Turnaround Model
Replace the principal and rehire no more than 50 percent of the staff. Grant the principal sufficient operational flexibility (including in staffing, calendars/time, and budgeting) to implement fully a comprehensive approach to substantially improve student outcomes.
Support
The International Center has a proven track record in creating a culture of change. We will partner with the new school leadership to conduct a collaborative school review. Based on results of the review, we will devise and implement a whole-school improvement plan that has laser-like focus that includes:
- instructional intervention for students
- training and coaching for teachers
- leadership development
Our transformation process is customized for each school but focused around the four mandated strategies for reinventing low-performing schools.
Developing teacher and leader effectiveness
- Effective teacher evaluation system based on student performance
- Action plan to recruit, train, and retain quality teachers
- Community Resource Team
- Extended school day
- Flexible school conditions
Comprehensive Instructional Reform Strategy
- Teacher Evaluation System (TES) based on Student Performance
- Use of SAS EVAAS to examine linkage between teacher and student performance
- Formative and summative assessments in core academic areas
- Observation of teacher performance
- Professional development for teachers based on TES
- Career pathways for teachers/staff
- Effective Teaching
- Teacher observation using the Collaborative Instructional Review Process
- Job-Embedded Coaching
- Professional Dialogue/Communities
- Targeted Professional Development
- Programs/Interventions
- Implement specific inclusion and co-teaching strategies to improve performance of SWD
- Small Learning Communities (not just Freshman Academies)
- Expand the End-of-Course and benchmark assessments
- Implement, monitor, and adjust student interventions (RTI)
- Increase opportunities for students to take college credit bearing courses
Extending learning time and creating community-oriented schools
- Provide more time for students to learn core academic content by expanding the school day, the school week, or the school year
- Provide more time for teachers to collaborate
- Provide more time or opportunities for enrichment activities for students
- Develop parent/community partnerships to support Transformational Interventions
- Increase parent and community participation in school-wide decision and events
- Increase parent and community awareness of the impact of poverty on student achievement
- Provide parents and community members with strategies to reverse the impact of poverty on student achievement
- Leverage business and community partnerships
Operating, flexibility, and sustainable support
- Adopt board policy to provide school leaders with sufficient operating flexibility (including in staffing, calendars/time, and budgeting) to implement fully a comprehensive approach to substantially improve student achievement outcomes
- Alignment of district and school administration with collective bargaining units
- Unwavering commitment to transformation
