1755 North Brown Road, Suite 200 Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Main 770-464-9299 www.glisi.org
January 31, 2016 P. Russell Hardin, President Lizzy Smith, Grants Program Director The Robert W. Woodruff and Joseph B. Whitehead Foundations 191 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 3540 Atlanta, GA 30303 Dear Russ and Lizzy: The Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI) is entering a banner year. 2016 is our 15th year as a partner with Georgia’s school districts in improving education leadership and student outcomes across our state. Also this year, we will host our 50th cohort of Base Camp and Leadership Summit! Our team is proud and humbled to witness these milestones which are so directly made possible by the confidence and commitment of the Whitehead Foundation. In addition to unwavering support from champions like Whitehead, these milestones signify the enduring value of GLISI to Georgia’s school districts who have come alongside our philanthropic partners to invest in their leaders, and ultimately, their students. Over the last three years, districts have paid $4.8 million in fees for either Base Camp and Leadership Summit or GLISI’s consulting services, an average of $1.6 million per year (47% or our current year operating budget). In these same three years, GLISI has directly grown 3,996 Georgia leaders in 58 districts, indirectly serving 719,530 or 43% of all Georgia students. By the end of 2015, we cumulatively trained over 25,000 Georgia leaders since our inception in 2001. Another milestone! Milestone years are a natural time to take stock. Amid our successes, what have been persistent opportunities for improving our impact and effectiveness? What should our legacy be by the time we reach our 100th cohort? These questions shape our priorities as we look ahead to 2017 and beyond. The coming 3-5 years in GLISI’s story will be consequential. We must be both practical and bold. We must execute with ever greater precision while keeping our eyes steady on the big picture prize of preparing leaders who have the vision and skills to inspire students to persist to high school graduation and beyond. To begin to do that in 2016-2017, we invite the Whitehead Foundation to consider supporting the following three goals with a gift of $750,000. Goal 1: Goal 2:
Increase leader knowledge and practice of leadership behavior as a result of Base Camp and Leadership Summit. Provide leadership development support to districts and leaders most in need.
Goal 3:
Broaden GLISI’s reach by using our milestone year to raise visibility with new audiences
This year, we propose to gauge progress toward our goals using two tiers of metrics: achievement measures and stretch measures. We define “achievement measures” as solid indicators that positive change has occurred. We define “stretch measures” as ambitious indicators that represent our aspiration for deep impact. Goal
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Achievement Measures AM1.1 Achieve statistically significant gains in pre-post assessment of participant knowledge on 100% of post-assessment items AM1.2 Increase average district leader follow-up survey mean from 2015 mean of 4.63 AM2.1 Increase number of students in poverty served by Base Camp and Leadership Summit above the 3-year GLISI average of 66% as measured by % of students in participating districts who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch AM3.1 Secure local print news coverage of BCLS 50th Cohort Celebration AM3.2 Publish 1 or more editorial pieces in major Georgia newspaper
Stretch Measures SM1.1 Increase pre-post gap on three data analysis items to mean change of .85 from mean of .80 SM1.2 Exceed state average rate of gain in Cohort Graduation Rate from 2014 to 2016 among districts that have attended Base Camp and Leadership Summit for 2 or more consecutive years SM2.1 Increase number of Base Camp and Leadership Summit participants from 408 to 485 SM 2.2 Increase number of new or prodigal districts served through Base Camp and Leadership Summit (prodigal defined as returning to GLISI after 5 or more years) from 2 districts to 6 districts SM3.1 Secure local radio or TV coverage of BCLS 50th Cohort Celebration SM3.2 Increase speaking engagements featuring Executive Director with new audiences to 1 or more engagements
Rationale A milestone year is a growth opportunity. Our upcoming milestone year falls on the heels of a year in which, as noted in our 2015 Stewardship Report, GLISI fell short of our recruitment goals for Base Camp and Leadership Summit (BCLS). It can be tempting to set less aggressive targets overall given our recent struggle to enroll as many districts and participants as we set out to recruit. However, for the very reason that it is a milestone year – the longevity which we are celebrating has taught us to distinguish between a one-time dip in demand and a trend suggesting there is no more need or appetite for leadership training – we set out with renewed energy to expand the scope and depth of our reach in Georgia. While building our outreach infrastructure has been a focus of our work for the past two years, it not yet perfected. We have relied heavily on existing relationships. Last year, we piloted the most technical and analytic recruitment approach to date, using multiple data points and customized campaigns to identify and reach districts with highest need and potential to participate. Our team is learning to trust the data and now, motivated by our failure to achieve BCLS recruitment goals, there is a palpable singular teamwide focus on working our plan - not just our existing relationships – to initiate new connections that can blossom over time and lead to engagement with GLISI for districts that are not already “in the
family.” These recent efforts are yielding fruit: since December 3, we have submitted proposals to 10 different districts for GLISI’s consulting services, of which six are new to GLISI. What we hear from districts is that there continues to be a profound need for leadership development in Georgia. Nearly half of all Georgia districts have a superintendent that has occupied the office for 2 or fewer years. 1 Principals leave on average after three years, and precious few teachers can be cajoled into meeting the requirements to become leaders to fill those vacancies. 2 Teachers and leaders alike are demoralized. Systems are not only impoverished fiscally, they are poor in hope. The need for BCLS is as high as ever. Our 50th Cohort is an opportunity to use the visibility of special There continues to be a outreach events and involvement of key statewide partners to profound need for leadership tell the success stories of leaders who first came to us as teachers and have successively grown into mature school and development in Georgia district leaders, and in doing so, bring needed support to districts. Principals leave on leaders who have not partnered with GLISI in the past.
average after three years, and precious few teachers can be cajoled into meeting the requirements to become leaders to fill those vacancies.
Strong leadership is most needed in districts serving the most students in poverty. GLISI has historically partnered with districts that serve a high number of students in poverty, though that outcome has been somewhat coincidental. What the most recent research tells us is that two school-related factors significantly influence outcomes that disadvantage low income students: the rigor of curriculum and the variability of what is taught from classroom to classroom within a school (Schmidt, et. al., 2015). 3 Both of these factors are directly within the control of school leaders, and are areas of focus that GLISI explicitly addresses in our leadership development programs including BCLS. In other words, this is brand new evidence adding to the well-documented knowledge that districts serving students in poverty urgently need leadership development – and specifically the types of training provided by BCLS –so they can disrupt inequitable practices that disadvantage students in poverty by denying them the opportunity to master a demanding academic curriculum. Success with such curriculum is a significant predictor of persistence to high school graduation and college completion. We will use this and other research to inform our recruitment strategy specifically targeting districts serving high proportions of students in poverty. A key element of our fresh value proposition for prospective districts will convey the urgency to grow school leaders who can increase curricular rigor and reduce variability in order to improve academic outcomes for students in poverty. That message, in combination with financial incentives to send more team members, are two critical prongs in our approach to ensure BCLS primarily serves districts that most need it – those districts that serve high proportions (greater than the Georgia average of 60% FRL) of students in poverty. To achieve our vision of impact by our 100th Cohort, we need to be bold. While we have taken pains in recent years to make a case for the importance and impact of deep in-district work to achieve lasting change and sustainable outcomes, the facts remain that 1) in-district work is expensive, challenging to Based on estimates of Georgia School Superintendent’s Association Executive Director John Zauner Based on most recently available data on average principal tenure in Georgia from National Center for Education Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey (2011-2012). 3 W. H. Schmidt, N. A. Burroughs, P. Zoido, R. T. Houang. The Role of Schooling in Perpetuating Educational Inequality: An International Perspective. Educational Researcher, Vol.44, No.7, pp.371-386.. 1
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scale, and to be successful, requires a level of district readiness that is present in a small subset of Georgia districts; 2) there continues to be an appetite among district leaders to pay for and attend BCLS; and 3) as long as we have an audience of over 400 educators annually, we have a substantial opportunity to make as deep and meaningful a difference as can be made within the constraints of a group training experience. This constellation of facts drives us to tax our imaginations and challenge long-held assumptions to make changes in the BCLS program that can even more effectively teach leaders what they need to know and give them the best chance of success in incorporating new behaviors into their leadership practice. In reviewing new research, follow-up data from BCLS, and emerging insights from our in-district consulting, we notice opportunities for us to focus our program to improve outcomes for leaders, and by extension, results for students. In addition to the findings described above regarding curricular rigor, two other barriers grab our attention: 1) the failure of district leaders to set clear expectations for how principals and school teams should lead, and then holding them accountable for those expectations by using impact checks to look for those practices; and 2) the limitations of participants’ knowledge and skill in analyzing data after BCLS. Specifically, we notice that while leaders who have attended can do basic disaggregation of data, they struggle to make meaning of the data and then to take appropriate corrective action. We will improve the effectiveness of these two areas of the program with an emphasis on increasing the specificity of instruction, increasing the amount of time leaders have to practice these skills, and ensuring leaders get performance feedback from their coaches on these critical skills. Our theory of action in doing so is that the program will be more effective in equipping leaders (including teachers) with the knowledge and skills needed to go back, incorporate those skills into practice, which will in turn increase the effectiveness of school based teams in making the adjustments in practice that drive up student achievement outcomes – including persistence through high school. Though it may not appear so, the commitment to improve the effectiveness of an intervention that has been continuously improved for 15 years is bold and risky. To achieve the hoped for outcomes will require precision in our decisions and changes in our teaching “moves.” But we will not be able to achieve our vision of clear evidence of impact on student outcomes by our 100th Cohort without an intentional focus on those levers within our control that will realize that vision. Request for Funding Given this rationale, GLISI’s funding request is made to support the four programmatic goals introduced on page one. Specifically, the gift of $750,000 will be used as follows: Program Goal Goal 1: Increase leader knowledge and practice of leadership behavior as a result of Base Camp and Leadership Summit.
Description Deliver Base Camp and Leadership Summit training, with an emphasis on improving Analyzing Data module
Goal 2: Provide leadership development support to districts and leaders most in need.
Execute recruitment strategy targeting districts with high poverty and offering incentive pricing for Base Camp and Leadership Summit fees
Requested Support $684,700
$60,750
Program Goal Goal 3: Broaden GLISI’s reach by using our milestone year to raise visibility with new audiences
Description Requested Support Develop commemorative video $4,550 documenting the history of GLISI and Base Camp and Leadership Summit including GLISI success stories and past champions/key supporters to be screened at a celebratory event in Fall 2016. *Cost breakdowns are attached as Exhibit G In Conclusion With the Whitehead Foundation as a steady partner, GLISI has demonstrated the capacity to be able to thrive without state budget support, completing our fourth full year as an independent non-profit organization designated as a 501(c)3 and attracting new and continuing support from foundations, districts, and individuals. Our 50th cohort of Base Camp and Leadership Summit will be a celebration of this enduring value, continued relevance, and capacity to contribute to a legacy of leadership in Georgia’s schools and districts. The results emerging from GLISI’s work suggest that the investment of Whitehead funds yields dividends in the lives and outcomes of leaders, teachers, schools and students across Georgia. We are profoundly grateful that the Woodruff and Whitehead Foundations have steadfastly shared our passion for leadership as the most broadly impactful lever by which to improve schools. We pledge to continue our record of careful stewardship of any gift with the highest standards of accountability, earnest economy, and with a commitment to carrying out work that reflects honor on the Foundations and board members. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Sincerely,
Gale D. Hulme, Ed.D. CEO/Executive Director
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A
GLISI 501(c)3 Exemption Letter
Exhibit B
GLISI FY15 Audit
Exhibit C
GLISI Organization Chart FY16
Exhibit D
GLISI Board of Directors
Exhibit E
FY2016 Budget Reforecast as of 12/31/2015
Exhibit F
FY2017 Projected Budget
Exhibit G
Goal by Goal Cost Breakdown
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C
Exhibit D
Exhibit E
Exhibit F
Exhibit G
Exhibit G: Goal by Goal Cost Breakdown Cost Breakdown Goal 1 Cost
Subject Matter Experts Training for Coaches Partial BCLS scholarships
Qty 2,500 4 2,500 4 1,445 460 Whitehead Foundation Support Requested
Total 10,000 10,000 664,700 684,700
Cost Breakdown Goal 2 Full BCLS scholarships
Cost
Qty 2,250 27 Whitehead Foundation Support Requested
Total
Cost
Total
60,750 60,750
Cost Breakdown Goal 3 Video contractor Travel
Qty 4,500 1 600 1 Whitehead Foundation Support Requested
4,000 550 4,550
Grand Total Whitehead Foundation Support Requested Cost Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3
Qty
Grand Total Whitehead Foundation Support Requested
Total 684,700 60,750 4,550 750,000