SPRING 2014 PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS PRESENTATION - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SPRING 2014 PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS PRESENTATION TO BOARD OF EDUCATION July 29, 2014

The Study Process 1  San Diego Unified School District identifies 5 problems of practice  Harvard Graduate School of Education students build a strong working relationship with district staff and form Project Teams  Project Teams conduct interviews and collect data in schools February 5 and 6, 2014  Problems of practice refined for clearer definition  Graduate students present initial findings to district staff February 7, 2014

The Study Process 2  Graduate students and district staff engage in ongoing collaboration during February and March 2014  Graduate students make final presentation of recommendations March 26, 2014  Findings shared with Project Teams staff April 17, 2014  Findings included in LCAP development May and June 2014

5 Problems of Practice 3 Evaluating Discipline Policies and 1. Practices Enhancing Early Childhood Readiness 2. Closing the High School Achievement 3. Gap and Increasing Graduation Improving Diversity in Teacher/School 4. Leader Recruitment Long Term English Learners 5.

1. Evaluating Discipline Policies and Practices 4 Objective: End disproportional discipline, suspension and expulsion practices among African American and Latino students that perpetuate increased absenteeism, truancy, disengagement, academic failure, and dropout rates.

Evaluating Discipline Policies and Practices 5 Recommendations:  Build principals’ beliefs that inequitable discipline policies and practices exist  Support principals’ ability to address these inequities through the establishment of more positive school climates Strategies:  Celebrate and communicate success via regular communication and appreciative inquiry with all stakeholders  Establish task force to build shared vision and buy-in  Implement differentiated professional development, including a Summer Institute and focused follow-up  Increase collective accountability using evidence-based inquiry cycles

2014-15 District Actions / Vision 2020 / LCAP 6 Recommendations and Strategies District Actions • Build principals’ beliefs that inequitable • Provide cultural proficiency training that recognizes discipline policies and practices exist. personal bias and discriminatory practices. • Monitor district and school policies, practices and services for evidence of bias or discriminatory practices and take corrective action. • Support principals’ ability to address these • Provide supports at multiple levels of leadership to foster inequities through the establishment of more positive and collaborative student and staff relationships, positive school climates. positive school climate and students’ academic success. • Assess the impact of intensive student behaviors and design a differentiated system of support for school staff and students. • Celebrate and communicate success via • Area Superintendents, Chief of Staff, and Instructional regular communication and appreciative Leadership Team visit schools using an appreciative lens to inquiry with all stakeholders. observe and identify positive practices to replicate and take to scale.

2014-15 District Actions / Vision 2020 / LCAP 7 Recommendations and Strategies District Actions • Establish a task force to build shared vision Existing ad-hoc discipline oversight committee and buy-in. • Implement differentiated professional • High schools participate in Positive Behavioral Interventions development, including a Summer Institute and Supports (PBIS) processes and develop strategic plans and focused follow-up. to improve both climate and student behavioral outcomes. • Provide opportunities and supports for high schools and middle schools to implement Restorative Justice practices. • Increase collective accountability using • District and school staff set goals to decrease suspension evidence-based inquiry cycles. and expulsion rates, discipline referrals, and removal from classroom. • District learning cycle will focus on developing an academic, social, and physical environment worthy of our children.

2. Enhancing Early Childhood Readiness 8 Objective: Communicate a clear purpose of early learning and elevate its status across the district as essential first steps in the process to empower schools to provide high quality education to San Diego’s youngest learners .

Enhancing Early Childhood Readiness 9 Recommendations:  Co-construct a shared vision for early education programming  Develop a strategy for communicating that shared vision  Improve tools that can assess the extent to which practitioners are fulfilling that shared vision Strategies:  Collaboration – Scorecard documents; ECERS and CLASS assessment pieces in ECE classrooms  Communication – PD tailored for early childhood educators; shared vision  Quality Instruction – Standard, thematic TK curriculum

2014-15 District Actions / Vision 2020 / LCAP 10 Recommendations and Strategies District Actions • Co-construct a shared vision for early education • Early learning programs will define, develop and assure the programming; develop a strategy for implementation of a well-articulated pathway from pre-school communicating that shared vision. through grade 1. • Improve outcomes for TK and kindergarten students with disabilities by providing access to age-appropriate educational opportunities with non-disabled peers. • Improve tools that can assess the extent to which • Establish standards and meaningful assessment tools for practitioners are fulfilling that vision. reading, writing, oral language, and mathematics to monitor • Collaboration – Scorecard documents; ECERS progress in TK and kindergarten. and CLASS assessment pieces in ECE classrooms • Communication – PD tailored for early • Provide professional learning for teachers of early learners childhood educators; shared vision focused on quality reading instruction and research-based interventions. • Quality instruction – standard, thematic TK • Provide high quality transitional kindergarten programs at all curriculum elementary schools. • Provide standards-aligned TK literacy and mathematics curriculum.

3. Closing the High School Achievement Gap and Increasing Graduation 11 Objective: Prepare students to enter high school and remain on track for graduation.

Closing the Achievement Gap and Increasing Graduation 12 Recommendations: • Invest in prevention rather than remediation • Use data to determine student needs • Design structures to support transition from middle to high school • Strengthen programming (instruction, intervention, and support) Strategies: • Develop and implement an Early Warning System • Develop and implement a middle to high school transition program that includes a “step up to success” course for 8 th and 9 th graders, and 9 th grade learning communities • Revise district grading practices and promotion/retention policies

2014-15 District Actions / Vision 2020 / LCAP 13 Recommendations and Strategies District Actions • Invest in prevention rather than remediation. • School staff support students and families to plan and monitor courses • Strengthen programming (instruction, to prepare them for graduation and post-graduation opportunities. intervention, and support). • Supports are provided at multiple levels of leadership to foster • Design structures to support transition from positive and collaborative student and staff relationships, positive middle to high school. school climate and students’ academic success. • Provide systems of supports at the school and district level to enhance instructional practice, professional learning, attendance and success. • Use data to determine student needs. • School leaders participate in regular PLCs to plan and design lessons, examine student data and engage in collaborative learning structures and processes. • Schools use multiple assessment measures to gauge student understanding and application of learning. • Schools set and monitor progress goals for all students and student groups. • Central office staff support Area Superintendents, principals, and school staffs to access data and build a culture of data analysis across schools.

2014-15 District Actions / Vision 2020 / LCAP 14 Recommendations and Strategies District Actions • Develop and implement an Early • Dashboard and Early Warning System in development Warning System. 2014-15. • Develop and implement a middle to • All middle and high school students have 6- or 4-year plans high school transition program that that clearly articulate the courses they must complete to meet includes a “step up to success” course UC ‘a-g’ requirements (including World Language). for 8 th ad 9 th graders, and 9 th grade • Central office and secondary school staffs work learning communities. collaboratively to identify and implement best practices that improve the outcome for 9 th grade students at every high school. • Revise district grading practices and • Policies and practices to be reviewed in 2014-15, and promotion/retention policies. revised as needed.

4. Improving Diversity in Teacher/ School Leader Recruitment 15 Objective: Improve minority teacher and administrator recruitment and hiring practices to reflect the student population.