We will set all students on a path to success. Eve Carney Chief Districts and Schools Officer Felicia Everson-Tuggle Assistant Commissioner of School Improvement • Welcome & Introductions • Listening Tour Key Takeaways • School Turnaround Framework Overview • Tier I & II Deep Dive and Small Group Discussions • Tier III/ASD Overview • Next Steps & Closing Welcome and Introductions epartment of WEduca?on hi ACADEMICS We will set all students on a path to success. WHOLE CHILD TENNESSEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE EQUIPPED TO SERVE THE ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS ALL TENNESSEE STUDENTS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION, NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE ED U C ATO R S TENNESSEE WILL SET A NEW PATH FOR THE EDUCATION PROFESSION AND BE THE TOP STATE TO BECOME AND REMAIN A TEACHER AND LEADER The purpose of this session is to gather feedback from stakeholders on the department’s initial draft of a new school turnaround framework. • Tonight, we want to share a first draft and collect your questions and feedback—we do not have all the answers, and we need your expertise as members of the community. • We will continue to engage with you over the next several months as we solidify the framework in collaboration with stakeholders, and community engagement will be a key part of school turnaround work moving forward. 5 Monday, Jan. 6 in Jackson – Isaac Lane Elementary School Tuesday, Jan. 7 in Memphis – Trezevant High School Wednesday, Jan. 8 in Chattanooga – The Howard School Thursday, Jan. 9 in Nashville – LEAD Neely’s Bend Middle School School Turnaround Listening Tour: Key Takeaways epartment of WEduca?on hi People • It is essential to have teachers and leaders who are skilled, certified, experienced, transparent, culturally responsive, and who represent the school’s community. Non-Academic Resources • Supporting the whole child is a non-negotiable, including but not limited to high-quality programs for students with exceptionalities, mental health supports, bullying, wraparound services, chronic absenteeism, providing nutritious meals, and training teachers on trauma-informed practices. Family and Community • Family and community engagement should be frequent and more formalized, and schools should provide training to parents on how they can be involved in the school and in their child’s education. Local Ownership • Ownership and flexibility should be provided to districts and schools in how they can best support high-opportunity schools. Long-Term Solutions • Turning around schools is a function of hard work inside of a school building and outside through the equally hard work of community development. Community Role • The local community should play an active role when it comes to making decisions regarding its schools, and community voice must be heard. • There should be ongoing, meaningful partnership and engagement with local stakeholders. State Role • The state should provide financial resources, best practices, clear policies, and school accountability; teacher and leader recruitment and retention should also be a top priority. School Turnaround Framework Overview epartment of WEduca?on hi • While school turnaround takes time, this work is urgent; what is best for students cannot wait. • The local community should play an active role when it comes to making decisions regarding its schools. • The longer a school remains a Priority school (a school in the bottom 5% of all schools across the state), the state’s role must become more prescriptive and intensive. • The Achievement School District remains a necessary intervention in Tennessee’s school framework when other local interventions have proven to be unsuccessful in improving outcomes for students. • This is a long-term effort—discipline, consistency, and clear structures will be critical. Proposed Structure of School Turnaround ASD Turnaround Improvement Department of .Educa?on FUNDING LEVEL DISTRICT AUTONOMY Pre-Tier Supports Designation low HIGH low HIGH Tier I Tier II Tier III TSI/ATSI (Focus school) Priority school Priority school ASD Priority school To be determined Approx. 40-50 Approx. 25-35 Approx. 15-25 Support Type Tailored to identified student group(s) District capacitybuilding Department prescribes evidence-based interventions Long-term investment in school transformation Funding N/A $ $$ $$$ Limited Moderate High Highest 1-3 years 4-6 years ≤10 years # Schools TDOE Involvement Duration 1-3 years* *a school with the same underperforming student group for 3 years becomes a Priority school • (No change from current practice) Priority schools are identified every three years. • • The next designation year is 2021. Schools are eligible to exit Priority status each year. • Schools can transition between tiers each year. • Placement on the tiers will be based on several factors, including: • • • • School accountability Number of times on Priority list Percentage of teachers with TVAAS score of 3, 4, or 5 Discipline rate (suspension/expulsion) School Turnaround Framework Deep Dive and Feedback epartment of WEduca?on hi • We will dive deeper into Tiers I and II and then ask for feedback. • A department facilitator will be at your table/group to facilitate the discussion about each tier. • Your facilitator will take notes. • We will allot 10 minutes per question. Norms • Share air time by making sure everyone has a chance to speak. • Stay on topic. • Be student-centered; focus on what is best for students. Tier I: Improvement epartment of WEduca?on hi Tier I is the foundational level of support for Priority schools. Key Points • The goal is that schools in this tier have some strong structures and practices in place and therefore need less intensive supports than those available in Tiers II and III • Implemented school interventions continue to be district-led • Focus on building district capacity in key areas by using existing resources more effectively • Expectation that schools in this tier are fully utilizing resources and supports already provided by the department Build district capacity to use existing resources more effectively TDOE Districts have control over funds and may choose to fund schools directly or implement district-led initiatives Funding plays a supporting role by building district capacity to use existing resources more effectively Staff Support Tier I is overseen by the Assistant Commissioner of School Improvement and supported by three regional directors $50,000 allocated to each school in this tier each year. We understand this funding amount is modest—the reality is that available funds are limited, so we need to be strategic. We want to provide more funding to schools that are struggling the most to allow for permanent and lasting change. (An additional $50,000 may be available through a competitive grant process pending total school count in Tier I.) Academics • Evidence of using department tools when selecting/reviewing curriculum to ensure materials are high quality and standards-aligned • Verify all teachers have training and are certified in Science of Reading • Teacher practice is monitored (milestone visits) • Benchmark assessment monitoring • Evidence of structures to provide collaborative planning and PLC supports • Expectation that state-provided resources/programs are utilized Whole Child • Culture (i.e., positive behavior supports, discipline, chronic absenteeism) • Required participation in school culture/climate survey • Safety • Student supports (enrichment and engagement) • Wraparound supports for students and families (i.e., physical and mental health) • Expectation that state-provided resources and programs are utilized Educators • Central HR and local support from TDOE Human Capital • Current practices review (recruitment, retention, pipeline, other incentives) • Teacher supports and professional development • Teacher leader opportunities • Instructional leadership teams • Professional learning communities • Expectation that state-provided resources/programs are utilized Other Supports • School improvement grant funding opportunities • Grant application/grant writing training • Bonus points for competitive grant opportunities • District and Priority school planning support • Milestone visits (bi-annually) • Monthly/quarterly data submission • Monthly district budget calls • Resource allocation 1. What additional supports or interventions are needed for schools in this tier? – – – – Academics Whole Child Educators Other Supports 2. What additional information do you need or questions do you have about this tier? Tier II: Turnaround epartment of WEduca?on hi Schools placed in this tier have not been making sufficient or consistent progress or growth and are therefore required to implement evidence-based interventions and supports as prescribed by the department. Key Points • Implementation of these interventions tied to the available funding • Schools monitored closely to ensure fidelity of implementation • If district or school capacity is a concern, there is an option for a district to partner with an external organization to operate the school • Local advisory board must be used to regularly provide family and community input at the school level Department prescribes evidence-based interventions aligned to Academics, Whole Child, and Educators TDOE Districts have control over structure (district-led or partner-led), but must flow 80% of funds directly to schools – above what is allocated in BEP. Tier II-A DISTRICT-LED Tier II-B PARTNER-LED Funding holds all schools accountable through school accountability framework (A-F) and department monitoring Staff Support Tier II is overseen by the State Turnaround Superintendent and supported by three regional assistant superintendents for schools in Tiers II and III $300k-$500k awarded to each school in this tier Academics • Department review/approval of high-quality instructional materials • Professional development for curriculum implementation provided by department-approved coaching vendor for teachers and leaders • Approved adaptive technology for instructional gap closure • Aligned interim and formative assessments • Individual student pathways and career exploration • Walkthroughs will be used to frequently monitor teacher practice and classroom culture of learning • Verify all teachers have training and are certified in Science of Reading Whole Child • Mental Health First Aid for all school-based personnel • Trauma-informed schools training (departmentprovided) • School-wide culture (trauma-informed discipline policy) • Safety supports (School Resource Officer) • Nurse and access to mental health personnel at each school • Student supports (enrichment and engagement) • Wraparound supports for students and families (i.e., physical and mental health) Educators • Principal must participate in Turnaround Leader Network (department-offered or approved) • Department and district must mutually agree on principal hire(s) • Principal supervisor must participate in the Principal Supervisor Network • District must have compensation structure that includes pay for additional responsibilities, as well as hiring and retention bonuses • All teachers must be fully credentialed and level 3/4/5 (achievement) • Tier II schools get priority in hiring/transfers of highlyeffective teachers Other Supports • District and school planning support • Monthly department on-site visits, including principal-led data discussion • Assigned department support • Participate in district capacity-building • Additional recommendations are currently being vetted by the department 1. What questions do you have about Tier II? – – – – Academics Whole Child Educators Other 2. What additional information do you need or questions do you have about this tier? Tier Achievement School District epartment of WEduca?on hi • Despite good intentions, the ASD was implemented (or grew) too quickly—demand outpaced supply and capacity. • ASD expanded into a model that was too large to be effective for all schools. • Community voice must be consistently sought and listened to when making decisions. • We under-utilized local talent and partnerships to build sustainable structures designed to change school culture. • School turnaround doesn’t happen quickly or in isolation. From these lessons learned, we will reset the ASD beginning in the 2022-23 school year, committing to the following: • Ground our work in community • Listen first • Engage continuously • Invest in building local talent and the time it takes to go slowly For these reasons, there is more work be done to solidify the ASD going forward. • We will conduct more extensive engagement in the spring and summer to inform key decisions. • We will be hiring a new state turnaround superintendent to lead Tier II and Tier III (ASD), with a projected hire date in July of 2020. – – We will engage with ASD school communities to help us determine the right person for this position. This state turnaround superintendent will have a key role in determining details of the new ASD structure moving forward. • All current ASD schools will transition out of the ASD no later than the fall of 2022. • • • • This does not mean they will automatically exit Priority status. This timeline gives schools two and a half years to either exit Priority status or return to their zoned districts. We will collaborate with charter operators and host discussions with districts to develop transition plans. We are exploring legislative avenues to pursue other options for transition. Next Steps epartment of WEduca?on hi • Between now and the fall of 2021, we will continue to support Priority schools within the current structure through grant opportunities, school visits, monitoring, and technical assistance. • Beginning immediately, we will have initial conversations with districts and operators to develop transition plans for ASD schools. Fall 2019 Listening Tour Winter 2019 Draft framework and January 2020 Tier I and II Initial Feedback Sessions Spring 2020 Tier I and II finalized; Tier III/ASD Feedback Sessions Summer 2020 State turnaround superintendent hired Fall 2020 Priority list preliminary identification and notification Late Summer/Fall 2020 Finalize framework ongoing stakeholder engagement Fall 2022 New framework fully implemented 2021-22 School Year Tier I and II implementation; Tier III planning year Summer/Fall 2021 Priority list release and official tier placement • • Thank you again for your time, your candid feedback, and your support of students and schools. Please reach out Felicia.Everson-Tuggle@tn.gov if you have any additional feedback or questions.