained staff, including review of credentials, certifications, experience and background checks Identify educator vacancies and work with school leaders to develop position descriptions Implement recruitment and screening process to select highly qualified staff to fill vacancies Ensure staffing model effectively supports the needs of special education students Provide regular communications to staff during the transition process Training and Professional Development PLA Recruitment Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Recruitment Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Recruitment Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Recruitment Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Recruitment Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Recruitment, SPED Teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Recruitment Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 Collaborate with district and school to assess professional development needs including review of staff performance evaluations PLA Academics and Professional Development Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 Collaborative Staff Management July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 108 Task Provide pre-service professional development to staff Implement coaching cycles walkthrough Formal professional development sessions on key ongoing topics such as differentiated instruction and testing prep Provide ongoing, formal educator performance observations and feedback Provide ongoing access to self-paced professional development through PLA University Complete annual performance review for staff Responsible Staff PLA Professional Development Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Professional Development Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Trainers and Delegated School Leads in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline July, 2019 School Leaders, with guidance from PLA Professional Development Team PLA Professional Development Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Quarterly, August to June each academic year Throughout each school year School Leaders, with guidance from PLA Professional Development Team June, each school year Led by our Director of Finance and Finance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Led by our Director of Finance and Finance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Led by our Director of Finance and Finance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year Led by our Director of Finance and Finance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 Led by our Director of Finance and Finance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Led by our Director of Finance and Finance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 Biweekly, August to June each academic year Monthly, August to June each academic year Financial Management Provide all financial management support services as defined in narrative Maintenance, provision and retention of accurate and up to date financial records Supporting the school by preparing a proposed annual budget in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, the State accounting manual and state law each year for submission and approval to the Board Supporting the school in establishing fiscal management and oversight policies and an accounting system with internal controls Ensuring a payroll system has been established Preparing monthly closing financial statements July each school year Biweekly, August to June each academic year Monthly, August to June each academic year 109 Task Supporting school staff with POs, vendor agreements and contracts Operations & Support Services Responsible Staff Led by our Director of Finance and Finance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Provision of management and oversight for all other support services for school such as janitorial staff Review infrastructure needs and align with school staff Led by PLA Director of Operations and our Operations and Educational Services Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Led by PLA Director of Operations and our Operations and Educational Services Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Ensuring all contracts, certificates, licenses, Led by PLA Director of Operations and our background check records and inspections are in Operations and Educational Services Team in place and up to date for all school support collaboration with Adams 14 staff services, especially health, nutrition and safety services Finalize org. chart and position descriptions Led by PLA Director of Operations and our Operations and Educational Services Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Working with school to ensure reasonable Led by PLA Director of Operations and our accommodations for students with disabilities Operations and Educational Services Team in on-site and in transportation collaboration with Adams 14 staff Legal & Compliance Establish clear, regularly communicated legal & compliance policies and procedures and train staff on these topics Biweekly walkthroughs with school leaders to anticipate, identify, and resolve any potential operational challenges and ensure staff and administration in our partner schools are in full compliance Generate quarterly compliance reports PLA Compliance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Compliance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Compliance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline Throughout each school year Quarterly, August to June each academic year July, 2019 – August, 2019 Quarterly, August to June each academic year July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 July to September, 2019 Biweekly, August to June each academic year Quarterly, August to June each academic year 110 Task Ensure compliance with state statutes, authorizer standards, and federal grant regulations Submit on-time, accurate, and compliant authorizer reports and state compliance requirements School-level Governance Responsible Staff PLA Compliance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Timeline Throughout each school year PLA Compliance Team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Throughout each school year Ensure Board of Directors is actively governing the school Ensure permanent head of school has been named Ensure other key leadership roles in the school are filled Ensure expanded background checks are completed for all Board members and the school leadership Ratify by-laws for implementation PLA HR & Legal teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA HR & Legal teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA HR & Legal teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA HR & Legal teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 PLA HR & Legal teams in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 July, 2019 July, 2019 July, 2019 – August, 2019 Development & Grants Management Support existing district office staff by providing them with a framework aligning current grants management approach with the educational program Stakeholder Communication PLA Development team in collaboration with Throughout each school year Adams 14 grant staff Ensure cohesive communication plan in place for all partner schools Create welcoming, inclusive school environments for students and their families Encourage parent and family involvement in student academic progress with frequent reporting, and in-school volunteering activities PLA Communications team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Communications team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff PLA Communications team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff July, 2019 – August, 2019 Throughout each school year Biweekly, August to June each academic year 111 Task Organize and implement regular student & family engagement events Lead Partner Management Responsible Staff PLA Communications team in collaboration with Adams 14 staff Oversee and provide ongoing guidance on the execution of the educational program Progress monitor current academic achievement metrics and accountability for each school relative to discrete benchmarks Implement corrective action to improve instruction if gaps in actual and desired academic performance at any stage in the academic year Review policies, procedures and practices to ensure efficient use of resources across all schools Ensure consistent compliance with state-wide regulations and laws by each partner school Oversee timely and efficient implementation of aforementioned milestones Review progress at the end of each academic year to determine corrective pathways, if required, for the forthcoming academic year Provide regular reporting to Adams 14 district regarding progress relative to proposed schedule Implement data systems, processes and infrastructure to support data-driven instruction across all schools Human Resources -- development and maintenance of needed staff to manage the process required for Adams 14 school district Curriculum and Professional Development – Development, maintenance, and compliance to curriculum and instructional materials PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Timeline Quarterly, August to June each academic year Throughout each school year Quarterly, August to June each academic year Quarterly, August to June each academic year July, 2019 – August, 2019 Quarterly, August to June each academic year June to August, each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Quarterly, August to June each academic year July, 2019 – August, 2019 PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year 112 Task Purchasing – Purchase and delivery of quality items and services to maintain requirements and needs of the District Assessment, Accountability, Research and School Improvement – Provide accurate, reliable, and timely data appropriate for effective decision making and differentiated instruction Food Service – Developing and providing nutritional meals to students and staff Management Process System – Corrective action taken to ensure compliance to all requirements Compliance and Monitoring – Ensuring the Adams 14 school district is in compliance with state and federal laws governing the provisions of special education, related services and 504 accommodation services English Language Learner Program – Enhance student success by advocating for ELL students rights Operations – Provide a healthy, clean and safe environment in support of the Districts educational goals. Support Staff Training & Development – Develop, design, and implement training opportunities in support of student achievement. Fiscal Accountability & Data Analysis – Provide customer service and fiscal accountability of all grants funds to ensure compliance Responsible Staff PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Timeline Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year Throughout each school year 113 Task Special Education Management System – To support special education staff and schools with the development, review, and analysis of special population data. Grants Development and Administration – supporting Adams 14 grant staff in creating a seamless flow of grant procurement, management, and evaluation Equity & Diversity Education – Support the ethnic and cultural policy of Adams 14 school district Responsible Staff PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Timeline Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year PLA Central Office in collaboration with Adams 14 school leadership Throughout each school year 114 Section 5—References Reference Contact Information Contact School/Entity State Name PLA@Francis Scott Key School #103 IN Matt Rimer PLA@George Fisher School #93 IN Nicole Fama Thea Bowman Leadership Academy IN Michael Suggs Timothy L. Larry Johnson Academy IN Rowland Higher Institute of Arts & Tech Stephanie IN Davis Michigan Education Danielle Choice Center MI Robinson Foster Elementary Harrison School FL Peters Oak Park Harrison Elementary School FL Peters Title/role Phone # Email Address School Leader (317) 2264103 rimerm@myips.org 3920 Baker Drive Indianapolis, IN 46236 Regional Director (317) 2945069 nfama@phalenacademies.org Board President msuggs@gmail.com Board Chair (219) 7655857 (260) 4140974 7151 East 35th Street Indianapolis, IN 46226 975 W 6th Ave Gary, IN 46402 Board Member & Parent Academic Director Chief of Schools Chief of Schools (219) 4878559 (404) 8389505 (813) 2724071 (813) 2724071 sdavis@the-hiat.org larryrowland2@me.com drobinson@phalenacademies.org harrison.peters@sdhc.k12.fl.us harrison.peters@sdhc.k12.fl.us 4625 Werling Dr Fort Wayne, IN 46806 5681 Harrison Street Merrillville, IN 46410 20045 Joanne Street Detroit, MI 48205 2014 E Diana St Tampa, FL 33610 2716 N 46th St Tampa, FL 33605 115 Sheehy Elementary School FL Harrison Peters Chief of Schools School Information and Notable Outcomes Year Management School/Entity State Started PLA@Francis Scott IN 2015 Key School #103 Notable outcomes for PLA@103: (813) 2724071 Management Scope Full Management harrison.peters@sdhc.k12.fl.u s Type of Contract District Innovation School 6402 North 40th Street Tampa, FL 33610 Number of % Students % Low Scholars of Color Income 460 97.20% 78.30% • In both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years, the state's Department of Education gave the school an A-rating after five consecutive years of D- and F-ratings. • Overall, math passing rates on the state test improved 18% from 2015 – 16 to 2017 – 18. • Students of all grades showed 1.4 years of annual gains toward grade-level proficiency on the nationally-normed STAR math assessment for the 2017 – 18 school year, and fifth graders showed 1.7 years of annual growth. • PLA's parent outreach strategies prior to launch proved effective; while we were expecting 300 students to attend PLA@103, we enrolled 396 students for the school’s inaugural year. • Scholars have thrived through their participation in a wide range of enrichment experiences, including engineering, Zumba, fitness, photography, Black history, calligraphy, and drumming, which deeply engage scholars in their learning. Year Management Management Number of % Students % Low School/Entity State Started Scope Type of Contract Scholars of Color Income PLA@George Fisher IN 2016 Full Management District Innovation 415 92.30% 82.40% School #93 School Notable outcomes for PLA@93: • • • In the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 school years, the state's Department of Education gave the school an A-rating after five consecutive years of failing ratings. Scholars outperformed their peers in the local district by 18% in math and 5% in ELA on the state test in 2017 – 18. In 2017 – 18, 67% of PLA@93 scholars demonstrated standard to high growth in ELA on the state's standardized assessment, and 71% of scholars showed standard to high growth in math. 116 • Our structured student recognition program has cemented a culture focused on progress, support, and teamwork; students love PLA’s “caught-being-kind” strategy, which rewards students with a golden ticket to a tangible reward (for example, a fun, educational field trip). • Surveys report strong parent satisfaction with our efforts to engage them: 93% of families indicated that they were very pleased with the school and the quality of education that their child received, and 94% of parents would strongly recommend the school to other parents. Year Management Management Number of % Students % Low School/Entity State Started Scope Type of Contract Scholars of Color Income Thea Bowman IN 2016 Full Management Charter School 1100 99.70% 78.70% Leadership Academy Management Notable outcomes for TBLA: • • • • • • • PLA's partnership with TBLA saved this historic school from imminent closure. In just two years, we have transformed a failing Title 1 program into one of the best in the state: we have updated all systems, worked to align resources with existing priorities, channeled resources into classrooms, and created sound policies and procedures for each part of the process. TBLA hosted Annual Parent Summit and the Indiana PTA Legislative Day Parent Conference, both of which provided parents with access to expert guest speakers on a wide variety of topics such as coping with loss, parenting styles, bullying and the media, parenting authority, healthy lifestyles, cyber safety, and engaging young males in education. TBLA scholars achieved an 87% passing rate on the state's 3rd grade reading assessment in 2017-18. 74% of TBLA scholars in grades 9 – 12 demonstrated growth overall in math on the state assessment, and 65% of scholars demonstrated standard to high growth. 79% of TBLA scholars in all grades demonstrated growth overall in ELA on the state assessment, and 55% of scholars demonstrated standard to high growth. Students in the fifth grade demonstrated the greatest growth in the school on the state ELA assessment: passing rates increased by 8% from 2016 – 17 to 2017 – 18. Third graders showed the most growth on the state math test: passing rates increased by 12% from 2016 – 17 to 2017 – 18. 117 School/Entity State Timothy L. Johnson IN Academy Notable outcomes for TLJ: Year Management Started 2017 Management Scope Full Management Type of Contract Charter School Management Number of % Students % Low Scholars of Color Income 360 98.70% 99% • • PLA took over management of TLJ as of August of the 2017 – 18 school year. For the 2017 – 18 school year, 79% of TLJ scholars demonstrated standard to high growth in ELA on the ISTEP state assessment, and 71% of scholars showed standard to high growth in math. • Scholars showed a 44% student growth percentile (SGP) on the STAR ELA assessment (i.e., students at TLJ have achieved more growth than 44% of their academic peers nationwide). • PLA is in its second year of implementing Coaching Cycles at TLJ; educators are benfiting from this ongoing PD program since they can put new knowledge into practice immediately (the teacher is observed, given feedback, then observed to confirm implementation of classroom-level changes). • TLJ's school leaders and administration have benefited from support by the PLA central office, whose services include professional development, payroll, policy development, legal counsel, and grants management. Through this support system, the central office manages the operational elements of running a school so that our educators can focus their efforts on what they do best — educating children. Year Management Management Number of % Students % Low School/Entity State Started Scope Type of Contract Scholars of Color Income Higher Institute of IN 2018 Full Management Charter School 200 98.20% 84% Arts & Tech Management Notable outcomes for HIAT: • • • PLA took over management of HIAT as of August of this school year (2018-19). While it is too soon to discuss improvement in terms of achievement data, we have seen emerging signs of improvement: Scholars now understand and own their academics as evidenced by formative weekly data assessment meetings between students and teachers. Parents have repeatedly given testimony during meetings and events that HIAT is drastically better this year including leadership, instruction, admin open door policy, parent and community events. 118 • We now have qualified teachers in classrooms receiving regular coaching and professional development including Depth of Knowledge, analyzing Indiana's Math item specs, and vocabulary building strategies. • Data is tracked weekly via formative assessments, followed by weekly cluster data meetings, and action plans. Year Management Management Number of % Students % Low School/Entity State Started Scope Type of Contract Scholars of Color Income Michigan Education MI 2017 Full Management Charter School 350 99.30% 79.20% Choice Center Management Notable outcomes for MECC: • • PLA took over management of MECC as of August of the 2017 – 18 school year. Scholars showed a 80% student growth percentile (SGP) on the NWEA Math assessment (i.e., students at MECC have achieved more growth than 80% of their academic peers nationwide). • Scholars in kindergarten and grades 1, 5, and 7 showed 93% or better student growth percentile (SGP) on the NWEA Math assessment. • Scholars showed a 78% student growth percentile (SGP) on the NWEA ELA assessment (i.e., students at MECC have achieved more growth than 78% of their academic peers nationwide). Year Management Management Number of % Students % Low School/Entity State Started Scope Type of Contract Scholars of Color Income Foster Elementary FL 2018 Academic District School 480 97% 92.50% School Management Management Notable outcomes for Foster: • • • • • PLA took over management of Foster Elementary as of August of this school year (2018-19). In our first year at Foster, we have implemented ongoing, interactive professional developing through mentoring programs, coaching, and collaborative planning by the standards. We are currently facilitating a transition to data-driven instruction by tracking behavior data and addressing issues that negatively affect instruction, as well as creating a Data Den via community donations. On the iReady formative assessment, scholars scored higher on the first assessment than was predicted, demonstrating an upward trend; school leadership predicts even better prformance on the 2nd assessment. In addition to using behavior data to address challenges, we are also coaching teachers to record and use positive data for our newly implemented rewards and incentives programs. 119 Year Management School/Entity State Started Oak Park Elementary FL 2018 School Notable outcomes for Oak Park: Management Scope Academic Management Type of Contract District School Management Number of % Students % LowScholars of Color Income 600 96% 98.50% • • PLA took over management of Oak Park Elementary as of August of this school year (2018-19). Oak Park is currently preparing for the Marigold Awards, a celebration of colleague support for professional growth; this teambuilding activity contributes to a positive work & school culture and supports teacher retention. • We are using purposeful scheduling to help ensure the integrity of instructional time. Because of state mandates for daily recess, Oak Park scheduled its first 20-minute recess at the start of the day to reduce the impact of loss of instructional time for tardy students. • We have started the use of Kickboard, an online system used to track and analyze school culture improvement efforts. Year Management Management Number of % Students % LowSchool/Entity State Started Scope Type of Contract Scholars of Color Income Sheehy Elementary FL 2018 Academic District School 440 97.50% 98.90% School Management Management Notable outcomes for Sheehy: • PLA took over management of Sheehy Elementary as of August of this school year (2018-19). • Attendance is up: during the first quarter of the school year, the percentage of students with a 90% attendance rate or better was up from 79% last year to 92% this year. • Teachers are consistently conducting standards-based planning for ELA, Math, and Science. • Data-driven instruction is being implemented. Teachers are tracking data in classrooms and having regular Data Chats with students to help students recognize their own progress and set goals. • To support teachers and students, Reading Coaches and Reading Resource Teachers are being strategically placed in classrooms that need the most support. • Students are beginning to understand what success feels like; Sheehy’s new motto is, “We celebrate big and small wins!” 120 Attachment Resumes EARL MARTIN PHALEN 1001 Marina Drive, #410 – Quincy, MA 02171 (617) 818-1959 – emphalen@gmail.com GEORGE AND VERONICA PHALEN LEADERSHIP ACADEMIES 2013-present Founder and CEO Indianapolis, IN The mission of Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA) is to ensure children living in low-income communities meet high academic and social standards, and thrive as leaders at home, in their communities, and in the world. PLA is a non-profit network of high-performing public and public charter schools. Our focus is primarily on turning around currently failing schools. Key Accomplishments  Successfully turned five F-rated schools into A-rated schools.  Manage 10 schools serving 4,000 children in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, Gary and in Detroit.  Approved to operate 10 charter schools for nearly 10,000 children, the largest number of charters approved in the history of Indiana.  Secured over $10M in public and private funding from organizations and individuals including the Mind Trust, Charter School Growth Fund, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Developed PLA into a $38M non-profit within five years.  Built and manage an exceptional national leadership of 34 team members and a 500-person school educational team.  Developed and implement a business model to ensure long-term sustainability by operating only on the public reimbursement dollars we receive from the state funding.  By the end of the second school year, 100% of scholars passed the IREAD state exam, demonstrating reading proficiency by third grade.  Scholars increased from 49% to 76% proficient in reading, and from 66% to 77% proficient in math, based on STAR Reading, a nationally-normed assessment. SUMMER ADVANTAGE USA 2008-present Founder and CEO Indianapolis, IN The mission of Summer Advantage USA is to harness the power of summer to help all children maximize their tremendous innate potential. Summer Advantage is a full-day, 5-week educational program that includes a healthy breakfast and lunch; rigorous morning academic instruction in reading, writing and math; and afternoon enrichment in areas including art, music, drama, physical education and science. Key Accomplishments  Secured a $1M grant and served nearly 1,000 scholars in the pilot (2009) summer.  Expanded the program to serve 5,000 scholars while maintaining exceptionally high outcomes.  Ensure strong academic progress and program quality – scholars gain 2 months reading, writing and math skills; and parent and teacher satisfaction rates were 97% and 98% respectively.  Built an exceptional leadership and teaching team including a COO, Regional Director, and Director of Development, and 435 certified teachers and college students.  Became an approved professional development provider for the state of Indiana – our teachers get professional development points for participating in our 30-hour pre-program training.  Attracted national visibility including TIME magazine (cover story), BET Awards, MSNBC, Wall Street Journal, Essence, the Chronicle of Philanthropy and several others.  Secured over $15M in public and private funding to continue and grow our work. BUILDING EDUCATED LEADERS FOR LIFE (BELL) 1993-2008 Co-Founder and CEO Dorchester, MA BELL is a $25M non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the educational and life opportunities of elementary school children living in low-income urban communities. BELL educates nearly 12,000 scholars in 75 public and charter school sites throughout Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, New York City, and Springfield, MA. BELL’s corps of educators includes more than 1,000 teachers and tutors. Key Accomplishments  Grew BELL from a small service project with 10 volunteers serving 20 children to a national non-profit with 52 full-time and 750 part-time employees educating 12,000 students annually.  Created one of the nation’s only two scientifically-proven programs, as demonstrated through a randomized control group independent evaluation conducted by Urban Institute and Mathematica.  Increased annual revenues from $12,000 to $25.5M and raised over $100M cumulatively.  Established long-term and innovative corporate partnerships in the legal, publishing, sports, and banking industries. Partners include the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, Houghton Mifflin Company, WilmerHale, the Monitor Group, Reebok, Fidelity, and Sovereign Bank. Each partner has played a key strategic role in advancing BELL’s mission and service to scholars.  Established a unique public-private partnership between the Baltimore City Public School System and BELL to be the exclusive outside provider for the district’s summer school program. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE  Trustee, Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation (2016-present)  Trustee, Kansas City Scholars (2017-present)  Trustee, WorldTeach (2018-present)  Trustee, Phalen Leadership Academies (2013-present)  Trustee, Summer Advantage USA (2008-present)  Trustee, BELL (1993-2008)  Member, Education Policy Group for Senator Obama’s presidential campaign (2008)  Co-chair, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s education task force to help shape the Commonwealth’s education policy, pre-Kindergarten through higher education (Spring 2007) AWARDS AND HONORS  2010 BET (Black Entertainment Television) Shine A Light Award for years of extraordinary community service.  1997 President’s Service Award presented by President Clinton, honoring the nation’s leading community service organizations.  Three-time recipient of the Social Capitalist Award from Fast Company.  Recipient of The Network Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” award, profiling the country’s top Black business owners and professionals.  2014 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award winner, which recognizes six distinguished former student-athletes on the 25th anniversary of the end of their careers. Other honorees were 3-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Troy Aikman, 12-time Olympic medalist Dara Torres, and NFL quarterback Rodney Peete. EDUCATION HARVARD LAW SCHOOL J.D., 1993 Cambridge, MA YALE UNIVERSITY B.A. Political Science, 1989 New Haven, CT ANDREA ROBINSON 11829 Maze Creek Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46259 ♦ C: 317-409-6916 ♦ targetedcoach@comcast.net PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY Enthusiastic educator, with superb leadership and communication skills. Easily cultivates trusting and productive relationships with colleagues and administration in order to build professional knowledge capacity. SKILLS School improvement experience Professional development facilitator Great Communication Skills Classroom management coach Technology integration knowledge School data interpreter Leader in using data to drive instruction Belief in building relationships and trust WORK HISTORY Outreach Coordinator for Marion County, 07/2015 to Current Indiana Department of Education – Indianapolis, IN Monitored 26 Focus and Priority status schools in the Indianapolis area based on the eight Turnaround Principles Resourced 67 schools in the Indianapolis area Planned, developed, and delivered successful targeted professional development to several school based on individual school needs such as DOK, Effective Instructional Strategies, Improving Student Memory, Unpacking Standards, Learning Objectives, Classroom Management, Rigorous Instruction, Integrating Technology, Checks for Understanding, Student Engagement, Coaching Conversations, and much more. Conducted school-wide observation audits in order to provide the school leadership with an outside perspective on strengths and areas of improvement for the whole school and for individual staff members. Case Manager for a district in the SDN Cohort 1; conducted monthly visits and leading conversations centered around their High Quality Plan. Co-created and presented professional development at the state CCR Summer PD on the coaching cycle/coaching conversation process for school leadership. Co-facilitated the Outreach Department summer book study using the books Bringing Joy Back into the Classroom and RIGOR is NOT a four-letter Word. Participated on the AdvancED Diagnostic Review team. Provided a weekly communication called the Monday Memo to all my schools with IDOE update. Instructional Coach, 07/2012 to 07/2015 Franklin Township Community School Corporation – Indianapolis, IN Conducted data mining of all school data in order to help staff members make instructional changes based on the interpretation of data. Designed and conducted professional development for staff in order meet the more rigorous level of instruction needed for today's students. Continuously analyzed school data in order to determine intervention groups for both reading and math using the RTI framework. Led grade level meetings with all staff members and provided guidance on how to use data to target specific deficits and make instructional adjustments. Modeled classroom lessons and integrated a more rigorous approach with instruction in order to teach the Indiana Academic Standards. Professional Development Facilitator, 01/2002 to 08/2013 University of Indianapolis – Indianapolis, IN Provided professional development for the University of Indianapolis student teachers. Supervised student teachers for the University of Indianapolis. Professional Development Facilitator, 07/2013 to 08/2013 Kappa Delta Pi – Indianapolis, IN Conducted primary and intermediate webinars on the 90-minute reading block, literacy work stations, teacher table, and classroom management for KDP (Kappa Delta Pi). Elementary Teacher for grades 3, 4, and 5, 04/1995 to 05/2012 Franklin Township Community School Corporation – Indianapolis, IN Differentiated instruction according to student interest levels and skill levels. Employed a broad range of instructional strategies in order to hold students' interest and maximize learning. Established clear learning objectives for all lessons and content areas in a student-friendly format. Observed and assessed student performance and kept thorough records of progress in order to target specific skills during small group instruction. Technology Instructor, 08/2004 to 08/2006 Franklin Township Community School Corporation – Indianapolis, IN Taught beginning and advanced Microsoft Word and PowerPoint classes for staff members in the summer technology training workshops. Trained staff members on iMovie, iPhoto, and iTunes in the summer technology training workshops. Taught evening Microsoft Word classes for community members. EDUCATION Master of Science: Elementary Education, 2005 Indiana Wesleyan University - Indianapolis, IN Bachelor of Science: Elementary Education, 1994 Indiana University - Bloomington, IN ACCOMPLISHMENTS Awards, Recognition & Professional Growth Named Franklin Township Community School Corporation Teacher of the Year. Named Arlington Elementary Teacher of the Year. Received an Academic Recognition Award. Winner of district level and state level media fair contest. Awarded The Olin W. Davis Award for Exemplary Teaching of Economics. Award the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher Award for Franklin Township Community School Corporation. Received the Economics America school grant. Received a Franklin Township Education Foundation grant award. Participated and chaired on the PL221 committee. Led the district with ELA curriculum mapping framework. Served on the district PBIS team. Served on the TITLE I committee. Served on the district's student-led goal setting committee. Trained in Kagan Cooperative Learning. Trained in C.L.A.S.S. (Connecting Learning Assures Successful Students) Attended the National Reading Recovery Conference and coached peers in the latest developments in literacy. Attended the Fisher and Frey conference and coached peers on the latest developments in close reading. Attended the National Title I Summit Conference in Utah and coached peers on the information provided at the summit. 7349 Testimony Avenue Unit 3A, Carmel, IN. 46033 PHONE: 317-294-5069 EMAIL: faman@myips.org NICOLE FAMA OBJECTIVE: My goal is to serve in a position that focuses on student growth and achievement where my leadership talents and diverse experiences can have a positive impact on students, teachers and the community. QUALIFICATIONS:  Member of Project: RESTORE creative innovation team  Demonstrated the ability to turnaround failing schools, and maintain positive results  Visionary leader with a proven track record of motivating staff and students  Change agent for education, demonstrating participative and supportive leadership style in the administration of school policies, procedures and activities  Demonstrated commitment to ensuring quality education for all students based on their unique emotional, social and intellectual characteristics  Humanistic approach in providing leadership and communication with administration, staff, students, parents, and community members  Knowledgeable of current trends in education and implementing programs that produce results WORK EXPERIENCE: 2015 - Present Indianapolis Public Schools Indianapolis, IN Principal As principal at I.P.S. School #93 I serve as the instructional leader for teachers and staff in grades K-6. School #93 is in conversion to be one of the districts first I.P.S. innovation schools under the Project: RESTORE model. We are currently in our first year turnaround effort at this chronically failing school, and much progress has been made to date. We have received community attention and accolades from The Indianapolis Star, Stand for Children, The Mindtrust, and The Indy Channel regarding our marked improvements. 2009 – 2015 Indianapolis Public Schools Indianapolis, IN Dean of Student Discipline I was hired as a teacher at Arlington Woods Elementary, and was fortunate to be part of the team that piloted the innovative program, Project RESTORE. I co-created, wrote and coordinated all of the schools discipline policies and procedures under the new program. As a dean I handled all suspensions, parent reinstatement conferences, keeping of all discipline records, creating behavior plans, and building strong parent and community relationships. This also included classroom management assistance and providing professional development for staff. Building parent and community relations through the children and their successes was very important while making positive changes in student behavior and discipline school-wide. Project: RESTORE has proven to be a revolutionary program in Urban Education with positive sustained academic results. 2004 – 2009 Indianapolis Public Schools Indianapolis, IN Teacher I have taught at Shortridge High School, Brookside School #54 and Arlington Woods School #99. At Shortridge I taught language arts to students in grades 6-8. During my time at Brookside Elementary I taught sixth grade, third grade, and Title I. I also served as the student council director, cheerleading coach, and was in charge of school wide fundraising. At Arlington Woods I taught Title I. before transitioning into an administrative role. EDUCATION: 2013-2015 Indiana Wesleyan University M. Ed. 1996-2001 Indiana University B.S. Elementary Education 2002-2003 Indiana University Secondary Education English/Reading Endorsement HONORS/AWARDS:         Hubbard Outstanding Educator Award Top 10 Winner, 2014 Arlington Achiever Award, 2013 Senator Richard Lugar Patriot Award, 2012 Indianapolis City Council Peace in the Streets Award, 2011 ABCD Award (Above, Beyond the Call of Duty) 2007 and 2010 Teacher High Performance Award School 54 Teacher of the Year 2006 Perfect attendance (3 years) Danielle Robinson daniellerobinsonworks@gmail.com 404-838-9505 CORE QUALIFICATIONS • • • • • • • • • • • Community involvement Regulatory compliance Excellent communication skills Program development Program analysis Adult-leaning theory Instructional designing School improvement Process/program analysis Goal-setting Leaner-type identification • Education-oriented EXPERIENCE REGIONAL DIRECTOR PHALEN LEADERSHIP ACADEMIES 07/01/2017-Current • • • • • • • • • EXCUTIVE SUMMARY Highly effective manager, trainer, and educator with substantial experience in leadership development, education improvement, and program management, along with proven ability to affect change and meet objectives. • Developing and implementing innovative programing • Working with constituent groups including boards, committees, volunteers, and external audiences ` ` • Building and retaining exceptional staff and creating excellent work environments. • Overseeing and coordinating all aspects of budgeting and financial management • Leading organizations and departments through periods of substantial growth and transition. • • • • • • • Establishes the regional academic vision and goals and takes ultimate responsibility for academic alignment, ensuring instructional quality and academic performance across the region Oversees the efficiency and effectiveness of regional operations in order to drive even stronger results in school performance support and develop leaders, teachers and staff members in order to ensure that outstanding teaching and learning Inspires and effectively manages (directly and indirectly) staff to achieve extraordinary results, and offers a clear vision and direction for regional staff members Work with leadership team to develop a strategic vision and implementation plan to accomplish it Set clear academic, growth, operational, and financial goals and manage to them; adapt as necessary given changes in internal and external environment Build a high-performing regional team that is able to support schools in their drive to deliver transformational educational outcomes for students Recruit and develop future school leaders and a regional team Build and support a strong, cohesive culture that reflects the RESTORE model and leads to a strong and aligned regional identity Introduce strong and consistent accountability systems to ensure regional progress toward shared goals. Promote transparent decision-making processes and embrace distributive leadership principles over time Build the short and long-term organizational capacity and brand required for excellence, sustainability, and growth Build staff capacity and infrastructure systems necessary to sustain the region as scale and complexity grow. Develop region-wide systems to meet the varied needs of a rapidly-growing organization, including financial management, budget planning, compliance, human resources, facilities management, vendor management, marketing, and information technology Provide oversight of individual School Leadership Provide oversight of academic vision and priorities Provide oversight of the implementation and alignment of high-quality curriculum, assessment, data management, and other academic systems across the region, leveraging the Phalen Academic model as the foundation for the region’s instructional strategy Oversee internal school review processes EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT BIDII EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CHICAGO 07/01/20016-07/01/2017 2 Designed and facilitated various specialized professional development sessions for charter school networks including: • “Systematically Building a Positive School Culture” • “The History of Public Education and The Urban Student” • “Common Core Instructional Rigor and DOK” • “The Philosophy, Mentality, and Practice of High Expectations in Urban Schools” • “Subconscious Cultural Bias and Fear” • “The Magic Lever: Motivation” • “The Practice of Implementing Data Driven Instructional Cycles” • High Impact Math Routines PRINCIPAL SHABAZZ INTERNATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS, CHICAGO 06/2013-07/01/2016 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Developed and implemented educational activities both strategic and operational, including metrics to track and evaluate progress Designed, facilitated, and coordinated delivery of In-Service Training Programs Improved school-wide NWEA national reading growth percentile from the 1st percentile to the 97th in one school year Improved school-wide NWEA national math growth percentile from the 3rd percentile to the 98th in one school year Improved overall school performance quality rating two levels in two years Coached staff members to meet performance goals and effective communication Facilitated visioning, strategic planning, service improvement, and performance management Managed data collection for the proper maintenance of record keeping and reporting purposes Ensured campus compliance with state Department of Education, accreditation, regulations and policies Designed, implemented, and managed federal title 1 and federal title ll grant programming Modified existing program services and created new program offerings to maintain or enhance program standing Provided quality assurance reviews and addressed areas in need of attention Planned and directed overall activities for K-8 school with 300 students and 34 faculty members Responsible for direction and coordination of network-wide research, evaluation, implementation, and evaluation of educational programming Designed and executed multi-year school improvement plan that included long-range and short-range goals benchmarks Fiscal development and management of campus level multimilliondollar budget Designed quantitative and qualitative measurements to evaluate and improve school wide programs, systems, and initiatives Evaluated student academic, social emotional, and teacher 3 • professional development programs and initiatives using qualitative and quantitative tools and methods Managed community engagement and relations TEACHER TRAINER/FOUNDING MATH EDUCATOR KIPP METRO ATLANTA, 06/2011-06/2013 • • • • • • • • Designed sixth grade math curricular Trained KIPP teacher fellows Coached new teachers giving specific feedback and setting specific goals Conducted workshops for community members to increase involvement, awareness, and access Assisted in development of math curriculum standards and mapping across the KIPP Metro Atlanta Network Delivered instruction to all 6th grade math students Lead region in student growth during tenure 87% of students met or exceeded state performance expectations MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT CHAIR SHABAZZ CHARTER SCHOOLS, CHICAGO 08/2009-08/2010 • • • • • • • • Researched, recommended and assisted with implementation of methodologies and practices that lead to high student engagement and achievement Provided ongoing professional development for assigned teachers Observed, mentored and held accountable assigned teachers regarding best practices in instruction Promoted instructional practices that were modified and differentiated to meet the needs of the individual learner. Assisted in facilitating the integration and use of instructional technology, as appropriate Assisted in planning the professional development program for faculty Managed college and career initiatives Delivered foundational mathematics and geometry instruction to high-school students TEACHER/INTRSUCTIONAL COACH SHABAZZ CHARTER SCHOOLS, CHICAGO 08/2003-08/2009 • 85% of students met or excceded state performance standards in math (7-year average) • 78% of students met or exceeded state performance standards in reading (7-year average) 4 • Designed curriculum and delivered instruction in writing, reading, language arts, mathematics, and social sciences for grades 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 • Created and delivered instructional workshops for teachers across network Modeled, demonstrated, and co-taught lessons using various instructional and classroom management best practices Completed daily observations and provided immediate feedback to all teachers which improved instruction and student achievement Worked with teachers to increase their familiarity with and utilization of available instructional resources and professional development opportunities Regularly reviewed weekly lesson plans, observed teachers in the classroom, and provided teachers with reflective and actionable feedback Collaborated with the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, other instructional coaches, and additional staff to provide quality professional development and curriculum implementation guidance to teachers Administered quarterly assessments and provided leadership in the utilization of student performance data to customize and improve instruction Created and supported professional learning communities of teachers to improve the effectiveness of their teaching strategies • • • • • • • Teacher Millennium Community School, Columbus, OH 11/2001-08/2003 EDUCATION MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINSTRATION, MPA NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT 2005 BACHELOR OF ARTS HUMANITIES/COMMUNICATIONS The Ohio State University 2002 ACHEIVEMENTS AND RECOGNITION • • • • Formally recognized by Mayor Rahm Emmanuel for school academic school improvement Formally regcognized by Chicago Police anf Group 103 for positive school culture Lead KIPP Metro Atlanta Network in student academic growth Teacher of the year 2004/2005 and 2006/2007 REFERENCES AVALIABLE UPON REQUEST Amber L. Deckard adeckard0206@gmail.com 2387 E CR 300 N ∙ Danville, IN 46122 (317)727-9814 EXECUTIVE PROFILE An ambitious and optimistic Executive with progressive experience and demonstrated success in strategic planning, project management, efficiency improvement, and talent acquisition and development. Quickly grasps complex concepts, analyzes and interprets ideas into logical strategy, and identifies areas of strength, weakness, and opportunity - utilizing those drivers to implement policies, systems, and standards to realize strategic vision. EXPERIENCE Phalen Leadership Academies National Director of Recruitment 2018 - current The March of Dimes Foundation 2014 – 2018 Regional Vice President ∙Leadership and oversight of a 10-state territory with 11 direct reports (Executive Directors) and a team of staff and volunteers that support each of the 11 market offices responsible for a 12.2 MIL budget. ∙Served as part of the leadership team that supported process and decision making for the March of Dimes. ∙Cultivated and maintained relationships with high level donors and prospects across the territory ∙Provided guidance and leadership to Board of Directors across the Region Associate Vice President ∙Served as part of the Field Leadership Team creating and implementing strategic vision and direction for the field ∙Managed a 26-market portfolio across the Midwest ∙Lead collaboration with internal facing departments including operations, finance, and development ∙Cultivated and maintained relationships with high level donors and prospects ∙Led, coached and developed a team of 15 Executive Directors and 60+ staff responsible for $12 MIL budget State Director ∙Fiscal oversight of the Foundation’s local investments and Indiana ∙Recruited, trained, and developed employees to support the success of their respective communities ∙Recruited, developed and nurtured volunteers and volunteer relationships across the state ∙Provided leadership to the State Board of Directors, state led committees, and key volunteers to support the Foundation’s mission and investments ∙Managed a multi-state partnership that generates over a million dollars annually for the foundation Summer Advantage, USA 2010 – 2014 Regional Director ∙Developed, wrote and implemented processes to allow the program to create sustainable growth that supported the values, outcomes, and excellence of the original program model ∙Drove partner relationships and facilitated the sales process for acquiring and retaining school sites supporting the organization’s expansion ∙Developed partnerships and systems that supported sustainable funding to support the program’s implementation in communities and school systems for multiple years ∙Represented the organization’s message, mission and requirements at national and regional conferences, workshops and forums ∙Drove the sourcing and recruitment of staff to serve as summer leaders ∙Analyzed academic program data each season to inform needed modifications and enhance processes ∙Cultivated community partnerships to support programming and maximize visibility Muscular Dystrophy Association Regional Director - Indianapolis, IN – 2004-2010 Regional Director – Kansas City, Kansas – 2003 - 2004 Regional Coordinator – Kansas City, Kansas – 2001 - 2003 District Director – Wichita, Kansas – 1999 - 2001 Marketing and Program Coordinator – Wichita, Kansas – 1997 - 1999 1997 – 2010 EDUCATION The University of Southern Indiana Bachelor of Science – Business Administration Certificate – Leadership Development - IUPUI - 2012 Certificate – Human Resource Management - IUPUI – 2012 SHRM-CP Certification - 2017 COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS March of Dimes State Board of Directors Hendricks Civic Theatre - Board of Directors Volunteer –Danville High School Member of Society of Human Resources –SHRM 2014-2016 2014-2017 2016 -Current 2017 - Current Helen K. Dixon 11407 S. Longwood Drive Chicago, Illinois 60643 Home: (773) 203 - 0898 helenkdixon@yahoo.com SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS_______________________________________ A Human Resources Professional with exceptional and expansive background within the following competencies: Recruitment Event Management Technology Communications Strategic planning Project Management Progressive Leadership Negotiations Quality Control Decision Management Organizational Development Budgeting EXPERIENCE __________________________________________________________ Entrepreneurial Ventures in Education, Chicago, IL–01/2011– Present Director of Recruitment--National Staffing, Summer Programs and Charter School Network Recruitment oversight of all corporate/national staffing, summer seasonal staffing and charter school network staffing Staff team members for charter schools including leadership, teachers and support personnel Successfully manage annual full life cycle recruitment, selection, onboarding and placement of 600 summer staff members and 75 AmeriCorps members across Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Illinois and New York regions Manage staffing for upwards of $1million dollar + partner/client contracts Coordinate with all responsible staff to ensure pre-employment requirements are complete including new hire paperwork, validating I-9’s, running background checks & drug screens and payroll upload Advise and coordinate with other supervisors, functional areas, and senior leaders regarding staffing impact of reorganizations, placement, or practice/process changes Manage and execute position postings, compensation models, health benefits, new staff orientation Construct all candidate screening criteria, standards, and evaluative tools to ensure selection of highest quality talent Drive recruitment marketing to identify and attract strongest prospects Develop and implement strategies, professional development opportunities and incentives to retain high performing staff Promote data driven environment by reconciling and synthesizing qualitative and qualitative evidence to support sound strategy planning, implementation and execution New Leaders For New Schools, New York, NY/Chicago, IL–01/2008– 1/2011 National Director of School Leadership Recruitment Developed national strategic recruitment, strategies, policies and program development to attract the nation’s top school administrators and principals to lead urban schools across ten school districts Managed $300K budget and ensure allocations align to work product that was successful, measurable and reportable Promoted data driven environment by reconciling and synthesizing qualitative and qualitative evidence Significant knowledge of online media, paid search, web site optimization, and database marketing Oversight of recruitment team hiring/on-boarding, staffing, professional development and day operations Developed client services model and other support mechanisms to ensure efficient and uniform recruitment processes Represented the organization’s message, mission and requirements at leading education forums, conferences, policy workshops, job fairs and other relevant environments to heightened awareness and application to New Leaders program Drove recruitment improvement with design of proposals, timelines, budget, and presentation to executive management City of Chicago, Chicago, IL – 07/2006 – 1/2008 Director of Recruitment Architect of strategic recruitment and marketing planning and strategies for City of Chicago applicable to 38,000 employees and 43 departments Development of creative, cost effective candidate sourcing strategies for business areas of engineering, health, IT, architecture, marketing, finance etc as well as design of 43 individual department specific recruitment plans Managed internal and external relationships- Mayor’s Office, City of Chicago operating departments, universities, community and professional associations, aldermen, unions and government agencies to increase program awareness Drove recruitment with design of proposals, timelines, budget, and presentation to executive management Oversight of HR branding via logo development and placement, recruitment collateral and employment advertising Developed first HR employee fringe benefit system and wellness program as enterprise recruitment and retention tool Implemented recruitment metrics and measurables for program assessment, accountability and success - 1 -Dixon Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, IL – 3/2001 – 7/2006 Senior Recruitment Officer Oversight of prominent projects and events, including recruitment bus tours, mega teacher career fairs, and university pipeline initiatives Supported annual teacher vacancies ranging annually from 1800-3000 and responsible for staffing Region 5 schools Managed assignments, recruitment calendar, and professional development of senior recruiters and junior recruiters Strong proficiency and knowledge of CPS specific processes, operational timelines, protocol and technical systems Developed and modified internal practices and policies for betterment of recruitment systems Managed department funds against annual budget including transfers, reimbursement, and vendor payments Coordinated all major recruitment events which yielded annual attendance of 8,000 – 10,000 candidates annually and provided primary vehicle for principals to staff Drove marketing agenda for optimal audience visibility and written correspondence for use of press releases and other media coverage Tellabs Operations, Inc, Bolingbrook, IL – 11/2000- 3/2001 Contract Recruiter Performed full life cycle professional recruitment of exempt and non exempt positions Attracted local and national high talent utilizing the following sourcing methods: Internet/Intranet, referrals, print ads, cold calling, college recruiting, career fairs, and contingency search firms Evaluated resumes, sourced, and qualified prospective employees through telephone and direct interviews Maintained all requisitions in database for purpose of posting, generating reports and closing requisitions Provided internal customers with updated status reports presented in Excel, Power point, or Word Coordinated activities relative to interview evaluations, pre-employment testing, reference verification, extension of final offer and new hire orientation Communicated health benefits, 401K, stock options/grants, as well as negotiating compensation levels, start dates, bonuses and benefits packages Archibald Corporation (Parent company to Fannie May Candies) Chicago, IL- 9/2000-11/2000 Contract Corporate Recruiter MarchFirst, Inc (Formerly Whitman-Hart IT Consulting), Chicago, IL – 3/1999 – 6/2000 Team Leader - Corporate Fulfillment Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago, IL- 11/1997 – 3/1999 Assistant Manager TECHNICAL SKILLS_____________________________________________________________________________ Highly proficient: Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, Project Manager, AIMS and Outlook. Candidate Database: Goldmine, Resumix, Personic, Salesforce. Other resources: internet and database sourcing TRAINED HR AREAS_____________________________________________________________________________ Employment Law, Employee Relations, Recruitment, Staffing, Training, Diversity and Workplace Culture, Compensation, Benefits, Workforce Planning EDUCATION_____________________________________________________________________________________ University of Illinois-Urbana, Urbana, IL BA-Criminology/Sociology Instituto Tecnoloico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey –Guadalajara, Mexico Field of study: Business and Spanish Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Human Resources Management, Professional Certification PHR Certified – January 2006 AFFLIATIONS____________________________________________________________________________________ NAAAHR – National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, Professional Member SHRM – Society of Human Resource Management, Professional Member HRCI – Human Resource Certification Institute, PHR Certified and Professional Member - 2 -Dixon Melissa Ross ___________________________________________________________________ 8241 Oak Park Blvd. Oak Park, Michigan 48237 meliss.ross@yahoo.com (248) 217-8119 QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY v Extensive Federal and State Compliance Experience v Extensive experience working with students, staff, administration, parents and community agencies v Administrator Certificate; MA Reading; BA Language Arts-K-8 Cert, Elementary Ed Minor v Excellent Planning, Organizing, Presentation, Leadership, Training, along with Written, Verbal, and Interpersonal Communication Skills v Proficient in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel EMPLOYMENT Phalen Leadership Academies 2017- Present Associate Director of Compliance and Reporting • Oversight of all pupil accounting functions • Oversee Federal title programming for K-8, 31A programming, and State reporting; • Complete all necessary submissions to the authorizer • Serve as district coordinator for MSTEP/MEAP/MIACCESS • Manage Infinite Campus student information system Starr Detroit Academy, Harper Woods, MI 2013-2017 Supervisor of Compliance • Homeless Liaison • Student Discipline Officer • Monitored attendance, truancy and discipline • Develop and Ensure Implementation of district policies. • Responsible for pupil accounting functions • Oversee Federal title programming for K-8, 31A programming, and State reporting; • Complete all necessary submissions to the CMU authorizer • Serve as district coordinator for MSTEP/MEAP/MIACCESS • Manage PowerSchool student information system and food service vendor and reimbursement process • Implemented a system to make sure 95% of students were tested • Implemented procedures to ensure no Title I audit findings • Met enrollment goals each year • Maintained compliance rating of 90% or more for past 3 years • Performed clean count day audits with zero findings since existence • Found, wrote and received $19,000 literacy grants in 2015 and 2016 Melissa Ross ___________________________________________________________________ Pontiac School District, Pontiac, MI 2012-2013 Manager of State and Federal Programs • Responsible for overall supervision, coordination, and evaluation of Federal and State Programs included in No Child Left Behind legislation-Title I, Title II, Part A, Title III-ESL and all State and Federal funded school reform programs. • Prepared and submitted the districts Consolidated Application for Federal and State Programs in MEGS and MEGS+ (Michigan Education Grant System). • Submitted Consolidated Application updates or budget amendments necessary to provide direction to budget/finance director for the establishments of budgets for district and individual school level use funds. • Monitored Federal and State program budgets and expenditures to ensure appropriate use of funds in District and school buildings. Approved program expenditures through the BiTech system and documentation submitted to accounts payable and payroll departments. • Implemented Title 1 Private and Non Public programs according to Title 1 guidelines. Innovative Teaching Solutions, Detroit, MI 2005-2012 Director of Compliance (2006- 2012) • Provided Training and support for Student Information System across the District • Homeless Liaison • Student Discipline Officer • Monitored attendance, truancy and discipline • Develop and Ensure Implementation of district policies. • Managed, supported, and provided professional development for academic deans, preschool director, pupil accountants and registrar • Oversaw all federal title programming and budgeting for K-12 • Responsible for all State reporting • Served as district coordinator for MEAP/MME/MIACCESS • Supervised GSRP program • Implemented system to result in Clean count day audits, which is still in use today • Implemented system to make sure that 95% of students were tested. • Met enrollment goals each year Reading Specialist, Old Redford Academy Elementary, Detroit, MI (2005-2006) • Coached and developed reading instructors • Provided professional development on best practices in literacy • Served as School Improvement Chair National Heritage Academies, Grand Rapids, MI Walton Charter Academy, Pontiac, MI Reading Specialist, (2003-2005) • Trained and developed reading instructors • Selected and oversaw reading curriculum for a K-8 academy • Wrote “Character Camp” curriculum for use by all NHA schools New Teacher Trainer (2003-2005) • Provided teacher training for all new teachers, corporate-wide • Designed character education curriculum Primary Lead Teacher, (4th through 6th grades) (2001-2005) 2001-2005 Chandler Park Academy, Detroit, MI Primary Teacher, 3rd and 6th grades 1999-2001 Melissa Ross ___________________________________________________________________ Holland Community Education, Holland, MI Alternative Education Teacher, 9th through 12th 1996-1999 CONSULTING EXPERIENCE Inkster Public Schools • Completed Consolidated Application to distribute last Title Funds. (2013) MEAP, ELA Content Advisory Committee • Participated in the revisions and selections of MEAP assessment items (2011 and 2012) EDUCATION Oakland University, Rochester, MI • Education Specialist: Administrator’s Certificate, 2013 Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI • Master’s Degree in Education: Reading, 2002 • Bachelor’s Degree in Language Arts, Elementary Education Minor, 1994 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS • • • • • MEAP, ELA Content Advisory Committee, 2011–Present School Board Member, Frederick Douglas International Academy, 2013 - 2016 Michigan Pupil Accounting and Attendance Association, 2006-Present Committee member- Enroll Detroit Committee member- Volunteers Assisting the Disabled, 2002 - Present TAHIRAH THOMPSON TahirahThompson@hotmail.com 20 E. 30th Place Steger, IL 60475 510.205.3379 (mobile) EDUCATION: Howard University, Washington, DC SKILLS: Campus) Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Student Information Systems (PowerSchool and Infinite Major: Business Degree: Bachelors in Business Administration EXPERIENCE: 2017- Current • • • • • • • • • • • • Phalen Leadership Academies Regional Operations Manager - Midwest Set up and manage school operations vendors including janitorial/maintenance, technology, transportation, security, and food services. Help ensure school buildings are in good and safe condition by facilitating work orders with maintenance vendor. Set up, implement, manage, provide professional development training and trouble shoot issues with the student information and behavior management systems. (Infinite Campus, Kickboard) Evaluates school systems continuously to find ways to address areas of inefficiency, seeks improvement, and shares innovations with regional leadership team and school administrative staff. Serve as a coach and thought partner to school office managers via regular weekly check-ins and feedback exchanges. Assist Regional Director on special projects as needed. Partner with schools to develop student and staff recruitment plans and enrollment processes. Support marketing efforts and community partnerships to recruit more students and staff. Always thinking strategically and planning with a long-term perspective keeping in mind the vision of the region. Flexible and adaptable with the ability to view situations with a critical lens and welcomes frequent change and ambiguity. Highly organized, ability to work independently, makes thoughtful decisions about projects, and pays attention to details in order to complete tasks with minimal errors. Trusted team member who proactively identifies and assess problems and brings them to the attention of the regional leadership team and school administrative staff with viable solutions and resolutions to the problems. 2013- Current • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Barbara A. Sizemore Academy, Chicago, IL Director of Operations Supervised the front office team on the enrollment, transfer, discharge, and readmission process for students and the preparation of related records and files. Supervised the maintenance of all student records, including assessment results, test scores, discipline citations, and medical records. Managed the High School enrollment process for upper school students. (Counselor) Managed all aspects of student fundraising. Managed requisitions and supervise distribution of classroom, office supplies, inventory, and prepares and maintains purchase orders and processing of packing slips. Created the process and procedures and manages the technology and maintenance request process. Created and manages the process for fieldtrip requests. Monitors the school’s multi-million dollar operational budget, manages the development of special project budgets, and monitors the school’s daily expenditures. Processed, assigned, trained, and directed work of volunteers. Planed and coordinated arrangements for school activities and acts as a liaison between outside agencies, parents, and the public. (BET, PBS) Developed, implemented, and monitored work practices, systems, and methods to ensure that all school policies and procedures run effectively. Created and managed school master calendar of meetings and events. Seek out and participated in professional development to increase school efficiencies. (Excel, Access, and Grant Writing Training) Monitored and analyzed student performance assessment data preparing reports as needed for special projects and staff performance reviews. Managed and maintained school compliance. 2011- 2013 • • • • • Teach for America, Atlanta, GA Teacher, 6th, 7th, & 8th Grade Math Intervention, 6th Grade Social Studies (Kipp Vision Academy - Atlanta Public Schools, Pointe South Middle School - Clayton County Public School) Designed and implemented challenging curriculum, created an ambitious vision, and set goals contributing to the overall success of my students. Planed strategically, thought critically, and used creativity to accomplish my goals. Continuously improved and reflected on results, analyzed data, and solved complex problems. Managed relationships and communicated across constituencies including students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Managed my time effectively, highly organized, multitasked in a high-intensity environment, relentlessly pursued results, and demonstrated a passion for my work. 2008- 2010 Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), San Francisco, CA • • • • • • • • Project Manager, Service & Sales (S&S), ClimateSmart/Demand Response Programs (Bay Region: San Francisco/Peninsula, East Bay, South Bay, Central Coast) Proactively supported, educated, collaborated, and strategized with Customer Community Relations Managers (CCRM), Account Managers (AM), the Program Core Teams, Environmental Policy, and Government Relations on the programs. Supported 90 plus Bay Region S&S teams with program requests including company research, customized presentations, presented, and provided marketing materials. Educated the Bay Region S&S teams by keeping them up-to-date with the most current information regarding the programs. Created several tools, including a newsletter, resource guide, technical training overview, and program proposal template which aided in selling the programs, provided information regarding available resources, updates from the program Core Team, and statistical data regarding the programs. Worked to improve sales collateral and identify additional opportunities to promote the programs. Established a dialogue and set up meeting with my counterparts to create best practices for the programs throughout the territory. Coordinated customer outreach and educational events with the S&S CCRMs and AMs, Marketing, and the Event Management Group to provide information about the programs and generate potential sales leads. Identified potential customers, set up and lead strategy meetings, and developed customized action plans for customers. 2007- 2008 • • • • • • • • Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), San Francisco, CA Billing Analyst, Customer Billing Department, Standby and Direct Access Maintained and billed approximately 600 large commercial business accounts, totaling approximately $3,000,000 in revenue per month, through our billing systems Advance Billing Systems and Customer Care and Billing. Created process improvements for the Interval-Billing Group including a billing manual, database of standby accounts, and an IF58 Manual. Tested Gas Transmission Sarbanes-Oxley protocols, insuring that controls are in place and working properly, therefore lessening financial risk for the company. Planned and co-facilitated Customer Billing department and Interval Billing staff meetings. Co-chaired the 2008 Customer Billing Campaign for the Community; I implemented and lead fundraisers for non-profit agencies, kick-off meetings, and managed a group of 9 Donor Representatives and 90 employees. Provided “knowledge sharing” training to the interval team on various aspects including rates. Knowledgeable about Direct Access and Standby billing, rate schedules, and metering. Worked with Stakeholders including Energy Data Services, Metering Services, Account Services, Energy Service Provider, Advanced Billing Solutions, Revenue & Statistics, Consumer Affairs, Records, and Rates & Tariffs. 2005- 2007 • • • • • • • • Sony BMG Music Entertainment, New York, NY Marketing Assistant (Northeast Region: NY, NJ, PA, DE, MA, RI, ME, NH) Communicated between the Director of Marketing, the Field Marketing/Sales Staff, and Retail Accounts. Managed the allocation of Point of Purchase materials and CD gratis to the field staff and retail accounts. Created promotional materials for Retail Accounts, that contributed to the awareness of our brands. Coordinated the placement of light boxes and wall panels in Tower Records throughout the Northeast region. Visited, followed up, and trouble-shooter for issues with accounts regarding the placement of point of purchase (pop) materials and products. Managed interns and facilitated their learning process about the field of marketing and SonyBMG Music Entertainment. Conducted research and analyzed market trends imperative to reducing risk in decision-making associated with artists. Coordinated and hosted events, created and implemented promotions and contests, and contributed to the marketing plans for the artists. SERVICE: • 2007 – 2010 Capture the Dream, Inc. Board of Directors, Vice President Community Programs – Responsible for the direction and implementation of all community programs serving hundreds of low-income families. Liaison between Capture the Dream and other likeorganization to garner partnership with other community organizations. Solicited monetary and in-kind donation from individuals and corporations for approximately $40,000. Invested 20-hours per week and attended monthly board meetings contributing to the overall direction of the non-profit. 18910 Birchcrest Detroit, MI 48221 Education Leticia O. Sampson (313) 574-6367 lsampson315@aol.com Doctor of Education, Wayne State University, in progress Education Specialist Certificate, Wayne State University, 2017 Master of Arts in Special Education, University of the District of Columbia, 2004 Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Wayne State University, 1998 Professional Licensure Full Approval for Director of Special Education Professional Teacher Certificate Learning Disabilities K-12 (Expiration: June 2020) Professional Experience Director of Special Education April 2018 - Present Phalen Leadership Academies Indianapolis, IN q Demonstrates foresight, examines issues and takes initiatives to improve the quality of education in the schools q Provides an environment where optimal student growth can take place q Maintains an understanding of the dynamics of the educational organization q Works cooperatively with building administration and staff in planning, implementing, and managing programs and services for students with disabilities q Ensures that all students with disabilities in the district are provided a free and appropriate public education through the provision of instructional programs and related services q Assists Human Resources in the recruitment and employment of properly licensed personnel as required to provide services to students with disabilities consistent with their IEPs q Develops local policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations q Coordinates and monitors the district’s special services programs such as speech and language, psychological, etc. q Supervises the curriculum development activities of certificated and classified special education staff q Participates in community events and acts as a community liaison for the district q Develops and manages budgets q Administers district policies and contract provisions q Promotes and maintains a professional attitude among staff q Works with building leaders to determine the assignment of special education employees to schools q Keeps abreast of professional literature and recent research findings in education and employs such information in the district program. q Participates on district and professional committees q Represents the district on other decision-making bodies when appropriate Special Education/Early On Coordinator October 2008 - April 2018 Total Education Solutions Troy, MI q q q q q q q q q q q q q q Built and managed positive relationships with clients including charter school authorizers, public school districts, principals and school superintendents Organized, coordinated, managed and undertook timely and effective compliance audits of clients to ensure compliance with IDEA Represented both the client and the company at various community/school/agency meetings Oversaw the review, management, monitoring and reporting of all special education service delivery with regard to meeting requirements of each IEP/IFSP as well as IDEA Prepared correspondence, reports and other communicative subject matter for clients that may include privileged and highly sensitive material Facilitated and/or participated in IEP/IFSP meeting development and attendance as necessary Provided orientation to service providers regarding client contract provisions Established and supervised the accurate maintenance of complex and confidential student files Assigned service providers and ensures provision of special education services to students referred by clients in a timely manner in keeping with the provisions of the client contract and IDEA compliance requirements Created records of service provider caseloads, and schedules; and reviews service documentation Presented clients with monthly updates of service provision including the status of students being serviced as well as notifying the client regarding any changes in service providers Attended to administrative detail utilizing initiative and good judgment Demonstrated the ability to be flexible, self-directed and responsible Worked with minimal supervision with multiple staff across partnering agencies Middle School, Program Director June 2006 - September 2008 Rock Creek Academy Washington, DC q Coordinated assessments, staff developments and team meetings q Effectively communicated with parents, attorneys, social workers, mentors, tutors and student advocates q Monitored classrooms and the academic performance for each student q Ensured that all students’ IEP stipulations were met q Selected, oriented, assigned, evaluated and supervised a staff of teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists, a reading specialist, a school nurse and an administrative assistant q Conducted conferences and meetings with parents and other community representatives q Assured the proper evaluation of student progress and of the effectiveness of the program to determine which practices to maintain or modify q Developed and implemented in-service programs especially geared to the unique needs of staff and students q Assisted with record reviews, transportation and food services Curriculum Coordinator September 2o05 - May 2006 Rock Creek Academy Washington, DC q Served as liaison between school staff and school administration q Assisted classroom teacher in selecting, locating, and securing instructional materials q q q q q q Conducted departmental meetings on matters of student and program concerns Supervised the teacher assistants assigned to the K-12 program Participated in the planning of school staff development and in-service activities Observed and coached instructional staff that resulted in differentiated instruction, and high levels of achievement Planned and administered standardized test Provided crisis intervention services and emergency assistance to families Special Education Teacher September 2001 - August 2005 Rock Creek Academy Washington, DC q Taught all core subjects (K-6) and English (9-10) q Motivated the teachers as their team leader and reporting information to and from administration q Infused technology through lessons that required additional assistance q Diagnosed the learning disabilities of students q Created an atmosphere conducive to learning geared toward special education students q Developed goals and assessed progress for each student’s IEP q Managed the classroom in matters concerning discipline, and assignments Special Education Teacher October 1999 - September 2001 Kennedy Institute Washington, DC q Maintained effective communication with parents and support staff q Made immediate decisions to benefit students q Established a classroom curriculum for students on different cognitive levels q Worked as a cooperative team member q Created and developed organized and flexible lesson plans References available upon request Alejandra Love 135-60 232 Street Laurelton, NY 11413 E-Mail: ​Alejandrakennedy@gmail.com​ Phone: 646.441.7285 Skills Summary ● ● Adult Learning Design Learning Systems Management ● ● ● Best Practice Methodologies Infrastructure Management Organization and Planning ● ● Relationship Management Interdepartmental Coordination Professional Experience Phalen Leadership Academies National Director of Professional Development ● ● ● ● ● Managed the launch of a multi-faceted, learner centered Online Professional Development platform 'PLA University'. Designed and maintain 'PLA University' framework, user-interface, and reporting for 300+ educators. Develop comprehensive professional and career development programs including: planning annual training calendar and aligning offerings with operational needs. Analyze results of annual performance management program and initiate training and development opportunities to address skill gaps and support the organizational vision. Work with C-level management to develop competencies, and assists with incorporating competency language into job descriptions, performance planning and professional development. Summit Academy Charter High School College and Career Readiness Counselor ● ● ● ● ● ● Brooklyn, NY Oct-2015 – Present Led 97% of 2016 graduating seniors in gaining admissions to at least one college/university. Guided 2016 graduating seniors through the college application process with 97% submitting at least one completed application. Conduct individualized counseling sessions for scholars and families. Supervise all elements of SAT, PSAT and ACT testing. Summer Advantage USA Director, Training and Development Associate Director of Training ● ● Indianapolis, IN Nov-2016 – Present (Remote) Sep-2013 – Aug-2015 Jan-2012 – Aug-2013 Developed 155 hours of training curriculum for in-person and virtual delivery. Reduced training cost by 20% through the implementation of online training in year 1 and an additional 15% percent through the roll out of a 15 member in-house per diem team in year 2. Worked closely with senior leadership to develop training, pedagogical approach and implementation. Assessed career/professional development needs for over 350 employees. 1 Alejandra Love 135-60 232 Street Laurelton, NY 11413 E-Mail: ​Alejandrakennedy@gmail.com​ Phone: 646.441.7285 Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL) National Training Specialist Training Specialist Per Diem Trainer ● ● ● ● New York, NY Feb-2008 to Jan-2012 Sep-2007 to Feb-2008 Sep-2005 to Sep-2007 Project managed the training of over 1500 educators annually. Managed a team of 10 per diem trainers. Organized the logistics of training events across 8 states. Developed and delivered management training in soft skills and company specific topics. Professional Development Association for Talent Development Certified Professional in Learning and Performance Candidate 2018 The College Board College Board Counselors Certificate 2015 The College Board SAT Supervisor Certificate 2016 John Hopkins University – Coursera University Teaching 101 Certificate 2014 NYC DOE - Options Institute Effective Postsecondary Planning Certificate 2015 Association for Talent Development Blended Learning Certificate 2010 Technical Proficiencies Articulate Studio, Adobe eLearning Suite, Cisco WebEx: Web Conferencing System, Zoom Communications, Taleo: Talent Management System, Moodle: Learning Management System, Salesforce: Customer Relationship Management System Canvas: Learning Management System; Educadium Learning Management System; Jupiter Ed: Student Information System; Adobe Connect; Renaissance STAR Assessment Systems; Microsoft Office. Education City University of New York - Bernard Baruch College, School of Public Affairs Master of Public Administration ● Dual Major: Nonprofit Administration and Public Management 2012 City University of New York - Herbert H. Lehman College Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude ● Major: African and African American Studies​ ​Minor: Education 2008 2 EVA K. SPILKER 386 Harwin Drive, Severna Park, MD 21146 410.598.3087 (cell) evaspilker@gmail.com PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2/13/2013 – Current Summer Advantage USA Director of Finance Responsible for all financial functions including creating and streamlining all financial processes, developing cash flow, budget and forecast models and managing federal, state and grant budgets. Developed fiscal policies and procedures, restructured charts of accounts to provide additional visibility on the profitability of operations and developed functional area budgeting processes and budget to actual reporting. Responsible for all accounting functions, a structured monthly close and monthly executive team, board and federal and state financial reporting. Also responsible for managing payroll for 500 variable rate/time staff, 401k, 403B, TRF submissions and reporting, benefits management, audits, capital expenditure analyses and the development of financial best practices. Ongoing Responsibilities:  Budget Development and budget to actual reporting and management  Cash Flow forecasting and cash management  Accounts Receivable Management  Development of Policies, Procedures, Financial Systems and Financial Best Practices  Accounts Payable and Vendor Management  Payroll Management for up to 500 employees  Project financial management  Manage day to day financial operations  Monthly close and preparation of monthly financial packages  Ensure compliance with private foundation, State and Federal Grant regulations and requirements.  Created & Implemented Agreed Upon Procedures, document and maintain all internal cost and accounting controls.  Audit Management and the preparation of all schedules and reporting for external auditors  State Board of Accounts Compliance Management and Reporting  Multi-State payroll reporting and compliance. 11/19/2009 – 2/12/13 Director of Finance/Controller DMH Marketing Partners (Division – Diamondback Direct) Responsible for all financial aspects of $22 million division including all forecasting, budgeting, monthly reporting, financial analyses and accounting functions as well as payroll, 401k and benefits. Implemented margin evaluation procedures that helped improve companywide direct margins and nearly eliminated project losses. Dramatically improved the accuracy and timeliness of all accounting, reporting and budget functions. Transitioned company through 2 significant mergers and managed the division’s financial transition to an SAP BPC corporate reporting system and monthly consolidation. Managed post merger purchase accounting and Ernst & Young & McGladrey audits. Prepare and present monthly financial package and powerpoint to 15 member Corporate Senior Executive team and explain any variances to budget, outlook and forecast. Recommend system and procedural improvements to eliminate variances and improve EBITDA results. Manage and improve monthly DSOs, DPOs and DIHs. Responsible for the development of the annual budget from vetting all sales projections to developing projected margins by client, sales manager and product line as well as overhead improvements. Prepare, present and defend proposed budget and all supporting schedules to 15 member Corporate SeniorExecutive team. Ongoing Responsibilities:  Manage all aspects of EBITDA performance and work with COO on a daily basis to identify potential weaknesses, risks and opportunities.  Develop 30, 60 and 90 day forecasts --Present forecasts and explain all variances in monthly operations meetings.  Prepare annual budget and monthly variance analyses --analyze results by client, cost center and expense item. EVA K. SPILKER PAGE 2 Work closely with Sales and Production teams to understand monthly results as well as develop monthly outlooks, quarterly forecasts and annual budgets.   Prepare all bridge schedules, financial analyses and financial reporting for Board, Bank and Investor Meetings.  Participate weekly cross company Finance Leadership Team meetings.  Present monthly financial deck with written overviews to explain financials to all Executive team members.  Manage the monthly close and all related schedules; prepare internal and external financial packages. Manage A/R, A/P, cash, payroll, 401k, commissions, expenses by cost center, intercompany allocations and short term cash management.  Ensure compliance with banking and investor regulations, provide all reporting and documentation for annual bank, investor and 401k audits.  Implement, document and maintain all internal cost and accounting controls and implement procedures for improvements.  Prepare all schedules and reporting for external auditors (Ernst & Young, McGladrey) .  11/1994-11/2009 Director of Finance/Partner Escapade Advertising, Severna Park, MD  Manage profitability, cash flow and all financial functions of the company  Manage overall Operations including work flow, job timelines and resource allocation.  Develop & Manage internal forecasts & monthly/annual budgets.  Manage A/R, A/P, cash, payroll, g/l, taxes, audits, financial statements.  Complete all month end and year end close activities, maintain internal accounting controls.  Prepare monthly & quarterly financial reports for internal & external distribution.  Manage & perform all procurement, estimating and pricing.  Grow and manage vendor relations to improve margins and timeliness.  Manage Employees including developing & managing goals & forecasts, compensation, evaluations. CSX Intermodal, Hunt Valley, Md Assistant Manager Capital Expenditures (1992-1994) Senior Financial Analyst (1990-1992) 1990–11/1994 Developed & Managed 5 year budget with the Manager of Capital Expenditures. The budgets were prepared for and presented to Senior Executives and CSX Corporate.   Managed & Analyzed budget to actual reporting.  Managed & Analyzed P&L’s for cost centers Prepared ROI analyses for each capital expenditure proposed by departments in CSX Intermodal nationwide. Analyses were presented to senior executives to determine quarterly capital expenditure allocations.  Train Team Profit Member – assigned to executive teams that evaluated ways to increase the profitability of specific train lines.  Ernst & Young, Baltimore, MD Senior Financial Analyst –Corp. Financial Consulting (1989-90)  Financial Analyst – Corporate Financial Consulting(1988-89) 1988–1990  Assisted in Mergers & Aquistion analyses to calculate profitability and earnings potentials of clients or target clients.  Assisted in Bankruptcy Analyses for Corporate Litigation  Assisted in Turnaround Analyses to recommend options and prepare budget plans for financially challenged corporations. EDUCATION University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill B.A., Economics/Finance EVA K. SPILKER 386 Harwin Drive, Severna Park, MD 21146 410.598.3087 (cell) evaspilker@gmail.com PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES 1. Rick Buettner - Chief Operating Officer Diamondback Direct, currently VP of Marketing DMH Marketing Partners - rick@diamondbackdirect.com 2. Jim Fair – VP Finance, Quadriga Direct Mail Holdings – jefair@qdmh.com 3. Marc McDaniel – Executive VP Sales & Marketing/Founding Partner , Diamondback Direct – 410-940-8588 4. Debi Howard – Chief Executive Officer, DH Marketing – debi@escapadeadvertising.com Nicole J. Scott, Esq. California State Bar #: 235574 ______________________________________________________________________________________ 4896 Hunt Road w Blue Ash, OH 45242w (323) 630-1030 direct dial w NicoleCAEsq@gmail.com email EXPERIENCED NON-PROFIT EXECUTIVE, ATTORNEY & HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONAL Non-profit executive, attorney and human resources professional with experience and training in content development, compliance, workplace investigations, employee relations, talent acquisition, diversity, policy development, employment law, and mediation. Proven success in establishing human resources departments, compliance management, dispute resolution, and performance management initiatives to drive organizational goal attainment. Core Competencies: • Workplace Investigations • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion • Compliance • HR Policies & Procedures • Mediation & Dispute Resolution • • • • • Employee Relations Executive Coaching & Development Administrative Hearings & Proceedings Training & Facilitation Strong Problem Solving Skills ______________________________________________________________________________ EDUCATION University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), Berkeley, CA Juris Doctor Honors: Justice Wiley Manuel Scholar and Scholarship Recipient Activities: Moot Court; Boalt Hall Entertainment & Sports Law Society; Law Student Teacher-Street Law Program Spelman College, Atlanta, GA B.A., magna cum laude, English Literature and Language Honors: Dean’s academic list all four years; Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society; Golden Key National Honor Society; Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society; 100 Black Men of America Scholarship Recipient; Spelman College Alumnae Scholarship Recipient Activities: President/Conference Presenter, Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society; Coordinator, Atlanta University Center Entertainment Careers Conference; Student Representative, Amnesty International ______________________________________________________________________________ PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Phalen Leadership Academies 2017 - Present Education management organization that operates charter schools, innovation schools, and turnaround projects throughout the Indiana and Michigan regions. General Counsel • Serves as in-house counsel on matters related to all compliance related issues, employment law, special education, contracts and vendors, student discipline, and administrative proceedings • • Member of the organization’s senior leadership team with direct reporting to the CEO Provides legal opinions, legal interpretations, and recommendations to senior leadership team and school administration for the purpose of ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal regulations • Provides staff development for the purpose of educating others regarding their legal responsibilities • • Reviews written documents such as handbooks, agreements, contracts, and other legal instruments Oversight of ongoing federal, state, district, and authorizer compliance and reporting Draft and execute board policies, procedures, and advise on changes and/or new laws impacting organization Oversight of risk management, risk mitigation, and insurance for the organization Monitor federal, state, and local compliance as it relates to FERPA, HIPPA, state licensing, Public Records Act, Special Education & Section 504 compliance, Title IX, etc. Oversight of student expulsion processes and proceedings • • • • KIPP Los Angeles Schools : Los Angeles, CA 2011 - 2017 Highest performing public, charter school management organization (“CMO”) in Los Angeles and part of the national KIPP network of schools. The CMO operates 15 schools within the second largest school district in the country – Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Chief of Legal Affairs & Employee Solutions • Established the organization’s legal department to monitor compliance across teams • Monitor federal, state, and local compliance as it relates to FERPA, HIPPA, state licensing, Public Records Act, Special Education & Section 504 compliance, Title IX, etc. • Developed and implemented curriculum for employee trainings on various topics • Implemented an online employee training program to comply with state and federal mandates • Oversight of all human resources functions for 15 school sites and the administrative office • Oversight and implementation of diversity strategies for schools • Oversight of annual state and district compliance audits • Oversight of risk management, risk mitigation, and insurance for the organization • Serve as Senior Leadership Team member with direct reporting to the CEO • Serve as General Counsel on matters related to all compliance related issues, employment law, • • • special education, contracts and vendors, student discipline, and administrative proceedings Draft and execute board policies, procedures, and advise on changes and/or new laws impacting organization Liaison between KIPP Schools and outside counsel on all compliance and legal issues Liaison between KIPP Schools and the charter schools division of LA Unified School District Director of Human Capital & Legal Affairs • • • • • • Established human resources department, policies, and procedures for the organization Established new employee handbook, internal HR website, policies and procedures Led organization through successful state compliance audits Led re-classification of workforce at the organization Implemented new HRIS and performance management system Served as General Counsel on various issues including (but not limited to) FERPA, Public Records Act, HIPPA, California charter school law, special education, contracts, employment law, etc. Inner City Education Foundation : Los Angeles, CA 2005 - 2011 Inner City Education Foundation operates public, charter schools throughout the Los Angeles area in both Los Angeles Unified School District and Inglewood Unified School District. General Counsel & Senior Vice President • • • • • • • Oversight of all compliance, regulatory and legal matters across teams and departments Responsibilities included oversight of all human resources programs and functions, including but not limited to compensation, benefits, recruitment and selection of staff for 16 school sites Oversight of annual district compliance audits for each school Implemented and monitored the application of and compliance with HR policies and procedures for the department Conducted workplace investigations made either against or on behalf of the school district; claims touched a wide variety of areas, including but not limited to: equal employment opportunity, sexual harassment, corporal punishment, contracts, personal injury matters involving students, personnel, or third parties, special education mediations Advised the President and board on schools’ compliance with broad variety of statutory standards; conducted legal research for development of opinions and legal advice on issues impacting the district Co-led team that wrote and submitted the first middle school charter petition approved by Inglewood Unified School District General Counsel & Director of Human Resources • • • • • Established both the legal and human resources departments for the organization Implemented HRIS, ATS and performance management systems and processes Created employee manual, policies and procedures for the organization Led the recruitment, hiring, staff development and trainings for 600+ employees Oversight of compliance monitoring of schools through Los Angeles Unified School District & • Inglewood Unified School District Served as In House Counsel on all compliance and legal matters Law Offices of Cochran, Cherry, Givens & Smith PC : Los Angeles, CA 2003 – 2005 Los Angeles based law firm with a variety of practice areas including employment, medical malpractice, civil rights, personal injury, entertainment, and wrongful death. Associate Attorney • • • • • Provided legal counsel to a diverse group of clients in civil litigation and business transaction matters Practice areas included employment law, entertainment law, education/charter school law, class actions, personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights, and juvenile law, and transactional work Responsibilities included interviewing and maintaining client relationships, drafting complaints, legal research, document preparation, writing and arguing motions, depositions, court appearances, participating in mediations and negotiations, and serving as second chair during trials Counseled HR professionals and management on personnel policies, procedures, and other employment related matters Advised business owners, non-profit entities, and schools on legal and regulatory issues Law Clerk • Conducted research and drafted memoranda on various legal issues • Interviewed clients and witnesses • Drafted subpoenas and deposition outlines • Created discovery plans and assisted in preparation for depositions, hearings, and trials • Assisted firm partners at depositions and trial OTHER EXPERIENCE Ohio Department of Education: Columbus, OH 2017 Charter School Grant Reader: Selected out of 180 candidates to read and evaluate community school grant applications for the Ohio Department of Education – Community Schools Division. Evaluate grant applications and determine whether submissions meet the criteria for approval awarding between $100k $350k for planning and implementation of schools serving Ohio’s most underserved children. Law Offices of Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson & Gary, PLC: Stuart, FL Summer 2002 Summer Associate: Conducted research and prepared legal memoranda on class actions/complex litigation, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, entertainment law and intellectual property issues in the Commercial Litigation Department. Created witness profiles in preparation for depositions and drafted subpoenas. Created outlines for deposition preparation; Assisted lead attorneys in court, at depositions, and during mediations; Created plans for discovery documents and review The William Morris Agency: Beverly Hills, CA Summer 2001 Legal Intern - Office of the Chairman: Participated in the WMA agent trainee program; assisted with the development of film, television, and literary projects for clients; participated in contract negotiations for talent on various projects; assisted in the recruitment of new talent to WMA; assisted in house counsel with research pertaining to internal legal issues Sony Pictures Entertainment: Culver City, CA Summer 1998 Legal and Business Affairs Intern: Participated in the development of contracts between recording artists, record labels and studios; Assisted Clearance Administrator with research; Assisted attorneys in meetings and negotiations regarding soundtracks and artists for films. Editor of Sony’s intern newsletter, SWEEPS. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/TRAINING Member, California Bar Association Member, Society for Human Resources Management Diversity & Inclusion Training, Equity Inquiry Project REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. 2005-Present 2008-Present 2017-Present