SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT APPLICATION FOR LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES LEA APPLICATION. Section 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

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1 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT APPLICATION FOR LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES LEA APPLICATION Section 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act FY 2010 Mai Alabama Department of Education Federal Programs 5348 Gordon Persons Building P.O. Box Montgomery, Alabama For technical assistance, contact Ann Allison at: Telephone: (334) Fax: (334)

2 School Improvement Grant (SIG) 1003(g) LEA Application Cover LEA Contact for the School Improvement Grant: Name: Ardrene Bishop Position and Office: Federal Programs Director Local Education Agency (LEA) Name: Fairfield City Schools Signature: Address: Telephone: (205) Fax: (205) Assurances The LEA must assure that it will: Use its School Improvement Grant 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. 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 and establish goals (approved by the SEA) to hold accountable its Tier III schools that receive School Improvement funds. Include, if it implements a restart model in a Tier I or Tier II school, 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. Report to the SEA the school-level data required under Section III of the final requirements. Sharon Saxon LEA Chief School Financial Officer Signature Date Frieda Bush LEA Superintendent Signature Date Joseph B. Morton State Superintendent of Education Signature Date

3 A. SCHOOLS TO BE SERVED: An LEA must include the following information with respect to the schools it will serve with a School Improvement Grant. Please identify each TIER I, TIER II, and TIER III school the LEA commits to serve and identify the intervention model that will be used in Tier I and Tier II schools. An LEA with nine or more Tier I and Tier II schools may not implement the transformation model in more than 50% of those schools. If choosing the from the Support Menu. SCHOOL NAME NCES ID# TIER INTERVENTION MODEL (TIER I AND II ONLY) School Improvement I II III Turnaround Restart Closure Transformation Activity (TIER III only) Forest Hills Middle x x Robinson Elementary x School Improvement/The Fairfield Initiative Activities: Teacher Mentor Program; At- Risk Behavior Support Coordinator; RTI; STI Ready, Set, Go; extended learning activities; PBS; 21 st Century Classrooms; Instruction Review Process Fairfield High x School Improvement/The Fairfield Initiative Activities: RTI; C-BAM; STI Ready, Set, Go; College & Career Readiness; extended learning activities; PBS; summer professional development 3 L E A A P P

4 (Continue if necessary) SCHOOL NAME NCES ID# TIER INTERVENTION MODEL (TIER I AND II ONLY) Transformatio I II III Turnaround Restart Closure n School Improvement Activity (TIER III only) 4 L E A A P P

5 B-1. COMMITMENT AND CAPACITY The LEA must demonstrate the commitment to serve each Tier I and Tier II school by completing the following information: The ALSDE will evaluate the capacity to implement a school intervention model in each Tier I and Tier II school by requiring the LEA to document a process that shall include, but will not be limited to: (a) Assessing the extent to which the LEA can recruit qualified new staff to effectively implement educational reform interventions; (b) Assessing the commitment of the LEA, school board, school staff, and stakeholders to support the implementation of educational reform in the district; (c) Assessing the alignment of the school improvement process to identified school needs to ensure effective short-term and long-term implementation of the selected intervention model or school improvement activities; (d) Assessing the alignment of federal, state, and local resources to identified school needs to ensure short-term and long-term support of the selected intervention model or school improvement activities; (e) Assessing the capacity of time and personnel to ensure the initial fundamentals of the intervention are implemented effectively and efficiently (C-BAM). (f) Assessing the availability of all other necessary resources unique to each intervention model or school improvement activity to ensure timely transition of implementation protocol. 5 L E A A P P

6 In a detailed explanation, not to exceed 3 pages, please indicate the capacity and commitment to use School Improvement funds to provide adequate resources and related support to each Tier I and Tier II school identified in this application to implement fully and effectively the required activities of the school intervention model selected. Fairfield City Schools acted promptly after the Superintendent was made aware that the district had schools identified as eligible to compete for the 1003g funds. Mrs. Ardrene Bishop was made the 1003g Project Director; she currently serves as the district Federal Programs and Special Education Coordinator. An initial 1003g Team was assembled and a Team Meeting was held. The 1003g Team included the Superintendent, the Central Office Administrators, and administrators from the identified/eligible schools (Forest Hills Middle, Robinson Elementary and Fairfield Preparatory High School), Board Members, Parent Representatives, and the contractual district School Improvement Specialist. The 1003g Team reviewed all models and selected the Transformation school intervention model, The Fairfield Initiative. The school administrators then held a meeting with their faculty to allow ownership of all stakeholders into the Transformation model. The needs assessment and minutes from the school minutes reflect a staff from each school that is committed to the process outlined in the Transformation Model. (a) Assessing the extent to which the LEA can recruit qualified new staff to effectively implement educational reform interventions; All meeting documentation reveals that the faculty at each of the identified schools shows strong support for this Transformation Model. However, the Fairfield City Schools 1003g Team discussed that there would be additional hiring due to non- renewed teachers, retirements, transfers and other reasons. The following items were discussed regarding recruiting staff: Identify the characteristics of the district and its schools that are attractive to teachers and seek to both market and build upon them to recruit new highly qualified staff. Establish recruitment goals in terms of teacher quality and quantity for the district as a whole. Develop and sustain partnerships with universities and community colleges that deliver teacher preparation. Approach the Board of Education regarding the opportunity to provide financial incentives (e.g., salary increases, bonuses, housing assistance, etc.) for educators willing to work in high-need schools or subject areas, and to Alter hiring procedures and budget timelines to ensure that the appropriate number and types of teachers can be recruited and hired before they seek employment elsewhere. (b) Assessing the commitment of the LEA, school board, school staff, and stakeholders to support the implementation of educational reform in the district; All Fairfield City Schools stakeholders showed a strong commitment to support the 1003g Team, the Transformation Model and The Fairfield Initiative. They are committed to working with one another, STI (the selected external provider), and the ALSDE to ensure success of this initiative. Building capacity for change is the lever with which educators are most familiar providing resources and developing knowledge and skills, typically through training, professional development coaching, and consultation. While this approach is necessary, it is often not sufficient. Incentives add a catalyst and a motivational dimension, giving people a reason to change. Incentives include public disclosure of a school s performance, sanctions for inadequate performance, and rewards for adopting effective practices and demonstrating significant improvement. A discussion was held regarding offering incentives for individuals (e.g., leaders, teachers, and improvement coaches), groups (such as school teams). Even with attractive incentives, access to resources, and available training, progress may be less than hoped because people also need the opportunity to innovate, to break away from the system s own barriers and constraints. Fairfield City Schools will enhance the opportunity for constructive change by vetting their own regulations to remove those that inhibit innovation, and allowing for fresh starts through the 6 L E A A P P

7 Transformation Model/The Fairfield Initiative. All stakeholders showed a commitment to the 1003g grant and were positive in the opportunities for rapid improvement, building local capacity, and opening new space for innovation through grant funding. (c) Assessing the alignment of the school improvement process to identified school needs to ensure effective short-term and long-term implementation of the selected intervention model or school improvement activities; The clear message of the 1003g grant is that both accountability and authority reside close to where the proximal variables for learning reside in the classroom and in the school. The 1003g grant calls for greater school-level flexibility in staffing, scheduling, and budgeting; at the same time it encourages strong school-level accountability for results. The Fairfield Initiative will utilize support from various resources/sources to ensure implementation is successful. The Fairfield Initiative/Transformation will be a living initiative and although it has a well designed long term plan; check points will be in place to measure effectiveness and it will be flexible for change. (d) Assessing the alignment of federal, state, and local resources to identified school needs to ensure short-term and long-term support of the selected intervention model or school improvement activities; The 1003g Team can provide the conditions (changes in rules and resource allocation) and capacity (identifying high-quality staff and external partners) for rapid school improvement to take place, all the while communicating a single-minded focus on improving student learning. Additionally, they are positioned to effectively build parent and community support, contract with external partners, monitor fidelity of plan implementation and progress, build leadership capacity, problem solve, and maintain coordination and communication. It may also be necessary for the 1003g Team to intervene if improvement efforts are unsuccessful. By design, the team functions as the lead entity driving dramatic school improvement efforts, rather than simply a compliance monitor (Redding & Walberg, 2008). The Fairfield City Schools 1003g Team will immediately begin to: Track indicators of positive change and pinpoint school conditions that predict later failure. Measure leading indicators (e.g., formative assessments and STI data that allow districts to track student attendance and discipline referrals in real time). Anticipate need to try again when rapid improvement efforts fail. Engaging in rapid retry efforts when failure occurs, the Team is committed to not allow schools to languish for three years absent clear indicators of progress that will dramatically improve student outcomes. Cultivate pipeline of school transformation leaders as well as external providers (e.g, STI) Reviewing existing federal, state and local resources and then matching needs in gap areas to support the interventions. (e) Assessing the capacity of time and personnel to ensure the initial fundamentals of the intervention are implemented effectively and efficiently (C-BAM). Fairfield City Schools will utilize internal and external resources to test accountability of the Transformation Model and all programs that it encompasses. The district will measure and report progress at the school level and the LEA level as outlined in the Transformation Model. Fairfield City Schools developed a rigorous application review and selection process to identify promising or established new school models; Included stakeholders in thorough review of potential models; Developed a long-term plan to recruit and train school leaders; Crafted key relationship terms with district administrators to make certain they can be held accountable for key performance goals. Fairfield City 1003g Team will ensure that all internal and external providers utilize evaluation procedures and instruments that align with the needs assessment of 7 L E A A P P

8 each school and measure student achievement on standardized tests. The 1003g Team will collect and manage this data as it is reported from the providers. Forest Hills Middle, Robinson Elementary and Fairfield High Preparatory School will: Carefully craft the vision for adopting a new school model and make the case for why its approaches will produce the desired results; Tend to the details of implementation by setting implementation goals, including improvement targets and timelines. Focus on closing the achievement gap and improving the learning of all students; Provide broad-based orientation and professional development so that staff at all levels is fully aware of the needs and potential of the new school model; Recruit a critical mass of committed support for the new school plan among key stakeholders such as parents, community organizations, local businesses, and the philanthropic community; Cultivate support for the establishment of a positive learning culture among staff who will work in the school; Develop a clear plan of action and adhere closely to the integrity of the chosen program to maintain fidelity of implementation; Set goals for significant improvement by students including those who have previously failed. (f) Assessing the availability of all other necessary resources unique to each intervention model or school improvement activity to ensure timely transition of implementation protocol. Fairfield City Schools flowcharts of timely transitions in regard to the Transformation Model are to: Create a designated a 1003g Team, charged with directing LEA Transformation efforts/appoint senior leadership to direct and coordinate district s Transformation efforts and The Fairfield Initiative. Allocate resources to support the Transformation Model Implementation/Develop strategies related to specific Transformation options. Pursue changes to formal policy and informal standard operating procedures to empower schools to implement their Transformation strategies. Identify schools to receive targeted Transformation interventions. Devise procedures for determining which strategy to pursue at each identified school. Provide schools the appropriate operating flexibility, resources, and support required to reduce barriers and overly burdensome compliance requirements and to enable a school-wide focus on student needs and improved achievement (Mass Insight, 2009). Establish partnerships with external providers (STI) where appropriate. Establish mechanisms for keeping stakeholders informed about the Transformation process at each school. Establish regular communication with districts and schools engaged in the Transformation process. Hold schools accountable for short-term progress leading to long-term academic gains. The Fairfield 1003gTeam, in collaboration with stakeholders will establish clear lines of authority, appropriate evaluation procedures, focus alignment with existing initiatives, facilitate professional development, offer technical assistance through STI and local experts, and strive towards capacity building and sustainability. A 1003g Grant Coordinator will be hired/contractually, to monitor and manage the components of the grant (due to the 3 year existence of the grant). He/She will oversee the daily operations of the grant and coordinate all activities listed in the grant and with the selected external service provider, STI. Frequent communications will take place with the 1003g Team through the district Intranet, secured blogs, newsletters, and meetings. Implementation reports will be discussed with all stakeholders. Immediate implementation of the Transformation Model (and the STI Ready, Set, Go Program) will begin upon being awarded grant funds (June 2010) to ensure that The Fairfield Initiative is a success. 8 L E A A P P

9 B-2. LACK OF CAPACITY TO SERVE If the LEA is NOT applying to serve each Tier I school, the LEA must explain why it lacks capacity to serve each Tier I school. The ALSDE will evaluate whether an LEA lacks capacity to implement a school intervention model in each Tier I and Tier II school by requiring the LEA to document a process that shall include, but will not be limited to: (a) Assessing the extent to which the LEA can recruit qualified new staff to effectively implement educational reform interventions; (b) Assessing the alignment of the school improvement process to identified school needs to ensure effective short-term and long-term implementation of the selected intervention model or school improvement activities; (c) Assessing the alignment of federal, state, and local resources to identified school needs to ensure short-term and long-term support of the selected intervention model or school improvement activities; (d) Assessing the capacity of time and personnel to ensure the initial fundamentals of the intervention are implemented effectively and efficiently (C-BAM). (e) Assessing the availability of all other necessary resources unique to each intervention model or school improvement activity to ensure timely transition of implementation protocol. 9 L E A A P P

10 If the LEA is NOT applying to serve each Tier I school, the LEA must explain why it lacks capacity to serve each Tier I school in a detailed explanation not to exceed 3 pages. N/A 10 L E A A P P

11 C-1. DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING INTERVENTIONS The LEA must describe actions it has taken or will take to design and implement interventions consistent with the School Improvement Grant final requirements. (May be based on the SDE Transformation Model) The ALSDE will assess the LEA s commitment to design and implement an appropriate model, intervention, and/school improvement activities by requiring the LEA to document a process that may include, but will not be limited to: (a) Assessing the completed SIG School Needs Assessment to identify the greatest needs; (b) Assessing the LEA and school s capacity (staff, resources, etc.) to implement specific interventions and school improvement activities; (c) Assessing the alignment of the LEA and school improvement processes for supporting the designed interventions; (d) Assessing other resources that will support the design and implementation efforts of selected interventions; (e) Assessing the engagement of stakeholders (staff, parents, community, etc.) to provide input into the design and implementation process; (f) Assessing the effectiveness of state support team representative(s) for the grant period and regularly evaluating and adjusting services as needed; (g) Assessing the scheduling of regular (at least biweekly) data meetings to identify school/teacher/student weaknesses and to adjust plans for supports to address those weaknesses; (h) Assessing the communication with selected provider(s) to plan Professional Development and support based on assessed needs (at least biweekly); (i) Maintaining accurate documentation of meetings and communications; (j) Following and/or revising schedules, goals, and timeline as needed; (k) Submitting all data/forms to the SDE and/or USDE in accordance to timeline; and (l) Requiring the LEA that chooses one of the four models for an individual school to provide all necessary information regarding model requirements. 11 L E A A P P

12 In a detailed explanation, not to exceed 4 pages, please describe the actions the LEA has taken or will take to design and implement the selected model, interventions and/or school improvement activities. (a) Assessing the completed SIG School Needs Assessment to identify the greatest needs; The Needs Assessment identified leading indicators pertaining to: leadership, evaluating teacher and principal effectiveness, data driven decision making, instructional programs, and professional development to help the district 1003g Team evaluate their ability to successfully implement the Transformation Model/The Fairfield Initiative. Needs to be addressed with 1003g FUNDING: Need FHMS (Tier I) RES (Tier III) FPHS (Tier III) All supplied through 1003g Funding Improving Academic Needs Reading/Math Math Reading/Math Training/Materials/Supplies/Math Coach Improving Behavior X X x Incentives/Staff Training on Covey/PBS Improving Attendance X X Career Counselor/Parenting Specialist Improving Student s Personal Goals X X Career Counselor/Parenting Specialist Improving Standardized Test Scores X X X STIAchievement Services/Math Coach Creating a Summer Program X X 1003g Funds Creating a Saturday School for Credit Recovery and Increasing College and Career Readiness X Career Counselor/Parenting Specialist/Contract with Lawson for vocational classes X X X Career Counselor/Parenting Specialist Tracking Student Success/Implementing an Academic Early Warning Providing intensive Professional Development for staff X X X STIAchievement Services Instructional Supplies X X X 1003g Funds Equipment/Technology X X X 1003g Funds Library and A/V X X X 1003g Funds Instructional Web based Software X X 1003g Funds Incentives to retain teachers/staff X 1003g Funds Improvement of Safety on Campus X X X 1003g Funds (b) Assessing the LEA and school s capacity (staff, resources, etc.) to implement specific interventions and school improvement activities; Marzano (2003) points out that leadership should not reside with one individual; a team approach to planning and decision making allows for distributive leadership. Collaborative activities that do occur in these less successful schools are more socially based and less professionally oriented than the exchanges that occur in schools with more effective instructional leaders. Therefore, The Fairfield Initiative agrees to follow the team approach. The Making Middle/High Schools Work philosophy of designating common planning time for the staff will continue to be implemented. Practices such as the development of agendas and minutes and the use of organized procedures for meetings help the teams stay focused and maintain a history of team work. The district will increase its capacity to ensure implementation of selected interventions by contracting with a 1003g Grant Coordinator to provide direct oversight to Tier I/IIII schools. The use of a Career Counselor will be an asset to the district. STI, the external provider will send Primary Academic/Coaches at each school 12 L E A A P P

13 with SIG grant funds with oversight and training provided by the district s school improvement coach, and a counselor will be employed to work with students from K through graduation. The Fairfield Initiative will adopt the philosophy that Graduation begins in Kindergarten. Through the external contract STI Achievement Services to each school to provide on-site intervention support through data, math, and science coaching provided by their achievement specialists. The assistance of the external provider, STI and the Ready, Set, Go Program will assist the school staff in implementation of the activities and interventions needed in the Transformation Model. The 1003g Team will also give principals the flexibility to act based on what works for the school s student population including making decisions about scheduling, staffing, and budgeting (Kowal et al., 2009). A new evaluation system will be implemented to supplement EDUCATE Alabama. The system will incorporate observational data through walk- throughs and teacher observations, implementation of Response to Instruction (RtI) standards, and student growth as indicated by pre-tests and post-tests developed according to state course of study standards. The district will use district adopted non-negotiable for teaching, learning and monitoring that have been developed by administrators and teachers as the core of instructional focus. A rubric will be created to evaluate teacher performance at Transformational Model schools from these three areas. A plan will be developed for teachers failing to meet a proficiency standard utilizing this rubric. The Fairfield Initiative Needs Assessment section on District Level Capacity Focuses on five aspects of district practice that influence school and student performance. The 1003g Team used the Needs Assessment information to describe the key functions, systems, policies, and process that must be examined or developed to support sustainable improvement throughout Transformation Model. (c)assessing the effectiveness of state support team representative(s) for the grant period and regularly evaluating and adjusting services as needed; Program evaluations indicate the need to purchase additional scientifically research-based intervention programs, associated materials, and technological resources to have the capacity to implement substantial interventions. Additionally, intervention teachers will be necessary at each school to implement intervention programs. The foundation of the relationship between the district and state support team is a thoughtfully negotiated contract that articulates roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and consequences for failure to meet expectations. Regardless of whether it is a state department of education or a district pursuing the relationship, a rigorous evaluation of the partner s capacity is essential to fully leveraging the potential expertise of external partners to support focused and dramatic school improvement efforts. The evaluations will be discussed and services will be adjusted as needs arise and issues arise. (d)assessing the scheduling of regular (at least biweekly) data meetings to identify school/teacher/student weaknesses and to adjust plans for supports to address those weaknesses;(e)assessing the communication with selected provider(s) to plan Professional Development and support based on assessed needs (at least biweekly);(f)maintaining accurate documentation of meetings and communications; The Fairfield City Schools 1003g Team will address district and school team structures and expectations in official district policy; Expect teams to sustain their operation; Provide adequate time for teams to meet, conduct business, meet the expectations of district policy; Require teams to prepare and maintain documentation of meeting agendas, minutes, and work products; Provide professional development for district and school personnel on effective teaming practices; Include successful engagement of teams and evidence of their productivity in evaluation of district and school administrators; Systematize the regular reporting of the work of school and district teams to the school board and all stakeholders. The contractual 1003g Grant Director, in collaboration with the three eligible schools will work cooperatively with the selected external provider, STI and the Ready, Set, Go Program to incorporate team structures into the school improvement plan; Develop written statements for improvement (goals/objectives) ; Provide teams with work plans for the year and specific work products to produce; Insure that all teams prepare agendas for 13 L E A A P P

14 their meetings, maintain minutes, and catalog their work products; Maintain a file of the agendas, work products, and minutes of all teams; Provide adequate time for teams to meet, conduct business, and meet the expectations of district and school policy. The 1003 g Team will mandate that Leadership Teams meet twice each month for an hour each meeting; Instructional Teams meet twice each month for 45 minutes to conduct business and for blocks of time of 4 to 6 hours each month to review student learning data and develop and refine instructional plans. (g)following and/or revising schedules, goals, and timeline as needed; Ensure that teams receive timely access to information, including student progress data and summaries of classroom observations and provide professional development on effective teaming practices. (h)submitting all data/forms to the SDE and/or USDE in accordance to timeline; and The School Improvement Coordinator assigned to Tier I/III schools will compile data monthly and submit reports to the ALSDE and/or USDOE. (i)requiring the LEA that chooses one of the four models for an individual school to provide all necessary information regarding model requirements. The Fairfield Initiative involves one Tier I site (Forrest Hills Middle) and two Tier III sites (Robinson Elementary and Fairfield Preparatory High School). After reviewing all of the models; the Transformation Model was the chosen model for this initiative and school improvement activity for the Tier III sites. All stakeholders agree. The following steps were followed prior to selecting this model and its components: The Transformation Model: The LEA replaces the principal (although the LEA may retain a recently hired principal where a turnaround, restart, or transformation was instituted in past two years); implements a rigorous staff evaluation and development system; rewards staff who increase student achievement and/or graduation rates and removes staff who have not improved after ample opportunity; institutes comprehensive instructional reform; increases learning time and applies community-oriented school strategies; and provides greater operational flexibility and support for the school. For most schools eligible for School Improvement Grants, the persistence of their low achievement calls for dramatically new governance structures, human capital, decision-making mechanisms, and operational practices. School leaders, teachers, and instructional staff consistently scoring in a non-proficient category according to the evaluation rubric after extensive professional development will be identified and considered for the following: removal, non-renewal, or transfer. The instructional program for these schools will be transformed using a model which intensifies the use of data to drive instruction. By combining data, technology, and curriculum development and support, the district will provide assistance schools to more comprehensively define instructional goals and provide the targeted steps necessary to raise student achievement. The support will focus teachers on classroom instruction and specific classroom strategies to engage students based on performance standards. By identifying and presenting teachers and administrators with the most effective tools to support these efforts, educators can focus on the individual needs of their students. In concert with district support and ALSDE assistance, STI Achievement Services will contract with the district to implement their Ready, Set, Go model. Schools selected to implement this model will offer extended learning opportunities that may include, but are not limited to, the following: a before school program, a targeted after school program, a Saturday program for review and remediation, or summer instructional programs for students not mastering grade level skills. Response to Instruction (RtI) will be embedded into data-driven model employed at all schools. Job-embedded professional development will be provided as specialists work side-by-side with school staff to gather, interpret, and make instructional decisions based on the results of student learning. Content-based lesson plans and interventions will be developed utilizing research-based best practices as assessments are used to 14 L E A A P P

15 screen students, and consistent progress monitoring will drive planning for individual students through differentiated practices using the multitiered RtI model. A district Career Counselor will be hired for The Fairfield Initiative; he/she will collaborate with a community agency to provide social-emotional and community oriented support and services. The counselor will assist to engage families in the education of their children, including parent workshops, parent programs, parent conferences, and home visits as needed. The Career Counselor will track student progress, or lack thereof and implement the concept that Graduation begins in Kindergarten. The focus of this CC s role will be on students at FHMS and FHPS. FHPS will partner with Lawson State to provide additional vocational courses to students. Broadening these electives will encourage students to stay in school and assist in College and Career Readiness. The utilization of PBS at the Elementary and High School is needed. The greatest disciplinary infractions are occurring in these settings. All 3 sites are proposing to implement a response to positive behavior program. Based upon selection of the Alabama s Transformational Model, the following support will be provided in partnership with the ALSDE: The Transformation Model schools will implement Alabama Reading Initiative Plan. The district has the capacity to train and sustain this effort through the use of a trained district level reading coach who will work with the staff and school-level reading coach. On-going training will be provided through regularly scheduled literacy meetings and intensive three-day training for newly-hired teachers, Technology purchases will be utilized to implement and support innovative strategies in the Tier I and Tier III schools, Scientifically Researched Based Programs will be purchased to implement learning activities and standards based learning and recovery, Thematic Learning and Career Awareness Learning will be the focus of the middle and high school grades, A Saturday School and Credit Recovery Program will be implemented. (j)assessing the alignment of the LEA and school improvement processes for supporting the designed interventions;(k)assessing other resources that will support the design and implementation efforts of selected interventions; As part of the school improvement process, schools must develop strategies which directly address their strengths and weaknesses. These strategies form an essential part of the School Improvement Plan (SIP), so it is important that they be grounded in scientifically based research. The 1003g Team did research when designing a plan for The Fairfield Initiative. Below are several scientifically based strategies which the Tier I and Tier III schools considered when developing a revised School Improvement Plan: Data-Driven Decision-Making, Deep Curriculum Alignment, Job-Embedded Professional Development, Meaningful Engaged Learning, Response to Intervention (RtI), Strategic Instruction Model (SIM), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) all which can be sustained through the Train the Trainer Model. (l)assessing the engagement of stakeholders (staff, parents, community, etc.) to provide input into the design and implementation process; Fairfield City Schools 1003g Team top lesson learned from high-performing, high-poverty schools is, Clearly defined authority to act based on what s best for children and learning i.e., flexibility and control over staffing, scheduling, budget, and curriculum (Calkins et al., 2007, p. 11). The Fairfield Initiative will follow this action plan: Ensure that all staff administrators, teachers, and other staff are willing to collaborate with outside organizations and are provided with training to do so effectively. Involve parents, community members, school staff, and other stakeholders in planning for services to be offered at the school site. 15 L E A A P P

16 Integrate in-school and out-of-school time learning with aligned standards. Incorporate the community into the curriculum as a resource for learning, including service learning, place-based education, and other strategies. Conduct quality evaluations regularly, including data collected from all stakeholders, to determine strengths and weaknesses of services and programs offered to create a continuous cycle of improvement C-2. SELECTION OF PROVIDERS The LEA must describe actions it has taken or will take to recruit, screen, and select external providers, if applicable, to ensure their quality. The ALSDE will assess the LEA s commitment to recruit, screen, and select external providers by requiring the LEA to document a process for assessing external provider quality which may include, but will not be limited to: (a) Identifying external providers based on each school s SIG needs and justification of the selection of a model, intervention, and/or school improvement activities; (b) Interviewing and analyzing external providers to determine evidence-based effectiveness, experience, expertise, and documentation to assure quality and efficiency of each external provider based on each schools identified SIG needs; (c) Selecting an external provider based upon the provider s commitment of timely and effective implementation and the ability to meet school needs; (d) Aligning the selection with existing efficiency and capacity of LEA and school resources, specifically time and personnel; (e) Assessing the regular (at least biweekly) communication with the selected service provider(s) to ensure that supports are taking place and are adjusted according to the school s identified needs, (f) Assessing the utilization of multiple sources of data to evaluate the effectiveness of the supports provided (at least biweekly) and reporting the results to the SDE. (g) Assessing the monitoring of records for quality and frequency of supports provided by the selected service provider(s), (h) Assessing the in-school presence (at least one day a week) to monitor the interactions of the school administration, faculty, and staff with the selected service provider(s) to ensure the full implementation of supports; and (i) Assessing the recording and reporting of progress to school, LEA, SDE, and USDE. (j) Requiring Tier III schools that are not implementing a total school reform model to prioritize interventions and or school improvement activities by importance based on needs. (k) Requiring the LEA that chooses one of the four models for an individual school to provide all necessary information regarding model requirements. 16 L E A A P P

17 Although the Support Menu interventions have been thoroughly assessed for quality through a rigorous process by the ALSDE, and have been utilized and shown to be effective in selected schools and districts in the State, intervention and school improvement activity providers will be held to the same standards and criteria as external providers. 17 L E A A P P

18 In a detailed explanation, not to exceed 2 pages, please describe the actions the LEA has taken or will take to recruit, screen and select external providers to assure their quality. (a) (b) Fairfield City Schools Superintendent received information regarding the 1003g funding opportunity and immediately designated Mrs. Ardrene Bishop as the Project Director. Mrs. Bishop attended the ALSDE Technical Assistance Workshops; accompanied by key stakeholders (1003g Team) from the LEA. The stakeholders include school administration from the Tier I and Tier III sites, the contractual LEA School Improvement Specialist, the Superintendent, administration from the eligible schools and district level administrators. After a review of all models and reviewing the CIP of each site; the stakeholders agreed to utilize the Transformation Model for the Tier I, and two Tier III sites in the LEA. The stakeholder group discussed all of the models and how they would relate and respond to the needs of Fairfield City School Students before they voted on this model. The Transformation Model and the components that comprise it appeared to be the best fit for the district. School Improvement Activities will be selected for the Tier III sites. The stakeholder group felt that they should recruit external vendors that offered services and products that met the goals and objectives of transforming the schools. Mrs. Bishop asked each stakeholder to submit a list of external providers that they felt could offer the services and product that Fairfield needed for improvement. The stakeholders submitted external provider list with contact information and a brief description of services to Mrs. Bishop. Mrs. Bishop contacted each of the external providers by and asked that they submit either in person or in writing a proposal to Fairfield City Schools regarding services and products that would meet the specified needs. An overview of needs taken from the CIP from each of the targeted schools was provided to the external provider as an attachment. The providers were asked to respond by a specific date via . Mrs. Bishop took the data provided by the providers to the district and compiled into a chart format. The vendor groups were listed with needs and their products and services. The chart allowed the stakeholders to view all interested external providers in a comparison/contrast format. The stakeholder group convened into a second meeting and (c ) (d) Mrs. Bishop and the Fairfield City Schools 1003g Team followed the following steps before selecting STI s as their external provider: Identify unambiguous reasons for hiring an external partner; Engage stakeholders about the need to hire external providers and ensure the entire process is transparent and fair; Articulate specific goals of the relationship with the external partner, including measurable expectations and criteria for selection of external partners to meet these goals; Create conditions to attract multiple high- quality external partners (e.g., extend key flexibilities, allocate adequate funds for external providers, and infuse fairness and transparency into selection and accountability processes); Budget adequate funding to support relationship with external partner for duration of contract; Develop a rigorous process to select an external partner whose experience and qualifications match the specified goals (e.g., a written application, due diligence to confirm track record of success and financial stability, an in-person interview with the external provider s leadership team, and, if appropriate due to scope, a site visit to schools receiving services from the external partner); Negotiate a contract outlining roles and responsibilities of the external partner as well as the district and relevant schools, and if applicable, state department of education, as well as explicit and measurable outcomes, including interim indicators of growth; Provide support as needed and appropriate but do not micro-manage external partner; Evaluate the external partner s progress toward goals; and 18 L E A A P P

19 Define consequences for failure (e.g., termination or modification of contract Interviewing and analyzing external providers to determine evidence-based effectiveness, experience, expertise, and documentation to assure quality and efficiency of each external provider based on each schools identified SIG needs; Selecting an external provider based upon the provider s commitment of timely and effective implementation and the ability to meet school needs; Aligning the selection with existing efficiency and capacity of Fairfield City Schools and school resources, specifically time and personnel. (e)continuous Feedback STIAchievement Services supports districts and schools in order to reach defined goals. In order to ensure implementation and viable results, constant evaluation of data is necessary. Each component of Ready Set Go! is delivered to stakeholders at each level. All components will be delivered through electronic delivery and/or paper based delivery and will then become the property of Fairfield City School District. Continuous communication is also encouraged through online communication, phone conference calls, and onsite status visits. Bi weekly communications will be the minimum amount of communication. (f) (g) (h) (i)the 1003g Team assessed providers on the criteria of: Customized Services, Research Based, Capacity Building, Long-Term Strategy, District Evaluation and Support. The 1003g Director will work collaboratively to monitor the services of each external provider to ensure that the agreed upon services are taking place and are aligned to identify needs. Reports and documentation will be maintained for review by the Principal, district staff, and SDE representatives. The evaluation process will be-going and based on multiple data sources. C-BAM evaluations will be reviewed to measure changes in district, school, classroom, student, and overall program effectiveness. Student academic performance data, behavior data, and perception inventories will be reviewed to assess changes in student engagement. The district will work directly with the Project Director and school staff to ensure that the conditions (PD schedules, teacher coaching schedules, materials, equipment) are adequate to support the implementation of external provider services. The district will compile and review all pertinent information regarding external provider services and submit all necessary reports to the SDE. External providers and locally-based district improvement facilitators and technical assistance contractors will possess areas of expertise in facilitating change processes anchored in current research and locally-based data; implementing and scaling-up evidence-based instruction and leadership practices; and building system-wide capacity to sustain improvements. Programs provided by external providers will be evaluated based on 1) multi-level data (e.g., changes in district, school, classroom, student and overall program, and 2) input from external partners, district/school participants, and ALSDE leaders. These formative assessments will support leaders at the district and school levels as they implement and scale-up evidence-based practices and innovations. Although the Support Menu interventions have been thoroughly assessed for quality through a rigorous process by the ALSDE, and have been utilized and shown to be effective in selected schools and districts in the State, intervention and school improvement activity providers will be held to the same standards and criteria as external providers. The district will accommodate the review processes conducted by the SDE Regional School Improvement Coordinator and District Grant Coach and guarantee that all required documentation is compiled and submitted in a timely fashion. The Project Director will manage records at the 19 L E A A P P

20 school level to be reviewed bi-weekly by the District Graduation Coach. Bi-monthly progress reports will be submitted to the District Federal Programs Supervisor for submission to the SDE and USDOE. (j) (k) Requiring the LEA that chooses one of the four models for an individual school to provide all necessary information regarding model requirements. The Transformation Model was selected by the Fairfield City School System as the reform model for Forest Hills Middle School and School Improvement Activities for the two Tier III Sites; Robinson Elementary and Fairfield High Preparatory School. 20 L E A A P P

21 C-3. ALIGNMENT OF RESOURCES The LEA must describe actions it has taken or will take to align other resources with interventions. The ALSDE will assess the LEA s commitment to align other resources with the interventions by requiring the LEA to document a process which may include, but will not be limited to: (a) Identifying resources currently being utilized in an academic support capacity; (b) Identifying additional and/or potential resources that may be utilized in an academic support capacity; (c) Assessing the alignment of other federal, state, and local resources based on evidence-based effectiveness and impact with the design of interventions; (d) Assessing the alignment of other federal, state, and local resources with the goals and timeline of the grant (e.g., fiscal, personnel, time allotments/scheduling, curriculum, instruction, technology resources/equipment); (e) Conducting regularly scheduled reviews of the resource alignment to ensure all areas are operating fully and effectively to meet the intended outcomes or making adjustments as necessary; (f) Redirecting resources that are not being used to support the school improvement process; and (g) Assessing the presence (minimum of one day per week the first year) in the school to monitor the implementation of the interventions by school administration, faculty, and staff as well as interactions with the selected service provider(s) to ensure the full implementation of supports. 21 L E A A P P

22 In a detailed explanation, not to exceed 2 pages, please describe the actions the LEA has taken or will take to align other resources with the selected model, interventions and/or school improvement activities. Further, illustrate alignment of resources using the Alignment of Resources Matrix. The ALSDE will assess the LEA s commitment to align other resources with the interventions by requiring the LEA to document a process which may include, but will not be limited to: A. Identified Current Resources B. Identified Potential Resources with Interventions/Activities 1003g Funds School Improvement Turnaround Specialist STIAchievement Services Aligning Curriculum STIAchievement Services Differentiating Instruction STIAchievement Services/Math Coach Using Student Data to Drive Instruction School Improvement Turnaround Specialist STIAchievement Services/Math Coach Using Instructional Data to Alter Strategies EDUCATE Alabama/ARI STIAchievement Services Determining Teacher Effectiveness STIAchievement Services/Math Coach Using Response to Intervention STIAchievement Services Choosing and Implementing Technology Wisely STIAchievement Services Using Performance Based Student Assessments School Improvement Turnaround Specialist/ARI STIAchievement Services Accelerating Acquisition of Basic Reading Skills Kid s College Software/AMSTI STIAchievement Services/Math Coach Accelerating Acquisition of Basic Math Skills School Improvement Turnaround Specialist STIAchievement Services Accelerating Instruction of Reading Skills AMSTI STIAchievement Services/Math Coach Accelerating Instruction of Math Skills STIAchievement Services Implementing Competency Based Instruction in the High School STIAchievement Services Implementing Project Based Learning STIAchievement Services Establishing Early Warning System 1003g Funds A+ Implementing Credit Recovery Programs 1003g Funds Grant Director Implementing a Career Awareness Theme 1003g Funds Grant Director Implementing a Saturday School 1003g Funds District Administration Providing Incentives for Attracting/Retaining Staff STIAchievement Services/Math Coach Providing Professional Development in Multiple Formats STIAchievement Services Utilizing External Service Provider 1003g Funds (Covey) (PBS) Implementing a Positive Behavior Component STIAchievement Services/Math Coach Addressing Learner Diversity School Improvement Turnaround Specialist STIAchievement Services Identifying Students in Need of Support 1003g Funds District Personnel Provide Effective Tutoring STIAchievement Services/Career Counselor Addressing Middle to High School Transitions STIAchievement Services Providing Community Support and Resources 1003g Funds/Behavior Specialist Contract with Psychologist for emotional barriers to student learning Title IV when available 1003g Funds Address Safety issues which schools have been sited for 22 L E A A P P