#19 Data, Targets, QSP Reflection, OEL Compliance, etc...

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Budget Collabs and Probable Org meetings are complete! Woot, woot! The "minimum quality guarantee" and additional investments for schools in the lowest percentiles were very helpful for schools with deficits. I appreciate the preparation you have done to create a budget/schedule/staffing plan that reflects the school's vision and sets up your school for success in 2020-21. 👏👏👏

Probable Org Follow-up

You will receive an email with directions on reasonable assurance, license flags, and postings. You may still have decisions to make about staffing as well; if you do, please notify OHC before March 1 when openings are posted. One of the hardest things you do this during this season is have conversations with staff who are either being excessed or non-renewed. I am happy to talk through these discussions with you - don't hesitate to write/call. I'll get back to you.

During the next few months, you will be recruiting for openings. Recruitment days are coming soon. Additionally, please put together your personnel subcommittee, if you have not done so yet, and make sure its make-up is reflective of the racial and linguistic characteristics of your school community. More will be shared on hiring in another post...

Illuminate 2019-20 Interims and 2019 MCAS Report is now available and color-coded.

Many thanks to ODA! Here is the direct link to the report, which looks like this:

ELA Interim 2 Reports

Here is the link to a folder to ELA Interim 2 Reports in our group by grade level and region. I will add mathematics reports after the window closes.

Direct link to Matrix Report 

Direct link to Subgroup Overview for your school compared to the district. 

Accountability Targets 

MCAS, Chronic Abs, and ACCESS targets are available in the DESE Security Portal - DropBox > Log-in >select 'DropBox' > 'Accountability 2020 Data'.  ESE Security Portal

Information about the Students Who Performed in the Lowest 25% on MCAS

The lowest performing students group is comprised of students who performed in the bottom 25% on MCAS last year at the school. Each school will be held accountable for their performance in 2020, with the performance of the lowest performing students group weighted equally against the performance of all students when determining accountability status. 

Regardless of methodology, results for the lowest performing students group include only those students who have been enrolled in the same school for two consecutive years.

For most schools, DESE can use the cohort model to measure the performance of the lowest performing students in each school. However, the cohort model does not work in schools with certain grade configurations, since students are not tested in two consecutive years (for example, schools serving only one tested grade). In those cases, a year-to-year comparison of data is used to measure the change in performance for the lowest performing students group. This group is composed of students that have been enrolled in the school for more than one year, and is established by ranking each student’s average ELA and mathematics scaled scores; however, performance can only be evaluated using one year of data since these schools typically consist of a single tested grade. In the year-to-year model, data from the current year will be compared to data from the previous year, which may mean comparing data from two different groups of students. This is similar to the approach used when comparing aggregate school results over time, and still provides valuable information about school performance. In the year-to-year model, the lowest performing students group is established using MCAS data from the current school year. As a result, DESE cannot identify these students until after MCAS testing is complete, using the results from the most recent spring tests. 

Data Digest

January 2020 Data Digest files with updated data are now available in your school's Google Data Folder (sub-folder: Data Digest). The new reports include the following data:

• Updated chronic absenteeism
• Updated student Conduct
• BIMAS: Fall
• Course grades (6-12): Term 1
• MAP Growth and Fluency: Fall, Winter
• Interim Assessments (ELA & Math): Fall
• Special Education Referrals

OEL Compliance <Action Needed>

Thank you for all you and your teams do to serve our students who are English learners.

Here is the latest update on OEL compliance for our group of schools.
Please update all of your students' minutes in Aspen no later than February 14th. OEL will run the reports again during the week of break (2/18-21) and rerun the data. There will then be a small window of opportunity for corrections before we pull the data for the Department of Justice. For those who need to revise or submit the FY21 Title Budget plan please attend to this by 2/14 as well. 

These data will go to the Department of Justice on March 1, and we want to get to 100% as a district. Please let me know if you need technical assistance to meet these deadlines.

Quality School Plan Reflection/Revision <Action Needed>

As we finish the first semester, it is  time to revisit your Quality School Plan and adjust (not rewrite) the 90 day action plan based on progress thus far. Schools with transformation plans have built-in systems to check progress and others have built-in reflection points within their Instructional Leadership Team agendas. Best practice is for you to meet with your ILT to reflect and adjust your plan. Please use this Reflection Template and fill out the survey included in the template by March 6 to tweak your plans and measurable goals. Remember, you are not writing a new QSP! During the next four to six weeks, I will review QSP reflections with you in order to support the school’s progress. The reflection and your adjusted plan can be submitted as artifacts for indicators I-B, IV-B and IV-D.

Email from OHC regarding formatives

Many of you received an email regarding missing formatives. Please know this was not supposed to be anxiety-provoking. The purpose was more to check-in and learn why. We discovered that in most instances, the person was hired or returned from a leave recently or the teacher was assigned the wrong plan, so they did not show up on your dashboard. With your feedback, the performance management team made corrections. We will get better in year two implementation of TeachPoint - thank you!

Provide Input to the Strategic Vision 

Underneath each numbered commitment of the draft vision, there is an embedded survey question where you can provide input/feedback at this link.
Note on language: We will use Commitments and Priorities. Our 2020-21 QSPs will need to demonstrate alignment to this emerging strategic vision.

Two More Public Input Sessions

• February 6 at Condon Community Center, 200 D St, South Boston
• February 11 at Thelma D. Burns Building, 575 Warren St, Dorchester

Standards Institute - February 10-14

I am attending the Standards Institute next week with district leaders and school leaders from the schools in the percentiles below 10. Principals from our region are Carolyn Allston (Clap), Megan Webb (Orchard Gardens), Lauretta Lewis-Medley (Mason), and Jason Meland (Timilty). I am excited about this leadership and learning opportunity for the district, but I am anxious about being away. Most likely I'll only be able to phone/text during breaks and respond to emails at night. We are working on a plan for emergencies - TBD.

Budget Hearings Scheduled

• February 13, 2020   FY21 Budget Hearing, Curley K-8, 6 pm
• March 10, 2020       FY21 Budget Hearing, King K-8, 6 pm
• March 18, 2020       FY21 Budget Hearing, Bolling, 5 pm

Dates: 

February 7, 2020     ACCESS & Math Interim 2 Windows Close

February 20, 2020   School Leader Screening/Selection Day

February 26, 2020   School Committee, 6:00 PM

February 27, 2020   PLCs

February 29, 2020   Citywide Science Fair, 8:00-3:00, Northeastern

March 12, 2020       All Administrators