Riverside HS Turnaround Plan

8/7/2019 Riverside HS Turnaround Plan

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,.~ - . , . "'~ .. ' _ '

AppendixBTransformation ModelRiverside High School

Buffalo City School District


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- ,I ;_.APPENDIX B: TRANSFORMATION MODEL

. LEA Implementation Plan for the Transformation lVlodel. f < ~ ? ~ J . ~ ~ : ~ , r. . . . : . , . . . . . . Y ,Directions: Please complete the following form for each persistently-19~~t~cBjeving Tier I or Tier II school within the LEA thatwill implement a Transformation Model. When completing this p~en:,:please)':~~fl:!.fo the Model Implementation Plan Rubric toensure quality responses. , 0 ( ; ' : : : . > , ' '~'~i(f


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"~. l :I ;~~

Needs Assessment Process List Data Analyzed Major FindingsJoint Intervention Team ReportJune 2010

I.' Curriculum

T~~~~~~~~~;f~~i~~~:," ' ; 0 ~ : : r Reg~Jlts ELA _ : ' 6 9 . $ ~ A : o . m 71% the,.:~"yeM' i i~.f Q + e "


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.,III. School Leadership III. Schoo] Leadership

The Principal does not believe the school isresponsible for the students' academic.success.

There is rio evidence that the principalholds teachers accountable throughsystematic follow-up for implementingwhat is learned during professionaldevelopment opportunities.

While the two-year split of the buildingshas been problematic, bringing them backtogether as a successful high school willrequire exceptional leadership.lQ{fflStructlQ)~Jor Student SuccessAttendance ra i e1~;


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. _v. Collection, Analysis, and Utilization of V.Data Little evidence of use of data to male. instructional decisions

VI. Professional Development

Collection, Analysis, and Utilization of Data There was no observable evidence that datafrom the AIS program was utilized. Teachers report that they do not know whatto do as a result of receiving testing data orhow itcorrelates to their performance as ateacher.

Some collaboration in data analysis at the9-10 building ..~. One of the teachers is collecting all the' < ; ; ; ; ~ . : :.atten'dance information and trying to",, ,.. . ,.~'\Hf~yidefollow-up to chronic attendancei ss~~.~.Professional Development A large number of teachers do notparticipate in the professional development

offered. Professional development directly relatedto instructional strategies/techniques islacking.

The Principal does not hold teachersaccountable through systematic follow-upfor implementing what is learned duringrofessionallearnin 0 ortunities.

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VII. District Support VII. District Support Benchmark assessments and resulting dataanalysis are lacking. Subject specialists are not adequatelymonitoring/supporting teachers in teachingand learning strategies for successfulimplementation. " The view of the district by teachers andadministrators is often articulated as an "Igotcha'tattitude more than a collaborative/supportive role.

.~ .Office of Innovative School MO?t~tA!P, lM1tabi l i tYTeam Vist -March 30-31, 2011

School ~y~IE'Vi~f;qf;~ umnta. fY~~:~:-':'" {t~r~}~~~;~\''., ' .

Riverside High School: " ' ; ' ; : ' i ; ' ; ' : ; : ~ : ! " ; ; : ' ; ' : ' i : '~~r~9hangeoo often to track, and phone message memory boxes are often too full toleave messages; " : r : ~ , ? "o The need for a translator to assist with outreach calls and visits;o Students caring for younger siblings; and

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,.,~.

o Student engagement and/or accountability. Numerous steps have been taken to address the attendance issue, including:

o Mandatory calls home (20 calls per week) by each member of the staff to addressabsenteeism and behavior, and/or topromote positive behavior; , ro Real-time student attendance data;o A part-time (0.5 FfE) attendance teacher; ando A school attendance team.

Teachers stated professional development opportunities are abundant, convenient and appropriate. Training sessions are seenas aligned to school improvement efforts. . Students, teachers, and school leaders indicated the Safe and Civil Schools program has been universally adopted by the schooland has led to improved hallway behavior and classroom attendance. ., ' During their focus group sessions, teachers an4Jf.aderSindicat~ COInII;!onplanning time has led to teacher-created conynonassessments, improved instructional planrung,:";~.9f,~ased collaboration across grade levels and subject areas. . Counseling staff indicated they are working th6"""" "', o conduct .a student survey to acquire information regarding theirneeds.

..Parents indicated the parent teacher org~zation is a~iiy,e,brit w_uldik,f:to increase membership. They also indicated theneed for more clubs and after sC~Q~!;~~PPQ~1ffi~tiesor\~~aen .:

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Describe how the Transformation Modeladdresses the major fmdings of the needs assessment.



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Description ofActions forModelImplementation

Riverside High School reopened in September 2010 with three new partnership career academies, schools withinschools and school-to-work programs, as part of a comprehensive strategy to meet the educational needs of thestudents in bridging the high school to college gap. The theme for the different academies include Finance, HealthProfessions, and Entrepreneurship. Medaille College is the majprpartner with on-site services. A Medailleemployeeserves as the High School Project Manager/College Liai~9Hwhose primary purpose is to advocate for the success ofRiverside High School and manage the overall EntrepI;e,ne.urs)JipProject. The Liaison works with the Principal ofRiverside to ensure that students fulfill all requirernenig;fbr col1~ge.entrance, ensure that enrollment is available inCOllegeclasses, ensure that student college sche411\~$:!areomplete,~4 adequate, inform the Principal of Riverside ofany problems or progress in performance of !:h,e.gialson'sjob duties,\:a,qviseinstructional partners of suggestedchanges to strengthen the Program, represenf'~aille at Riverside adivitjes, and make recommendations to theUndergraduate Dean of Medaille as to Medaille'fp,pylty selection. '\,,~,~::' . ' \ t t - } , ; . : : : : . " } ' > : ! ' , : ' . ~ ~ . ,A second partner is the National Academy Foundation~{NAF); NAF's missionis to support urban high schools. NAFprovides the finance 'curriculum and resources for the Ffu:WSeAcademy such as staff development and support withboth local and national advisory committees. Through the N~program students are offered paid internships duringthe summer months. ' " '

';:_;:"i,.~Based on the national success of NAF working with inner city youths, Riverside will also partner with them todevelop and implement the new Health Sciences curriculum.' The new academy premise is to include the four pillarsof the academic model, curriculum, staff development, local advisory boards, and paid internships.

Principal SelectionThe current principal was hired December 2, 2010 to implement the Transformation model. She served as an assistantprincipal at Riverside fromJuly, 2009 until she became acting principal in October, 2010. Prior to becoming an assistantprincipal at Riverside, she was an assistant principal at Lafayette High School, City Honors School, Frederick LawOlmsted School.-and Burgard High School. Two new assistant principals were hired in August, 2010 and an additionalassistant principal was hired in February, 2011. One was identified and trained to take on the role of a SchoolAdministration Manager (SAM) to implement the Transformation model.I. Curriculum

Recommendations: The district must continue tofocus on the development of curriculum in all core areas, and ensure that it is clearlyaligned with the current New York State learning standards and the new Common CoreState Standards in English



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Language Arts and mathematics. This curriculum must be developed by knowledgeable and trained individuals(national, state, or local) who understand they key elements of curriculum development .

All teachers and administrators must participate inprofessionaldevelopment on how to plan with and implement acurriculum with rigor, as well as delivery methods that arc student-centered. The curriculum must be relied upon asthe basis for assessing the individual student mastery and progress .

Walk-throughs and formal evaluations must include howwell the teacher knows and implements the curriculum forthe subjects being taught.

I. Curriculum (Actions)The district's overarching Curriculum Framework is outlined in BCSD's four Cornerstone Documents, the AcademicAchievement Plan and Addendum, the Literacyacross the Curriculum papt:!f,and the Building a 21 st century schoolDistrict paper. .Departmental CurriS4Jum Plans specify whatstudents are to know and be able to do in each subjectarea at each grade level and are delW:~~~~in the subjectarea curriculum documents, which are aligned with NewYork State Learning Standards. Ina~~lf.0~{\~XDistrict iscurrently revisiting curricula to ensure that there is acomplete alignment to the new COInm:(w)forei';1~~ards.

. \~?~~;;:,,;, < ; ~ : : : ~ ~ > ~ : f ; ; ~ , ~ ' : : : - . . .This alignment will 09,SYf ;~ ;~M'~daily cDWlon p!,~i!J.~,tf~ne meetings where development of common subject areaassignments and as:~~~ents wi!l:ffk.e placei;~'[;~Q~q~i"sill~4Ji:,theive steps of the Standards InPractice (SIP)process learned in the;J~qJ.lcatioIitmst professi~p,allearning opportunities (PLOs) and Backwards Planning to bridgethe gap between' standar

The sc~pe~~sequence i~i'SQwse'~1~~~~s is being designed by Medaille College, the National AcademyFoundation.land Virtual Enterpn;:;e and BPS staff during the 2011-2014 school years. Specific attention will be givento inclusion o{th~E.LA COffiffiQACore State Standards into all curriculum areas. Inaddition, all curricula will becross-walked witlfn,~HD.nalinqlJ;~iryand CDOS standards. As the program grows, studentintemshipsand collegevisits will be coordmat~~:~~m~epartners in alignment with academy themes." , : ' , . ,< . :. . ~.j'./::

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"Theme focused academies focus on students' individual needs and provide them with a balanced mix 0 core


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.~-academic preparation and opportunities to develop practical, work-based skills. The academy models are helpinghigh schools successfully engage students and keep them on trackfor graduation. "

. (National High School Center, 2010)',.:_,II. Teaching and LearningRecommendations:

Professional development must be designed and.delivered onhaw toprovide direct and explicit instruction. including how toplan with and implement a c,y,!;i;j.culumith i i g p [ , using delivery methods that are student-centered. This training must include opporiY:!J~#esor teachers tc}4r;r!ipnstrate competence in the elements of directand explicit instruction. Teachers must le/iv~;ilJetraining with Lessoni{l.A:l1:snd strategies for improving classroominstruction. " ' ! ~ : " , . i : _~ ;~

Evaluating student work and discussing direct ~~'HRlicit.lnstruction musqqlf:e a more prominent role in thebuilding. The continuation of the School Improveme~if;l(m will assist with this but will not replace the need forelements of good planning, delivery and monitoring (Jfbig/:lquality classroom instruction.

Cognitive coaching of teachers is imperative to the imp;'b~cmentofteaching and learning. Imbedded professionaldevelopment must be used to ensure consistency Q(ldjidelitYt'g,ynderstanding the core elements of what ismeant bydirect and explicit instruction and creating a culture offocus on~high quality teaching and learning.

It is of critical importance to ensure thatprofessional. development once aligned with assessment data andformatted in such a way as to engage teachers at an appropriated level, cannot be opted out of due to contractuallanguage or at the discretion of individual teachers who prefer the status quo.

II. Teaching and Learning (Actions)Professioqm,.Developmeni.;EQf Teachers...:.~'< " ; ' ' ' : ' _ \ ; . : ', : '! : . .:"' " -: e managea at i:Ii:feelevels simb.Organizational- across classrooms within a schoolc. System - across schools within a network of schools." (Richard Elmore, MSP Conference, 2006)Teachers at Riverside High School will be engaged in four years of Professional Learning Opportunities (PLO)s ecific to the Common Core State Standards, new curriculum and course offerinzs related to the three academies, as

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. _ I:~/well as literacy across the curriculum, effective instructional methods, and data-informed decision making. Duringyear one, the focus will be on delivery of direct and explicit instruction imbedded with differentiation for ESL andspecial education students and data-informed instructional decisions .. ". ~. " ,",; . ;

"a. Individual Professional Development - units of instruction /Riverside High Schoolwill utilize on-site core area intWtiQJl


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- Pre-AP Strategies, AP Vertical Teams (24 hour course conducted by College Board trainers) Industry trainings to update CTE teacher skills (automotive hybrid training, computer numeric control training,etc.).

High School SIG Institute Three-day summer institute for six PLA secondaryschools, July 2011. The institute will serve to increase theknowledge base about implementing research and evidence-based practices for turning around' low-performinghigh schools; build and strengthen supportive relationships among high school staff; and to gain a}betterunderstanding of challenges and solutions related to implementing, supporting, and sustaining highyschoolturnaround initiatives. ('

During the summer of 2011 an Ext~n4ed Learning Opportunity will be provided for both students and teachers atRiverside. Students will have increaS..~~,:J~~g time throJ.lghthe Extended Learning Opportunities morning program. that runs from July 20 to August 18 w\~:~t~J~;J~covery course offerings, preparation for Regents examin~tions and aFreshman Academy. During the afternoo{i/s,essiQi(J~p~hers within and across grades and subjects will remain to engage~.~~.. .in Professional Learning QEI?QJ.tunities(PI;Q.) desigri~9:.JQstudy the knowledge base on teaching and apply it to theirown w~rk the next mo~~~))~(t:. will fu~~;;~e~ $t~;1~~~ in suppo~ of putting together ~e pieces of sustainableschool Improvement~Bugh SklllW! teachm~~;~~~I,ll~91eader~p, and skillful data use as designed by Research ForBetter Teaching. PLO"ottPngs wiU/t'equire actiy:~;:engagemenfrather than passive leaming by participants and includeresearch of bestpractices"~1~lpractici~t~pplication'~8fexplicit instruction methodology. To ensure that learnings from theaftemoon PLOs become part.!~bf,7,m~ed4,~~,mactice;~fonsultants will also be on hand in the mornings at each site toobserve classroom practice and'P!9ide side;:b,~iige'cgaching for teachers as they practice the skills they learned duringafternoon sessions. Principals are


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""0,",,-,""

The Teacher Leader Advanced Certificate of Study Program is registered with the New York State EducationDepartment and candidates will receive an Advanced Certificate upon completion. The teacher leaders/coaches receiveadditional training in developing coaching skills through participation in the district wide coaching academy.Riverside will implement Intensified Algebra to address t l lJ~;l1igh failure rate of students on the Regents IntegratedAlgebra exam. Intensified Algebra is a comprehensive .pr9wam,fpr strugglin~ students that includes double-periodalgebra classes. The core algebra instruction is organized'around.adaptarion of algebra instructional materials builtupon a technology-based delivery system. The C Q ~ S ' S scope an(f:~,~q4:encecovers the topics that are most critical forsuccess in algebra. Intensified Algebra uses asp~prehensive set of foqW~.tiveassessment activities and tools thatprovide struggling learners and their teachers ~i.m,regular and targetedfeedhack to help them monitor progress.Intensified Algebra advisor services will supportteachers, co~~es, and building administrators to establish an effectivefirst year implementation. Advisory services inc1ude~~tfiW1~.ysls, planning an:q~Rfeparation, delivery, and follow-upwith participants. ' . < ; ; : ' : : ' . ' , < ' < ' , . ; ; "

'< :III. SchoolLeadershipRecommendations: '.'~ ~ . r " " : Restructure the administrative team so that the current Assistant Principal at the 9-10 building has the necessaryauthority to create a climate and culture of mutual respect when the two buildings come together in 2010-11. '

The administrative staff needs to be trained in how to provide high quality feedback on teaching and Learning andmust commit themselves to being in classrooms every day and working directly with teachers. This trainingshould be done by individuals from outside the district who are skilled in teacher evaluation and feedback. Work with the,administrators to ensure they have the necessary training to provide high quality feedback toteachers and work-with.teachers to change classroom instruction. '

"The first step toward becoming an exemplary high school wasresponsibility to lead the change process. "Exemplary, Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University; 2009"Much of the research on Whole-School Reform focuses on the key role school leaders play in effective reform,efforts. However, the focus needs to be on a broader school leadership than just the school principal. Thus, it isnecessary to build a strong leadership team and decision-making structure. "

'..>~ - . tictm!"e'jiJF~~'FI!J"tJa-eliUlJ1t;~()ttey'13r'ter,'J'tt1:y:Z

that a small group of leaders accepted-How High Schools Becc:me



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III. SchoolLeadership (Actions)The entire school leadership team is newly appointed in 2010-2Ql1. The current principal was hired December 2,2010to implement the Transformation model. She served as anassistant principal at Riverside from July, 2009 until shebecame acting principal in October, 2010. Prior to becol,),J.4!.g'a:nssistant principal at Riverside, she was anassistantprincipal at Lafayette High School, City Honors SChQo!,:':fr~g~fickLaw Olmsted School, and Burgard High School.Two new assistant principals were hired in Augustl201D'::an(C~fi,dditional assistant principal was hired in February,2011. One was identified and trained to take on tl1~'r91eofa SchoQlAdministration Manager (SAM) to implement theTransformation modeL ,":':'": ' . < : "

. '.:;" ': ; : .-, ,,"Increasing the number of assistant principals, inclu4w.g the addition of a SchqJ:)}Administration Manager (SAM), allowsmore time for the administrative team to visit classro~&, S!lHyf,Yisend supporr;,,!Aeeaching-learning experience, andattend common planning time sessions. The AssociateSuperintendent for Secondary is providing the new administratorswith a strategic plan and setting clear expectations for cOIldqs~4Igwalkthroughs, teacher observations/evaluations andsupport to teachers through both on-site visits and monthly dU~l~reetings. Administrators are required to attendcommon planning time meetings on a weekly basis to ensure teac4e::rsare focusing on objective writing and developingcomprehensive lesson plans with delivery of explicit instruction. Ea~p.administrator will follow a schedule and maintaina spreadsheet to visually display accountability of classroom visits. This will be reviewed and discussed at the weeklyadministrative teanl meeting. Shorter daily debriefing meetings are held at the end of the day to collaborate and discuss

progress of plan and make any necessary changes (ongoing). The principal and assistants are also keep dailyinstructional time logs through a new timt tracker calendar as part of the SAM project. .Joint walkthroughs with school administrators and Teaching and Learning administrators are scheduled (see attachment)on abiweekly basis using the District Walkthrough Tools and Learnings on collecting low-inference data whenconducting classroom observations. In addition, each school-based administrator has a walkthrough schedule. Substituteadministrators will be brought in occasionally to provide additional coverage for the administrative team to attend PLO.School-based teacher substitutes will be utilized to allow for pre and post conferencing with teachers.The administrative teamhas peen actively involved in developing the three new academies in collaboration withMedaille College staff andother partners. One of the new assistant principals and a teacher leader visited Johnson HighSchool in St. Paul, Minnesota to learn about developing a theme based academy high school by examining curricula,instruction and the structural needs necessary to support an academy high school.



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Professional Development For Leaders

To develop the administrative team's awareness of urban education, five teacher leaders plus the assistant principalsparticipated in four days of Culturally Responsive and COUf


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I

leadership training with John Saphier. Principals will learn to combine pressure and support on teachers to makeimprovements in teaching and learning outcomes as identified in the JIT reports. The principal and assistant principalsare involved in monthly PLA articulation meetings focusing on improving instruction through classroom observationand the APPR walkthroughs. Skill sets and the knowledge base required to master observing and analyzing teachingwill be developed. "School leaders must have a common image' of what good teaching and learning looks and soundslike. They also need a COl11l11onanguage and concept system, for talking about it." (Research For Better Teaching,2010). ..' .

IV. Infrastructure for Student SuccessRecommendations: The. lack of technology in the building may be addressed when the buildings merge. Any increase in technology

should be combined with suififlf!nt teacher preparationand clear expectations. Implement Safe and Civil SchQ.~{~;i7JJeuccessfulimplementation of the Start on Time component ill one,.~, ...>:.


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Associate Superintendent for Educational Services. The data will be shared with the Associate Superintendent forSecondary.The administrative team is revising student rules and regu!~~i,9,Psprocedures to create a more equitable system forholding students accountable for compliance with school PQljc ie~and procedures. Practices from Safe and Civil Schooland Culturally Responsive Teaching Practice PLO se~&iq~;;;mgmateIials are being incorporated into the plan. Thestudent support team attended four days of Cultural1y"Responsiy.~ Teaching with Gary Howard on November 16-17,2010 and March 9-10,2011. This work will continue'with additional.sessions in November 2011 and March 2012.: y " ; : ; ' i : ; t ' P " : _ '< t ~ i~ r ' .The school staff will continue with impleme~lj9n of;the Start On Tiw~program. The student support team willcontinue their training in Safe and Civil SchoolS:~{,J;i.ew:[ractices will be"~rQlJght back to the school based RedesignTeam for consideration and adoption. c , : s : ~ , . , - . .~ , , ; ) / ",:;!;\.;.~;:' { ' : i l ( : & ; : ~ - ) ; , ~ ; ; ~ } > ; " ' ' : i ; : ; . } )Active engagement of students is a hallmark of NAF andV,irn!al Enterprise programs. During the student 's three yearsin one of the academy programs at Riverside High School Parttf,~pation in post secondary visits, internships,work sitevisitations and student competitions at local, regional, state and"naliQnallevels will take place.. - : ~\\~~{:~~!.~.InSeptember, all first-time freshmen will be enrolled in a new course called CARE (Cultivating Awareness,Responsibility, and Excellence) where more personalized attention will be provided during the freshman transition year.Inaddition, students will learn study, reading, and writing skills. Exposing students to core curriculum and career readyskills associated with each academy will occur during the remaining three ten-week sessions. Insophomore throughsenior years, elective course work and senior internship will be related to academy themes, as chosen by students in thespring of 2011. Over thenext three years, additional curriculum will be developed for new courses to be added in thedifferent academy strands in conjunction with Medaille professors and other partners. College courses (dual enrollment)will be offered to seniors at the school site both during the day and after hours, Seniors will create a senior exit portfoliothat includes. a culminating senior project as well as taking the related industry assessment for a CTE technical_endorsement on their.high school diploma.To address the graduation rate, a pew College and Career Resource Center (CCRS) with a counselor was established inMarch 2011. The CCRe will provide students and parents/guardians with a wide variety of resources and activities,including: exploring interests and careers, preparing for SAT and ACT examinations, industry assessments, fill ing outcollege and job applications, interview skills, professional resumes, applying for scholarships, and applying for fmancialaid (FASFA and filing income tax forms). The counselor will update student records and maintain accurate data



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regarding each student 's progress toward meeting graduation requirements. The counselor will assist students, alongwith their parents/guardians, to prepare for a successful post high school plan (3-5 years after high school). Thisincludes helping students find information on scholarships and College/Career Planning. The counselor will also put outa quarterly e-newsletter and maintain an active website w.~tli;Jnformation for students and parents and coordinateworkshops and activities with the schools'parent facilita!o~,r,.rhecounselor will be responsible for providing financialaid nights and college application workshops for both~l1t~eri~Md parents/guardians, including having interpreters forparents speaking languages other than English. ,', \'i",9-\i;t;':\-: .~~,'~.'" ~.:J(',,~;....Three half-time academy coordinators/teachers wMl'p;ovide additio~ai,t,p:9-entand family support. They will work withstudents to maintain a New York State Career~!~portfolio, place and'in9,!1!torstudents at the internship sites; assist indual enrollment during the junior andsenior years;-'?p,.9.overseestudents' cO!I!JPunityservice projects as required in theParticipation in Government course. These coordiTIai2!::swill-;Vork closely \ \ i i t l , ! . we parent facilitators at the school toengage more parents, more of the time, in their childs' "ac::l;d~tiiicrogress and social welfare. '

~ < ~ } ~ ; : " . ' ~ 'Students will be provided an opportunity to enroll in onlinecr,~git recovery courses after school and during the summermonths keeping them on track for graduation. Incoming freshffi~,~ll attend a two-week freshman academy in August, , " '> '- " " . , , ' , ' '" ,and parent ~rientation \)',!~;-i'5;;ij~}!~,at.hat time. . ' . - : ' ~ : ( , ; i ; . . . .After tracking studeql,'pbgress"r ,c, . ' "Staff at!.u.gancewill be~R9f.essed,~~~,!J.1he assis~~ of the Human Resources Department on 'an individual basis underthe guidelm~s ofNYS law~4~e CbU~~tivebargaining agreement. ">':~,::'."\( \ ~$~:;" :~ ' : ' > ' : : : : " : 'J

,..":',',:-'v. Collection, Analysis, and Utilization of DataRecommendationS.~~~t>. .H } i ) : ~ , , Develop a timelineXqrthe.'i(i,llection and analysis offormative and summative assessments that is then used tofocus the discussions4!!r,i:j!J/f'commonplanning time on how to improve instruction as a result of studentassessments. Coaches need to work with teachers on how to interpret the data to drive instructional changes. Data needs toflow in a more efficient and timely manner from the district to the school buildin r. Administrators



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".,,*""'''/

and teachers must be trained on how to extract pertinent information from the data provided that will allow' them totransform teaching and learning. In addition, on-going support of common planning time with coaches is neq,essary

~to ensure that data is constantly being discussed and used in theplanning and delivery of instruction. Use otasideresources to "mine the data" and prepare itfor commonplanning and building use: ' The quarterly assessments used by the district allow for incremental looks at student/earning. However, it isimportant that curriculum leaders are developed thro'yghall: imbedded coaching model that provides the type ofskills they need to assist their colleagues with data driven decf~ion~making.,

Morefocus must be placed on using additional data elements such as attendance, suspensions and dropouts indetermining what additional supports the school needs. A district data repository is being created to enable directlinks between student achievement data and other relevant data having an impact on student success, includingteacher attendance and professional development. ' .,~"

V. Collection, Analysis, and Utilization of Data (Actions) ,A district data repository has been cr~"~lf~t9',~Bablea direct link between student achievement data and other relevantdata having an impact on student succ'~~~,mc~~qm?eacher 'f!:ttendanceand professional development. The repositoryis continuing to grow bothin sources ofgfJrtaarid;:iii;dj~plays of data to different stakeholders. This warehouse is part- ,~ .'- ', '\!~".~.::. : "'~,-~.;':"l", ,-j:.of the overall data plaJ};ml?!::tS@SPupport; ','~~.g,.~f the Persistently-Lowest Performing schools. The focusof the plan is to::,;;"1;~;Y~ ~


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I

- . . . . . . _ . . . . .

meet students' leaming needs.Inthe 2011-2012 school year, and moving forward, there will significant additional support for Riverside HS staffandadministration to improve their use of data in making instructional decisions. A consultant (Nancy Love) will beworking with the school on data use and on the developmentof.data teams. Inaddition, July 2011 begins the Race tothe Top Network Teams who will work to support Inq~Y.Jeams at the school, making use of data to support theimplementation of the new Core Curriculum standard~.:~J:1i~~~~eamswill provide an additional specific focus on thegroups of English Language Leamers and Students, with:DisaBilW~$ in the school.

. " '. . ( :: r. ;. ;. :. ,~ , ~ : 7 : ~ \ J 0 ; : : / ~ ~ . ~~..\!", Training will occur during common planningf:ID:1~':coaching sessiol}',early release days, etc. This will lead to thedevelopment of a culture of data use where::i~~chers; and administrators have regularly scheduled opportunities toanalyze student data together (US Department"'Off.;ducatioll" fOlD; Turig


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successful technological phases being completed. I"Teacher accountability for this use of data in their classrooms comes from the collective responsibility forcontributions during Common Curricular Planning TimC;?,O;Qndhrough the individual conversations followingclassroom walkthroughs by administrators. ' >",~~;~'>/

", ::.'.~;".:~:>,/.VI. Professional Development (Refer to sections II, In ~dIV abQy~),

Recommendations: . /\';';b'. \\;_ ; While large group professional developm~rJti{necessary to the c0l'J!:t?ff,lnicationf large-scale transformation,embedded-coaching (when effective and resarch based) ispart of aiL;ejjjcient, continuous instructional. . ': 2: i~/:" " , ' : < > : and Abroad, National Staff Development Council, 2009)': ;:".,: '. .:, .. -~ ' ~ , : , "~ i ' : :

This report serves as the'gqj{.lijl~tdocument for creating effective professional.learning opportunities to improve teacher.quality and student achievement. .

R iver sid e H ig h S c hoo l # 205 Page 21


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VII. District Support. Recommendations: Textbooks and supplemental material need to be available. to all students. Focus on developing subject specialists as teacher lead.eri'who serve as district tum-key facilitators to theindividual teams in the buildings. This should be dQn-:~having coaches work directly with the subject

specialists on critical district initiatives, such af ~/9{vmq!J,q,ssessments.' , The development of a collegial support philoe.epJzlmusto~9:!l between the district and the teachers' union. Theprocess of refining the teacherevaluaiionptpqess is on-goiizim ensure that the feedback provided to the

teacher is reflective of research, concrt;(~~.fp;zdhasittle roomjoT;}fbjectivity or interpretation. This continueddialogue and development of the new A r l 1 J : M a l Professional Perfo~n.f;e review is integral to the development ofa system of trust and support that will mo~k~l!lr,districtiqpvard in {iriRmying teaching and learning.

Clarify the roles of central office staff; inpa;iii;uJpr,'(l{ig'/rand coordinh.tc.'tbeir work to support improvements inthe buildings., < . : ; : : ( : v ' . " , , ' Ensure that there are clear lines of authority for h~id_ingstaff in central office and buildings accountable not, only for student results, but for providing necessary s~PRgrt to achieve them.VIi. District Support (Actions), " ;: i: ' , , '

District central offices, personnel and resources are being fundamentally shifted as part of district-wide support for theturnaround process for the Persistently-Lowest Achieving (PLA) schools. Under the new guidelines for PLA schools,Buffalo City School District now has six PLA high schools and seven elementary schools. The first step in supportingthese schools through the turnaround process began with a strategic plan' for Central Office turnaround. The, Cohort 1PLA high schools along with the Cohort :I I PLA high schools have been reassigned from the Office of SchoolPerformance to the new Department of Turnaround in the Office of Teaching and Learning, Secondary. This office wascreated in October 2010 under new leadership, an Associate Superintendent for Secondary. This office will serve as thehub for coordination of services and supports for the PLA high schools. Under the direction of the superintendent anddeputy superintendent, the associate will continually review multiple data sources to gauge the effectiveness of eachcentral office department and their personnel in relationship to their efforts in supporting student achievement (refer toSection B: Descriptive Information in the overall SIG appendix B for additional details on the turnaround strategic plan).The Office of School Performance has replaced two of the community superintendents responsible for supervision ofprincipals and overseeing SC1l9ol'operations. The Office of Shared Accountability is creating a new Data Warehousesystem (Appendix B) and increasing research aides and coaches to support teachers and principals in learning how tomake data to inform decisions. The Offices of Human Resources and Finance will, work with the Associate



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' _Superintendent and PLA principals to allow for an increase in flexibility in creating the school budget and hiring thestaff.Under the Department of High School Turnaround, the Associate Superintendent for Secondary is responsible for: triangulating the services of all Central Office Divisions to support improvements in teaching and learning in thePLA high schools; , ,,'" ' assisting principals in focusing on crucial aspects of instruction.throughout the year; coaching principals for maximizing use of instructional time; . ': monitoring the school CEP, SIG, arid meeting targeted goals; providing professional development for district and school based coaching initiatives; supervising PLA principals and evaluating them With:the new APPR instrument aligned with 3012c; supervising and evaluating seco subject ar~asup~ryisors and directors.

All subject area directors and superviso~t:~ill~~~cipate in PLps related toinstructional leadership practices and in theuse of data to.understand student progre\~i:es rel~~~ ;~opassing; courses, Regents examinations, and graduation rates.Regularly scheduled learn,itl~~~J?eriences ~:qjoint 'se~R8L'falkthroughsin line with these expectations will be held onsite, in PLA group sessig~~.;:;ari.q.:~~ilffiattend~~ea~f~,.we~P,S~~.This core group will continuously communicate aboutthe strategies in use to;'~l!pportthe':&~l!Oolsn ~~r,WJ,1,~bundpro~~.ess.Data will be routinely examined to identify areas inneed of midstream adju


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_ -them.


Riverside HS Turnaround Plan

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