SCHOOL QUALITY REVIEW (SQR)UPDATE
Andrew Strope, Performance and Continuous Improvement Officer
January 31, 2019
Overview
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Objective
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Update IPS Board of School Commissioners on
the SQR process, provide recommendations,
and highlight SQR experience
through school spotlights
SQR Purposes
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Provides a common understanding of quality and effectiveness across schools
Fosters dialogue between a school and Central Services around
quality and effectiveness
Supplies school and district leaders with qualitative data collected from
teachers, school leaders, parents, students and community members
Supports district decisions on interventions and supports, restarts,
closures and expansion
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• A comprehensive school visit includes stakeholder interviews with school leadership, teachers and staff, community partners, students and families.
• Attended by a cross-functional, internal district team, SQR visits took place late November through December.
• Each school will receive a comprehensive report including areas of celebration and areas of opportunity.
SQR Process
Overview
SQR Process
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• Identifies standards and related indicators of a quality school
• Used as the foundation for evidence
• Aligned with rubric
• Used to collect evidence during site visit
• School leadership, teachers, staff, parents, students, community partners
• Questions aligned to rubric
• Summarizes celebration and areas for improvement
• Copy provided to the school leadership
Site Visit Components
7 School Determination
*Based on 2017–18 ISTEP data
SQR Process
1 Schools in the bottom quartile of proficiency scores.*
LE
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2 Of these schools, the bottom half of growth scores.*
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In addition to considering criteria that the state will use to determine intervention, IPS will use the following:
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2018–19 SQR
IPS SQR Eligible Schools
Schools that met criteria to receive an SQR in SY 2018–19 are:
School
Stephen Foster School 67
Eleanor Skillen School 34
Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School
Ignite Achievement Academy @ Elder Diggs 42
Kindezi Academy @ Joyce Kilmer 69
James Russell Lowell School 51
Louis B. Russell Jr. School 48
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2018–19 SQR
Timeline/Next Steps
• Name schools that are eligible for a SQR based on lenses of proficiency and growth.
• Conduct meetings with school leadership team and staff to share information regarding SQR processes.
• Inform school communities via letters, open houses and/or school events.
• Complete SQR at each school.
• Share findings with IPS’ Board of School Commissioners and make appropriate recommendations.
Summary
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It is important to consider multiple measures when assessing
school performance, as we must define our own success.
IPS proactively engages in determining and implementing
interventions and supports for low-performing schools.
A SQR will provide contextual and qualitative data to better
inform IPS decisions and recommendations.
2018-19 SQR
11 Results and School Spotlight
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2018–19 SQR
Stephen Foster School 67 Findings
• Learning environment supports collaborative learning; principal has a strong background in instructional coaching that will benefit PD; strong relationships with community partners who support the school
• Checks for Understanding, differentiation; opportunities to provide consistent feedback and instructional support to staff
• Create and implement a school vision and consistent school wide expectations; develop a PD plan to support staff capacity around classroom management
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2018–19 SQR
Eleanor Skillen School 34 Findings
• Positive relationships between staff, students and families; clear expectations and procedures; deep level of commitment from staff and community members
• Student engagement and rigor; empower staff to set high academic and behavior expectations; create communication structures with stakeholders specifically around academic progress
• Develop a school mission/vision grounded in academic results; provide clear understanding of current and historical data; focus on quality lesson planning; create a community council
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2018–19 SQR
Ignite Achievement Academy @ Elder Diggs 42 Findings
• Key stakeholders take pride in school and want it to be successful; evidence of positive visual culture; school values are showcased, well communicated, and integrated
• Increase instructional rigor; consistently use of curriculum; continue to implement school wide-student culture systems
• Implement consistent school wide schedule/routines to reduce loss of instructional time; create communication systems between leadership to teachers and leadership with families
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2018–19 SQR
Kindezi Academy @ Joyce Kilmer 69 Findings
• Teachers executing higher order questioning techniques; positive and supportive learning environment that encourages risk taking; teachers supporting multiple learning styles; effective checks for understanding executed throughout instruction; high investment of community partners
• Additional opportunities to effectively engage with parents by leadership and staff; students are still developing awareness of academic progress; consistent community engagement practices
• Implement required communication structures/policies; create a community council; continue to develop and support a data driven student culture
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2018–19 SQR
James Russell Lowell School 51 Findings
• Effective implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs); positive transition to new leadership; strong morning routine; clear school mission/vision
• Student engagement and time-on-task; ensure staff investment and understanding of goals; family engagement strategies; alignment between learning targets and activities
• Build stakeholder understanding of school goals; support effective lesson planning to increase student engagement; create communication structures with stakeholders specifically around academic progress
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2018–19 SQR
School Spotlight
Louis B Russell
At Louis B. Russell, Jr. Elementary School our mission is to
provide a safe and nurturing environment that stimulates
academic excellence for all students.
The vision of Louis B. Russell, Jr. Elementary is to stimulate
life-long learners that are equipped to be innovative and
productive citizens in our global society.
We are an Opportunity Culture School, servicing students in
Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6. We offer Collaborative
Kindergarten, Life Skills (Primary/Intermediate) and focus on
Social Emotional Learning for all stakeholders. Small Group
instruction is essential to the academic/social growth of our
students.
18 Mission and Vision
Louis B Russell
19 SQR Findings
• Respectful classroom environments created
• Coherent vision supported by school community
• High expectations for all stakeholders
• High community engagement
• Use of multiple data sources to assess student learning
• Clear measurement goals created and monitored
• Communication of expectations to stakeholders
• Culturally Responsive Teaching
Louis B Russell
PLC Framework Created/Monitored
Professional Learning Plan/SIP Wrap-around Meetings
Guided Reading, Gradual Release (Math), Culture/Climate
Opportunity Culture (MCL)
44% of our SPED students have already grown one or more
levels, 67% of those students have grown one level, 33% have
grown 2-5 TRC levels.
100% of Grade 3 students showed growth on IREAD3 practice
assessments
20 Response to SQR
Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School
Mission:
Thomas Gregg Neighborhood
School prepares students to
contribute to the quality of life of
their community through rigorous
academics, personalized learning,
civic involvement and
social/emotional skill development.
Core Values:
Take Care of Yourself
Take Care of Each Other
Take Care of This Place
Grades Served:
PreK – 6th Grade
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Specific Programming:
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Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School
SQR Findings
• High student engagement was observed in every classroom with opportunities for collaborative student interactions provided
• Leadership has done an effective job cultivating commitment to and ownership of the school's vision and mission as evidenced by the vision/mission being communicated consistently and in a variety of ways to all stakeholders, including students, families, and community partners. Additionally, there are systems in place to improve outcomes (PLC, tickets, student/teacher ratio, feedback protocol).
• While it is evident that a strong school culture of high expectations has been created, the team challenges current leadership to continue to develop and build trust and inclusivity amongst all stakeholders to foster positive relationships.
• Support integration of college and career readiness into buildings and classrooms. Begin to reference the ties between daily learning activities to opportunities to access college and career preparation after graduation more explicitly throughout the school day.
Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School
In Year 2, TGNS has opted into several key partnerships that
will aid in achieving our goals through refining a data team
structure across all grade levels K-6 and ensuring we are
providing rigorous, highly aligned instruction ELA and Math
across all classrooms.
Continue Service Learning, Science/Social Studies & 12-Day
Instructional Cycle that is allowing for strategic and targeted
instruction.
Ticketing System in place to coordinate student/family service
needs and referrals
23 Response to SQR
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2018–19 SQR
Recommendations
Intended Purpose of the SQR:
• Supports district decisions on interventions and supports, restarts, closures and
expansion
Process Used to Determine Recommendation
• IPS academic leadership utilized a decision protocol process to help guide and
structure the conversations
• The protocol takes both qualitative and quantitative data into account, including the
following:
• Leadership Context
• Support Context
• SQR takeaways
2018-2019 SQR Recommendation
• IPS staff and leadership do not recommend that any of the 2018-2019 SQR schools
be restarted for the 2019-2020 school year
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• Utilize process as a learning opportunity across the organization by increasing the scope of schools. Some potential options include:
• All schools receive an SQR
• Top performing and lowest performing receive SQR
• Schools request an SQR
• Perform SQR’s on a rolling basis
SQR Process
Future State