Continuing the Commitment:

1
Continuing the Commitment
Sustaining Reading First Results Beyond Reading
First Funding

• Dr. Stan Paine
• Western Region Reading First
• Technical Assistance Center
• University of Oregon

National Reading First Convention Reno, NV, July
18-20, 2006
2
Preview/Overview

• Sustainability questions
• Sustainability issues Reading First
• Sustainability strategies for Reading First
• Learning from others about sustainability
• A tool for sustainability planning
• Resources on sustainability

3
Key Sustainability Questions
What is it? Is it possible? Who is
responsible? What do we want to sustain? What are
the threats? What is required?
4
What is sustainability?

• Traditional view
• Sustainability is the potential for a program to
  continue after an initial implementation or
  funding cycle has run its course.
• Alternate view
• Sustainability is the capacity of a program to
  withstand significant changes in context while
  continuing to yield improved results.

5
Is sustainability possible?

• Traditional view
• No, we cant do it without continued funding.
• No, we cant do it without so--so.
• No, we cant do it with changing priorities,
  etc..
• Alternate ViewYes, because . . .

6
Whose responsibility is sustainability?

• federal or state government?
• district leaders?
• principal?
• coach?
• teachers?
• all of the above!

7
Are we there yet? What is it that we want to
sustain?

• Not just these procedures.....
• but comparable or improved results
• Results-oriented leadership (not one person)
  (Fullan, 2005)
• this culture, this context, this commitment
  (Reading First) . . .
• Culture how we do things here (e.g., RF
  elements)
• shared purpose, vision, beliefs, agreements
  expectations

8
What are the greatest threats to sustainability?

• Traditional view
• reduction or discontinuation of funding?
• turnover of key staff?
• other factors outside our control?
• Alternate view
• erosion of culture commitment on which success
  was built
• schools failure to focus on the variables which
  make a difference
• and over which they have control (failure to
  own outcomes)

9
What does sustainability require?

• Attention to those elements needing continued
  funding
• Attention to staff turnover
• Managing program drift
• Attention to the culture

• Coaching stands out, but many RF elements cost
  very little
• Planned succession (Fullan, 2005)
• reading-based hiring practices
• Ongoing supervision for fidelity
• Leadership to support a culture of success

10
Sustainability through the essential elements of
Reading First
11
Issues strategies related to Sustainability in
Reading First

• Leadership (organization, goals, priorities)
• Culture (shared vision, beliefs, practices
  commitments)
• Curriculum (SBRR) (core, supplemental,
  intervention programs)
• Instruction (differentiation, grouping, delivery)
• Use of time (90) (additional learning
  opportunities)
• Formative assessment/use of data for
  instructional planning
• Professional development
• Coaching

12
Sustainability Reading First Leadership

• Issue
• turnover of key leaders
• diminished leadership for improved achievement
• weak communication
• non-supportive management style
• inefficient organization
• and/or scheduling

• Approach
• hiring practices-- 1) planned succession 2)
  reading-based hiring practices (posting,
  recruiting, screening, interviewing, doing
  reference checks)
• assignment of staff-- district staff must place
  principals, coaches teachers based on vision
  skills which match the needs of the students in
  the school
• supervision evaluation of principals/coaches on
  the variables related to effective implementation

13
Sustainability Reading First Culture
Approach
Issue

• staff turnover/new staff
• new goals/priorities
• loss of urgency
• cultural drift

• catch-up training w/mentoring and coaching
• deflect/defer new priorities
• leadership through effective communication
  (vision, goals, motivation)
• leadership/supervision for fidelity to plans and
  commitments
• renew shared beliefs
• recommit to priorities and effective practices
• be guided by formative data

14
Sustainability Reading First Curriculum

• Approach
• supervise for fidelity to instructional plan
• additional training
• district, Title 1 funds, other sources for
  materials

• Issue
• Insufficient attention to fidelity of
  implementation (reversion to previous practices)
• insufficient training on program implementation
• funds for replacement materials

15
Sustainability Reading First Instruction

• Issue
• reversion to previous, less effective practices
• procedural drift
• inefficiencies in instruction

• Approach
• supervise for fidelity
• leadership/supervision for fidelity to plans
  commitments
• Additional training or support based on data

16
Sustainability Reading First Formative
assessment use of data

• Issue
• loss of staff time or commitment to collect,
  input, use data
• Lack of leadership for collecting/using data
• Lack of capacity in maintaining data use
• Lack of support for grade level team meetings

• Approach
• identify support for data collection/use
• leadership/supervision for fidelity to plans
  commitments
• Build team use of reading data into the school
  culture

17
Sustainability Reading First Use of time

• Issue
• inadequate time scheduled
• reversion to previous practices
• competing events
• school culture does not make efficient use of
  instructional time

• Approach
• revise schedules
• supervision for adherence to instructional
  schedule commitment to adequate learning time
  for all Ss
• deflect/defer/delegate/ new priorities

18
Sustainability Reading First Training (PD)

• Approach
• deflect/defer competing priorities
• provide leadership to sustain focus
• use Title 1, 2A, 3, 5, and district to focus on
  the most efficient productive training
  activities
• develop internal capacity for training and
  support (district trainers for curriculum, data)
• planning based on student data

• Issue
• new priorities
• loss of focus
• loss of PD funds
• lack of PD planning
• training for new staff
• lack of transfer from training to implementation
  setting

19
Sustainability Reading First Coaching

• Approach
• Look at other coaching models
• Supervision/support for coaching effectiveness

• Issue
• Loss of funding for coach
• Diminished effectiveness of coach

20
Providing reading support without a full-time
coach

• Title 1 Title 2a (highly qualified staff)Title
  3 (ELL) Title 5 (innovative programs)district
  funding Special education (15)
• consider a part-time coach (retired teachers)
• share a literacy specialist with one or more
  schools
• assign building literacy specialist from existing
  FTE
• provide release time refocus job description
• Title 1, librarian, teacher w/strong reading
  background
• peer coaching (coaching as a function rather
  than a person)
• principal provides technical assistance
  (different from supervision)

21
Sustainability through the stages of
implementation
22
Stages of program implementation
Adoption
Program Need
planning, training
Continuation/ Discontinuation (sustainability)
Implementation
changes in context
changes in context
Adaptation
23
Early stage sustainability strategies

• begin planning for sustainability at the earliest
  stage possible
• begin to identify and involve natural reading
  leaders
• begin building a culture to support a
  results-oriented improvement effort (shared
  mission, vision, beliefs, practices, commitments)
• begin defining and following through on how we
  do things here to help all kids succeed as
  readers
• develop an alliance of regular, Title, ELL and
  special education instructional staff

24
Mid- late-stage sustainability strategies

• begin any steps not begun in early stage
• cultivate involvement and leadership in staff new
  to the program and in those staff members who
  have not been as involved to date
• acknowledge those who have contributed to the
  success thus far
• continue to nurture the culture of reading
  success

25
Mid- late-stage sustainability strategies
(continued)

• monitor adjust program elements
• plan for replacement of staff lost through
  turnover
• reading-based hiring practices
• training for new staff
• cultivate support for continued implementation
  from district staff, resources
• build support for the program into district
  staffing and budget planning

26
Sustainability by program level
27
Sustainability at the classroom level

• teachers continue high fidelity implementation of
  key elements
• use of time
• use of curriculum
• use of formative assessment and data
• differentiation of instructional components)
• principal supervises for these elements
• provides differentiated support as needed (train,
  coach)
• provides positive and formative feedback
  (supervise)

28
Sustainability at the school level

• principal takes lead on
• leadership activities developing leadership in
  others
• continuing to develop nurture reading culture
• maintaining communication w/school district
  staff about reading
• forging an alliance of all instructional staff
• involving all school staff in reading improvement
• overseeing use of time (calendar, schedules)
• providing supervision support for
  implementation
• principal, coach or specialist
• continue school-wide formative data collection
• continue team process to use data to guide
  instruction
• continue PD, follow-up support process

29
Sustainability at the district level

• district administrators
• align/allocate adequate resources to sustain
  efforts (staffing, budgets)
• align district goals in-service activities
  w/school priorities
• manage adoption of materials to support reading
  goals
• support district-wide formative assessment
  process
• build calendars schedules which support reading
  goals
• allow job descriptions which support reading
  goals
• hire, assign and supervise principals on RF
  elements
• guide collaboration among regular education,
  Title, special education, ELL staff in the
  reading improvement process
• build capacity among staff for reading
  improvement by investing in training for all and
  mentoring for new teachers, assistants
  principals
• show up at the school to acknowledge staff
  efforts and ask, How can we support you?

30
Sustainability at the district level

• superintendent school board
• consider policies procedures to support reading
  goals
• support hiring practices, assignment, job
  descriptions, mentoring supervision which
  strengthen reading improvement efforts
• review results of reading performance measures
  when they are released discuss these with
  district leaders and principals
• provide adequate funding to support instructional
  staff, materials and training needed for reading
  improvement
• develop calendars schedules which support
  reading goals
• align district goals in-service activities
  w/school priorities
• seek support for reading improvement through
  community contacts
• show up at the school to acknowledge staff
  efforts and ask, How can we support you?

31
Sustainability at the state level

• provide leadership to support reading success by
  developing initiatives, coordinating trainings
  and providing funding
• ensure that curriculum materials appearing on a
  state adoption list are SBRR-compatible
• provide recognition for schools demonstrating
  significant increases in student reading
  performance
• consider state level policies supporting
  resources and effective practices to improve
  reading results (e.g., time, funding)
• support programs in institutions of higher
  education to prepare teachers and administrators
  to implement practices which lead to increasing
  students reading performance
• support collaboration at state level between
  general education, special education, ELL and
  federal programs for effective reading
  instruction

32
Sustainability strategies for Reading First
33
A key to sustainability

• Attain, then sustain.
• Is the program working well during the
  implementation stage?
• If so, sustainability is desirable and possible
• If not, it may be undesirable and impossible

34
Plan for sustainability as early as possible in
the planning and implementation process

• This is not the end. It is not even the
  beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the
  end of the beginning.
• Winston Churchill

35
Make the implementation a systems level change
Systems All components, all staff, all working
together for one goal
regular education
special education
System for reading improvement
federal programs
ELL programs
36
Systems change funding
Systems All components, all staff, all
funds--working together for one goal
regular education
special education
District budget
15 IDEA allocation
System for reading improvement
ELL programs
federal programs
37
Focus on fidelity in all elements of the
implementation
(Seek) the degree of precision which the nature
of the subject (allows), (yet) do not seek
exactness where only (the best) approximation is
possible. Aristotle

• in implementation of curriculum
• with instructional plans schedules
• with assessment practices

38
Distribute leadership across multiple staff
members roles
Dont rely on a hero. Rely on the team -Rob
Horner

• Cultivate leaders
• provide training, opportunity, support,
  recognition
• School reading leadership team
• meet regularly data focused

39
Reading Leadership groups by level
40
Sustain improved results by continuing to collect
and use formative data at all levels (class,
school, district)
41
Embed structures in district policy/procedure

• Policies/administrative procedures regarding

42
A school district policy framework for
facilitating sustained implementation
The district will establish administrative rules
that define specific guidelines for a K-3 reading
program that include

• classroom instructional practices
• professional development
• administrative practices
• district level support

• assessment
• instructional time
• instructional grouping and scheduling
• instructional materials and programs

Bethel School District, Eugene, OR, July 12,
2004
43
A school district procedure for monitoring
student reading performance

• school sets process of using data to improve
  instruction
• data reports go to principal, literacy coach
  data base
• data teams review data, set instructional
  improvement goals set PD needs
• staff share improvement plans across grade levels
  set shared PD plan

• school repeats cycle on a schedule for steps 2-4
• coordinator prepares data notebook for district
  admn. copy is sent to Supt. admn. review
  disaggregated data by school, grade teacher
• district staff review data prepare report for
  Supt.
• Supt. reviews data meets with staff to discuss,
  plan

LAUSD, 2002
44
Develop capacity within the system to sustain
the program

• train leadership skills in key staff members
• provide expert level training to all who teach
  instructional groups
• train key staff to become trainers in the
  district on the data system on core, strategic
  intervention programs used

Knowledge, skills, ability and information, when
shared, empower people and systems to greater
heights
45
Build a culture within the system to sustain the
program

• Culture how we do things here
• cultivate input and buy-in from staff
• continue shared vision, beliefs, practices
• form common expectations, commitments

Changing the outcomes of students is about
changing the cultures of schools. How we do
things doesnt matter only when outcomes dont
matter. -unknown
46
Allow for some mutual adaptation within the
defining elements of RF

• Identify the critical elements of the model
• (the non-negotiables)
• identify satisfactory standards of performance
• (benchmarks, rubrics)
• within these, identify ways in which we can
  obtain the desired result while accommodating
  input feedback from those implementing the
  system
• business model quality assurance standards,
  consumer satisfaction ratings/standards of service

47
Sustain critical elementsto sustain desired
results

• Continue use of formative data system and use of
  data for instructional planning
• differentiated curriculum instruction
• leadership culture
• use of time
• training and support

48
Elements of a school-wide reading model w/added
costs sources of support
49
Connect elements of Reading First to other
instructional anchors

• NCLB/AYP
• Response to intervention model
• (RTI--IDEA, 2004)
• School-wide Title 1 programs

50
Allocation of recurring resources

• Staffing
• Certified, classified allocations
• Special programs allocations
• Budgets
• Supplies
• Training
• Time
• PD, planning
• Time use policies

51
Create implement a sustainability plan

• See Planning and Evaluation Tool-Sustainability
  (PET-S)

52
Learning from others about sustainability
53
Learn from the work of others about sustaining
innovation and change

• from other RF schools, districts states
• from exemplary service delivery models that have
  lasted over time
• from the literature on adoption of innovations,
  systems change and sustainability

54
Learning from exemplary service models that have
lasted over time

• Teaching Family Model
• Regional Intervention Program Model
• Positive Behavior Support (PBS)

55
Models of service delivery (systems
implementations)
56
Sustaining Positive Behavior Support Programs
(PBS)--What makes a difference?

• administrative leadership
• school-level teams
• formative data system
• positive data on own kids
• local capacity
• build sustainability from day 1
• staff input/feedback helps guide program
  (adaptation within a framework)
• -Horner, 2006

57
Learning from the literature on sustainability

• Concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) (Hall, et.
  al.)
• stages of concern
• levels of use
• Rand Study (Berman McLaughlin, 1978)
• Local systemic change
• http//sustainability.terc.edu
• http//sustainability2002.terc.edu
• http//sustainability2003.terc.edu

58
Concerns-based adoption model

• Stages of concern
• unaware
• actively engaged
• Levels of use
• OMDB
• expert trainer

59
The Rand Study Berman McLaughlin, 1978

• National sample of federally-funded educational
  innovations
• Studied projects in
• the last two years of a 3-5 yr. funding cycle
• and the first two years post-funding
• Outcomes reflected not the amount of funding, but
  the actions of the local staff
• Mutual adaptation
• project adapted to context of school setting
• school staff adapted practices in response to
  project

60
A Tool for Sustainability Planning

• PET-S--Planning Evaluation Tool for
  Sustainability
• (activity--using the tool)

61
Summary of Key ideas

• Sustainability is possible (if the implementation
  is effective).
• Effective practices can survive turnover of key
  staff--even loss of grant funding--with planning.
• The greatest threat to sustainability is erosion
  of the culture the commitment upon which the
  initial success was built.

62
Summary of Key ideas

• We can sustain improved outcomes for kids if we
• Begin planning for sustainability early
• Attend to the fidelity of key elements
• Build capacity into the organization
• Engage all stakeholders in building success
• Embed key elements of the program into district
  policy
• commit to sustaining a can do culture that is
  responsive to data on student performance

63
Contact information

• Dr. Stan Paine, Interim Director
• Principal-in-Residence
• Center on Teaching Learning
• 5292 University of Oregon
• 1600 Mill Race Drive
• Eugene, OR 97403-5292
• ph [phone]
• fx [phone]
• spaine_at_uoregon.edu

64
Resources references on sustainability

• Berman, P. McLaughlin, M. (1978). Federal
  programs supporting educational change, volume
  VIII Implementing and sustaining innovations.
  Santa Monica, CA, Rand Corporation,
• Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership sustainability
  Systems thinkers in action. Thousand Oaks, CA,
  Corwin Press.
• Hargreaves, A., Earl, L., Moore, S., Manning, S.
  (2001). Learning to change Teaching beyond
  subjects and standards. San Francisco,
  Jossey-Bass.
• Hargreaves, A Fink, D. (2006). Sustainable
  leadership. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
• Horner, R. (2006). Personal communication.

65
Resources references on sustainability

• Lehming, R. Kane, M. (Eds.) (1981). Improving
  schools Using what we know. Beverly Hills,
  Sage Publications.
• Paine, S., Bellamy, G.T., Wilcox, B. (1984)
  Human services that work From innovation to
  standard practice. Baltimore Paul H. Brooks
  Publishing.
• Virtual Conferences on Sustainability
• http//sustainability.terc.edu
• http//sustainability2002.terc.edu
• http//sustainability2003.terc.edu
• Wolf, M. (1997). The development of the Teaching
  Family Model. Journal of applied behavior
  analysis, 30, 381-382.