Initial Questions and Considerations for SES Implementation Our Top Ten Countdown

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Initial Questions and Considerations for SES
ImplementationOur Top Ten Countdown

• Cyndi Wells
• Albemarle County Public Schools

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• 10. How do I know where to begin? How soon should
  I begin planning?
• Study the Non-regulatory guidance
  http//www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/title
  1/
•  
• 9. How soon could we realistically be expected
  to
• Inform parents about SES? As soon as DOE releases
  scores.
• Begin SES? We started in December, but would
  start sooner next year
• Apply to be our own provider? After 1 year
  experience in SES
•  

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• 8. Do we have to work with all providers who
  want to work with us (with the potential for over
  30 providers)?
• Yes. Andyou have to offer SES in all content
  areas, not just the one that sent the school into
  SES.
•  
• 7 Do you have a sample timeline contracts
  for what needs to be done for SES?
• Albemarles timeline is attached.
• Lessons learned
• plan out how much tutoring can be provided
• Informing central office first about the team
  effort
•  

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• 6. What is the best way to communicate with
  providers?
• Asking them if they want to provide services
  (initial e-mail with a deadline)
• Follow-up e-mail asking what their hourly rate is
  (for contract)
• Provider meeting in Albemarle County
  (face-to-face) with school principal and SES
  facilitator to discuss how to do business with
  us
•  
• 5. How do we handle getting the appropriate (low
  income) kids signed up for SES while also keeping
  this information confidential (since teachers
  aren't supposed to know who is on free/reduced
  lunch)? Wont it be obvious who we are targeting?
• Teacher meeting where we discussed the
  confidentiality of information and equity of
  providers
•  

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• 4. How can we equitably prioritize students for
  SES (since we anticipate having more children
  eligible than we can pay for)?
• We used existing standardized data to rank
  students, and we pushed hard to get the neediest
  children into tutoring.
•  
• 3. What is the best way to make decisions about
  SES implementation?
• Make decisions based on what is best for students
  and parents, then your SES will be successful!
  We had 93 participation based on our funding
  (but because we had more students than we could
  pay for, the federal guidelines consider it 71.)
•  

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• 2. How do we make SES (free tutoring) easy to
  access and user-friendly for parents?
• Detailed handbook with icons (sample attached)
• Provider fair during parent/teacher conferences
  all hands on deck
• Give suggested learning targets to parents during
  the conference to share with providers
•  
• 1. How can we support providers to make SES
  the best it can be?
• Host a Tutor Fair where you help connect teachers
  and providers (including teachers from the
  school)
• Observe tutoring (Flip Videos are wonderful!)
•  

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• In Summary
• What was powerful about the tutoring program was
  that it forced the staff to engage with parents
  in a different way, going for 100 parent
  conference attendance, and meeting with parents
  more. Our community saw a huge commitment on our
  part and we think that made more of a difference
  than the actual tutoring.
•  

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Developing a Successful SES Program Our
Experience

• Fauquier County Public Schools
• Eileen Burgwyn, Title I Coordinator
• Anne Bryant, Title I Specialist
• Virginia Department of Education
• August 25, 2009

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Brumfield Miller Elementary Schools

• 19 of Brumfield students receive free or
  reduced-price lunch
• 27 of Miller students receive free or
  reduced-price lunch
• 279 students eligible to receive SES tutoring _at_
  1,069.92 per child funding available for 90
  children
• 157 students accepted services (carryover money
  from 2007-08 made up the funding difference)
• 1 student declined
• 121 students did not respond to repeated contacts

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SES Provider Information

• Twenty-five providers agreed to offer services to
  eligible students
• Ten providers served students at two schools
• 8 provided services at Brumfield
• 8 provided services at Miller
• 3 provided in-home services
• 1 provided online services

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Organizational Challenges

• Planning logistics
• Marketing
• Parent Involvement
• Implementation
• Student record-keeping
• Paperwork

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Planning logistics

• Convene a meeting with all division-level
  stakeholders
• Department of Instruction
• Food service
• Transportation
• Procurement
• Student services
• ESL
• Special Education
• Convene a planning meeting with all
  building-level stakeholders
• Principal
• SES building coordinator
• Literacy coach
• Conduct a building-level informational meetings
  for staff and parents

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Marketing

• Provider Fair
• Schedule at a time convenient for parents
• Give providers adequate lead time and ask for an
  RSVP
• Determine your comfort level for promotional
  items and inform providers of limits
• Mail invitations to parents of eligible students
• Incorporate informational sessions for parents
  and providers
• Prepare attractive, inviting information packets
  for parents and providers
• Job Fair
• Create opportunity for providers to interview
  prospective tutors
• Advertise on division web-page

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Parent Involvement

• Communication is the key to success!
• Build trusting relationships with parents
• Personal calls, emails, notes
• Clear and simple written communication

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Implementation

• Set enrollment periods deadlines for providers
  to return signed contracts
• Follow up with parents who have not responded
• Coordinate with transportation
• Provide snacks for transition period between the
  end of the school day and the beginning of
  tutoring session
• Develop sign-in and monitoring procedures for
  tutors (FAQ sheet)
• Create a walk-through or evaluation checklist

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Student Record Keeping

• Work with teachers and literacy coach to create
  Educational Learning Plan (ELP)
• PALS scores
• SOL data
• Teacher-generated performance data
• Create time sheet for student attendance
• Develop filing system for hard-copy backup
• Create database that can be accessed by central
  office and building staff

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Paperwork

• Tracking parent applications
• Insuring providers comply with contractual
  obligations
• Room rental
• Billing for hours taught
• Matching invoices against attendance sheets

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Rewards

• Classroom teachers could see a difference in
  student performance.
• Generally, parents were pleased with the
  services.
• Students who worked with the most engaging tutors
  were eager to go to the sessions and had
  phenomenal attendance rates.

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Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools
SES

• Pilot Division for 2008-09
• DeVeria Gore, Title I Coordinator

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SES New to Williamsburg

• One school in School Improvement
• Offer SES 3 days/week
• 4 Vendor Fairs held
• Two evening fairs
• Two all-day fairs during Parent Conferences
• 3 notices to parents
• Letter 1 all parents
• Letter 2 eligible parents only
• Notice 3 phone calls only to eligible parents

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Results Vendor Fair 1 Sept. 9

• Divisions Effort

• Vendors Parents Response

• Invited all eligible vendors
• 22 responded initially
• Letter 1 to all DJM parents
• Included economic-need grant
• Included PPE
• Sessions to start Oct. 1

• Vendors 11
• Parents 0
• Teachers 0
• Admin. 3

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Results Vendor Fair 2 Oct. 6

• Divisions Effort

• Vendors Parents Response

• Invited responding vendors
• Meeting with staff (Q A - Talking Pts. for
  parent conf.)
• Set up table in front office
• Letter 2 to eligible DJM parents (227)
• Included economic-need grant
• Included PPE
• Parent Conf. Nov. 11 - 12
• Start Date to be Nov. 17

• Vendors 11
• Parents 14 (some wait listed)
• Teachers 4
• Admin. 3

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Results Vendor Fair 3 Nov. 11-12

• Divisions Effort

• Vendors Parents Response

• Invited committed vendors
• Teachers encourage eligible DJM parents to see
  vendors (Parent Conf.)
• Session start date Dec. 2

• Vendors 8
• Parents 50
• Teachers 25
• Admin. 3

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Results Vendor Fair Jan. 15

• Divisions Effort

• Vendors Parents Response

• Invited committed vendors
• Phone calls to eligible DJM parents
• Included economic-need grant
• Included PPE
• Set up table in front office
• Sessions to start Feb. 1

• Vendors 7
• Parents 15
• Teachers 25
• Admin. 3

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Final Numbers

• Eligible Students - 227
• Sept. 0
• Nov. 36
• Jan. 107
• SES concluded mid-May!