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Smaller Learning Communities Relationships, Rigor and Relevance U.S. Department of Education 2007 – 2013 Dr. Janet McMahill
Smaller Learning Communities Relationships, Rigor and Relevance
U.S. Department of Education
2007 – 2013
Dr. Janet McMahill
Grant Goals • Create Learning Community Structures to
Enhance Learning
• High Academic Achievement for All Students
• Professional Learning Communities
• $6,087,000 for East, Hoover, Lincoln, North, and Roosevelt High Schools
How Was the Money Spent? • 9th and 10th
academies(Physical spaces and course clusters)
• 5 FT Coordinators
• 5 Academic Interventionists
• Reading and Math
• 8.5 Summer School
• Technology upgrades
• Creating PLC’s
• Prof. Development
• Curriculum Revision
• Curriculum Materials
• After-school support
• External Review
What Was Promised?
Expected Outcomes • Increase pass rates in rigorous courses and
elimination of failures and grades of “F”
• Significantly decrease the # of “Developing” in Math, Science and Reading on ITED
• Get ALL students on track for Graduation
• Get ALL students on grade level in reading and math by the end of Grade 10
• Increase enrollment in AP, IB and other college credit courses
• Identify post-secondary education as a goal in students’ 6 year plans
• Increase attendance and decrease chronic absenteeism
• Reduce discipline referrals, suspensions and expulsions
• Increase high school, employment and post-secondary graduation rates
• Work to improve the attitudes of students, teachers and staff
• Increase parental/family involvement and support
• Expand partnerships with community, business and higher education
Challenges along the way • Dramatic increase in
ELL. Immigrant and students in poverty
• Drop in state funding
• Admin. changes and shift away from zones
• Federal and state requirements added
• Technology Explosion
• Difficulty maintaining physical SLC structures
• Increase in basic operating costs
• Block Scheduling +/--
• ITED changed to the Iowa Assessment
Results
• Significant improvement in Math, Science and Reading
• Majority of students have post-high goals
• Reduced referrals, suspensions and expulsions
• Improved attendance/less chronic absence
• Positive attitude of staff, teachers & students
• Increased parental/family involvement
Results • Expanded partnerships with community,
business and higher education
• Increase in IB, AP and College Prep courses
• Increased graduation, employment and post-secondary completion
Relationships, Rigor and Relevance!
Outcomes Not Met
• Not ALL students on track with credits
• Not ALL students are on grade level in reading and math at the end of 10th grade
• The achievement gap has been not been completely eliminated
• There is not a system-wide significant increase in lowering the number of failures/ “F” grades
Iowa Assessment Reading Progress
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
East Hoover Lincoln North Roosevelt
11th Reading Assessment Scores Proficient & Advanced
2012
2013
Iowa Assessment Math Progress
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
East Hoover Lincoln North Roosevelt
11th Math Assessment Scores Proficient & Advanced
2012
2013
Iowa Assessment Science Progress
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
East Hoover Lincoln North Roosevelt
11th Science Assessment Scores Proficient & Advanced
2012
2013
The Evidence Base
• NWREL Assessment Framework
• Five annual teacher surveys (350 per yr.)
• Focus Groups with teachers, students, parents
• Monthly meetings with coordinators & admin.
• Comprehensive Annual Progress Reports
• District and building level records
• External evaluator observations, data validation, formative and summative reports
Year 6 No-Cost Time Extension
• $60,000 of grant balance disbursed to @
• Kirkpatrick Professional Dev. model used for qualitative evaluation of @ project
• Principals and teacher leaders prepared plans
• Local, state and national PD workshops, seminars, site visits and per diem work
• Supporting expenses covered for 141 teachers
6th Year NCTE (Continued) • East: AIW (Authentic Intellectual Work and Success
Building workshop (literacy focus) • Hoover: Curriculum Collaboration, IB national travel, IB
intensive planning and on-site technology workshop • Lincoln: AVID: Advancement via Individual
Determination (College readiness emphasis) • North: Leadership and Learning Center travel ( Dave
Nagel onsite and Data Teams advance) • Roosevelt: Curriculum collaboration in math, music,
AP Chemistry, Instructional Leadership Teamwork, Instructional Practices Inventory and Response to Intervention
Final Recommendations • Preserve 9th and 10th SLC structures, time for
teacher collaboration and weekly advisory
• Emphasize project-based, inquiry learning
• Further develop local partnerships
• Acquire technology but use it right
• Balance support to all academic areas with resource, collaboration and professional dev.
• Address the educational disadvantages of mobility. Disaggregate data to prove the point.
Recommendations (cont’d) • Continue the various academic interventions but
evaluate these efforts each semester
• Find resources to expand the 6th year SLC projects: Success Building and Literacy* Workshops, Authentic Intellectual Work, Response to Intervention*, International Baccalaureate and Advancement via Individual Determination, Instructional Practices Inventory and Data Teaming
• *Priorities of Iowa Dept. of Ed. Director Buck
Credits
• Connie Cook • Bryce Amos • Timothy Schott • Kevin Oleson • Cynthia Bernhardt • Sally Littell • Jane Hildenbrand • Phillip Ferguson • David King • Chad Ryan • Christopher McMahon • Michael Vukovich
• Sara Albright • Roberta Nigro • Jeffrey Panek • Katherine Clausen • Simone Alekno • Kristopher Byam • Janet Boyd • Kirby Lester
• *Central Administration • *Academic Interventionists • *Building Coordinators
