Overview of the School Improvement Plan Development Process Required by NH RSA 193H and Federal Publ

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Overview of the School Improvement
Plan Development Process Required by NH RSA
193-H and Federal Public Law 107-110

• NH Department of Education
• www.ed.state.nh.us
• May 29, 2008

Dottie Fair, Title 1 State Director Mary-Ellen
Arigo. Title I Schoolwide/CSR Coordinator Gary
Guzouskas, Administrator, School Improvement
Merry Fortier, Consultant, School Improvement
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Topics to be Covered

• Getting the Big Picture
• Expectations of Schools
• Supports from the Department of Education
• Title I Schools Requirements and Resources

3
Overview of the School Improvement Plan
Development Process

• Statutory Requirements

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Statutory Requirements State and Federal Law

• State law requires the development of a school
  improvement plan for any school officially
  designated as a school in need of improvement
  (NH RSA 193-H)
• and
• Federal law requires the development of a school
  improvement plan for any Title I school
  officially designated as a school in need of
  improvement
• (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 P.L.
  107-110)

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Statutory RequirementsDuration of the Plan

• The school improvement plan is in effect for a
  two-year period (the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school
  years).
• The school in need of improvement designation
  is removed once the school makes Adequate Yearly
  Progress (AYP) for two consecutive years in the
  content area(s) that caused the designation.

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Statutory RequirementsRequired Focus and Intent

• In contrast with local or district education
• improvement plans which are by design long-term
• and broad in scope, the focus of the two-year
• improvement plan must be on strategies to
• improve conditions and factors impacting student
• achievement in the content area(s) that caused
• the school to be identified for improvement.

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Statutory RequirementsRequired Content (ALL
SCHOOLS)

• For all schools the plan must provide the
  elements below
• identification of the area or areas in which the
  school has not made AYP for two consecutive
  years
• the activities the school will implement to
  address and improve the underlying issues most
  likely affecting student achievement in the
  content area(s) that caused the school to be
  identified for improvement and,
• a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the
  Superintendent of Schools.

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Statutory RequirementsRequired Content (TITLE 1
SCHOOLS)

• Title I school improvement plans must contain the
  following additional components
• An overview of the research demonstrating that
  strategies selected are of proven effectiveness
• strategies for parent and family involvement to
  increase the likelihood of sustaining the
  intended improvement efforts
• A description of the process by which parents,
  outside experts, and other interested community
  members were consulted in designing the plan

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Statutory Requirements Required Content (TITLE 1
SCHOOLS) (Contd)

• A description of the school or districts
  teacher mentoring program
• A description of the parent notification
  process, with a copy of said notice, explaining
  the reasons for the schools designation as well
  as, if applicable, the procedures parents may use
  to request school choice for their child and,
• A detailed budget narrative, together with a
  completed OBM Form 1

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Statutory RequirementsTimetable for Developing
the Plan

• June 6, 2008 designation as a school in need of
  improvement becomes official for schools electing
  not to appeal or whose appeals were unsuccessful.
  Schools have 90 calendar days from this date to
  submit a school improvement plan, even if
  continuing the appeals process to the State Board
  of Education.
• September 5, 2008 deadline for submitting the
  plan.

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Statutory Requirements Review and Approval
Process (ALL PLANS)

• All plans will be reviewed to determine the
  extent to which
• the abstract clearly describes the underlying, or
  root cause issues the proposed activities are
  proposed to address
• the plans goals, objectives and proposed
  activities are clearly aligned with the areas(s)
  that caused the school to be identified
• the results are written as results-oriented
  statements
• the proposed activities are described in
  sufficient detail, with a timetable and,
• the plan for how the activities will be monitored
  and assessed for effectiveness is clearly
  explained.

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Statutory Requirements Review and Approval
Process (TITLE 1 SCHOOLS)

• Additionally, for Title 1 schools the plan review
  will examine the
• extent to which
• the school has consulted with parents, outside
  experts, and interested community members to
  develop its plan
• the costs associated with carrying out the
  selected activities are authorized by Title I
  and,
• requirements for Title I schools are met.
• Mentoring plan description
• Budget narrative and completed applicable
  additional forms
• Completed OBM Form 1
• Description and copy of schools notification
  letter to parents

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Statutory Requirements Review and Approval
Process

• Plans meeting the requirements will be submitted
  to the State Board of Education for approval.
• Schools will be required to submit a Progress
  Report on the status of the work of the plan at
  the end of Year 1. Reports will be reviewed and
  a report provided to the State Board.

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Overview of the School Improvement
Plan Development Process

• Template Design

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Template Design A Research-based Process for
Developing a Research-based Plan

• The planning process described in Appendix A
  utilizes research-
• based practices characteristic of effective
  schools
• Balanced Leadership
• Robert Marzano, 2003
• After the Test How Schools are Using Data to
  Close the Achievement Gap
• Bay Area School Reform Collaborative, 2003
• The School Portfolio Toolkit
• Victoria Bernhardt, 2003
• Scholastic Audits Standards and Indicators for
  School Improvement
• Kentucky Department of Education, 2003
• Assessment Continuum of Schoolwide Improvement
  Outcomes
• Education Development Center 2002

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Template Design A Research-based Process for
Developing a Research-based Plan

• This systemic approach to planning
• emphasizes the dynamic nature of school
  improvement committees. While the participation
  of certain groups is required, the school works
  to ensure that the right people with the right
  expertise are at the table at the right stage of
  the process
• examines the effects of school improvement
  efforts from a data (output) perspective, rather
  than a singular focus on efforts (input)
• involves looking at possible root causes
  affecting student achievement, and addressing
  only those that are supported with evidence,
  rather than relying on unfounded hunches

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Template Design A Research-based Process for
Developing a Research-based Plan

• encourages priority setting so that goals are
  achievable and directly target improvements in
  the area(s) in which the school was designated as
  a school in need of Improvement
• results in a straightforward action plan written
  so the public can understand not only what the
  school proposes to do, but also why.

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Overview of the School Improvement
Plan Development Process

• Developing The Plan

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Developing the Plan Plan Contents

• Cover Page ------------------------
• Abstract -----------------------------
• Demographic Information ------
• Plan Development and Monitoring
  --------------------------
• Creating the Action Plan -------
• Title I Requirements -------------
• Memorandum of Understanding

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Developing the Plan Plan Contents Improvement
Plan Monitoring Committee

• To ensure timely implementation of the plan, the
  school must
• Create a monitoring committee with diverse
  representation
• Develop a timeline and process for the
  monitoring
• Periodically review the implementation of the
  plan and,
• Make adjustments in implementation as determined
  by reviews.

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Developing the PlanPlan Contents Creating the
School Improvement Action Plan

• This section contains the steps for developing
  the plans goals, objectives and
• proposed strategies. The steps are
• Completing a needs assessment activity (i.e.
  Appendix A,
• Assessment Continuum , Root Cause
  Analysis)
• Taking Stock
• Reviewing our current initiatives and current
  practices
• Reviewing the Results - What Results are we
  Getting?
• What are the Possible reasons Why?
• Root Cause Analysis
• Setting Improvement Goals and Achievable
  Objectives
• Selecting Research-Based Strategies and
  Activities for Implementation
• (Title 1 schools must include mentoring
  as one of their strategies)
• Completing a 2008-09 School Improvement Action
  Plan form for each strategy.

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Completing Creating The Action PlanStep 1
Conducting a Needs AssessmentTaking Stock of
Current Practice

• A needs assessment is a logical starting point
  for developing a
• school improvement plan. The taking stock
  activity involves a
• review of recent and current school improvement
  initiatives to
• consider
• the purpose what is the initiative designed to
  do or improve?
• has the initiative been fully implemented?
• does the initiative target the area(s) in which
  the school did not make AYP?
• what are the results to date? How do we know?

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Completing Creating The Action PlanStep 1
Conducting a Needs AssessmentTaking Stock of
Current Practice

• To begin the process of identifying the root
  cause conditions or issues impacting student
  achievement, use the guiding questions in
  Appendix A, the Continuum or Root Cause Analysis
  to review school practices in these interrelated
  domains below that are critical influences on
  teaching and learning
• Standards-based curriculum, instruction, and
  assessment
• Accountability and evaluation
• Structural reform strategies
• Leadership and governance
• Professional development
• Culture and climate
• External support and resources
• Parent and community support
• Extended learning

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Completing Creating The Action PlanStep 1
Conducting a Needs AssessmentTaking Stock of
Current Practice

• Within each domain, ask
• what factors or conditions are getting in the way
  of student achievement
• what evidence do we have and
• what else do we need to know to be sure?

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Completing Creating The Action PlanStep 2 Is
what we are doing working? What does
the data show?

• Is what we are doing working? involves the
  school improvement committee in a close look at
  student data to determine the extent to which
  school improvement efforts are actually having on
  student achievement
• Questions to consider include
• to what extent are students meeting the state
  performance targets in Reading and Math?
• which student groups are not meeting the
  targets? To what extent?
• how are students performing in other core
  academic areas?

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Completing Creating The Action PlanStep 3
Setting Improvement Goals and Achievable
Objectives

• The needs assessment activities can help the
  committee identify a
• number of issues or conditions affecting student
  achievement that
• need to be addressed over time. In deciding upon
  improvement
• goals for this plan
• - set priorities you cant work on everything
  at once
• - choose goals that are realistic and achievable
  in two years
• - when writing the goals, be sure to state what
  progress you expect to see and how progress will
  be measured.
• Appendix A for an example).

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Completing Creating The Action PlanStep 4
Selecting Strategies and Activities

• As the committee considers which strategies to
  implement in order
• to accomplish the goals, consider the following
• What issues or conditions affecting student
  achievement will the proposed strategy address?
• How does the strategy work? How will it improve
  the situation we are trying to address?
• Is the research supporting the strategys
  effectiveness credible?
• In what settings and for what populations has the
  strategy been effective?
• Is the strategy appropriate/feasible for our
  situation?

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Completing Creating The Action PlanPutting It
All Together

• How to put the plan together?
• Page 17 (Title 1) or Page 15 (Non-Title1)
  illustrates the type of information that might
  result from completing Steps 1-4
• Page 18 (Title 1) or Page 16 (Non-Title 1)
  illustrates how that information is then
  transferred to the 2008-2009 School Improvement
  Action Plan form

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Completing Creating The Action PlanCompleting
an 2008-2009 School Improvement Action Plan
Form(one form for each strategy )

• AYP Area of Focus
• Improvement Goals
• Strategies
• Objective(s) for each strategy
• Proposed Activities for 2008-2009

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Completing Creating The Action PlanSchool
Improvement Goals and StrategiesSummary

• Follow these steps to complete the plan as
  outlined
  
  
  
  
  
• Complete an 2008-2009 School Improvement Action
  Plan form for each area in which the school was
  identified for improvement , and
• Develop additional materials as needed to meet
  Title 1 requirements.

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Developing the PlanPlan Contents Additional
Requirements for Title 1 Schools

• Pages 10 11 plus Appendices B C contains
• Title 1 Budget Narrative for 2008-2009 Activities
• Title 1 Professional Development Justification
  Form
• Title 1 Contracted Services Justification Form
• Title 1 Equipment Justification Form
• Title 1 Parent Notification Requirements

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Submitting the Plan

• Deadline is 430 p.m. September 5 2008
• Submit original and three (3) copies to
• Title 1 Schools Non-Title 1 Schools
• Kristine Braman Ellie Riel
• Title 1 Office Bureau of Accountability
• NH Department of Education NH Department of
  Education
• 101 Pleasant Street 101 Pleasant Street
• Concord, NH 03301 Concord, NH 03301
• [phone] [phone]

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Resources

• Planning grants
• For what time period
• Amount available
• For what purposes
• Application process and materials

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For More Information

• Download the plan template at www.ed.state.nh.us
• Dottie Fair, Title I Administrator
• (Tel) 271-3301 DFair_at_ed.state.nh.us
• TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
• Title 1 Mary Ellen Arigo (marigo_at_ed.state.nh.us
  or 271-8315)
• Non-Title 1 Merry Fortier (mfortier_at_ed.state.nh
  .us or 271-7382)