SCHOOL QUALITY REVIEW (SQR)UPDATE

Andrew Strope, Performance and Continuous Improvement Officer

January 31, 2019

Overview

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Objective

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Update IPS Board of School Commissioners on

the SQR process, provide recommendations,

and highlight SQR experience

through school spotlights

SQR Purposes

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Provides a common understanding of quality and effectiveness across schools

Fosters dialogue between a school and Central Services around

quality and effectiveness

Supplies school and district leaders with qualitative data collected from

teachers, school leaders, parents, students and community members

Supports district decisions on interventions and supports, restarts,

closures and expansion

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• A comprehensive school visit includes stakeholder interviews with school leadership, teachers and staff, community partners, students and families.

• Attended by a cross-functional, internal district team, SQR visits took place late November through December.

• Each school will receive a comprehensive report including areas of celebration and areas of opportunity.

SQR Process

Overview

SQR Process

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• Identifies standards and related indicators of a quality school

• Used as the foundation for evidence

• Aligned with rubric

• Used to collect evidence during site visit

• School leadership, teachers, staff, parents, students, community partners

• Questions aligned to rubric

• Summarizes celebration and areas for improvement

• Copy provided to the school leadership

Site Visit Components

7 School Determination

*Based on 2017–18 ISTEP data

SQR Process

1 Schools in the bottom quartile of proficiency scores.*

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2 Of these schools, the bottom half of growth scores.*

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In addition to considering criteria that the state will use to determine intervention, IPS will use the following:

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2018–19 SQR

IPS SQR Eligible Schools

Schools that met criteria to receive an SQR in SY 2018–19 are:

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Stephen Foster School 67

Eleanor Skillen School 34

Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School

Ignite Achievement Academy @ Elder Diggs 42

Kindezi Academy @ Joyce Kilmer 69

James Russell Lowell School 51

Louis B. Russell Jr. School 48

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2018–19 SQR

Timeline/Next Steps

• Name schools that are eligible for a SQR based on lenses of proficiency and growth.

• Conduct meetings with school leadership team and staff to share information regarding SQR processes.

• Inform school communities via letters, open houses and/or school events.

• Complete SQR at each school.

• Share findings with IPS’ Board of School Commissioners and make appropriate recommendations.

Summary

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It is important to consider multiple measures when assessing

school performance, as we must define our own success.

IPS proactively engages in determining and implementing

interventions and supports for low-performing schools.

A SQR will provide contextual and qualitative data to better

inform IPS decisions and recommendations.

2018-19 SQR

11 Results and School Spotlight

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2018–19 SQR

Stephen Foster School 67 Findings

• Learning environment supports collaborative learning; principal has a strong background in instructional coaching that will benefit PD; strong relationships with community partners who support the school

• Checks for Understanding, differentiation; opportunities to provide consistent feedback and instructional support to staff

• Create and implement a school vision and consistent school wide expectations; develop a PD plan to support staff capacity around classroom management

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2018–19 SQR

Eleanor Skillen School 34 Findings

• Positive relationships between staff, students and families; clear expectations and procedures; deep level of commitment from staff and community members

• Student engagement and rigor; empower staff to set high academic and behavior expectations; create communication structures with stakeholders specifically around academic progress

• Develop a school mission/vision grounded in academic results; provide clear understanding of current and historical data; focus on quality lesson planning; create a community council

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2018–19 SQR

Ignite Achievement Academy @ Elder Diggs 42 Findings

• Key stakeholders take pride in school and want it to be successful; evidence of positive visual culture; school values are showcased, well communicated, and integrated

• Increase instructional rigor; consistently use of curriculum; continue to implement school wide-student culture systems

• Implement consistent school wide schedule/routines to reduce loss of instructional time; create communication systems between leadership to teachers and leadership with families

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2018–19 SQR

Kindezi Academy @ Joyce Kilmer 69 Findings

• Teachers executing higher order questioning techniques; positive and supportive learning environment that encourages risk taking; teachers supporting multiple learning styles; effective checks for understanding executed throughout instruction; high investment of community partners

• Additional opportunities to effectively engage with parents by leadership and staff; students are still developing awareness of academic progress; consistent community engagement practices

• Implement required communication structures/policies; create a community council; continue to develop and support a data driven student culture

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2018–19 SQR

James Russell Lowell School 51 Findings

• Effective implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs); positive transition to new leadership; strong morning routine; clear school mission/vision

• Student engagement and time-on-task; ensure staff investment and understanding of goals; family engagement strategies; alignment between learning targets and activities

• Build stakeholder understanding of school goals; support effective lesson planning to increase student engagement; create communication structures with stakeholders specifically around academic progress

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2018–19 SQR

School Spotlight

Louis B Russell

At Louis B. Russell, Jr. Elementary School our mission is to

provide a safe and nurturing environment that stimulates

academic excellence for all students.

The vision of Louis B. Russell, Jr. Elementary is to stimulate

life-long learners that are equipped to be innovative and

productive citizens in our global society.

We are an Opportunity Culture School, servicing students in

Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6. We offer Collaborative

Kindergarten, Life Skills (Primary/Intermediate) and focus on

Social Emotional Learning for all stakeholders. Small Group

instruction is essential to the academic/social growth of our

students.

18 Mission and Vision

Louis B Russell

19 SQR Findings

• Respectful classroom environments created

• Coherent vision supported by school community

• High expectations for all stakeholders

• High community engagement

• Use of multiple data sources to assess student learning

• Clear measurement goals created and monitored

• Communication of expectations to stakeholders

• Culturally Responsive Teaching

Louis B Russell

PLC Framework Created/Monitored

Professional Learning Plan/SIP Wrap-around Meetings

Guided Reading, Gradual Release (Math), Culture/Climate

Opportunity Culture (MCL)

44% of our SPED students have already grown one or more

levels, 67% of those students have grown one level, 33% have

grown 2-5 TRC levels.

100% of Grade 3 students showed growth on IREAD3 practice

assessments

20 Response to SQR

Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School

Mission:

Thomas Gregg Neighborhood

School prepares students to

contribute to the quality of life of

their community through rigorous

academics, personalized learning,

civic involvement and

social/emotional skill development.

Core Values:

Take Care of Yourself

Take Care of Each Other

Take Care of This Place

Grades Served:

PreK – 6th Grade

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Specific Programming:

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Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School

SQR Findings

• High student engagement was observed in every classroom with opportunities for collaborative student interactions provided

• Leadership has done an effective job cultivating commitment to and ownership of the school's vision and mission as evidenced by the vision/mission being communicated consistently and in a variety of ways to all stakeholders, including students, families, and community partners. Additionally, there are systems in place to improve outcomes (PLC, tickets, student/teacher ratio, feedback protocol).

• While it is evident that a strong school culture of high expectations has been created, the team challenges current leadership to continue to develop and build trust and inclusivity amongst all stakeholders to foster positive relationships.

• Support integration of college and career readiness into buildings and classrooms. Begin to reference the ties between daily learning activities to opportunities to access college and career preparation after graduation more explicitly throughout the school day.

Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School

In Year 2, TGNS has opted into several key partnerships that

will aid in achieving our goals through refining a data team

structure across all grade levels K-6 and ensuring we are

providing rigorous, highly aligned instruction ELA and Math

across all classrooms.

Continue Service Learning, Science/Social Studies & 12-Day

Instructional Cycle that is allowing for strategic and targeted

instruction.

Ticketing System in place to coordinate student/family service

needs and referrals

23 Response to SQR

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2018–19 SQR

Recommendations

Intended Purpose of the SQR:

• Supports district decisions on interventions and supports, restarts, closures and

expansion

Process Used to Determine Recommendation

• IPS academic leadership utilized a decision protocol process to help guide and

structure the conversations

• The protocol takes both qualitative and quantitative data into account, including the

following:

• Leadership Context

• Support Context

• SQR takeaways

2018-2019 SQR Recommendation

• IPS staff and leadership do not recommend that any of the 2018-2019 SQR schools

be restarted for the 2019-2020 school year

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• Utilize process as a learning opportunity across the organization by increasing the scope of schools. Some potential options include:

• All schools receive an SQR

• Top performing and lowest performing receive SQR

• Schools request an SQR

• Perform SQR’s on a rolling basis

SQR Process

Future State