(I should note, by the way, that I didn't know that Ms. O'Konek was also employed by the Norfolk Public Schools, from whence came Superintendent Boone, until I read the paper the next morning.)
"focused on the improvement achievement"
"from a complience system to a performance-based results system"
needed to provide insight into leadership,teaching, policy, learning
cause to effect (cause is "the action of adults" "no student is held more accountable than the adults in the system") There was no mention of the actions of students during the presentation.
- tier 1 are quantitative systemwide data: "represent the values of the districts"
- tier 2 are quantitative school based data: "based on the unique goals of each building" (percentage of teachers that use particular kinds of instruction, for example)
- tier 3 are one page narrative "the story behind the numbers"
NOTE : Norfolk used this system and was given a Broad award for this framework
O'Connell asks of process and community inputcompleted by end of May: coming back every other week to work with "community based task force" (central
office, quadrant officers, TL support, plus parents from CPPAC and spedPAC, principals, teachers at all levels, union invited, demographic representation)
this group is "the design team"...it will be done by them without outside input or consultation
team at each school that develops this data
Novick: concern over expenditure of funds; question of why we aren't doing this in house: request for spelling out of funds and how they are being expended. To this the superintendent wishes to add the MOU, as the state weighed in on this plan.
Foley likes that we are looking at assessment and accountability in a number of different ways
"building based accountability"--make sure we are looking at all students
as a school begins to complete an accountability plan--task force will decide what will be the group to design the
plan and who will be on the team to monitor it
many districts look at student achievement; safe and secure learning environment; parent involvement
design draft will come back before the end of the school year
Biancheria asks if the school improvement plans will be in existence: no, the superintendent says: the accountability plans will replace them
"what gets measured gets done" quotes the superintendent
"it's not anectodal data anymore..."
will there be outreach for each school's team, asks Biancheria...
4 comments:
Tracy,
Did they say how much the contract for O'Konek was? Maybe I missed the number somewhere in your notes, and the closest I could find in the T&G article was when they said "The district will pay for her work with some of the $420,000 it received from the state because of its designation as a Commissioner's District with several schools in need of improvement."
It's one thing to put accountability programs into place, but for the new superintendent to hand out contracts to former co-workers- something stinks here. This person already sounds like she has at least one full time and one part-time job.
It's always an open question about whether or not someone who works for or within the reviewed entity can be completely impartial, but that doesn't seem to be the point here. This isn't doing the assessments, it's creating the framework by which the assessments of each school will be done.
The T&G article makes this seem like it's a done deal. "The Worcester School Department has hired her to develop a comprehensive accountability system". Is this entirely under the purview of the Superintendent?
Joe,
I asked for a report breaking down the numbers because the administration didn't have them there. The contract is being paid for with PART of the $420,000 you mention; the report I requested should tell us how much is for that, how much for Focus on Results, and whatever else is in there.
The superitendent is also including with that the MOU signed with the state that breaks down how the funds for the Commissioner's district are being used. The state is a co-signer on these plans.
It is a done deal, a signed contract.
As for oversight: I've just found out in the last week that the School Committee has delegated its authority to oversee grants. Legally, this responsibility lies with the School Committee under its purview of finances. Worcester's School Committee at some point has delegated this.
At some point it comes up for renewal...and yeah, I'm on it.
more on Leadership and Learning Center and Norfolk VA
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/norfolk-officials-work-firm-receives-schools-cash
And I put the grant item on this week's agenda. If you think School Committee ought to be voting this, let someone know, please.
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