MMSD Quarterly Review

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Dear Madison Community, It’s an exciting time for Madison schools! This August, we launched a new era in MMSD with the publication of our district’s strategic framework which describes our approach to improvement as a district.

The framework is anchored to a simple but bold vision – that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate from high school ready for college, career and community.

To accomplish this vision, we know that schools must be the driving force of change, and our district must be incredibly focused on the day- today work of great teaching and learning. As a district, we’ve been aggressive about executing on the work in our strategic framework because we know it will produce positive change for all students. We are also committed to regularly reporting to the community on our progress – celebrating where we are successful, acknowledging our challenges and planning our next steps.

Jennifer Cheatham, Ed.D.

I’m excited to share our first review of progress with you, and I hope you’ll see that we’re off to a strong start. In this report, we focus on our initial launch steps, which were designed to jumpstart our work on behalf of student achievement. We continue to work with urgency and determination, and if we stay focused on what is important, I know that we will do great things for children in Madison.

Sincerely, Jennifer Cheatham

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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School Improvement Plans Because schools are the driving force of change in our district, our approach starts with every school developing a school improvement plan (SIP) that empowers teams to make local decisions within clear parameters for quality.

Preliminary drafts were completed in early October. Each school received feedback from key central office staff before finalizing their SIP

by October 31. All SIPs are now posted to school websites along with a parent-friendly “theory of action” page, which summarizes the SIP. In future years, SIPs will be developed in the spring so that schools start the year with focus and clarity. Already, schools are telling us that they are more focused on the strategies that are most likely to make a positive impact on student learning.

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“The biggest change is staff involvement in our SIP plan and goals. The SIP is no longer a document created in the beginning of the year and never looked at again until the end of the year, but is now a living document that all of us use to enhance learning at Sherman.”

Jeff Hattori, Cross Catergorical Teacher Sherman Middle School

Strengths and Challenges of the Improvement Plan Process

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Common Learning While each school has developed its own unique plan of improvement, the district is engaged in a common learning process focused on three critical areas that will enable the adults in every building to make great daily decisions on behalf of the students they serve.

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Specifically, we are learning how to better plan instruction using the Common Core State Standards (CCSS); how to deliver instruction using a set of essential instructional strategies based on the “gradual release of responsibility” model which prepares our students to complete challenging tasks independently; and how to monitor and adjust instruction through the effective use of data. This common learning, which was designed to build the capacity of our educators to do their best work, has been planned for the entire school year and is in motion across all levels in the district.

Leadership institutes in August and November included principals and members of school-based leadership teams and provided time to work as a school team. Based on our satisfaction data, it is evident that this time to work with school teams is highly valued by participants.

All professional development needs to balance new learning with more time for reflection, processing and problem-solving. It is also important to note that professional development is followed up with on-site support from a team of “school improvement partners” who assist with implementation at the school level. While we will continue to strengthen professional development, our participants report that these practices are already taking hold in schools and classrooms.

“After the August meeting, people were excited. It was helpful to hear, ‘This is what you need to do’ and be given direction and specific systems, such as how to look at data.”

Bridget Christenson, Math Coach Marquette Elementary School

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Five Priority Areas While schools are focused on implementing the strategies in their SIP, the district is working on a clear set of priorities aimed at providing schools with the systems and supports to serve children and their families better than ever before. Each priority area includes high-leverage action strategies and a set of launch steps to jumpstart that work. In our first year, we are reporting the progress on each of those launch steps.

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Priority Area I: Coherent Instruction

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Provide every student with well-rounded, culturally responsive and coherent instruction that leads to college, career and community readiness.

We know that our students need a common foundation of challenging instruction that is standards-based, well-rounded and culturally-responsive. While staff at all levels of the system have been learning together about the Common Core State Standards and applying this learning to their daily lessons, lead teacher teams are taking a leadership role in creating model units of study aligned to the standards that will support teachers across the district in the coming year.

At the same time, the district is creating policies and related procedures that define expectations for teaching all students, including students who are talented and gifted as well as English Language Learners. We are hard at work making sure our educators have the tools and resources they need to provide challenging and coherent instruction in the classroom.

In classrooms every single day, the Common Core State Standards are coming to life as teachers creatively implement lessons and instructional plans that build student capacity to better prepare them for college, careers and community.

Corinne Neil, English Teacher Memorial High School

While the district is making progress on implementing practices to identify students who are in need of services, it is also taking additional time to fully review research and best practice before approving a talented and gifted policy. The policy is now scheduled to be approved in February.

GOALS FOR NEXT QUARTER •

Approve talented and gifted policy

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Approve new code of conduct Approve technology plan

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Priority Area II: Personalized Pathways Engage students in charting personalized pathways to college, career and community readiness.

The district has been laying the groundwork for a new high school experience. Our students want to be engaged in highly relevant learning that provides career exposure and experience and results in multiple options upon graduation.

While we are at the beginning stages of re-envisioning our approach to high school, this work is on track to pick up momentum in the upcoming months.

“For many students, the standard, one-sizefits-all learning environment is unable to meet unique needs. By focusing on creating strong pathways, the district can individualize learning, reaching and engaging more students.”

Luke Gangler, Memorial High School Student and Student Representative to the Board

GOALS FOR NEXT QUARTER • •

Complete high school reform audit Launch high school reform collaborative

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Priority Area III: Family and Community Engagement

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Engage families and community members as partners.

We know that family and community members are essential partners in our students’ success. While schools developed engagement plans in their SIPs, we have more work to do to ensure authentic engagement for all families. With a new department of Family and Community Engagement, much of that work is underway.

“It’s good to have measurable goals rather than just a mission statement. The classroom environment plays a pivotal role for influencing learning. I am glad you are holding a higher standard.”

Nuestro Mundo parent, Family input meeting on the school’s improvement plan

Research on two-way communication completed.

Parent and community meetings are underway and more are scheduled through January.

Schools included family engagement strategies in their SIP, but need more resources. The district is developing a toolkit of family engagement strategies and resources for schools to use in development of next year’s SIP.

GOALS FOR NEXT QUARTER •

Present draft family and community engagement standards to the Board

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Complete at least five more high and medium level partnership Memorandums of Agreement (MOA)

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Priority Area IV: Thriving Workforce

Cultivate a work environment that attracts, develops and retains top talent.

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We believe that our students will not be successful if the adults in their school are not also thriving. In addition to our work to provide high-quality professional development and support to schools, we are also on track to complete an overhaul of our recruitment, induction and hiring practices to ensure we have a high-quality and diverse workforce serving our students.

“We’re working hard and engaging stakeholders at every level to expand our talent pool and recruit a diverse, high quality workforce to serve our students.”

Rodney Thomas, Special Assistant to the Superintendent

A new system for supporting schools has been finalized, but some central office staff still need to be assigned to specific schools in order to ensure that the right expertise is being targeted to the right schools.

GOALS FOR NEXT QUARTER •

Complete audit on recruitment, hiring and induction practices

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Finalize school support plans

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Priority Area V: Accountability Ensure accountability at every level.

As part of the development of school improvement plans, the district created a new set of tools and resources that schools are using to review data, define their goals, and monitor their progress. At the same time, central office is on track in developing similar plans, with clear measurements for success.

This work sets the stage for zero-based budgeting, where the district will re-build the budget from the ground up, ensuring that every dollar is being used to support our district’s vision and goals.

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“We, as a district, are holding ourselves accountable at all levels to see that each school is on a path of improvement. I have every confidence that as we stay on course, all MMSD will be thriving and all students will be college, career and community ready.”

Lara Ostrander, Instructional Resource Teacher Kennedy Elementary School

GOALS FOR NEXT QUARTER • •

Implement zero-based budgeting Provide procurement recommendations to the Board

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Finalize Central Office Measures of Performance (COMP)

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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Conclusion We are off to a strong start in bringing our strategic framework to life and staying focused on the day-to-day work of teaching and learning. Throughout the year, we’ll continue to monitor progress, collect data and report to the community.

Advisory groups of teachers, parents, principals, students and community members have been formed to ensure that our work is not only on track, but also having the desired effect. Along with those advisory groups, you are an essential partner in our students’ success. From parents, to business leaders, to neighborhood activists, we all play a role. If you would like to be more engaged in this work, we hope you’ll join us by signing up at www.mmsd.org/quarterly-review.

If we stay focused on this work – continuing to learn and check our progress along the way - we can ensure that every school is a thriving school that prepares every student to be college, career and community ready.

Madison Metropolitan School District, Strategic Framework Quarterly Review, December 2013

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