Community-wide Planning Session Stakeholder Conversations Welcome - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

B.E.S.T. Academy and CSKYWLA Community-wide Planning Session Stakeholder Conversations

Welcome and Introductions • Angela Smith, Facilitator • Sid Baker, Associate Superintendent • Dr. Timothy Jones, Mr. Hajj Womack, Dr. Shaundra Fears, and Dr. Dione Simon, Principal Facilitators • Cluster Planning Team 2

Who is on your Cluster Planning Team? Community Representatives Principals • Mr. Bernard Porche – B.E.S.T. Academy • Mr. Hajj Womack, BEST MS LSC member • Dr. Timothy Jones, BEST HS • Ms. Stephanie Bailey – CSKYWLA PTSA • Dr. Dione Simon, CSKYWLA MS member • Dr. Shaundra Fears, CSKYWLA HS • Ms. Carla Christian – B.E.S.T. Academy PTSA member • Dr. Robert Nerem (or designee from GA TECH) – CSKYWLA Partner • Ms. Zola Shannon Mullen – CSKYWLA LSC member • Dr. Folami Prescott-Adams, Metro Atlanta KIPP • Ms. Gymiah Whitaker • Dr. Howard Grant 3

Why are we here today? • Present an overview of Cluster Planning and the Charter System Application processes • Receive feedback, to include: • the strengths and challenges of your cluster as they relate to your cluster’s mission, vision and priorities • the options for the Charter System local school governance teams 4

Agenda • Cluster Planning Overview • Cluster Data, Strengths, and Concerns • Draft Mission, Vision, and Priorities • Charter System Overview • Local School Governance Team Overview • Activities throughout the evening to encourage engagement 5

Let’s Agree To • Assume good intentions • Listen actively • Share the air • Avoid jargon and acronyms • Respect our time together and each other • Silence cell phones 6

Converging to Develop a Charter System Atlanta Public Schools Planning Work Streams Charter System Strategic Plan Application 2015-2020 (Operating Model) Cluster Planning 7

Community Participation in the Charter System Application Development Formal APS Community Advisory Meetings Committees Charter System Advisory Cluster Committee Planning Student Teams Feedback Employee Feedback 8

Cluster Planning Overview Sid Baker Associate Superintendent

What is Cluster Planning? Purpose • To build stronger schools and clusters to ensure consistent high quality academics and focused programming exists across the district Context • The goals of Cluster Planning are to enhance the alignment of schools within a cluster and increase the levels of flexibility and autonomy from the district-level to the cluster and school levels. • Each cluster has a Cluster Planning Team made up of principals and community representatives. • The cluster plan will guide the academic direction for students within each cluster. • The cluster plans will inform the FY16 and FY17 Budget and the Charter System Application. 10

Cluster Planning Team Meetings Cluster Planning Teams are made up of the principals from the cluster and community representatives. Meeting Norms Op Open Doc Documented Cluster Planning A website will Team Meetings publish minutes, will be open to dates, locations, the public for and other observation information about the meetings Col Colla laborative Meetings will be respectful, collaborative, constructive and positive 11

The World Cafe´ Angela Smith

The World Cafe´ Purpose of the World Café • Generate input, share knowledge, stimulate innovative thinking, explore action possibilities • Create a dense web of connections in a short period of time as threads of conversation reveal new patterns

The World Cafe´ Café Etiquette • Focus on what matters • Contribute your thinking • Speak your mind and heart • Listen to understand • Link and connect ideas • Listen together for insights and deeper questions • Play, doodle, draw (note: each table has a piece of chart paper and markers for participants to respond to each question)

The World Cafe´ Instructions Round 1 & 2 (15 minutes) • Sit at a table with 5- 6 other people you don’t know • Respond to Questions 1 & 2 by discussing with your group and writing, doodling, or drawing your thoughts, ideas, and questions on the tablecloths. Round 3 (15 minutes) • Respond to Question 3 by discussing with your group and writing, doodling, or drawing your thoughts, ideas, and questions on the tablecloths. Round 4 (5 minutes) • Complete survey.

The World Cafe´ Question 1 What makes BEST Academy and CSKYWLA strong?

B.E.S.T. Academy and CSKYWLA Strengths Concerns • Students coming to 6 th grade reading many • Leaders who are committed to single gender education grades below grade level • Rooted in the current geographic • Parents need skills and strategies to support community their child(ren) • Family-like environment • Disproportionality in many areas, intensifies • Robust partnerships certain issues (Special Education needs, Math, • Collaborative leadership team across Science, Reading, wrap-around services, the four schools social/emotional needs, literacy) • Resourceful team & partners • Seen as “taking” students from the traditional • Supportive and knowledgeable about middle and high schools in the zone • Lack of resources in the community (nutritional the students and their families • Program offerings - students actively food, professionals such as doctors and take advantage of the offerings dentists) • Low participation in parent conferences, special events, PTSA, local school council, etc. • Social and emotional well-being of our children – a threat to our enrollment and staffing (impacts achievement, attendance, discipline and perception) • Unique professional development needs. 17

Cluster Data Shaundra Fears, Ed.D. and Dione Simon, Ed.D.

Attendance and Discipline Data

English Language Arts and Reading Achievement (CRCT) BEST Middle CSKYWLA Middle

Math and Science Achievement (CRCT) BEST Middle CSKYWLA Middle

English Language Arts Achievement (EOCT) BEST High CSKYWLA High

Science and Math Achievement (EOCT) BEST High CSKYWLA High

Draft Mission, Vision, and Priorities Mr. Hajj Womack and Dr. Timothy Jones

Our Draft Vision Our vision is to create a high-performing single gender exemplar that produces transformational leaders who contribute to the community. Our Draft Mission  Our mission is to provide a caring, collaborative and rigorous single gender environment where the community of learners empowers scholars to be college and career ready.

What does the community survey data say about Signature Cluster Vision 1 st Choice? N=49 Participants: 80% Teacher/Staff Member 14% Parent or Guardian 2% LSC Member 2% Community Partner 2% Non-profit Partner Other Responses 2% International studies and languages with an emphasis on business and commerce to include the study of languages such as Spanish, French and Chinese 2% Dual immersion bilingual education in which students are taught literacy and content in two languages

What does the community survey data say about High School Career 1 st Choice? N=49 Other Responses 3% Human Services 3% Energy 3% Government & Public Administration 3% Hospitality & Tourism 3% Finance

Our Draft Priorities Draft Priority Potential Strategies  Implement the Seven Habits framework (The Leader in Me) to build skills needed to succeed in life (eg. leadership development) Focus on the whole child  Implement social and emotional learning opportunities and strategies  Improve math, reading and science performance  Target disproportionality Implement STEM  Certify teachers to meet STEM school requirements  Ensure facilities meet STEM requirements  Develop and implement a communications plan  Build a BEST/CSKYWLA Brand Increase Student Enrollment  Leverage district support  Remove barriers (eg. general transfer process)  Build advocacy across the community  Develop and implement a communications plan Increase Parent and Community  Engage and enhance the PTSA/LSC Engagement and Partnership  Build partnerships (eg. Engineering associations, higher education institutions, non- profit organizations)  Improve facilities to enhance single-gender learning (eg. space planning, room design)  Develop a schedule aligned to single-gender best practices Strengthen the Single-gender  Institute rites of passage Learning Environment  Determine policies and procedures needed to succeed in a single-gender learning environment  Develop and Implement a Develop and Implement a Transportation Strategy Transportation Strategy  Develop and implement a recruiting strategy for teachers, specific to single-gender Improve Talent Acquisition and learning environments  Development Provide and obtain ongoing professional development related to single-gender best practices for all staff

The World Cafe´ Question 2 Are there any additional priorities that should be considered to fully address the BEST/CSKYWLA challenges?