Boone takes questions

are you also looking at APs (in the accountability system)?

Yes

"we may find a school that is still making AYP but has pockets of children who are not performing up to the bar"

"as part of our data dashboard..how do we close some gaps around content exposure?"

question on capital improvements: making buildings more accessible: can we please make sure that the improvements we're making will make the buildings more accessible?
item last week on School Committee on just that, looking at our compliance with the accessibility

are there plans for adding programs for advanced learners?
looking at how we address gifted learners, how do we identify gifted learners
NCLB looked at it from a deficit model: who isn't making it? social/emotional needs of gifted learners, dropout rates of gifted learners "is staggering"
budget items to support such programs? Not in FY12
engineering pipeline, arts magnet...enrich programs
any progress on libraries being open? concern had been with elementary librarians..."conversation that principals engage in on a regular basis..a number of suggestions and a number of ways that parents ensure that students have access to books"

what parents should expect the next step in the conversation around restructuring?
"we're still collating the volumes of information that we got"
"very clear message around restructuring of elementary grades...I don't anticipate us coming back and addressing the K-2, 3-6...but I do have to say that at some point we've got to talk about our facility needs in terms of space...still start this year with at least 4 schools with large class sizes because they had no more physical space in their buildings...where are the pressure points and how can we relieve those pressure points? Elementary enrollment is increasing and physical spaces are stretched...definitive proposals coming back in the later fall..continuing conversations around innovation schools in the South quadrant"

question wisdom of placing programs (preschool at a school that's at capacity): what as a parent group could we do going forward to advocate for my schools in my community? How could we help?
"how do we begin to frontload success...preschool is a long term investment..slightly different funding stream"
enrollment increases in elementary..don't translate into dollars today
"recognizing that the FY11 funding stream represents the floor for me as superintendent...to go below, will begin to significantly impact quality...enrollment, difficult to see any way to close any doors, nearly 100 percent at capacity plus...FY11 funding stream is exactly what we have to do..stimulus dollars did exactly what it was supposed to do..economy not going to be enough to make up for the 8.2 million dollars...negative inflation factor...net school spending level for the city is just above minimun...study to examine the foundation formula (that's the adequacy study)...the will to address...we don't need another study on the shelf, we need the action"
(as a total aside, one might also note that Worcester contributes no more than minimally required to education)

restructuring

The school administration is being restructured: is there a timeline involved?
Four month transition: "beginning to reduce those silos"
some done in the fall
latest round in the budget document from Friday: as of July 1

restructuring plan

Plan must include measurable annual goals including but not limited to
1. student attendance, dismissal, and exclusion rates
2. student safety and discipline
3. student promotion, graduation, and dropout rates
4, MCAS
5. progress in areas of academic underperformance
6. progress among subgroups
7. reducation of achievement gaps
8. acquisition of 21st century skills
9. college readiness
10. parent and family engagement
11. building a culture of student support among school faculty and staff
12. developmentally appropriate child assessments (pre-K to 3)

group has 45 days to make a recommendations,which goes to the superintendent, who within 30 days have to send a plan to the commissioner, school committee, the union
superintendent must provide "due consideration" to recommendations of stakeholder group
(if there are contract modifications, and the union does not agree, it goes to expedited arbitration, so this could go as long as 79 days)
if the school committee or union objects to part of the plan, they may appeal to the commissioner, who within 30 days may modify the plan
30 days for superintendent to issue final turnaround plan
authorize the plan
superintendent is ultimately responsible for meeting goals of plan

NOTE that there are more days here than there are in the summer, so some aspects of plan may well not be implemented until partway through the school year or even next year
for parts of year 2 or 3, it may be wise to limit the things that are bargained for this year, and arbitrate parts of plan for later (as plans may change)

Stakeholders' group

Stakeholder group must include:
1.state designee
2.school committee chair designee
3.union rep
4.admin from school
5.teacher from school
6.parent from school
7.social service rep
8.workforce development agency
9.early childhood rep
10.community member
...not more than 13 members altogether

group must meet publicly

Meeting on Level 4 Schools and federal School Turnaround Grants

With my apologies for the names that I missed or misspelled.

Cheryl Delsignore, EAW:
teachers chose to be in the schools that they are in "believe in the students, believe in the students' families"
tough time for them, rotten place to be
Mtel survey: teachers spoke: what got them to go to most needy schools? Not money. Leadership, resources, human capital
oversized kindergarten classes w/o aide
best standards in the country, #1 in the country for the third time in a row
(Mayor comments that people with small children will get to go first)
when do they get the money? Don't know, maybe September
will there be money for planning groups? Yes
recommendations of group--decision made by superintendent
"Hope that superintendent will consider very seriously the recommendations of these groups"
DoEd support capacity be in the schools? Not sure what that will be
"what are the ways in which the department can provide value?"
ongoing
could schools get out before three years?
will there be continual replacement of the number of schools in the Level 4?
no decision made

Nicole Hazard from Worcester
parent of Chandler Elementary students (two kids started in December)
her six year old child has done a 100% turnaround
sad to lose principal
brainstorming with community partners and Senator Chandler: "a very hard decision for all of us to make"
"most passionate about support and involve parents..train parents to support teachers...for their own and other children"
plan to be at community meeting
need resources to move forward: "ask to move forward with implement those funds"
asks how she can be a party of the stakeholder group (which has 13 members and meets over 45 days in public)
willing to volunteer to support teachers in the classroom
the Mayor asks if those are public meetings
(Baehr) membership is very specific by state law: the parent group elects a member to serve
redesign team--school based implementation team of redesign--in school (heavily made up by parents, teachers, and others from school)
the Mayor stresses that these will be public meetings

Jabian Gutierrez from Worcester
legal guardian of his nephew who attends Claremont Academy
250 signatures that support voting in favor
be more engaged and be at the table
"it's about those kids"
"these conditions are tough, but I know we can get through it"

Sarai Rivera
vote in favor of these funds
"may be hot topic now"
"failure is never final...can we move out of the desert land...promised land of success...we care, we're here, we vote"
"what is the real motive of saying no tonight?"
"what if it was yours? ...the decision is not an easy one...not just one but all children...not about one or two people, but 600 children...great city and great school...great education is the right of the few...no longer stand by for the injustice...they matter to us...they matter...for the children, and for the future of this community"
"a lot has been said about where the community responsibility should lie"
"as voters we ask you to do this today"

parent of 5 children in the WPS
member of the Latino clergy
understand responsibility members of their community
parental responsibility should not be held solely responsible for decade of underperformance
only ones that can truly claim exemption from this are the children
only ones that matter, that can claim a valid need are the children
"how do we decide to turn our backs on a genuine and valid need of children to give face to demands of adults? matter more than the security of adults?"
Educationally every child in this city does matter
"what would be a better plan than the money that's out there for these two schools?"

pastor in the city of the Worcester, across from City Hall
thinks the vote should be yes
co-chair of Latino minister alliance
wants to talk about solutions: willing to get involved in WPS
"are here to walk forward and help"
"get that money and get people involved"

Tanya Davis
"a lot of members were talking about losing jobs, have degrees and can get other jobs"
"underperforming for 15 years...give them some credit for that"
"they can go to Shrewsbury or Westboro...need to start new from scratch with these kids"
"what are you saying that they stayed in an underperforming school? The paycheck is why they stay" (said to catcalls)

Mr. Scott (a regular attender of our meetings)
went to Elizabeth Street school, graduated from North High on Salisbury Street
"you'll never get a quality of education that you'll get in the city of Worcester"
follow-up teachers, follow-up parents, working with Black Legacy
concern that the criteria that we are trying to meet is the University Park level
advance at any level
"I'm an old school model. Once you apply the basics, ABCD, you can learn everything else"
"I'm waiting to see how advanced kids are in June"
education is a real concern
"I think after 15 years if someone is failing at that point, need to sit down and say at that point to get someone new in, and get that education standard up to where it needs to be"

Theona Lawrence
parent of two children at other schools
"my question is what is the problem with letting them go so we can have change in the school"
the Mayor explains how this works again
If they don't do that

woman who lives in Southbridge, daughter is a North High grad
models throughout the country: inner city black youth doing phenomenal
"a little disturbed that children who are growing up in the inner city are not doing as well as children who are white and growing up in the suburbs"
"expectation that all children will do well no matter where they live"

Mother of three: one at West Tatnuck...
school choice parents--"if it has to change a lot of the teachers, it might not be good for the children"
for these schools, what are their routines?
"what do they have to do besides changing the principal?"
comprehensive turnaround plan, is the answer of the deputy commissioner
"we have the Youth Center that haven't been used for years"
grasp this help from the community, so they can pass and succeed for the school itself

the Mayor points out that the budget proposes to cut tutors and assistant principals that do some of this work

John Olivera
student at Claremont Academy, president of student council
one of the concerns is keeping teachers
"problem with saying teachers are the problem...teachers are vital...teachers are everything to me..shouldn't immediately say that...prefer that we be a little bit more respectful...they work hard every day"

Melanie Gallagher, teacher of Union Hill
thanks the previous speaker
"as a teacher, I know you have to take the money...I'm the one without the glue sticks...my principal gave us money for glue sticks...I understand the need for the money...I want to know what is going to change in my classroom next year."
has 25 five year olds with an aide half the day
"no one has come to say that"
"I have to spread them out"
"we have the STEP program in our classroom...we need help...are they really going to come to my classroom? We don't need new curriculum, we need help."
"I really would like smaller classes"
Boone says she will speak with the faculty soon about what is working well and what will be improved
data system is being improved by state
Baehr: "the challenge is to use the grant in a way that funds immediate needs, as well as long term change"
"and now we're gonna get money to do exactly the same thing again..I hope that it does not go away again"
Baehr: "I want to be clear the federal dollars go away in three years."
the Mayor: "I think that I speak for the committee that those dollars will be put into the classroom."

greatest teachers in the whole country here in Worcester
"the federal government is out of control on this...in the meantime, we need to take the money, we can't go without taking the money"
we have Level 3 schools and they need support, too
city puts in minimal money
"as a city, we have to come up with the money to support everyone"
"more resources for our schools"

teacher at Union Hill
"a lot of blame is being placed on staff...money will raise MCAS...if the resources will raise MCAS scores, how can the blame be put on the staff when there aren't the resources there yet? And how can next year's MCAS scores count if the money doens't kick in until the fall?"
Baehr: school in Lowell that is Level 4, near school that's doing much better: looking at what's going on ten blocks away, and not just pure MCAS scores
some schools are outperforming their demographics
challenge to Level 4 schools: if we're going to help solve this problem, we can't be the same department
"really important challenge"

Latino Education Institute: one observation
"I think that what's happening...4 out of 10 kids will not graduate from high school" (that would be Latino kids)
"when we talk about the issue of states' rights, for our ears...when schools are not working for a key part of the population for a long time, it's time for the feds to step in"
monitoring this law...first real tool that state has, for monitoring school board
"that Worcester unite, not level of anger, status quo has not worked for far too long"
"reform is reform for all...don't ask the community to come after it's done"
maybe the partners can be higher ed or higher ed plus

Rosemary Ford
chose to stay at Union Hill School
"welcome...I have seen no alliance with Union Hill School...have one parent volunteer...we cannot do it alone"
"when are we going to stop with the MCAS? "
she has her growth map
"don't tell me that we aren't working hard at Union Hill School"
"we have had choices to move"
"we care about those children, they are our children"
"let's get rid of this MCAS...my children went elsewhere...I lived in fear that they could not do the MCAS...shame on people who hold these children to that standard"
"we have to fight together!"

Councilor Toomey
"Worcester is an engaged community...has the possibility to work within.."
asks that Baehr consider bringing back communities working together
"what is going to happen with all of our other schools?"
urban communities are suffering because of the way the tax structure is set up
"have exemplary educators here...and phenomenal parents"

Cecilia Courtney
parent, citizen...following on the heels of the Level 4 schools are priority schools (Level 3)
"take these funds and leverage them throughout the city"
"those schools are just okay...compared to our neighboring towns, they're just okay...Worcester just pales"
"homebuyers are opting out of Worcester...hard to compete with this"
"so many of you have been here for so many years"
"city needs to be more independent and less dependent on state funds"

one of the pastor gets up with one more question: asks if we can use money for more than three years
working on Level 3 to prevent falling to Level 4
Boone: improvement strategy based on years of data to align instructional practice
focus on the lower end of Level 3
discouraging to children and teachers to go to a school without chalk and gluesticks

Biancheria

"timeframe has effect on everything..."
reviews list of turnaround model
"they've put in such an effort"
"we have one measure of our school...MCAS...it's centered around one test"
amazing that there's a monetary value for this

"one measure I'd like to see change"
"we start acting this evening, tomorrow...acting as soon as possible, so we in cities and towns have an evaluation process that actually works"

Boone points out that the regulations are in public comment period until mid March

Monfredo on Level 4 schools

"follow the law"
"unfair to the staff and the children to label them underperforming"
lacks in the school

growth model: let's look at the growth there (from September to June)
Success for All program

Boone and Worcester Compact
"need to move forward and work together for positive change"

Mullaney on Level 4 schools

Mullaney: "sad, sad day for Worcester"
Legislators did not pass these regulations: executive branch did
bureaucrats far from us
"not subject to an election...not subject to the will of the people"
"one lesson about civics or anyone today...we are becoming more and more governed by people coming up with rules and recommendations"
"we all want better quality education..."
"just dangling money out to us as a carrot"
"who's idea" was it to fire the principal?
"I for one would say keep your money"

she runs through the list and checks off the things that have already been done
"what recourse do we have...the increasing federalization of education...putting it the hands of people far from this community"

Last little power is to vote "and I want to vote"

We have no level 3 schools yet

but any school that is currently in restructing will be probably be deemed a Level 3 school

Federal turnaround gratns

what were school improvement grants (SIG, now STG)
MA gets $76 million for competitive grants
districts can apply for half a million or more per year for up to 3 years for each level 4 school

four choice turnaround model choices in order to apply for school transformation grants

Level 4 and 5 schools

superintendent oversees turnaround of Level 4 schools
Commissioner oversees turnaround of Level 5 schools
The combination of both groups may not exceed 72 schools, 4% of the schools in the Commonwealth
Drawn from lowest performing 20% of schools

Plans have to include support for social and health services
financial plan
workforce development
focus on ELL, sped, and low-income

significant list of areas in which there are goals NOT ONLY MCAS: attendance, dismissal, safety, dropout, graduation, parent engagement...and more

charter cap raised for us to 18%: charter schools have to reflect sending district

Level 4 schools in Worcester

There will be more on this tomorrow, but Worcester Magazine has it right: there are two Level 4 schools, as declared by the state. They are Union Hill and Chandler Elementary.

Discussing Central Falls

I should point out that Blue Mass Group has a conversation going on about Central Falls.
(Thanks, Lisa! And thanks to Brendan for sending me the original story!)

How effective is restructuring schools?

There's some question about that.

The Center on Education Policy released a study on Monday that took a look at the restructuring that has been taking place under NCLB. After looking at 23 districts and 48 schools in six states, they found that NCLB did little to help schools that were trying to improve. This led Jack Jennings, the Center's president, to wonder if the restructuring plan under Race to the Top was based "on a hunch rather than evidence" in the four plans for restructuring schools under NCLB.
(take a look at Catherine Gerwertz's very good coverage here and summary here)

As versions of the four models required under Race to the Top have not been proved to work, Jennings (and, I think, many of us) are concerned that we are now requiring an unproven system for our most at-risk students. Much of the argument for RTTT is "you guys blew it; now you have to do it our way" but it isn't clear that "their way" is anything that has worked in the places it's been tried.

This is why we need to have state and local officials having a real conversation about IF this is something for which we want to sign up. The race to Race to the Top is denying a chance to have real conversation about signing away local control, changing working condition, and subjecting our kids to systems that in some places have been shown not to work, and in some places have not given clear results. But the push to have applications for districts in by early January and the state in by mid-January is denying that opportunity. (See the Time principle)

As for Worcester? It's not on this week's School Committee agenda. I've heard the superintendent say in passing that they are putting an application together, but unless it is on the December 17 agenda, the School Committee won't have a chance to fully vet this before approving or not. As this is a budget and a policy issue, that's a problem. This isn't just any grant.