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1 Budget Ohio Virtual Academy (142950) Lucas County 2012 Rev 2 Application Number (17) U.S.A.S. Fund #: 537 Plus/Minus Sheet (opens new window) Purpose Code Object Code Salaries 100 Retirement Fringe Benefits 200 Purchased Services 400 Supplies 500 Capital Outlay 600 Other 800 Total Instruction 26,92 4,17 220,91 252,00 Support Services 122, , ,50 160,00 Prof Development 177,00 8,00 185,00 Family/Community Facilities Transportation Indirect Cost Governance/Admin 64, , ,00 Safety Total 213,81 62,78 402,41 8,00 687,00 Adjusted Allocation 687,00 Remaining

2 Application Ohio Virtual Academy (142950) Lucas County 2012 Rev 2 Application Number (17) Please note that if LEA does not apply for one of the Tier I or Tier II schools, describe the lack of sufficient capacity to do so in the History Log. LEA must address areas including, but not limited to if school is closing, number of Tier I and Tier II schools within the LEA, enrollment number of students, percentages of proficient students (Reading and Math). If LEA has multiple eligible schools, factors determining prioritization must be noted. Needs Assessment Tier I School Improvement Status: SI Year Total number of students impacted Total Enrollment gfedcb Building is served as a Schoolwide OR Applies for a waiver to Apply for a waiver to "start over" in SI timeline (only if implementing implement a SW program in Tier I school that does not meet 40% poverty gfedc Apply for a waiver to "start over" in SI timeline (only if implementing turnaround or restart model in Tier I school) FY12 Pre Implementation Budget Amount 2,000,00 FY12 Year 1 Full Implementation Budget Amount 654,00 FY13 Budget Amount 654,00 FY14 Budget Amount Intervention Model (Please select one of the check boxes.) gfedc Turnaround gfedc Restart gfedcb Transformation gfedc Closure Indicators of Impact Indicators of Impact: LEA should provide information regarding how the selected intervention model or improvement strategy matches the LEA's needs and will impact student achievement. Discuss standards of performance for the following, but not limited to: * Reading Achievement * Math Achievement * Graduation Rate/ Attendance Rates * Implementation of Model or SI Strategies Scientifically Research Based (SBR) Ohio Virtual Academy (OHVA) has selected the transformation intervention model. In order to restructure the school's leadership the following administrative positions have been changed or replaced this school year: high school principal, elementary principal, assistant elementary principal, federal programs manager, and middle school principal. Student engagement has been identified as an area that needs immediate attention in order to improve student achievement. Student engagement in the virtual model is defined as the student attends online live instructional sessions, completes and submits assignments on time, meets expected progress requirements, participates in online sessions, responds to and phone calls, and contacts his/her teacher to get assistance when needed. Information was collected during planning meetings with teachers and parents and feedback from parents and students was collected through surveys. Focus on attitudes toward establishing a school culture that is centered on meeting the individual needs of students as the highest priority will be part of future teacher

3 hiring, training, and evaluation practices. OHVA is in year five school improvement status. Students in grades 5 and 6 did not meet the value added expected growth measure in reading. Students in grades 3 and 5 did not meet the indicator measure on the school report card in reading. Students in grades 4 and 8 did not meet the value added expected growth measure in math. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 did not meet the indicator measure on the school report card in math. The students with disabilities subgroup did not meet AYP in math. The Blacknon Hispanic and Hispanic subgroups did not meet AYP in math. One of the greatest areas of concern is that the graduation rate which was 54.1% for the school year. We want to implement an improvement plan that will impact our students for the long term to address the root causes of low graduation rates that are impacted by low student performance and engagement at all grade levels. The transformation model components align very well with school improvement efforts made this year, with Race to the Top (RttT) initiatives and in formulating plans for long term systemic improvement for students in grades K 12. Pre implementation Activities and Budget Describe the activities the LEA will take prior to the beginning of the school year in order to prepare for full implementation of a school intervention model at the start of the school year. Include the proposed budget amount needed to carry out the pre implementation activities. LEAs are not required to begin spending SIG funds prior to the beginning of the school year, but may do so. Use the space provided to describe activities and expenses that are (1) directly related to full and effective implementation of the selected intervention model, (2) both reasonable and necessary for implementation, (3) address needs identified by the LEA, and (4) help improve student academic achievement. If the LEA will not be carrying out pre implementation activities and expenses, that should be noted in the space provided. Examples of possible allowable activities include: Family and Community Engagement, Rigorous Review of External Providers, Staffing, Instructional Programs, Professional Development and Support, Preparation for Accountability Measures. Noted examples should not be seen as exhaustive or required. Rather, they illustrate possible activities depending on the needs of particular SIG schools. SIG funds may not be used to supplant non Federal funds, but only to supplement non Federal funding provided to SIG schools. All pre implementation activities in preparation for carrying out the school improvement plan will not require additional funding. Since teachers at Ohio Virtual Academy work August 1st through June 30th, all professional development activities will be conducted during August, prior to students starting the school year. Administrators work during the summer months and will be involved in planning the fall professional development and implementation activities during the summer months. Other pre implementation activities will require hiring a SIG transformation specialist, para pros, and a senior guidance specialist. The people who are hired into the new positions will start on August 1 and receive training at that time. Home visits to students and parents by teachers and staff will also take place in August. Integration into Ohio Improvement Process How is this grant supported by your LEA(s)? Describe joint planning that occurred. Include OIP alignment information such as how the selected intervention model or school improvement strategy matches the LEA's needs and examines the root cause for the school's identification of need for improvement (use of various data to analyze the needs of the LEA must include, but are not limited to student performance data, curriculum standards and assessment, effective teachers and leaders). Ohio Virtual Academy is a Tier I school that is in year five school improvement status. Students in grades 5 and 6 did not meet the value added expected growth measure in reading. Students in grades 3 and 5 did not meet the indicator measure on the school report card in reading. Students in grades 4 and 8 did not meet the value added expected growth measure in math. Students in grades 3,4,5,6,7, and 8 did not meet

4 the indicator measure on the school report card in math. The students with disabilities subgroup did not meet AYP in math. The black nonhispanic and hispanic subgroups did not meet AYP in math. One of the greatest areas of concern is that the graduation rate was 54.1% for the 2009_10 school year. In the fall of 2010 the administrative team met with a member of the Region 1 State Support Team. The purpose was to review the current school data and the OIP process in order to make sure that the school improvement plan identified the root causes of low student achievement and graduation rate as well as addressing all areas of the OIP using data driven decision making. As a result of the initial meeting a schedule was established to dedicate time by the administrative team to complete the Decision Framework, review performance data, and establish a school improvement plan. In addition to the OIP planning meetings, administrators from all grade levels continue to meet weekly in order to review current data, coordinate programs and assure collaboration among administrators and teachers at all grade levels. As a result of analysis of data several areas of need were identified at specific grade levels. In addition some areas of need surfaced which affected the entire school and were targeted as areas of improvement. The need for improving efforts to increase student engagement, improve math content levels of teachers, methods of instruction delivery, and frequency of instruction were identified as needs for all grade levels. A major area of needed reform identified was the need to change the school culture into one that focuses on addressing the need to provide differentiated attention for students who are at risk of not being successful. Professional development planning for the entire school was included in the discussions and planning efforts as a step toward improvement. Initially teacher leaders were also invited to attend meetings in order to collect input and feedback. Special attention was given to make sure that all academic and assessment planning was aligned to Ohio's Academic Content Standards, the Ohio Achievement Assessments, and the Ohio Graduation Tests. District generated student data from formative and summative assessments, online state testing preparation programs, as well as the state testing data is continued to be analyzed and used in the planning efforts. All teachers were invited to attend meetings to provide their recommendations and viewpoints on school culture, student achievement, operating processes and procedures, and other areas related to school improvement. Some of those meetings were held in a confidential environment with the superintendent as the only administrator present. In other scheduled meetings parents were also invited to attend along with teachers and administrators to provide feedback and information from the teacher and parent perspectives. Capacity To Implement Design and implement interventions consistent with the final requirements:tier I and Tier II will implement an intervention model; submit waiver request and complete requirements associated with waiver (schoolwide components) This proposal makes limited addition to staffing. A guidance counselor/trainer will be hired to initially track students who are at risk for graduation, starting with seniors as the highest priority the first year. The person in this position will be receive intensive training the first year and then serve as a trainer for other counselors, teachers, and support staff in subsequent years with the ultimate goal of the entire staff obtaining the skills and knowledge to be able to identify and monitor closely all high school students who enter or are returning to our school, and may exhibit at risk factors as identified using scientifically research based early warning indicators. Current school staff will assume the responsibility for implementation of the SIG. The school has obtained stakeholder support during the process of collecting information and data. Tier I transformation has taken place during this school year as administrative positions have been replaced including high school principal, elementary principal, and middle school principal. We have changed the focus on HQ professional development that will provide job embedded activities that are designed to build capacity and support for teachers. We focus on student performance data on a regular basis and have now begun to collect and use other data that reflects student, parent and teacher attitudes about school culture and community. Plans to reorganize our school into a schoolwide model are presently being developed to address specific areas that will increase student involvement, achievement, and engagement levels. Teachers are helping in the restructuring process and will be involved in grade level teams in grades K 8 and departments at grades 9 12 to help define their roles more clearly that will increasestudent success. We have included strategies and action steps that will ensure family and community involvement will increase in order to help motivate students to be more actively engaged in

5 their school. Efforts to provide community oriented services and supports will be a priority as we carry out the action steps. Activities that provide students with academic options for credit and recovery options will be provided in the SIG. Recruit, screen, and select external providers, if applicable, to ensure their quality: * proven track record of successful school improvement * matched to the needs of the students and the interventions * selected from list of approved external providers supplied by the Ohio Department of Education All external providers will be selected based on criteria which will be developed in advance and approved by the administrative team. Representatives from all stakeholders will be included in the recruiting and selection process. Educational service agencies, universities, consultants, Ohio Council of Community Schools, and other organizations or individuals may serve as contractors and/or advisors in helping the school acquire the people that will be needed to provide training, technical assistance, or products that will help us accomplish our goal. The criteria for selection will include, but not be limited to, familiarity with diversity training, team building, building student centered school culture, student and family engagement, professional learning communities, differentiated instruction, data based decision making using formative and summative assessments, credit recovery options, and high school scheduling alternatives. Modify its practices or policies, if necessary, to enable its schools to implement the interventions fully and effectively: The LEA should describe how it will address details contained in, but not limited to, negotiated agreements, board policies, Ohio Revised Code. It is the responsibility of the LEA submitting the application to secure such approval prior to submission of the application. The administration will review the school's present practices and procedures to determine if changes are necessary in order to accomplish the SIG goals. A transformational team will be formed to ensure full implementation of the SIG, to monitor progress quarterly, and to ensure alignment with other school efforts including Race to the Top and Title grant goals. The teacher roles will change next school year as a result of our reorganizational efforts in transitioning to a Title I schoolwide program. Hiring practices and guidelines will be established to reflect the expectations for teachers and support staff to meet the SIG goals. A new teacher evaluation instrument will be developed in line with Race to the Top specifications. The evaluation instrument measures to indicate when teachers are meeting the expectations of the administration and contributing in a positive way to the school climate and culture. Incentives will be provided to help motivate teachers to work toward implementing successful practices. Opportunities to share best practices with others will be embedded in professional development and the professional learning communities structure. Stakeholders will be involved in developing an incentive program to assure that it is meaningful, fair, and meets the school improvement goal. Incentives will be based on scientifically researched based instructional practices which contribute the most to meeting the differentiated individual needs of students and those incentives that are identified by the stakeholders as keys to meeting our SIG goal. Stakeholder Involvement/Collaboration Who are your major partners? Consult with various relevant stakeholders regarding the LEA's application and implementation of school improvement models in its Tier I and Tier II schools. Major partners of the school are K12 Inc., Lucas County Educational Service Center, the Ohio Council of Community Schools, Ohio Alliance of Public Charter Schools, State Support Team Region I, Bowling Green State University, University of Toledo. Other stakeholders include the Ohio Virtual Academy Parent Steering Committee. Strong community stakeholder support exists and will be built upon through implementation of the SIG strategies and action steps. Reaching out to community businesses, organizations, and families will be a priority in the SIG in order to build community and provide real life learning opportunities for our students. Ohio Virtual Academy has partnered with the Toledo Zoo, Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Cleveland's Great Lakes Science Center, and the Museum Center in Cincinnati to provide hands on learning opportunities for all of its students each year. The high school science department has provided a virtual real time science lab experience at Bowling Green State University for each of the last three years using the university's facilities, staff, and students, joined by Ohio Virtual Academy

6 students at the site to do a hands on lab. The lab was streamed live via the internet to other students in their homes. The students at home could participate through text and/or microphone. The Math department at the University of Toledo has provided assistance to the school by doing a statistical analysis of specific demographic and student performance data to help us identify significant trends and other important information about our students and their predicted success in the program. K12 Inc. provides an excellent curriculum for our students and teachers. The administrative team, teachers, and support staff benefit from the expertise and guidance from K12 Inc. It uses many different means to support the stakeholders in the school. Conference calls, face to face meetings, webinars, online professional development opportunities are used daily to provide support and assistance to staff and parents. They provide the school with real time data in demographic areas as well as student performance. They provide current educational research and help members of our staff stay current on national best practices and trends in education. Opportunities occur weekly for teachers and administrators to collaborate nationally with others in their job roles and area of expertise. The SIG also provides mentoring experiences for teacher to teacher, student to student, and parent to parent. Training will be provided for each type of mentor. The mentors will provide positive support for the mentee with the focus being on helping all students become successful learners. Describe joint planning that occurred as well as the level of commitment among all parties (district and building level). Applicants must describe the stakeholder roles and their contributions to the success of the project. All stakeholders have been involved in the planning process in order to ensure that there is a strong commitment among all parties. School administrators meet weekly to review student data and identify the needs of the school in the areas of student achievement, instructional best practices, teacher effectiveness, teacher evaluation, school culture, and other important student centered areas of concern. Lead teachers and department chairpersons have been involved in two ways, through regular meetings with their administrators and in planning meeting discussions with other teachers and administrators. Parents are also involved by attending planning meetings. The Parent Steering Committee provides input and feedback to the administrative staff by bringing parents' viewpoints and suggestions to the table at their monthly meetings. The school presently has a Community/Parent Relations Coordinator on the administrative team who meets with parents regularly and communicates with them by phone, , and online discussion boards. In addition to the planning meetings the superintendent arranged regional meetings to provide opportunities for staff members to voice their opinions and make suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the school. Our corporate partner, K12 Inc. provides ongoing guidance and support for school initiatives including research, data analysis, professional development, technical support for teachers, students, and parents, curriculum alignment, assessment, and teacher evaluation, as well as school improvement initiatives. Administrators at each level and department will continue to meet weekly to plan, assess progress of implementation of the grant initiatives, and carry out their other duties in moving the school staff toward continuous improvement that can be sustained over time. The Parent Steering Committee will continue to meet monthly with the Community/Parent Relations Coordinator to help provide administrators and teachers with relevant issues and concerns and also help the school measure its effectiveness from the parents' perspective. Administrators will continue to meet with their grade level and department leadership teams weekly. Teachers will meet with their grade level/department teams weekly. The Transformation Team will meet quarterly to measure progress toward the goals of the grant and provide all stakeholders with updates. Goals, Strategies and Action Steps 2) Increase The Graduation Rate

7 Increase the student graduation rate. Performance Measure: The graduation rate will increase to 85% by 2012, 90% by 2013, to 95% by Fiscal Resources Notes 2012 $666,667 Total: $666,667 Grand Total: $666, ) Increase student engagement. Increase student engagement by improving the student/family orientation process. Increase by 30% using the student engagment metric. Decrease by 2% the number of in year withdrawals. Each teacher will participate in 10 school activities outside of the classroom ) Student engagement Define student engagement rubric that will be used as a measure ) Increase contact with students and families. Increase contact with families (Home visits, face to face visits)

8 2.1.3) Revise the student orientation program. Implement a new system of orientation for new parents and students ) Mentoring students, parents and teachers. Implement a system of mentoring for students, parents, and teachers. 2.2) Establish professional learning communities Ten Regional (vertical & horizontal) professional learning communities will be created. All teachers will participate in one of the PLCs ) Establish Professional Learning Communities

9 Provide structure & support for horizontal & vertical Professional Learning Communities 2.2.2) Collaboration and sharing best practices Provide frequent opportunities for teachers to meet collaboratively to share best practices 2.2.3) Conduct team building activities Conduct team building activities within horizontal & vertical Professional Learning Communities 2.3) Use differentiated instruction to meet the individual needs of students Increase student centered focus among staff members by initiating differentiated instruction to meet the diverse needs of our students. Students will show one year or more academic growth using the value added measure. Teacher evaluations will reflect the level of understanding of the school's mission and vision.

10 2.3.1) Provide diversity training to staff Provide ongoing HQ professional development training for staff to increase understanding of diverse student population 2.3.2) Establish a positive and supporting school climate Provide diversity training for existing staff and foster positive attributes in new staff 2.3.3) Revise hiring practices Change hiring practices to make assure that candidates have a high level of understanding of the expectations for school climate, mission and vision

11 2.3.4) Revise the teacher evaluation instrument. Change evaluation measures to reflect student performance growth measures 2.3.5) Develop a staff recognition and reward system based on student performance. Recognize staff who demonstrate increases in student performance as defined by formative, summative assessments and state testing 2.4) Improve the school culture and student support. Foster a school culture of flexible creativity for student support with the objective that all students will meet the graduation requirements. Improve the graduation rate to 95% or higher by Reduce the number of students who are credit deficient by 30%by 2012 and an additional 10% each of the following two years ) Identify under served students Implement a process flow chart used to identify under served students in need of accelerated learning options

12 2.4.2) Establish a senior success academy Initiate a senior success academy in order to accelerate identified seniors at risk of not meeting the graduation requirement deadlines within their cohorts 2.4.3) Increase course scheduling options for seniors. Provide scheduling options for identified seniors based on stakeholder input ) Hire a senior specialist guidance counselor in order to train existing staff as well as implement a process for accelerated recovery. The particular focus of this counselor will be the identified Success Academy students and their assigned teachers.

13 2.4.5) Implement a plan to incentivize credit recovery teachers. A high degree of student turnover and low student engagement are not beneficial for students, nor do they help OHVA to have positive report card metrics. Under engaged and/or credit deficient students absorb a tremendous amount of teachers' time. To counteract the reluctance of teachers to spend an excessive amount of time dealing with these difficult students, an incentive plan for teachers will be developed and utilized. Alignment with Other Resources Identify the additional and supporting resources (e.g. internal building, local community, business and partner schools) that will be utilized in the project and demonstrate how these resources will impact success. Please explain how your project will leverage other and supporting resources (fiscal, human, technical, etc.) in the implementation of the intervention model. External resources which support the present school improvement program will be reviewed to determine which ones can support the transformation and implementation of the SIG strategies. Since most of the resources presently are aligned with the curriculum objectives it is likely that those resources will continue to contribute in the area of successful student achievement. Partnerships with the science centers such as COSI in Columbus, the Toledo Zoo, Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, and the Museum Center in Cincinnati provide hands on learning experiences for the students and families. We will continue to utilize resources of Region 1 State Support Team, the Ohio Council of Community Schools, and the Ohio Alliance of Public Charter Schools for consultation, professional development, legal guidance, and as a resource for services and information. Internal resources are in place which support the implementation of SIG strategies. The K12 Inc. curriculum provides students with a solid curriculum, textbooks, and resources that can be accessed at any time from home. It is supplemented in grades K 8 with an online test preparation program that is aligned to the Ohio Academic Content Standards and includes optional lessons and assessments that are aligned to the Core Curriculum as well. The school uses both formative and summative assessments in grades 3 10 that are used for identification of at risk students, targeting specific skills for providing instructional interventions, and as an academic growth measure. Coordinated planning will permit Title I funds to be used to help provide support for parent engagement activities and the support of efforts to raise student achievement levels in reading and math. Title II A funds may help ensure that professional development is targeted to help support the SIG efforts of all teams, and IDEA funds to help support the active inclusion of students and parents at all levels. Response to Intervention (RtI) provides high quality instructions and interventions that are matched to the students' needs. Professional development plans are included in the SIG and will align and be coordinated with all other schoolwide efforts and initiatives. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) training and implementation will be a key in successfully coordinating PD activities and providing frequent and meaningful opportunities

14 for teachers to collaborate in learning and implementing best practices. Continuation How will your initiative sustain itself if/when funding is reduced or ended? (feasibility of sustaining the initiative, reasonable, resources brought to the process to continue to support over time, leveraging existing resources) The initiatives included in the SIG will be sustained by (1)ensuring that all of the academic activities are systemic from grades K 12 and are aligned to the school improvement plan. The strategies and action steps in the SIG will be internalized as an integral part of the school learning culture. (2) We will coordinate all funding sources to sustain and support the SIG interventions at all levels. (3) We will solicit other grant funded programs (Title I, RttT etc...) and other internal funds which will support the activities that are compatible with the SIG interventions. (4)The school leaders will support the SIG initiatives by establishing procedures and routines in the school's academic and organizational processes of future continuous improvement efforts. (5) Implementation of professional development activities will be a major priority for implementation of the SIG strategies. Those activities will be based on an analysis of data sources, including academic and demographic data, and will include stakeholder participation in the process of selecting, designing, and developing professional development activities that are aligned to the SIG goals, strategies, and action steps.(6) Ohio Virtual Academy has a high mobility rate, however, the school enrollment has steadily increased in each of the last five years by approximately 1500 students or more per year in grades K 12. If we are able to achieve our goal of raising the student graduation rate and performance levels in grades K 12 the projected enrollment will continue to increase at a rate which will enable the school to fund all additional staff members included as part of the SIG plan for the future.being able to increase the rate that enrolled students return to the school each year by approximately 3% would provide enough additional funding to sustain all new positions included the grant. Timeline Include a timeline delineating the steps it will take to implement the selected intervention in each Tier I and Tier II school identified in the LEA's application. (tied to IMM tool) Timeline: FY12, hire a SIG Transformation Coordinator to provide for effective implementation, coordination, and evaluation of the SIG goals, strategies, and action steps. FY12, Establish a senior success academy pilot to address the needs of at risk seniors. FY12 Provide training and stipends to high school (HS) teachers who teach credit recovery courses. FY12, implement optional summer school classes for HS students. FY12, produce pacing guides for HS courses. FY12, develop face to face orientation schedule of sessions and activities for students in grades K 12 for each region of Ohio. FY12, develop and implement a plan to make home and/or face to face visits to every student. FY 13, develop and implement a plan to provide transition meetings with parents and students for 8th grade students entering grade 9 in the fall. FY12, hire and provide training for 4 part time paraprofessional positions who will provide clerical and data support to teachers. FY12, Hire and train a full time guidance counselor to identify, monitor, and intervene with seniors who are at risk of not graduating. The guidance counselor will also provide training to other counselors and staff. FY12 FY14, Provide PD for staff in the following areas, diversity training and understanding and supporting parents. FY12 FY14 Provide PD and implement a plan to develop 10 regional professional learning communities statewide that will meet a minimum of once per month. FY12, Provide team building PD to staff and follow up, which includes ongoing training and activities. FY12, A flow chart will be developed by the HS staff that explains the process of accelerated learning options for HS students. FY12 The scheduling options for at risk seniors will be revised and increased. FY12 Develop a mentoring program which includes PD and provides mentoring and support for teachers, students, and parents. FY13 Develop a schedule to provide opportunities for teachers to share best practices in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and other student supports. FY13 Revise teacher hiring practices and procedures. FY13 Revise the teacher evaluation process to reflect the desired outcomes and school culture and meets the requirements of ODE. FY13, Develop new staff recognition guidelines

15 and programs that will provide frequent recognition of student success. FY13 Revise the student recognition program to provide incentives that include short term and long term student achievement and growth. FY13, Provide parents with more information and support for implementation of synchronous (live, direct, and real time) delivery options of instruction to students. FY13, develop and implement a tri semester alternative pilot for HS students who are behind in credits. FY14, Continue implementation and monitoring emphasis upon diversity training, providing immediate support to families, and professional learning communities as a means of providing and supporting PD initiatives. FY14 Evaluation and revision of credit recovery, summer school, and trimester scheduling options. Program Evaluation/Monitoring/Outcomes Describe the annual goals for student achievement on the State's assessments in both reading/language arts and mathematics. State other annual goals of the project. How will you evaluate your progress in achieving your goals and objectives? Goals must be stated in the form of SMART (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, time bound) goals. Goals will be based on the use of the Ohio Improvement Process (particularly the decision framework). The student performance goals for Ohio Virtual Academy include the following: 75% or more of the students in grades 3 8 will score at a proficient or higher level on the reading and math Ohio Achievement Assessments by FY14. 80% or more of the students in grade 10 will score at a proficient or higher level on the Ohio Graduation Test by FY14. The graduation rate will increase to 85% by FY12, to 90% by FY 13, and to 95% by FY 14. The evaluation and data collection tools include both summative and formative measures that will be used to monitor, make predictions, and identify at risk students. Ohio assessment data and school data will be used to determine progress. Progress will be monitored by looking at student growth and changes within the state data each school year. Changes within the school summative assessment data will be monitored and used by teachers and administrators to identify at risk students and their areas of academic need at the beginning of the year and as a growth measure at the end of the year. This data will also be collected and analyzed by our management and curriculum partner, K12 Inc. to assist us in making comparisons on a national level and provide us with suggestions, recommendations, and guidance in the academic program. The school formative assessment data will be used by teachers on a weekly basis October through April to identify students' short term academic needs in relation to mastery of grade level indicators aligned to the Ohio Academic Content Standards, as well as to inform teacher instructional decisions. Other indicators of success that demonstrate a high chance of students being at risk for meeting the graduation requirements will also be monitored closely. Student reading levels in the elementary grades, rate of passage of core content courses in grades 6 8, excessive absences in grades 6 12, number of credits of students entering grades 9 12, and academic progress of atrisk students in grade 12. Baseline data points will be established in order for evaluation of progress to occur. At least one or more external consultants from the Region 1 State Support Team and/or the Ohio Council of Community Schools will be part of the SIG Transformation Team to help school personnel implement an evaluation system and be able to measure growth in intervals of 1 year the first year, every 6 months after the initial year of implementation. Recommendations from the consultant(s) and the team will help ensure the fidelity and accountability of the plan. The recommendations will be shared with all stakeholders. A summative evaluation of implementation will be conducted at the end of the 3 year period. It will include an analysis of the impact upon graduation rates, student and parent engagement, and student support. The new teacher expectations and evaluation process, including the development of staff removal options, and professional development expectations/requirements will have a direct impact on student success. The creation of a senior success academy and the focused attention and support that 9th grade students will receive will help to increase student achievement and the students' chances for graduating on time. Data Collection Student Achievement Determine how the selected intervention model will increase student achievement, and then measure the success of the intervention model. Applicants

16 must describe the process used to select the intervention model and how the success of the implementation will be measured. Measures of success must be stated. Measures of success will be linked directly to the indicators of impact stated in the Building Overview page (reading, math, graduation rate, SI strategies, intervention models, etc.). The transformation model was selected to help improve student achievement by getting a much higher degree of stakeholder engagement and ownership. The implementation of a new evaluation system that is developed with input from staff and is directly connected to student growth and engagement levels will play a large factor in changing the school culture to one that is more focused on providing individual supports to students to increase their engagement level. The model supports systemic changes that promote the continuous use of data to differentiate instruction based on the individual academic and environmental needs of our students. We will pursue flexible instructional time offerings and add credit recovery courses with the goal being to increase the amount of time that instruction is available to our students and also provide them with synchronous (live/real time) and asynchronous (recorded lessons that can be viewed at any time) options of delivery. A schoolwide systemic approach to professional development will be implemented in order to provide all stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and learning opportunities that they will need to implement the SIG strategies and action steps. The SIG plan includes mechanisms to increase family engagement and help families to become more involved as an active member of the school community. The Board of Education and school leadership are aligned in their mission in changing the school culture to one that will focus on providing supports daily for all students and parents in our school. The board will provide the flexibility and supports to the administrative team and teachers that reform requires of stakeholders. The school will (1) revise the parent/student orientation practices to provide families with a more complete understanding of the school and how it operates, student expectations, and supports that are available, including doing home or face to face visits with families. (2) provide mentoring programs and training for peer to peer, parent to parent, and teacher to teacher. (3) increase the number of school/community activities in which teachers, students, and parents are involved. (4) Provide staff with job embedded PD that reflects a deeper understanding of the community served by the school. Assist teachers in re capturing the focus on student centered practices by providing ongoing diversity training to staff which includes how to support families, including the adult members, fostering a school culture of collaboration and team building. Professional learning communities (PLC) training and implementation will be implemented for all staff to help promote collaboration and team building activities. Teacher PLC facilitators will be trained using the train the trainer model. (5) Develop a student recognition and award system that provides incentives for students to succeed based on the metrics and qualities that students need in order to become successful high school graduates and increase their student achievement. (6) Provide focused instruction and support in math and English/language arts. Provide options and opportunities for students to receive the instruction and support using SRB methods that help them obtain the most success. Establish the Senior Success Academy to support students who need instructional supports, monitoring, reminders, positive reinforcement and other assistance in order to be successful in school. (6) Collect, analyze, and use data to establish flow charts, early warning systems, pacing guides, and other tools for grades 9 12 in order to identify, develop plans, monitor, and record evidence/progress that will prevent students from getting behind in meeting their high school graduation requirements. (7) Develop and implement a pilot program for trimesters vs. semesters to provide an alternative scheduling option for students. Budget Narrative Explain/ describe how funds will be used to implement the selected model in each Tier I and Tier II school it commits to serve; conduct LEA level activities designed to support implementation of the selected school intervention models in the LEA's Tier I and Tier II schools; Applicants must show how these funds will be spent. The application should include an explanation for each expenditure, its source if part of the match and how each expenditure aligns with project goals in an efficient and effective manner. Purposes of Expenditures: The plan for funding the grant will remain constant for the next three years with the exception of the first year in which

17 an additional $38,000 will be spent in startup costs for training and stipends. FY12 costs for fringe benefits may change according the new levels required by state or federal government and ODE. Salary and Fringe Benefits include $90,000 per year for a school Transformation Coordinator to manage the implementation and daily operations of SIG activities. A senior guidance counselor will be funded at a cost of $90,000 per year (salary and benefits). The counselor will be responsible for identifying, supporting, and monitoring seniors who are identified as at risk of not graduating. The counselor will also provide training and collaboration with other counselors and staff members. In FY12 four part time paraprofessionals at a total cost per of $259,980 ($ 86,660 per year for salaries and benefits) will be hired to help support teachers by performing some of the clerical and on boarding duties in the areas of attendance, possible withdrawal issues, and informing and assisting new families in their orientation process to help assure a successful start of school. PD is a high priority in the SIG grant. FY12 PD costs are $505,000. The costs include important PD activities that will assist and empower staff in efforts to changing the school culture of all stakeholders to one of doing anything it takes to help students become successful learners. The expenses are broken down into the delivery and follow up of PD and will include the purchased services of some external vendors to do training activities, follow up with teachers, and measure the effectiveness of the programs.(fy12 $185,000, FY13 $160,000, FY14 $160,000). Stipends will be paid to teachers beginning FY12 for participating in the credit recovery program ($34,635 for salaries and fringe benefits for FY12 FY14.), for participation in the summer school program ($36,635 per year), for the development of pacing guides in the HS ($3000 for FY12 only), and teaching trimester courses ($34,635 for FY12 FY14). The amount budgeted to purchase trimester courses for 200 students each year is a total of $279,365 for the three year SIG period. For FY 13 FY14 stipends for facilitating, training, and implementing a teacher, student, and parent monitoring program are $6950 in salaries and benefits. Parent and student orientations, face to face visits with students/parents, and 8th to 9th grade transition meetings across Ohio will be implemented in FY12 at a cost of $225,000 to pay for rental of facilities and travel expenses ($75,000 per year for 3 years). Additional funds target student awards which will focus on frequent recognition of student improvement beginning in FY12, $5000 per year (total of $15,000 for FY12 FY14. $ 692,000 FY12 proposed LEA budget $ 654,000 FY13 proposed LEA budget $ 654,000 FY14 proposed LEA budget Project Summary Provide an overview of the proposed project, including a description of the following: * The audience (who the project will directly impact); * The educational goals/need (what the project strives to ultimately accomplish); and * The activities (how the project will be carried out). The summary should be written so that readers, including peer reviewers, will understand the overall concept of the application. The school will implement the transformation model to achieve the SIG goals. The school has already begun to implement many of the components included in the transformation model. Principals have been replaced at all levels in the school. Assessment and data analysis practices have been adopted which include the use of short cycle assessments to assure that the students are taught the grade level indicators, assessed immediately, and interventions are administered for students who demonstrate the need. A three year PD plan to increase students' ability to problem solve and use the skills necessary to successfully form a written reply on open ended questions has been implemented. Members from each stakeholder group have been involved in school improvement planning to date. A new teacher evaluation instrument that focuses on student achievement outcomes and success is included in the SIG plans. Plans have been included to revise and develop new hiring practices based on the vision of a school culture which is centered on doing what it takes to teach all students effectively. The main goal however is to increase the number and percent of students who graduate from Ohio Virtual Academy. The SIG plan will provide long term systemic changes in how the school operates. It provides changes in school processes and procedures, beginning at kindergarten level to ensure that the students' learning continues to spiral upward without barriers getting in the way. The SIG strategies and action steps address the root causes of student failure and will attempt to overcome an alarming trend in which the learning gap continues to get larger from grade 3 through high school. The areas addressed by the SIG grant are (1)assuring that students who are not reading on grade level by grade 3 receive reading interventions and extra support, (2)supporting students in their learning to avoid failure of core courses at grades 6 9 (3)addressing

18 truancy/attendance issues in grades 3 12, (S.1.3 support #1, #2 #3 above Increase student centered focus among staff members by initiating differentiated instruction to meet the diverse needs of our students Providing ongoing PD on understanding the diverse student population, PD for fostering the positive attributes of a successful educator, changing hiring practices, changing the teacher evaluation measures to reflect student growth and achievement, provide recognition for staff members who meet the success goals). (4) Increase student engagement by improving the student/family orientation process (S.1.1 creating and using a student engagement rubric to identify at risk students, increasing face to face contact opportunities with families, implementation of a new system to provide more immediate support to new families, implementing a mentoring program for students and parents (student to student and parent to parent). (5) Embed PD and best practices into the teacher schedule and daily routines (S.1.2 by providing structured and supported PD for horizontal and vertical professional learning communities, provide regular opportunities to meet collaboratively and share best practices, and conduct team building within the professional learning communities. (6) To target issues that directly impact graduation rates at the high school level the plan focuses on fostering a culture of flexible creativity for student support toward meeting the grade level requirements needed to graduate on time. (S.1.4 use a process flow chart to identify under served students in need of accelerated options, implement a senior success academy to provide support and monitor at risk seniors, provide alternate scheduling options based on input from seniors, create and implement a credit recovery plan that includes summer school options, hire a senior specialist guidance counselor to help provide training to staff and monitor and support at risk seniors, develop a plan to provide incentives for seniors. Assurances The LEA must assure that it will comply with all Federal assurances and that it will 1. Use its School Improvement to implement fully and effectively an intervention in each Tier I and Tier II school that the LEA commits to serve consistent with the final requirements; 2. Establish annual goals for student achievement on the State's assessments in both reading/language arts and mathematics and measure progress on the leading indicators in section III of the final requirements in order to monitor each Tier I and Tier II school that it serves with school improvement funds; 3. If it implements a restart model in a Tier I or Tier II school, include in its contract or agreement terms and provisions to hold the charter operator, charter management organization, or education management organization accountable for complying with the final requirements; and 4. Report to the SEA the school level data required under section III of the final requirements. PROGRAM ASSURANCES:I agree, on behalf of this applicant agency and all identified partners to abide by all assurances outlined in the Assurance section of the CCIP and the requirements identified in the School Improvement Request For Application. In the box below, enter "I Accept" and indicate your name, title, agency/organization and today's date. I Accept Robert Matthews, Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator Ohio Virtual Academy

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20 Plan Relationships Ohio Virtual Academy (142950) Lucas County 2012 Rev 2 Application Number (17) Sections Related Goals 2) Increase The Graduation Rate Increase the student graduation rate. Performance Measure: The graduation rate will increase to 85% by 2012, 90% by 2013, to 95% by Fiscal Resources Notes 2012 $666,667 Total: $666,667 Grand Total: $666, ) Increase student engagement. Increase student engagement by improving the student/family orientation process. Increase by 30% using the student engagment metric. Decrease by 2% the number of in year withdrawals. Each teacher will participate in 10 school activities outside of the classroom. 2.2) Establish professional learning communities Ten Regional (vertical & horizontal) professional learning communities will be created. All teachers will participate in one of the PLCs. 2.3) Use differentiated instruction to meet the individual needs of students Increase student centered focus among staff members by initiating differentiated instruction to meet the diverse needs of our students. Students will show one year or more academic growth using the value added measure. Teacher evaluations will reflect the level of understanding of the school's mission and vision. 2.4) Improve the school culture and student support. Foster a school culture of flexible creativity for student support with the objective that all students will meet the graduation requirements. Improve the graduation rate to 95% or higher by Reduce the number of students who are credit deficient by 30%by 2012 and an additional 10% each of the following two years. Related District/Agency Plan Action Steps