Academy of Pacesetting States

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The Academy ofPacesetting DistrictsThe Academy ofPacesetting Districts

Introducing . . .

Bell Ringer Activity

The bell has rung and class is insession. To get you engaged withour topic for today, please considerthe following question with yourteam (even if you are a team of 1):

Share one successful thing you havedone at the SEA level to help buildcapacity for continuous improvementat the LEA level.

Share one continued challenge you facewhen attempting to build LEA capacityfor continuous improvement.

A year long opportunity for high levelleaders in an LEA to explore theircurrent operations at the district andschool levels in a systematic way inorder to develop a more robust andeffective approach to supporting schoolimprovements related to growth instudent learning

What is the Academy ofPacesetting Districts?

SEAs indicate that their efforts to supportchange at the individual school level willnever be able to reach all of the schoolsidentified as needing improvement

LEAs are in the best position to providesuch support and are ultimatelyaccountable for student learning results

The Academy’s focus is on thedevelopment of LEA capacity to affectschool improvement

What Need DoesThe Academy Address?

Expected Outcomes

District Academy Teams willformalize a system of supportreflecting district level practicesproven successful at promoting andsupporting positive change at theschool and classroom level

Major work product of theAcademy experience is anOperations Manual for a DistrictSystem of Support

Background

Academy of PacesettingDistrict’s Building Blocks

Indicators of Successful Practice

Indicators are statements of practicederived from reviews of researchfound in the Handbook onRestructuring and Substantial SchoolImprovement

Indicators reflect practices at boththe district and school levels

Indicators are a helpful metric forassessing current operations andplanning for improvement whileconsidering best practices

Previous Applications ofIndicators by CII

Indistar®: a web-based system to inform,coach, sustain, track and reportimprovement activities for the use ofdistrict and/or school improvement teams

Patterns of Practice-A School ReviewProcess: a systematic examination of schooland classroom level practices throughinterviews, observations, focus groups, anddocument reviews looking for evidence ofindicators associated with substantialschool improvement

Background

Capacity Building within the

CII System of Support Model

CII System of Support Model

IncreasesWillingness &Innovation

StimulateAction

IncreasesCompetence &Self-efficacy

Capacity Building

Building local capacity to continuouslyimprove is one responsibility of the SEA,depicted as a key “leg” of CII’s StatewideSystems of Support Model (Handbook onStatewide Systems of Support)

This Academy has been designed tosupport SEAs in building LEA capacityto lead continuous improvement

Previous Capacity BuildingEfforts by CII

2007-2008 work with Virginia’s SEA and ARCCto create an indicators-based program ofwebinars for a set of districts facing sanctionsfor underperformance

2009-present work with 15 SEA teams and theBIE participating in CII’s Academy ofPacesetting States focused on strengtheningSEAs’ systems of support through continuouslearning, networking, and mentoring by RCCstaff

2009-present work with 9 States and the BIEwith the Indistar® Tool and Process

Academy of PacesettingDistricts

What District Academy Teams

Will Experience

District Team Kickoff Meeting

District Academy Teams (identified bySEA) will receive an overview of theAcademy experience and expectations forparticipation

Teams will have time to meet members ofother teams from across the State

Teams will explore selected school-levelindicators related to effective operationsand practice, with a particular focus onschool leadership

Teams will be introduced to district-levelindicators focused on how the districtsupports school improvement

Series of ThreeDistance Learning Sessions

Indicator-based presentations on District LevelPractices

Presentations grouped into the following topicalareas:

DL 1:High Standards and Expectations;

DL 2:Teaching & Learning, and Information for Decision

Making;

DL 3:Rapid Improvement Support;

Each of the DL sessions will include time for self-assessment and general discussion

Each of the DL sessions will have related readingsand/or on-line viewing of actual practices orinterviews with practitioners and researchers

Distance Learning

Sessions will be developed by CII

Sessions will be delivered by SEAs

SEAs will have flexibility in howthey deliver DL, and may includeinvited presenters as part of thesessions

After each DL, District AcademyTeams:

Assess current level of Implementation

Track Progress

Connect to Operations Manual work

Monthly Working Sessions

Each District Academy Team willspend a minimum of one day permonth together for Academypurposes, including DistanceLearning Sessions and thedevelopment of an OperationsManual for a System of Support

Monthly Mentoring

SEAs will assign mentors to eachDistrict Academy Team who willcommunicate at least monthly withthe team leader or the entire teamregarding:

The distance learning topics related todistrict practice

The team’s design of the districtoperations manual

Activities and issues related to theAcademy experience

District Summative Meeting

District Academy Teams will cometogether for a one-day meeting toreflect upon their experience in theAcademy, and their year-long work

Opportunity will be provided forfeedback on Operations Manuals

Content will focus on ActionPlanning to fully implement theDistrict System of Support asoutlined in the Operations Manual

Academy Partners: SEA

SEA leads the Academy of PacesettingDistricts with support from the RCC andCII (as determined by the SEA)

SEA has responsibility for such Academyelements as:

(1)selection of districts,

(2)planning and holding the kickoff meeting,

(3)conducting the distance learning sessions,

(4)providing mentoring services to the DistrictAcademy Teams,

(5)conducting an evaluation of the Academy, &

(6)providing general oversight andmanagement

Academy Partners: CII & RCC

CII has responsibility for training theSEA team overseeing the Academy,providing materials necessary forconducting the Academy, andstanding ready to offer continuingsupport as the SEA or RCC mayrequest (per the Memorandum ofAgreement)

RCC has responsibility for providingsuch assistance in the delivery of theAcademy as the SEA may request (perthe Memorandum of Agreement)

State Team Training

CII will provide a 2 day trainingAugust 3-4 (location TBD) for SEAteams interested in providing theAcademy of Pacesetting Districts

SEA teams will leave the trainingready to deliver the Academy ofPacesetting Districts in their state

All Training, Curriculum, andMaterials will be provided

SEAs will cover the cost of theirown Travel, Room, and Board

In Closing

The ultimate goal in schoolimprovement is for the peopleassociated with the school to driveits continuous improvement forthe sake of their own children andstudents.

- Dr. Sam Redding

For More Information

A sample Memorandum ofUnderstanding regarding hostingan Academy of Pacesetting Districtsin your State is available uponrequest

Contact Dr. Lisa Kinnaman at theCenter on Improvement andInnovation to express interest, andfor more information:

lkinnaman@centerii.org

Reflection Time

With your team, brainstorm thefollowing:

One Possibility that might come fromyour participation in the Academy ofPacesetting Districts

One Concern you might haveregarding participation in the Academy

One Burning Question you still have inrelation to the Academy

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Thank you for your interest

in the

Academy of Pacesetting Districts