Quality Schools Working Group Purpose Statement and Workplan June 2014 Draft 4.1 Overview The Quality Schools Working Group is about unifying and unleashing the power of the Oakland community to transform our lowest performing public schools. We seek to support and extend the OUSD Quality Schools Development Policy s aspiration of building a school system that ensures excellence and equity across Oakland within both our traditional and charter public schools. We aim to bring Oakland education stakeholders together, build parent power, strengthen community accountability, and jumpstart the transformation of five low performing schools per year for the next five years creating 10,000 high performing pre K to grade 12 seats by 2020. Mission Statement We are local leaders and educators partnering to support the work of dramatically improving public schools in Oakland by ensuring alignment of leadership, organizations, and resources in support of school communities. Guiding Values and Beliefs 1. Urgent, coordinated action in our lowest quality schools, not incremental improvement efforts, squared with realism about our capacity to deliver on promises in a meaningful timeframe to families. 2. Student needs come first, over any education governance structure or adult interests. 3. Community responsibility and shared leadership, as no one entity or agency can do this without meaningful partnership with families, partner educators, and community based organizations. 4. Prioritize equity, in order to end historical lack of access for low income families of color, through equalized funding, access to information, facilities, and conditions by neighborhood, subgroups, and school level pre K to grade 12.
5. Humility about the reality of this work and depth of our challenges, acknowledging Oakland s intricate history of successes and lessons learned through previous initiatives as well as the complexity of the current political reality. 6. Shift culture to enable families to deeply shape and define school transformation and decision making. 7. Support people because working conditions are student learning conditions, and high stress and low pay result in turnover, which undermines progress. 8. Develop leaders at every level of our system and schools. 9. Grow what works by expanding existing successes within the district, traditional and charter public schools, and our community. 10. Use and be open with data, evidence, and research to inform strategy, guide decisions, and promote engagement and accountability. What We Can Do Efforts to transform our lowest performing schools need to be shaped and led both from the bottom up (parents, students, teachers) and top down (elected officials, system level leaders, principals, etc.). Successful strategy development and implementation will require meaningful co construction and deep partnership with school communities, board members, district leaders, charter leaders, community based organizations, other public agencies, and elected officials. In collaboration with these members of Oakland s educational ecosystem, we are working together to provide the additional capacities needed to make real our vision for quality by 2020. We envision our most significant values as the following: 1. Coordination of activities. Convening multiple stakeholders to align priorities, policies, and strategy in support of the implementation of Tier III school transformations. 2. Alignment of resources. Coordination of partners, school communities, charter and district leaders to access and appropriately align resources to support Tier III schools. 3. Specialized expertise. Access to expertise and professional networks with leaders whose organizational priorities and competencies support various aspects of the quality schools work including family leadership development, talent pipelines, direct operation of schools, etc.
4. Building political will. Ensuring Oakland s political climate supports the sustainability of school improvement and transformation work over the long term through the engagement of elected leaders, educators, families, and voters. 5. Communications. Sharing information and perspectives with diverse Oakland audiences through multiple channels. Potential Projects Preliminary Workplan Quality Standards and Metrics: Engage relevant stakeholders to strengthen alignment around school quality standards, key student outcomes, and baseline for growth targets by individual students as well as schools. Transformation Support: Identify funding for FY2014 15 to build district and community capacity (program incubator, leadership fellowships, and/or innovation funds) to support school level transformations in partnership with labor, charter school, and community organizations. Support 2014 15 School Transformations: Align resources among our coalition organizations to support the transformation work at Brookfield, Frick, Castlemont, Fremont, and McClymonds. Assets Management: Convene table to support implementation of Asset Management Policy to ensure all traditional and charter schools have equitable access to quality facilities, and decisions are made within context of plan to ensure quality in all neighborhoods. Special Education Services: Secure funding to convene and staff table to address equity issues, data, and structural needs to ensure quality special education services to students in traditional and charter public schools. Common Enrollment and Data: Secure funding to convene and staff table with relevant leaders to implement common enrollment and data structures, and to address equity issues related to expulsions, suspensions, attendance boundaries, and student mobility among traditional and charter schools. Prioritize System Level Initiatives: Support OUSD school board, Superintendent, and district staff in prioritizing, aligning and resourcing system level initiatives in support of school improvement, transformations and expansions.
Organizational Commitments Great Oakland Public Schools Leadership Center Facilitation of Bi Weekly Quality Schools Working Group meetings Meta Project Management for Quality Schools Vision Action Plan Participation in Education Organizing Collaborative with OCO and EBAYC Communications about vision and campaign Support with fundraising Coordination among partners and allies with resources to support Tier III schools Coordination among OUSD leadership to access/align resources for Tier III schools Project management as needed/capacity allows Technical support for families to develop, shape, evaluate school transformation plans Seneca Family of Agencies Engagement of and coordination with the larger Alameda County System of Care, including County Mental Health, Social Services and Probation Engagement of and coordination with Community Based Organizations providing school based support Content expertise in RTI/MTSS, special education, mental health, school discipline, school culture/climate interventions and braided funding opportunities Support with applicable grant writing or evaluation efforts Leadership Public Schools Partner with Castlemont and Youth Uprising on the transformation of the Castlemont Complex with particular focus on security, activities, community image, teacher orientation and induction, advanced classes, Community College connections and the use of data Support the use of technology and formative assessment in interested OUSD and Oakland charter schools (right now linked with Elmhurst, potentially West Lake, and Education for Change) Support work on common enrollment structures. Strategic partnership as needed on high school transformation Education for Change Engage in and help lead discussion within charter community around developing an OUSD charter SELPA that brings more Special Education resources to both OUSD and Oakland charters; partner with OUSD to think creatively about how to leverage charter law to more effectively serve Special Education students Strategic partnership on the transformation of struggling K 5 schools Share best practices around blended learning in K 8 schools Support work on common enrollment structures
Envision Education Envision Learning Partners, our consulting division, can support Castlemont and Fremont on their transformation efforts particularly in creating a school graduate profile, developing a performance assessment system aligned to the profile, and supporting with PD, coaching, and tools. Strategic partnership as needed on high school transformation. Partner with OUSD on blended learning efforts to increase student achievement, particularly in Math. Invite OUSD colleagues to our PDs for principals, teacher leaders, and teachers. New Leaders Develop and support transformational school leaders. Partner with OUSD on recruiting demographics, content and school level expertise and local and national talent sources to align human capital with strategic initiatives and priorities Facilitate partnership between New Leaders alums working in various networks to share best practices (i.e. instructional rounds between organizations). Align timelines, metrics, and systems with school transformation initiative. Work with OUSD to identify high quality mentors for principals. Provide district leadership with advisory support (policy team) including access to research and publications. Support selection and/or development of evaluation tools for teachers and principals. Facilitate the New Leaders alumni network to support the building of common core aligned interim assessments. Teach for America Talent Strategy Partner with OUSD on recruiting and retaining local educators, educators of color, and STEM educators, by adding capacity to the HR and TAT team and coordinating efforts Partner to launch a TFA alumni and veteran teacher campaign to bring more experienced educators to the city. Help build pipeline for school leadership positions (including APs and coaching positions) from our regional and national pool Consult with OUSD on projects pertaining to effective teaching, evaluation, strategic placement and human capital management Partner on educator professional development/leadership development, particularly around new teachers and at prioritized schools within the quality schools initiative Oakland Alliance of Black Educators Family Leadership Development: Support workshops which target parents at Brookfield, Frick, Castlemont, Fremont, McClymonds, as well as Roots.
Help build political will by messaging the goals of and plans of school improvement and transformation work to African American stakeholders through multiple channels (including forums, email, etc.) Advocate for access to quality Early Learning Programming and reaching other post secondary preparedness benchmarks. Disseminate information. Meet monthly in order to continue the growth and visibility of OABE and use the meetings as a venue to develop plans to addresses the needs of African American students, teachers, and administrators in the Oakland Unified School District. Oakland Community Organizations Has been attending meetings but has not yet articulated organizational commitments to support the work. Aspire Public Schools Hosting school/team visits focused on high quality practices, and structures for OUSD, charter, and community stakeholders. Share best practices around curricular guidance, assessment/data infrastructure, and the The College Ready Promise (teacher growth and evaluation system) infrastructure. Strategic partnership on the transformation of low performing schools. Youth Uprising Partner with Castlemont and Leadership Public Schools on the transformation of the Castlemont Complex with particular focus on security, activities, community image, teacher orientation and induction, advanced classes, community college connections and the use of data Partner with OUSD's community schools director to assess the range of community resources provided to Castlemont students and bring them into alignment as part of a community schools model Provide wraparound services to Castlemont students including mental health services, art, professional skills development, and alignment of Linked Learning in school programming to after school activities and work opportunities California Charter Schools Association Provide Quality Schools communications support with OUSD and ACOE authorized charter school operating with Oakland. Support with vetting and recruitment of high performing charter school operators that demonstrate interest in Tier III intervention (fresh start, turnaround, partnership). Provide early warning supports to underperforming charter schools prior to renewal year. New Schools Venture Fund Incubate and provide technical assistance for new high quality schools, restarts and replication of existing high performers (both charter and traditional); provide start up funding (subject to NewSchools diligence process)
Fund, incubate and provide technical assistance for new high quality charter schools, restarts and replication of existing high performers Fund local community organizations to staff parent engagement activities, especially related to planning Tier III interventions Coordinate working group to explore common enrollment; fund consultants to implement common enrollment design, technology and implementation Identify and bring in national experts and experienced practitioners with relevant experience Identify and fund opportunities for district charter collaboration, and sharing and dissemination of best practices Assist with data analysis related to Quality Schools Raise additional funds from national donors to support this work Rainin Foundation Create, fund and implement the SEEDS of Early Literacy Professional Development institute for all transitional kindergarten teachers to learn evidenced based early literacy strategies and ensure children are on target for reading success Design and implement Response to Intervention in PreK and TK classrooms to provide research based supports for children struggling on key early literacy predictors Build momentum for increased quality in preschool environments through leading professional development and funding materials Attract new resources to Oakland s early learning programs to enhance access and quality Launch a public health campaign focused on infants and toddlers to support families as first teachers and help children be ready for school Fund citywide programs to make Oakland a Literacy Rich City through access to books, playgroups and family support Co chair the Oakland Reads 2020 School Readiness workgroup and participate as a member of the steering committee Rogers Family Foundation Funding for school transformations and quality school expansion. Articulate and ensure alignment between local and national investments for Oakland s blended, personalized learning with quality school priorities. Continued funding support for GO and OCO for community engagement and organizing. Willingness to participate on implementation of Asset Management Policy and to connect it to larger statewide philanthropic efforts to address equitable access to school facilities. Funding and resource development for district and community capacity, as well as for potential projects associated with common enrollment and data. Convening and serving as a liaison with local, regional, and national funders to support quality schools priority projects.