The Challenge Network Challenging Good Schools and Students to Be Great!
Our Mission The mission of Houston A+ Challenge is to serve as a catalyst for change in the public schools that educate nine of every ten children in the region, teaming with principals and teachers in targeted schools to ensure that every student is prepared for post-secondary success.
91
The percentage of Texas public school students who tested “Proficient” in Reading/ELA in 2009
18
The percentage of Texas’ Class of 1995 who graduated with a college degree or certificate
Nationally, current research tells us that fewer than one in five 8th graders is on target to be ready for collegelevel work by the time they finish high school.
Source: “The Forgotten Middle” (2008, ACT, Inc.)
Current 8th Grade Students’ Mathematics Scale Score Distribution (actual data from a highperforming local district)
* Source: “Are Texas Middle School Students Prepared for High School?” Dr. Ed Fuller, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin (2009, for Texas Business and Education Coalition)
Student Scale Scores in 8th Grade Math predict Postsecondary Readiness in 11th Grade
* Source: “Are Texas Middle School Students Prepared for High School?” Dr. Ed Fuller, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin (2009, for Texas Business and Education Coalition)
To have a true chance at postsecondary success … 8th grade students in Texas need to achieve at or near COMMENDED levels (above 2300 scale score) in Math and English
Source: “Are Texas Middle School Students Prepared for High School?” Dr. Ed Fuller, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin (2009, for Texas Business and Education Coalition)
Impact of Moving the Middle Group of Students toward Commended Performance
The goals of the Challenge Network are ambitious. 1.
Increase achievement and college readiness of 900 A+ Scholars in targeted middle schools (as measured by a doubling of commended rates in focus area/grade at most schools over two years)
2.
Improve teacher practice and increase teacher capacity at targeted schools
3.
Increase student achievement for all students in the targeted cohort grades
4.
Sustain gains at each campus after the first two years of intense engagement with A+
The Challenge Network uses research-proven strategies: 1.
Baseline Analysis of Student Data
2.
Targeted Collaboration Among Teachers and Schools
3.
Performance Coaching to Improve Teaching and Learning
4.
Continuous Assessment FOR Learning
5.
Extra Instructional Time and Support to Meet Higher Expectations
6.
Family Commitment and Engagement
The Challenge Network, pilot cohort Caraway Intermediate School Aldine ISD Focus: 5th grade literacy
Horace Mann Junior School Goose Creek CISD Focus: 6th grade numeracy
Hoffman Middle School Aldine ISD Focus: 7th grade numeracy
Atascocita Middle School Humble ISD Focus: 6th grade literacy and numeracy
O’Donnell Middle School Alief ISD Focus: 7th grade numeracy
YES Prep West YES Prep Public Schools Focus: 6th and 7th grade literacy
Project Phases Launch Launch Laying the Groundwork
Tighter Project Management Intense support for A+ scholars Building on gains
Establishing sustainability
Focus on the Middle: Last Chance for Getting on the College-Ready Path Ed Fuller, PhD Education Consultant and Penn State University Marilyn Springer Grad student, The University of Texas at Austin
Greg Fuller Education Consultant
Study Funded by: Texas Business and Education Coalition 14
Common strategies used by high-improvement middle schools: a)
Increase learning time (double-blocking of some or all students; tutoring time before/after school/during lunch/Saturdays)
b) Foster teacher collaboration through time to meet and training; c)
Democratically develop a shared sense of accountability among all staff as well as a sense of trust and respect;
d) Create a stable cadre of adults who trust enough to risk. e)
Invest in building the capacity of teachers to be great instructors (highquality professional development that is on-going and understood/supported by school and district administration);
f)
Use data to inform—not drive—decision making about curriculum, teaching, and learning;
g)
Dramatically reduce class sizes for struggling students;
h) Use technology and hands-on learning to engage students in learning.
The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students are on Target for College and Career Readiness before High School
Academic Behaviors Examined the influence of academically related student behaviors on college and career readiness:
Academic discipline Commitment Family attitude Family involvement Optimism Orderly conduct
Relationships with school personnel Safety of school environment Steadiness Thinking before acting
Evaluation Objectives •
Obtain periodic formative data (e.g. every 6 weeks) to assess student progress of 150 targeted students per campus, as well as all students in the grade level and subject focus
•
Ensure formative assessments are well-aligned with end-of-year TAKS assessment to avoid surprises
•
Track and demonstrate qualitative change in practices of a campus that will lead to sustainability
•
Track effectiveness and implementation of the six program components to help in replication
•
Externally demonstrate the effectiveness of the program through paper published by an outside group or researcher on the quantitative outcomes 18
Evaluation Design Campus CampusOnline Online
• Historical TAKS analysis • Interim assessment analysis
A+ A+ team team Northwest NorthwestEvaluation Evaluation Association Association(NWEA) (NWEA)
Ed EdFuller Fuller (UT-Austin) (UT-Austin)
• Norm-referenced test to show growth • Ability to predict performance on state test
• External validation • Publish results based on analysis of TAKS data, NWEA data, and surveys 19
Challenges •
Battling incentives created by the Texas accountability system that promote a sole focus on ‘proficient’
•
Ensuring principals buy-in and are willing to risk change
•
Achieving influence without control
•
Tracking and communicating progress
•
Creating and sustaining a sense of urgency
Student Data Points Used for Projections The data points used by A+ coaches include both quantitative and qualitative measures, such as: • • • •
• • •
Diagnostics District benchmarks 2-4 Week common assessments Assessment methods: Personal Communication, Performance, Selected response, Extended Written Response Short-cycle weekly formative assessments Daily (in class) minute by minute assessment with descriptive feedback Progress reports, 6/9 week grades
• • • •
•
Academic Discipline behavior Student learner behavior Approaches to learning surveys Authentic reading assessments to determine, then monitor reading levels: fluency, stamina, miscue analysis, comprehension(restate, retell) Researching the students to find out what they are thinking while in the act of performing (while taking a test)
Student Summative Data Projections •
Students who are on track for 85% ( 2300 scale score) or higher on the TAKS test.
•
Students who will most likely not get to 85% BUT are on track for great progress (last year’s raw score compared to this year’s raw score)
•
Students who are showing some progress
•
Students who are not progressing in any measurable/way/little or no growth/lot’s of intervention required.
Student Data Projections School, Focus (Target / Total Cohort)
Each line represents 25 students
NWEA (MAP) Results
RIT Band
Median RIT Score
Percentile Rank
219
51%
O'Donnell Middle (7th Grade Math)
221
41%
YES Prep West (7th Grade Reading)
219
52%
School Horace Mann (6th Grade Math)
161-170 171-180 181-190 191-200 201-210 211-220 221-230 231-240 241-250
Mann ODMS
YES
1 1 3 21 36 34 14
1 1 10 34 42 13 4
4 6 15 52 49 17 1
Teacher Practice: Assessment For Learning Physical Constructs Support Learning Minimize teacher space, maximize student learning space. Arrange room so that teacher can confer with an individual or a small group of students. Teaching of How, Not Telling of What Lessons are focused on the application level to promote thinking and doing. 80% ‘Getting it’ During the lesson, teacher uses quick methods to check for understanding before releasing students to ‘think and do.’
Teacher Practice: Assessment For Learning Teacher as Coach or Performance Based Teacher Teacher invades student learning space to systematically ‘lean-in’ to confer (via researching/ assessing), then decides to teach or coach to deeper level. Minute-by-Minute Assessment At each moment, teacher uses various techniques to remain cognizant of where each student is in the learning.
Teacher Practice: The C.A.R.E. Continuum Community Physical constructs promote individual and small group student learning, as well as teacher access; classroom environment documents and celebrates the work of the learning community; teacher has facilitated meaningful relationships with students where a healthy respect is valued and reciprocated. Alignment Focus on evidence of authentic and relevant alignment specific to what is being taught and what students are expected to know, understand, and be able to do
Teacher Practice: The C.A.R.E. Continuum Rigor Focus is on evidence of what the students can do as a result of what the teacher has taught: Active inquiry (discovery, exploring), in-depth learning (competence, not coverage), authentic learning (active learning in real world contexts). Engagement While students are thinking and doing, the teacher is always “in the learning” with students, systematically and strategically conferring and coaching or teaching individual students (or groups).
Teacher Practice Ratings • • • •
Level 1: Level 2: Level 3: Level 4:
No / little evidence Some evidence Good / great evidence Compelling evidence
Challenge Network Teacher Practice: Assessment for Learning September 2010
January 2011
Challenge Network Teacher Practice: CARE September 2010
January 2011
Project Management •
Specifically defining plan for every month with specific interim progress milestones, at school level and down to student level
•
Defining and tracking what we measure and how we measure
•
Establishing set of key metrics for the network that can generate frequent, meaningful data to show progress
•
Determining visual representations of key metrics and using those for focused discussions with people who can change these metrics
•
Communicating progress through regular meetings through the chain of command to build engagement and resolve issues
•
Building concrete inventory of levers and implementation details
Project Management External measurement and discussion • • •
• •
Principal level – Willingness to engage, ability to support execution of plan defined each month Teacher level – CARE rubric, AFL rubric, student assessment results Student level – NWEA assessment for growth, and coach overall assessment based on multiple quantitative and qualitative data points such as district and campus assessments, minute-by-minute formative assessment, classroom observations Parent level – Level of engagement (attendance on events) Executive Leader level – Level of engagement, ability to provide support
Internal measurement and discussion • • •
Performance Coach - Raw score increases, teacher practice changes, strengths, cross over from literacy to numeracy Communities in Schools counselor - Parent engagement, student improvement, contact Director of School Performance - Principal practice changes
School-Level Plan: Horace Mann Example Jan 17-Feb 15
Feb 16 – Mar 15
Challenges to focus on: • Limited principal involvement in instruction • Coach not being able to co-teach Planned activities: • Gain continued acceptance on need to focus more on learning and challenging teachers to differentiate • Principal to meet with 4 teachers to build acceptance for change and explicitly permitting teachers to take risk • Pair 1 teacher with coach and have coach begin co-teaching with 1 of the 4 teachers
Challenges to focus on: • School in gear-up mode for TAKS prep, complete focus on getting kids to proficient • Coach not being able to co-teach Planned activities: • Continue coach co-teaching with 1 of the 4 teachers, begin co-teaching with a second teacher
Key progress metric: Is co-teaching happening?
Key progress metric: Is there a change in scores for at least one teacher on the CARE rubric?
Scott Van Beck
Executive Director Houston A+ Challenge svanbeck@houstonaplus.org (713) 658-1881 www.houstonaplus.org