Report of the Superintendent: District Initiatives

Boone: halfway through year, update on work

• Worcester Improvement Strategy
• Level 4 schools
• Race to the Top
• Innovation Schools
• Promise Neighborhood Planning Grant

"theory of action" (this is the arrows go in, the arrows go out)
MCAS numbers...with charts (which don't start at zero)

Gates Foundation grant (Literacy Design Collaborative)
links Common Core to Mass Frameworks
Goddard is going up on the Gates Foundation website as an example

Level 4 plans
state is requiring that an additional 10% of students be proficient (from 40% to 50%)...this was for all schools: requests that this be a motion from the committee to be sent to Accountability
"what we design has to be something that's sustainable...funds should not be the basis of our turnaround plan"
capacity of leaders and teachers funded by federal grant
Quarterly Progress reports with parents and community
Federal Grant application: requires more than the state plan does, requires both district change and school-level changes
exiting Level 4: MCAS scores up (for three years), supported at school and district level to be sustained

Race to the Top: year 1 grants issued soon
WPS will be implementing state evaluation framework (that means evaluation based in part of student test scores), alining curriculum to common core, "strengthen[ing] climate, conditions, and school culture," getting teachers ESL and sped licensing, and "creat[ing] near real-time data access," increasing number of students completing MASS Core graduation requirements, establishing a STEM school, developing online assessments, implementing Essential Conditions for School Effectiveness, wrapping around supports for students.

Readiness/Innovation Schools
Three pillars:

1. every student feels valued, important, and inspired.
2. every student thrives as a reader, writer, thinker, person, and member of the community
3. every student will develop academically on the path to college and career readiness and civic responsibility

(I have no idea where these came from, BTW.)
Seven proposals submitted, five approved, plans are due March 1 (due to whom)
(and then they come here)
due to School Committee on March 31
hearings and adoption in April and/or May
can apply for implementation funding by June 1

Promise Neighborhood Grant
Boone cites Worcester Improvement Strategy as steps in this direction (having trouble seeing the connection, myself. Any help?)
this is a planning grant; even if we don't get the award, there are things that can be done
"healthy schools that help foster healthy communities"