Capstone Presentati on
D. Lanahan & J. Weyburn
Apri l 2012
ED’S REPORT CARDA FRAMEWORK FOR DISTRICT PERFORMANCE
BIRMINGHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Birmingham Educati on Foundati on asked us to create a report card for Birmingham City Schools.
This project will provide leaders in Birmingham’s schools and in the community with rich informati on to help them bett er understand the current state of K-12 public educati on in the city.
PROJECT GOAL
Accountability as a tool for school improvement
“Everywhere you turn--from Congress to the statehouse to local communiti es and parent groups—some people are trying to make other people more accountable for something in educati on.” (O’Day, 2002)
Community report cards as a tool for stakeholder buy-in
Re-emergence of focus on district role in school improvement
Post-NCLB opportuniti es to expand indicators of performance
CONTEXT: NATION
Largest city in Alabama, Jefferson county seat City populati on: 212,237 Greater metropolitan area, 1,212,848 – ¼ of AL’s populati on
City Demographics Historical Context
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts; City of Birmingham website
CONTEXT: BIRMINGHAM
CITY DEMOGRAPHICS
Poverty Status in the last 12 months
Birmingham Alabama US
26.40%
17.10%
13.80%
Median Household Income
Birmingham Alabama US
31,827
42,081
51,914
Geographic Mobility
(% of children 18 and under who have moved)
Birmingham Alabama US
25.30%
15.50% 14.00%
Unemployment
(% 18 and older unemployed)
Birmingham Alabama US
12.90%
8.70%7.90%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey
CITY AND DISTRICT POPULATIONS
Birmingham City Population, by Race
BCS Student Population, by Race
White21%
Black/African-
American74%
Asian1%
Hispanic/Latino4%
White1%
Black95%
Hispanic/Latino4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey, BCS
Students: 2514688% qual i fy for Free/Reduced Pr ice Lunch
Schools: 5125 e lementary11 middle schools7 K-8 schools8 h igh schools1 a l ternati ve school
Teachers: 171161% Master ’s Degree or Higher93% Highly Qual ifi ed or Exempt125 Nati onal Board Certi fi ed Teachers
$280 mil l ion annual budget
CONTEXT: BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOLS (BCS)
Student Enrollment and Percentage of Students Qualifying for Free/reduced Lunch, 2006-2011
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
24000
25000
26000
27000
28000
29000
30000
70
75
80
85
90
95
Enrollment FRPL%
Source: BCS
PROJECT QUESTIONS
1) FOR WHAT PURPOSES AND AUDIENCES HAVE EDUCATIONAL REPORT CARDS BEEN CREATED?
2) WHAT MODEL OF REPORT CARD WILL BE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR BEF AND BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOLS?
3) WHAT DESCRIPTIVE MEASURES WILL MOST CLEARLY INDICATE THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT?
4) WHAT INPUTS AND PROCESSES INFLUENCE THESE OUTPUTS?
5) WHAT BEST PRACTICES IN DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT COULD BE SUGGESTED FOR BIRMINGHAM?
Questi on 1
FOR WHAT PURPOSES AND AUDIENCES HAVE EDUCATIONAL REPORT CARDS
BEEN CREATED?
Matrix Categories
Produced By Intended Audience/Purpose/Scope Format Key Themes Data/Indicators Included Pros/Cons
REPORT CARD ANALYSIS
Nashville’s 18 th Annual Educational Report Card (2011)Boston’s Educational Pipeline: A Report Card (2008)Alabama State Department of Education, System Profi le
ReportNew York State District Report CardsOhio State District Report Cards Jeff erson County, KY Public Schools Annual Progress
Report 2010San Diego, CA, County Report Card on Children and
FamiliesFixing the Milwaukee Public Schools: The Limits of
Parent-Driven ReformPrograma de Promocion de la Reforma Educative de
America Latina y el Caribe
REPORT CARDS ANALYZED
Question 2
WHAT MODEL OF REPORT CARD WILL BE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
BIRMINGHAM?
Choosing indicators to include
Deciding how best to
present indicators
visually
Borrowing on ideas
from other report cards
Negotiating with
clients/Working with
design team
CREATING THE REPORT CARD
What is the best way to show the story of Birmingham City Schools?
Questi on 3
WHICH DESCRIPTIVE MEASURES WILL MOST CLEARLY INDICATE THE STATE OF
THE DISTRICT?
OUTCOME MEASURES
•Standardized test scores (AYP)•Graduation/dropout rates•In-school student data
Achievement Indicators
•AP scores/participation•ACT scores/participation•Post-secondary matriculation/persistence
Post-Secondary Readiness and
Access
•Workforce readiness/entrance•Civic engagement
Impact Indicators
Questi on 4WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE THESE
OUTCOMES?
FRAMEWORK
Inputs Processes Outcomes
Inputs
Student Demographics
Community Demographics
Resources
Consultati on with clientCollecti on of descripti ve measuresQualitati ve analysis
Interviewee selecti on (maximum variati on sampling) Development of interview protocols (standardized, open-ended
questi ons, based on Framework processes) Field Notes Document review Coding data, fi nding patt erns, labeling themes (Patt on, 2002)
Limitati ons to consider
METHODS FOR DATA COLLECTION
QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS
Individual Interviews
• District Administration (Central Office, Board)
• School Administration
• Community Leaders
Focus Groups
• Teachers• Parents
48 Total
FINDINGS
FINDINGS: DESCRIPTIVE MEASURES
Data show a district with significant challenges to
overcome, given student and community demographics
BCS is a poorly performing district, lagging behind the
state on all measures
BCS does not collect several important measures
MORE FINDINGS: DESCRIPTIVE MEASURES
District is not meeting AYP largely because of special education
subgroup
Some improvement in math achievement scores
High school faces additional challenges, not only special education, but also reading
More students are taking AP and ACT exams, but scores remain very low
QUALITATIVE THEMES
Looking back and moving forward
“The Birmingham Bubble”
“It’s a different world….”
Current Conditions and Persistent Obstacles
QUALITATIVE THEMES
The page is turning It’s gotta be the leadership
Retooling teachers You are not in it alone
The home-school connection
Moving the District Forward
BIRMINGHAM VOICES
“The Freedom March generation is literally dying away—just like Fred Shuttlesworth. They’ve lost power…that whole history is dying, and that is very difficult for the ones that were there and are now watching those strong leaders die. But simultaneously, it is opening a huge opportunity for the next generation to step up and say, ‘We’re going to honor Fred Shuttlesworth, we’re going to honor Martin Luther King, we’re going to honor everything that you folks stood for, and we’re going to use all the positive things to move it forward.”Looking Back and
Moving Forward
“The airport that is in Atlanta, they wanted to build in Birmingham. Folks said no…because they didn’t want things to change. That’s our history.”
BIRMINGHAM VOICES
“The ‘Birmingham bubble’ gets formed around the school system. They run the school system. They don’t want a lot of outside help. Most of the ideas have to come internally. It makes it very difficult for outside stakeholders to be involved, or to want to be involved in the decision-making process. Corporate leaders around the city have tried, hard, unsuccessfully, to help, to be a part, to help that along. There is a general reluctance to be open to that support….”“The Birmingham
Bubble”
“People say, ‘This is Birmingham…we’re different. It’s like we have to create our own wheel.’”
BIRMINGHAM VOICES
“It’s a different world….”
“[Students in an urban district] are dealing with different life situations than they’re dealing with in Homewood, Vestavia, and Mountain Brook. It’s a different world, and you have to treat those kids differently.”
“The truth of the matter is, if you live in Birmingham, you’re going to send your kids to a private school.”
BIRMINGHAM VOICES
•“Our city is going to die, our city will be dead, if the Birmingham Board of Education does not stabilize what we have.”
Strategic Leadership and
Governance
•“The administration misses out on a lot of important knowledge and information that they can get from the teachers. They just throw things at us. If they would empower the teachers to help with the programs, to implement the programs, we could get a lot done.”
Quality Instruction
•“It takes a lot of work to be a welcoming school for parents who might not have had the greatest experience in schools themselves.“
Community Engagement
Questi on 5WHAT BEST PRACTICES IN DISTRICT
IMPROVEMENT COULD BE SUGGESTED FOR BIRMINGHAM?
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BCS
Strategic Leadership and Governance
• Expand data collection to include other measures of quality/success
Quality Instruction
• Develop coherent instructional program, especially for AP
Professional Development and Capacity
• Evaluate impact of current professional development initiatives
Culture and Climate• Implement school climate surveys for students, parents, and teachers• Consider use of on-track data and early warning indicators to identify struggling students and
personalize supportsCommunity Engagement
• Improve communication and collaboration with teachers
Ed’s Report Card
Identi fy specifi c measures and benchmarks of success for BEF strands Determine measureable goals for
successful parent engagement
Conti nue and expand conversati ons about most important indicators to include in Ed’s Report Card
Assist the distr ict with data col lecti on and program evaluati on to determine progress
The Foundation’s Role
Conti nue to clar ify BEF’s role in relati on to BCS
Consider “Reform Support Organizati on” strategies ( C o h e n , 2 0 0 0 )
Champions of reform -- sharpening vision and focusing eff orts
Educators -- providing training and assistance
Program developers -- investi gati ng new ideas
Management coaches – assisti ng implementati on challenges
Politi cal advocates -- pressuring systems to be more hospitable to reform
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BEF
CONCLUDING THOUGHTSTo what extent will this report card be utilized for district improvement?
Short-Term
Question
What are the most effective levers for district improvement?
Long-Term
Question
QUESTIONS?