District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Recommendations from State Review Panels on District Plans for School Intervention - Commissioner's Districts

Background

The Board's Regulations on Underperforming Schools and Districts, 603 CMR 2.00, call for schools with NCLB aggregate status of Corrective Action or Restructuring in either English language arts or mathematics or both to be identified as Commonwealth Priority Schools. Districts with Commonwealth Priority Schools are called upon to develop a District Plan for School Intervention that sets out the priority needs of, and the actions district leaders will take, to support improvement in these schools. The regulations further call for the district to submit its plan to a State Review Panel, a group of highly qualified individuals appointed by the Board on the Commissioner's recommendation. At the Board meeting on January 22, 2008, 18 nominees were appointed to serve as 2008 State Review panelists.

The Department has worked collaboratively over the last year with leaders in each of the nine Commissioner's Districts to examine data, identify key areas for improvement in their Commonwealth Priority Schools and develop agreements on how districts should deploy state and federal resources in order to create or improve their systems for supporting student achievement. In each case, these collaborations resulted in the development of a customized Memorandum of Understanding articulating the agreed upon priorities and the strategies to be supported by these resources. This work built the foundation for the development of each district's Plan for School Intervention.

State Review Panel Process

Over a five week period from March through May 2008, the Department convened nine State Review Panels to review district Plans for School Intervention submitted by leadership teams from the nine "Commissioner's Districts:" Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield and Worcester.

A State Review Panel, usually a group of three appointed individuals, was convened to review each district's Plan for School Intervention and make findings regarding the adequacy and viability of each plan for transmittal to the Commissioner and the Board. This process is designed to advise the Board's decision-making as members decide whether to accept, reject, or direct that specific amendments be made to a district's Plan for School Intervention.

In each instance, State Review Panel members examined the district's Plan for School Intervention, various district and school level documents, teacher and administrator survey results and student performance data in advance of the panel sessions. At the individual sessions, panel members heard presentations from district leaders regarding their planning work. The Panel engaged superintendents, district administrators and principals of the Commonwealth Priority Schools under review in conversation using an inquiry-based process that explicitly focused on the substance of the plan, the process by which it was created and the conditions in the district to support its successful implementation. In most cases, district leadership teams included a local union representative. In a few instances, a local school committee member was also present. At the conclusion of the review process, State Review Panel members deliberated and reached consensus on their recommendations regarding the sufficiency and appropriateness of each district's Plan for School Intervention.

At this month's meeting, the Board will be asked to review the findings and recommendations each State Review Panel has made after reviewing the plans submitted by the nine urban districts on behalf of a total of 53 newly identified Commonwealth Priority Schools. At the June meeting, we will ask the Board to either accept, reject or direct changes to each of the districts' Plans for School Intervention.

State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations

In all nine cases currently before the Board for action, the State Review Panels have recommended Board approval of the districts' Plans for School Intervention. State Review Panels determined that the improvement initiatives and strategies set out by each district leadership team in their written plans and in their presentations to panelists demonstrate appropriate consideration of the needs in their Commonwealth Priority Schools.

Using the 10 conditions set out in the Board's regulations as guideposts to assess the needs of each of their Commonwealth Priority Schools, each district has focused on a few, high-leverage strategies. At this moment in time, some districts are more focused on creating the infrastructure to build more effective instructional systems and practices. In these cases, where the focus is on creating the conditions for improvement, some of the targeted strategies include:

• teacher content training in mathematics and literacy,
• establishing safety net programs for struggling students,
• creating formative and interim assessment systems,
• developing systems to collect data on the progress and impact of improvement strategies,
• planning ways to monitor and support improvements in instructional practice,
• identifying ways to recruit, retain and support teachers,
• creating structures and time for teacher collaboration
• training for instructional leaders
• developing specialized approaches and materials for teaching LEP students in literacy and mathematics

In districts where some of the structural conditions are already in place, initiatives are more focused on strategies to help them make effective use of those structures. In these cases, where implementation is more the focus, some of the targeted strategies include:

• developing capacities to use data to drive changes in instructional practice
• developing coaching/assistance models to support instructional leaders and teachers
• using teacher collaborative time effectively

In five of the State Review Panel meetings, (Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell and Worcester), panelists determined that no further clarifications or edits were required. In four of the districts, (Springfield, Holyoke, Boston and New Bedford), panelists have requested further written clarification. Although panelists agree that the priority initiatives identified in these four plans are appropriate, they have recommended that more information be added to the plans. The clarifications are identified in the State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report that is provided under each specific district section. District leaders will be expected to submit written clarification to the Department no later than June 13, 2008. This clarification will be reviewed by Department staff and made available to the Board at the June meeting.

In all of the State Review Panel meetings, the interactive nature of the panel session caused panelists and district leaders to consider a range of challenges, some likely to be affected by the improvement initiatives identified in the plan and others that will require further consideration by district leaders. All nine panel sessions led panelists to identify issues to be noted in their recommendations. The issues are also identified in the State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report.

State Review Panel members have consistently raised questions regarding the transitions in top-level leadership in seven of the nine Commissioner's districts. In Boston, Lowell, New Bedford and Springfield, new superintendents have been appointed. In three other districts, Brockton, Holyoke and Worcester, sitting superintendents have announced their intent to seek other positions or to retire. Panelists expressed concern that the momentum of initiatives being developed and/or refined in these districts to address the instructional systems and practices may be interrupted by major leadership transitions. Panelists feel it is important to acknowledge that, although current district leaders have made critical decisions regarding improvement needs in their Commonwealth Priority Schools, the Department's review process must allow new leaders the latitude to review and possibly amend plans based on their own analysis of needs. The Department will need to be responsive to potential changes and work with new district leaders to guide and support transitions.

Supporting Materials

	Attachment A is a copy of the Board's Regulations on Underperforming Schools and Districts, 603 CMR 2.00.
	Attachment B is a copy of a document that sets out the Protocols Used for Assessing District Plans for School Intervention.
	Attachment C is an overview of the cross-cutting issues raised in panel discussions that have implications for Board discussion and for the Department's assistance work in these districts.
	Attachment D is the list of appointees who were approved by the Board to serve on the 2008 State Review Panels.

Information on each of the nine districts is provided under Tabs 1-9. For each district, that information includes:

1. District and School Profile information, including a listing of the district's Commonwealth Priority Schools
2. State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
3. A copy of the District Plan for School Intervention
4. A copy of the District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions

We are planning to conduct feedback sessions with the superintendents, panelists and moderators to discuss the State Review Panel process and invite suggestions for improvement.

Juliane Dow and Lynda Foisy will be present at the meeting to respond to questions Board members may have.

Boston Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention    Phineas Bates Elementary School
	District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions

Brockton Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention    Using Standards and Data to Improve Achievement
	District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions

Fall River Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention
	District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions

Holyoke Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention
	District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions

Lawrence Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention
	District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions

Lowell Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention

New Bedford Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention
	District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions

Springfield Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention    Elias Brookings Elementary School    Daniel Brunton Elementary School    Chestnut Accelerated Middle School    John F. Kennedy Middle School    Van Sickle Middle School
	District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions

Worcester Public Schools

	State Review Panel Findings and Recommendations Report
	District Plan for School Intervention    Analysis of School Improvement Initiatives Spring 2008    Canterbury Street School Plan for Improvement Identified Needs
	District Leadership Report on the Essential Conditions