Quarterly Update Blue Ribbon Commission’s Recommendations of the 2009 Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT)

Erasure InvestigationDr. Beverly L. HallSuperintendent

Atlanta Public Schools

May 9, 2011

Quarterly UpdateAgenda

▪Background▪Overview▪Update on Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) Recommendations▪Update on Caveon Recommendations▪Summary

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Background

▪August 2, 2010 – BRC presented the BRC CRCT Erasure Investigation Report▪August 16, 2010 – APS responded to the BRC Report–Division owners assigned–Project management methodology

implemented

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Overview

▪Twenty-nine recommendations outlined in the BRC report–Each recommendation to date has a status of

one of the following:• Complete – 25 recommendations• In Progress – 0 recommendations•On Hold – 3 recommendations•Work Beyond June 30 – 1 recommendation

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Security Recommendations

▪Highlights from previous reports:–APS Test Security Plan enhanced and

communicated to the district–Pre-administration testing workshops and

training sessions completed for testing monitors–Testing pre-administration workshops

incorporated ethics

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Security Recommendations ▪Highlights from previous reports (continued):–Enhanced protocols and best practices created

for test preparation to include an attestation process–Ongoing plan developed to conduct regular

audits for each CRCT administration–Face-to-face policy training conducted to

encourage professional conduct, ethics and accountability

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Security Recommendations ▪Highlights from previous reports (continued):–Safe rooms upgraded with cameras and limited

documented secure badge access–Scanning process implemented to enhance

chain of custody procedures for test materials

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Security Recommendations

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BRC Security Recommendation 2“Research and identify causes of the unusually high number of erasures within the district and identify and implement best practices in test preparation across the district”

Status: On Hold

Administration’s Update–The district received partial 2009 CRCT erasure data from the

Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) –APS has received 2010 summary erasure data from GOSA. This

data has been analyzed to the extent possible–The district will continue to implement best practices in test

preparation and administration

Process Recommendations▪Highlights from previous reports:–12 Week Accelerated Academic Recovery

Program implemented to provide additional support to students–Audit routines and process to investigate

testing irregularities enhanced

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Process Recommendations

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BRC Process Recommendation 3“Conduct further investigation of the referred

individuals within the Identified Schools and take whatever administrative, legal or professional action APS considers appropriate”

Status: On Hold

Administration’s Update–The PSC approved 27 of 108 referred individuals–APS is fully cooperating with the Governor’s special

investigation team

Leadership Recommendations▪Highlights from previous reports:–Communication plan regarding external hotline

implemented for APS employees to report misconduct–Principals reassigned from the Category 1 schools–Training provided on tools used as part of the 12

Week Accelerated Academic Recovery Program–Online communication toolkit created to place

additional emphasis on leadership, integrity and ethics–Hotline brochures and posters placed in all schools

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Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 1“Drive culture change throughout the district to create an environment that effectively balances attention to measurable student outcomes with attention to positive, ethical behavior”

Status: Complete

Administration’s Update–Modified the APS Balanced Scorecard objective of building a

culture of alignment, ethics and accountability–APS Balanced Scorecard has been cascaded to all district

leaders who aligned their measures to the district scorecard–Alignment with the Effective Teacher in Every Classroom

(ETEC) and Race to the Top initiatives

Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 2“Proactively re-assess incentive systems and performance evaluation processes for all district employees with a focus on achieving this appropriate balance”

Status: Work Beyond June 30

Administration’s Update–Multi-year phased recommendation is in progress as part of

the ETEC and Race to the Top initiatives–New performance evaluation tools adopted as part of Race to

the Top grant including a pilot of the Class Keys evaluation tool for teachers and Leader Keys evaluation tool for principals–Georgia Department of Education driving implementation

schedule

Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 3“Establish annual goals and performance plans that include a significant emphasis on leadership, integrity and ethics”

Status: Complete

Administration’s Update–Modified the APS Balanced Scorecard objective of

building a culture of alignment, ethics and accountability–Created a toolkit for all employees containing guides and

resources that assist leaders in emphasizing leadership, integrity and ethics

Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 4“Incorporate self-assessment into the annual plan evaluation processes for leadership (i.e. principals, assistant principals, curriculum leaders, School Reform Team executive directors and central office personnel)”

Status: Complete

Administration’s Update–The district has developed a self-assessment tool based

on the Georgia Department of Education Leader Keys –Rollout is planned for the 2011-2012 school year–An awareness campaign has been developed

Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 5“Incorporate surveys of teachers and support staff into annual performance planning for principals to provide qualitative evidence on principal performance”

Status: Complete

Administration’s Update–A school climate survey has been developed based on the

Georgia Department of Education School Keys and Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards (GAPSS) resources –Rollout is planned for the 2011-2012 school year–An awareness campaign has been developed

Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 7“Provide opportunities for regular, anonymous peer and upward feedback (i.e. teacher-to-teacher, teacher-to-assistant/principal, teacher-to-test coordinator, principal-to-executive director) as well as processes for following through and managing this information”

Status: Complete

Administration’s Update– School climate surveys have been developed based on the

Georgia Department of Education School Keys and Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards (GAPSS)– A process has been designed to provide anonymous feedback– Rollout is planned for the 2011-2012 school year– An awareness campaign has been developed

Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 8“Conduct principal peer reviews and incorporate this

information into annual evaluation processes”

Status: Complete

Administration’s Update–2010-2011 principal peer reviews have been completed–Feedback from principal peer reviews will be included

as a data source for the principal annual performance evaluation

Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 9“Provide the ABE additional recommendations on plans to monitor the principals and other leaders of the schools being referred by the BRC”

Status: Complete

Administration’s Update–12 principals from the Category 1 schools reassigned– Instructional observations conducted by School Reform

Team Executive Directors throughout 2010-2011 school year–Experienced education specialist assigned to provide

additional monitoring and support

Leadership Recommendations

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BRC Leadership Recommendation 11“Publish additional findings made with respect to events that may have occurred during the 2009 testing period”

Status: On Hold

Administration’s Update–A communication plan has been developed and is being

implemented–District website is being utilized for regular updates–Additional findings that may have occurred in the 2009

testing period will be communicated if made available

Comparisons Recommendations

▪Highlights from previous reports:–Assessment completed on schools that

showed a decline in math from 2009 to 2010–Mathematics curriculum aligned to the

Georgia Department of Education scope and sequence–Navigator professional development training

conducted

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CRCT Comparison Recommendations

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BRC CRCT Comparison Recommendation 2“There are 33 schools that demonstrated a significant decline in the 2010 CRCT test results. The BRC computed this number by looking at two factors - - the number of declines in grade/subject combinations, as well as 10% or greater increase in failure rates. The BRC recommends that the District conduct a further in-depth assessment in these schools”

Status: Complete

Administration’s Update– APS has received the initial data and completed an analysis which

informed school improvement plans–District has provided support, progress monitoring and targeted

intervention strategies for impacted schools to improve instructional quality and professional development

Caveon Recommendations

▪Caveon recommendations highlights:–APS Test Security Plan incorporating all security

processes, protocols and policies has been enhanced and published to the district web site –School Test Coordinators role incorporated into the

APS Test Security Plan–Monitoring process implemented for all state-level

test assessments–Chain of custody protocols updated for test

materials and all assessments

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Caveon Recommendations▪Caveon recommendations highlights:–Testing and assessment overview training updated

to include ethics–Security budget established as part of overall annual

budget planning process–Single cross-divisional map is being used to

investigate testing irregularities for all test administrations

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Summary

▪On Hold Recommendations–Dependent on approval from the Governor’s

Office/Special Investigators• Process Recommendation 3• Leadership Recommendation 11

–Dependent on Governor’s Office of Student Achievement• Security Recommendation 2

▪Work Beyond June 30–Leadership Recommendation 2

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Our highest responsibility is to provide the bestpossible education for our students in every

classroom and in every school. We will continue to implement best practices, and focus on continuous

improvement and greater student achievement.

Closing

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