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“MAPS FOR KIDS: Building a Learning City”

Project KIDS (Keep Improving District Schools)

Report to

The Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation

The Board of Education

for the Oklahoma City Public Schools

The City Council of Oklahoma City &

The Citizens of Oklahoma City

August 9, 2001

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Table of Contents

I. A Vision for Public Education in Oklahoma City Page 3

II. Executive Summary Page 4

III. Situational Analysis: The Need Never Went Away Page 6

IV. History of Project KIDS Page 7

V. Program Issues and Recommendations Page 9

VI. Conclusion Page 28

VII. Appendixes Page 29

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A Vision for Public Education in Oklahoma City Every student can learn. Each child has potential and possibility. Each is precious and in need of care, yet each becomes, as they grow, a moral actor responsible for his or her own future. With a base of solid education, children can explore their world, capture their potential and build their own, unique role in the world. Rebuilding the Oklahoma City Public Schools system to create the best possible learning environment is essential to our democratic, representative form of government, our area’s economic future and the future well being of our children.

Our economy is dominated by computers, advanced systems of communication, and high technology industry whose employees must be well educated. Throughout our nation, “learning cities” whose cultures place special emphasis on effective, integrated education at all grade levels will experience growth in high-paying, high-quality jobs. Cities in which education is sub-par will not participate in the benefits of new economy development. These cities will be left behind. Oklahoma City must ready its young people and the community for this transition.

A key to progress in the Oklahoma City Public Schools is the steady incorporation of a limited number of research-based, practice-proven methods — not gimmicks. “Cookie cutter” approaches or “quick fixes” are doomed. Project KIDS envisions students who come to school prepared to learn, parents and guardians who are supportive and involved, dynamic and motivated teachers who are well-educated and well-prepared, administrators who provide vision, leadership and accountability and a community that is informed, involved and supportive of public education. “MAPS for Kids: Building a Learning City” is a plan to get there, not overnight, but through years of collaborative effort and willingness to continue to adapt and modify as circumstances change.

Together, these critical factors will contribute to Oklahoma City becoming a learning city and, in the process, prepare our children for the new economy and our city for a more promising future.

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Executive Summary The story of the Oklahoma City Schools is really a tale of two districts – the first is a district which has aggressively worked to create new and exciting programs, enterprise and charter schools, schools of choice and centers of excellence unmatched in the state – the second is a district which serves a population of high-need and high-challenge students who chronically fail to gain the academic foothold which leads to school success and accomplishment in life. As citizens in this community, for too long we have neglected our responsibilities and missed opportunities to provide students first-rate curriculum and learning environments that deliver the tools for student success and life-long learning.

The Oklahoma City Public Schools District is not a first choice for many in our community who have school-aged children. For the past 30 years, families have chosen to leave our District or select other educational options. For decades our city has tolerated sub-par performance and facilities that do little, if anything, to evoke pride from anyone in the community, much less provide an environment in which children can learn!

During the past 10 years, efforts have been made to reverse the downward spiral in our schools. Through the leadership of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, a community-based, non-profit organization, people have begun re-engaging in the life of our schools. Despite these efforts, polls continue to show that confidence in the District leadership is still low and in the past two bond issue attempts, district voters have sent a message of “no confidence”. Part of the fallout from that lack of confidence has been the reality that many businesses, looking at Oklahoma City as a potential for start-up or relocation have passed us by. This is due, in no small part, to the current condition of our public schools.

As a community, we have watched decades of neighborhood decline and erosion of our local economy as surrounding suburbs prosper. It is time to recognize that Oklahoma City cannot be a great city without strong schools. The future prosperity of Oklahoma City is dependent on creating an urban school district of true excellence.

Recognizing the seriousness and urgency of the problems created by years of poor District management, community neglect and chronic low student performance, a consortium of civic, business and community leaders has spent the last two years examining ways to fundamentally improve the Oklahoma City schools and re-engage the community in the ongoing support of our schools.

In this document is a plan to rebuild the District to deliver a product that produces students who are well educated and poised to contribute to our community’s success, to build public confidence, and public accountability for fiscal and resource management. Known as Project KIDS, these principles have guided a two-year process that has involved thousands of community residents. We believe that success in public education will allow Oklahoma City to seize 21st century opportunities that, until now, have gone elsewhere.

What we know is that it is going to take money, time, open minds and a commitment from the community to revitalize our City as a player in the new economy and our District as a model urban school system. Specifically, this document calls for:

• Overhauling the management of the District;

• Establishing proven, measurable learning methods and objectives for student achievement;

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• Raising $530 million in support of the initiatives which follow;

• Renovating or reconstructing every school that continues to be used, with a net reduction of at least 15 school buildings and;

• Readying schools for technology with a physical condition such that operating costs should decline for the average school because of lower utility and general regular maintenance costs. The recommended plan will replace every portable building currently in use with permanent classroom facilities.

While increased capital spending is necessary for educational improvement, it is not sufficient. From the beginning, Project KIDS has been driven not by buildings, but by educational principles. Increased spending, without educational reform, is no guarantee of increased educational achievement.

Project KIDS is supportive of educational choices, particularly as a means of ensuring patrons have the best alternatives available to them. With this in mind, this report and set of recommendations focuses mostly on the core "business" of the Oklahoma City Public Schools and recommends no changes to its relationships with its charter schools, such as Independence Middle School. We would expect these schools to continue operating successfully as they currently are.

If Oklahoma City is going to pull itself up by its bootstraps, as we know we can, then collectively we are going to have to take responsibility for our children, our community and our future. This plan is designed to provide a roadmap for rethinking public education in our town as one of the cornerstones in evolving into a progressive, modern city on the plains. Beyond the words that follow, “MAPS for Kids: Building a Learning City,” is our opportunity to be proactive and forward thinking in ways that only we can do for ourselves.

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Situational Analysis: The Need Never Went Away Excerpts from The Daily Oklahoman Sunday, November 7, 1999 By Christy Watson

The Oklahoma City School District was thriving in the late 1960s. Enrollment topped 75,000 in 1967, and 17 schools were built that decade. Schools were places where the community gathered, and parents flooded the school during open houses and Parent-Teacher Association meetings.

In 1972, the district responded to court-ordered desegregation with a plan that bused students across town away from their neighborhood schools and away from their homes. In the first year of busing, 8,000 students and their families fled the district. The so-called "white flight" doubled and sometimes tripled enrollment in surrounding suburban districts. Other students enrolled in newly created private schools.

During the 1970s, the exodus forced the district into unpopular decisions to lay off teachers and close schools. Those parents who didn't leave either couldn't or wouldn't drive across town to attend parent-teacher meetings or volunteer at their children's schools. In January 1981, parents were relieved when the district put a moratorium on school closings. The next year, school board members finally got up the courage to ask for a $32.6 million bond issue, but voters rejected the proposal. The bond issue would have paid for three new schools, renovations at nearly all of the district's other buildings and closed eight schools. After the failure, then-Superintendent Tom Payzant warned that the need wouldn't go away. He was right.

Parents, upset at the rapidly declining district, became even angrier when the school board lifted the school-closing moratorium and immediately shut down four schools. While the Oklahoma City school buildings got older and crumbled from neglect, suburban districts were thriving.

Since 1970, voters in the Edmond, Midwest City-Del City and Putnam City school districts have approved a combined 105 bond issues to build several schools, make repairs and buy buses and computers. Only five bond issues have failed in those districts. Oklahoma City proposed no bond issues in the 1970s and built no schools. Since 1980, Oklahoma City attempted 10 bond issues, but voters approved only four. Five of the failures received more than 50 percent approval, but Oklahoma law requires a 60 percent "supermajority" to pass bond issues.

Oklahoma City's schools are, on average, 57 years old. Air conditioning wasn't installed at most schools until after 1993, when voters approved an $89 million bond issue. Many school buildings have the original wiring and plumbing. In the past few years, students at several schools had to attend classes at nearby churches while crews fixed dangerous structural problems.

Bond Issues from 1970 to 1999 (As of November 7, 1999)

Passed Failed Mid-Del 36 2 Putnam City 28 3 OKC 4 6 Edmond 41 0

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History of Project KIDS

It is in this environment of educational need and loss of confidence in the District that Project KIDS was formed as a project of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation in 1998. It is a collaboration among the City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Public Schools, Board of Education and the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, Inc. Organized by an ideologically diverse group of civic, business and community leaders, Project KIDS has worked to involve the public in discussions and decisions to improve the Oklahoma City Public Schools and present the Board of Education and the City Council of Oklahoma City proposals for change. Volunteers organized the project into four categories: Governance (district management), Student Achievement, Community Inclusion and Facilities.

Instead of making “top down” mandates, Project KIDS turned to citizens to make decisions about the future of our schools. More than 3,500 citizens attended meetings and voiced opinions about the future of the District. Through a process of community involvement, Project KIDS provided the vehicle for the public to have their concerns, needs and ideas heard. In turn, it was this frank, ongoing discussion that has formed the foundation for this report.

“MAPS for Kids: Building a Learning City,” suggests solutions to the complex set of issues which face our District and our community. The work performed to develop this report represents the most comprehensive analysis of the Oklahoma City Public Schools ever conducted. Lessons learned from the analysis led Project KIDS to develop clear, objective, quantitative and qualitative recommendations from which to formulate a plan for the future.

Special thanks

The Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation would like to thank the following companies and organizations for their support of Project KIDS:

Anonymous Barkley Evergreen & Partners Chesapeake Energy Corporation City of Oklahoma City Creative Consumer Concepts Coca-Cola USA Dr Pepper Rodman Frates Kirkpatrick Family Fund Kirkpatrick Foundation Merrick Foundation Oklahoma City Federation of Teachers Oklahoma City Public Schools Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, Inc. Potts Exploration, LLC Presbyterian Health Foundation Sonic, America's Drive-In and other private donors

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Project KIDS committee members:

Jean G. Gumerson – Project KIDS chairman Bruce Day – Project KIDS co-chair

Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys Cliff Hudson* – facilities/logistics committee chair

Frank McPherson – student achievement committee co-chair Ray Potts – student achievement committee co-chair

James R. Tolbert III – community inclusion committee co-chair Ronald Bogle* – community inclusion committee co-chair

Councilwoman Willa Johnson** – community inclusion vice-chair Councilwoman Amy Brooks** – community inclusion vice-chair

H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt – governance committee chair

Hannah Atkins John Belt

Janet Barresi, DDS The Honorable Debbie Blackburn

William P. Bleakley Kim Burch

Richard Burpee Dr. Charles Butler Mike Chandler *

Jeff Cloud Joe Clytus *

The Honorable Glenn Coffee Luke Corbett Jim Couch

Dr. Martha Carroll Dauway Glenn Deck

Mai Ly Marlene Do Katie Dunlap Don Foringer

Jerry Foshee ** The Honorable Sandy Garrett

Ernie Gomez J. Leland Gourley

Fred Hall Dr. Carole Hardeman

Howard Hendrick Dudley Hyde

Linda Samuel-Jaha Jackie Jones

The Honorable Keith Leftwich Al Lindsey

Frances Lowrey

Connie Mashburn J.W. Mashburn

Patrick McGuigan Ted Metscher

The Honorable Fred Morgan Fran Morris

Dr. Clyde Muse Thelma Parks *

The Honorable William Paulk Russell Perry Jethro Pettit Ray Potts

Tom Price, Jr. Jennifer Puckett *

John Rex Sherry Rice Rhodes

Nancy Robertson John Ryan

David Sellers Terri Silver * Bob Spinks

Lecia Swain-Ross Zach Taylor

Dr. John Thompson Valerie Thompson

Dick VanHorn Dr. Larkin Warner

Dr. William Weitzel John M. Williams

Harry Wilson * Tom Wilson

Yvonne Zitterkob * member, Oklahoma City School Board of Education

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** member, Oklahoma City Council

Program Issues and Recommendations:

Q 1. When children begin school not knowing the alphabet, colors or shapes, their opportunity to learn is significantly compromised, too often with long-term consequences. What steps can we take to better prepare children for learning? Objectives • Establish early childhood reading and development programs with community partners

for 5,000 critical need 4 and 5-year olds by 2005. • Extend the times of learning by providing, as an option, an extended school year, summer

school and after-school learning programs for any student, grade K-12 by 2005 with meaningful achievement improvements noted within 3 years of implementation.

• Utilize effective, proven learning systems in all classrooms with appropriate learning resources in place by the fall of 2002.

• Provide a caring adult in each child’s life by matching students who could benefit from a mentoring relationship, through a program created by the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation by the fall of 2002.

A. Early childhood reading and development programs

A crucial problem for urban schools, including ours, is that many students arrive for their first year of school not ready to learn. The long term, compounding effect of this is largely unappreciated, but eventually results in poorer performance and higher dropout rates in middle and high school.

To address this issue and improve long-term student achievement, the District should collaborate with community partners and parents and guardians to develop early childhood reading and development programs and have 5,000 critical need 4 and 5 year-olds in early reading programs by the year 2005. Critical need students are those with no pre-schooling or reading preparedness or those from homes in which English is a second language.

Rather than the District managing school preparation programs, Project KIDS recommends that a non-profit entity be identified or formed to coordinate the aggregation of resources already available within our community (including Head Start funds, charitable contributions, underutilized school buildings, faith-based facilities and volunteers and training through organizations such as the Payne Education Center, etc.). Duplication of services must be avoided.

Partners would be identified based on their current work with 4 and 5 year-olds, early education focus, capacity to provide adult volunteers or teachers, or ability to channel other resources such as funding, equipment, services or supplies to the program. Potential funding sources could include corporate support, private, federal or state grants and private contributions.

This organization would facilitate programs to ready 4 and 5 year-olds to read using proven instructional methods or help parents and guardians to prepare their children to read by the time

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they enter first grade. These instructional methods and reading levels should be consistent with those recommended by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

B. Extended times of learning

Project KIDS recommends investigating cooperative efforts with private and/or public providers for optional educational programs during the hour before and the few hours after school to serve K-12 students by 2005. In addition to providing additional learning time for students, this recommendation provides constructive supervised activities during the times when students are often unsupervised.

For efficiency and equity among pre-school programs, funding mechanisms should allow access to existing quality programs regardless of income levels or whether those programs are presently designated “private” or “public.” Potential underwriting for this service could include corporate support, private, federal or state grants and private contributions. Potential partners would be community, faith-based and government entities serving K-12 youth, private schools and corporations.

Optional extended day and summer school programs for K-12 students should be able to accommodate students who need extra assistance or for those who want to complete advanced academic work. The course work, based on curriculum taught in the Oklahoma City Public Schools, would encourage students to reach or exceed grade proficiency in all core subjects. The program should be structured particularly as to younger children so as to demonstrate meaningful achievement improvements within 3 years of its implementation based on test scores in the areas identified for improvements.

C. Focus on proven learning systems

All proven reading methods, including phonics, should be an essential component of the reading program whose ultimate goal is adequate student comprehension of reading material utilizing established, age-specific learning methods. The District should consider a “warranty,” guaranteeing patrons that students will read by the third grade or at grade level after the student has been in the Oklahoma City Public Schools system for three years.

Focusing on our youngest children first and dovetailing with the early childhood reading programs proposed by this report, the fundamentals of math must be an equal priority with the goal to have at least 70% of first through third graders earning 70% or greater on the state mandated Criterion Reference Test (CRT) by 2006. All schools should implement effective and efficient systems that incorporate research-based, practice-driven curriculum, instructional methodology and assessment. Systems already working include Core Knowledge, Great Expectations, Arts Integration and Effective Schools (see Appendix 1 for a description of these programs).

These guarantees of student achievement will require changes to current District operations. District administrators will be responsible for ensuring that each school has the resources to meet their responsibilities of teaching children, thus requiring that resources be distributed in equitable and effective ways. By the fall of 2002 the administration must ensure that all classrooms have appropriate resources by the time the new school year begins, especially books, reading materials and, by the fall of 2004, computers.

As a compliment to the availability of resources at the school level, by the fall of 2002, each site-based management team (see Question 6, Answer A for a discussion of site-based management)

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will be responsible for creating a system at their school to identify and prioritize the replacement and addition of needed supplies and equipment throughout the school year within their agreed upon budget.

D. Provide a caring adult in each child’s life

Project KIDS proposes the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation create a program to match caring, encouraging adults with children who would benefit from constructive adult relationships or coordinate services with Big Brothers/Big Sisters or similar community agencies by the fall of 2002. The principals in each school would review with teachers the level of support each child receives, as well as academic performance and interest, and identify children who would benefit from the time and attention of a caring adult.

The Foundation currently operates a program called Partners in Education, which matches employees of participating companies and members of civic and faith-based organizations with elementary school children to provide reading and tutoring support and act as a role model and friend. This proposed mentoring program could be coordinated with the Foundation’s Partners in Education program, with the adult providing mentoring and nurturing support. Ideally, these adult volunteers would be located in the neighborhood of the school and could be retired people or individuals from churches or civic organizations.

Q 2. When lack of safety is a legitimate concern, either because of specific student behavior or the condition of our schools, students are denied critical resources for learning. How can the school system provide a safe, focused learning environment? Objectives • Develop and follow progressive and consistent enforcement of discipline policy, through a

guide published and distributed by the fall of 2002, that responds to early warning signs. • Create a rehabilitative and effective alternative education program to remove disruptive or

low-performing children from the classroom with initial stages in place no later than the fall of 2004.

• Collaborate with other school districts and service agencies to provide alternative education programs that work effectively, with discussions continuing through the 2001/2002 school year and a system in place by the fall of 2003.

• By the fall of 2003, ensure the physical safety of students by addressing repairs and maintenance issues that pose safety hazards.

A. Consistent enforcement of discipline policy A safe and orderly school environment for teachers, students and volunteers is an essential component of an effective school. Our system must strictly and efficiently enforce the attendance policy, consider non-attendance an early warning and act before truants become serious problems.

The majority who behave well should not be punished by the disruptive few. A guide outlining policies, expectations and consequences for attendance, discipline, illegal substances, dress codes, conduct, weapons and other policies should be reviewed and updated annually by District administration and be distributed to all parents and guardians at the start of each school year by

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fall, 2002. By the same time, all students and parents should sign attendance and behavior contracts.

Teachers must be held accountable for enforcing policies, but every teacher deserves the backing of the principal and the administration in carrying out agreed-upon policies.

Principals must enforce attendance and discipline policies. They must take the lead role in communicating with parents and guardians about attendance and behavioral standards, as well as consequences. A system for notifying parents of unexcused absences must be operable at each site with the implementation of the student information system envisioned by 2003 (for more detail about the student information system, see Question 6, Answer B). As principals back teachers who enforce policies, teachers should be evaluated in their enforcement of attendance/discipline procedures.

The administration must communicate with the community, explaining the rationale of these policies; invest its prestige to convince teachers, parents and guardians and students that these policies will be enforced; and provide logistical support (such as information systems which provide timely information about unexcused absences).

B. Effective alternative education programs Alternative education should provide a constructive learning site for students who continually disrupt the traditional classroom, have attendance or discipline problems or have other circumstances that prevent them from performing well in the traditional classroom setting. Alternative education must move beyond what is punitive. It must be rehabilitative to help integrate students back into the traditional classroom. Alternative education is not to be confused with special education for students with learning disabilities.

Alternative education should offer a progressive structure to effectively teach students with attendance problems separately from those who create disruptions or who are prone to violence.

Alternative education should be expanded into primary grades progressively as facilities become available, consistent with the implementation of the physical facility plan contemplated by this report, but in its initial stages no later than the fall, 2004. Enforcing attendance and behavioral policies will produce increases in the number of students assigned to alternative settings. Within five years, the District should provide an alternative education system that can meet the needs of the number of students needing the services (consistent with national averages for alternative education programs). No student should be allowed to perpetually disrupt classmates’ education simply because alternative schools are full.

Additional facilities may be needed to accommodate an expanded alternative education program. See the buildings, technology and transportation recommendations in Questions 7 and 11.

C. Collaborate with other school districts and service agencies to provide alternative education

Project KIDS recommends modeling the Oklahoma City alternative education program on the Cleveland County program that coordinates services over a multi-district area. Volunteers from Project KIDS have already engaged in discussions about such a venture with representatives from several surrounding school districts. A cooperative effort could bring efficiencies into provision of alternative education, without jurisdictional lines preventing delivery of service to all students needing alternative education. These discussions will continue during the 2001-2002 school year with additional recommendations to follow.

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Every effort should be made to encourage and cooperate with both public and private sector agencies already working with youth needing alternative education services. In many cases, disruptions stem from a student’s emotional or mental problems. Services from counselors, physicians and mental health workers specializing in youth situations should be available at the alternative education site to help students work through problems and receive the help they need upon entering the alternative education program. Project KIDS recommends the District establish a system to provide these services on a contract or volunteer basis by the fall of 2003. Project KIDS recommends community service agencies should be included in further discussions of alternative education collaborations.

The perception that alternative schools are “bad,” with only “bad” students assigned, should be changed. A name change should be considered, i.e., “opportunity schools,” but only after or in tandem with substantive changes to the program.

D. Ensure the physical safety of students

The public schools must provide a safe learning environment. Project KIDS recommends, by the completion of the facilities plan contemplated by this report, that all Oklahoma City Public Schools facilities be in compliance with fire codes by installing fire alarms where there are none, ensuring sprinkler system and other fire suppression equipment is operational and ensuring fire exits are clearly marked and unobstructed.

Project KIDS recommends that all maintenance and repair issues that currently present safety concerns in the facilities be repaired by the fall of 2004 and that the Board of Education should adopt general guidelines for the acceptable amount of time repairs and safety concerns should be completed and immediately begin to prioritize projects based upon available information.

Q. 3 What can be done with middle schools, both to improve the learning experience and patron perception?

Patrons of the Oklahoma City Public Schools have less confidence in the District's middle schools than they do the elementary schools. Every middle school, except Jefferson Middle School, loses students as they leave elementary school; in the case of Harding Middle School, more than half the students from its feeder elementary schools do not attend Harding. In addition, standard test scores begin to fall precipitously from middle school forward, plummeting in high school.

Objectives • Clarify instructional focus of middle school teachers by 2005. • Restructure elementary and middle school grade configurations to encourage

sustained attendance in the school District by 2008. A. Clarify instructional focus

The Oklahoma City Public Schools should redouble their effort at utilizing middle school philosophy. From all appearances to many in middle schools or who have children in middle schools, teachers have not been trained to use the middle school philosophy. Therefore, all teachers in middle schools need to be trained in working in teams, integrating the curriculum and emphasizing high achievement from middle school students. With the new requirements that teachers in middle schools will have to be certified as such in math and science if their courses

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are to be accepted in secondary schools, we recommend that by 2005 all of these middle school teachers be certified.

B. Restructure elementary and middle school grade configurations To help reverse the “exit trend” after elementary, middle schools must offer more programs such as visual and performing arts, science labs, physical education and others. To accomplish this, Project KIDS proposes a reconfiguration of many elementary and middle schools.

To add adequate space and rooms designed for particular purposes (acoustics in a music room, for example), the school must have a student population large enough to support such programs and make them cost effective to offer. The size and nature of the schools promotes the best program components, but also plays a role in the attendance path of students. Project KIDS is recommending changes in areas where the District is experiencing the highest exit rate between elementary and middle schools.

Project KIDS suggests the District build on the success of schools that are currently meeting educational needs. An example of success is Taft Middle School. In the case of Taft, there is a strong continuation pattern from its feeder elementary schools, and test scores are much higher than at Harding Middle School. In the case of Cleveland Elementary, a feeder school to Taft, where attendance is strong and test scores are above average for the system, the grade configuration would be increased from K-5 to K-6 with students attending Taft in the 7th and 8th grades.

In contrast is Harding, where more than half the students who are scheduled to attend Harding do not and where test scores are extremely poor. For Harding, Project KIDS recommends altering the structure of the elementary schools that feed into Harding primarily to a K-8 grade configuration. After completion of the 8th grade, students would go directly to high school. This would allow them to remain in their successful educational environment (K-8) for an extended period.

In the more northern portion of the district, it would be a considerable expense to convert every school to K-8. Project KIDS believes, with the successful implementation of these programs and the growth patterns of Oklahoma City, that the number of students attending high school in the northern portion of the District will increase substantially over the next five to 10 years. Consequently, Project KIDS proposes two new high schools on the northern end of the District with a consideration of a K-8 configuration for feeder elementary schools at a later date when the number of students increases significantly. These two new schools should be built with a 7-12 grade configuration utilizing a “school within a school” or pod arrangement to physically separate grades 7 and 8 from grades 9 through 12.

On the northeast side of the District, Eisenhower Elementary School would be converted to a 7-12 grade configuration, and a new school would be built immediately north of Lake Hefner, mirroring the same grade configuration. Each of these schools could be expanded at a later date to accommodate population growth.

Elsewhere in the District, the option to convert more of the elementary schools to K-8 would remain a possibility, if the attendance patterns demanded, but each of the elementary schools would be at least K-6.

Q 4. How can the district utilize school choices to improve the education offerings?

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Objectives • The District should continue to encourage schools of choice, patterned after Classen School

of Advanced Studies and Northeast Academy, with published criteria available by the fall of 2002.

• Cooperate with private schools to provide expanded course offerings. A. Encourage Schools of Choice Schools of choice sustain parental involvement (see Appendix 1 for a description of schools of choice). Such involvement enhances student performance, providing greater value for taxpayers and improving the atmosphere in which teachers work and students learn. We support empowerment of parents to seek access to quality schooling of their choice for their children, despite economic limitations.

We back the development and expansion of high quality and accountable charter schools, allowing parents and guardians, businesses, teachers and patrons — or some combination thereof — to start public schools with substantial freedom from many traditional controls and limits. Project KIDS proposes the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Education and the Charter School Association, review the policies for establishing charter and enterprise schools in other districts and develop and publicly distribute more specific criteria by the fall of 2002 to help individuals and groups understand the process and requirements for the approval of charter schools in the District. These policies should require the Board of Education to periodically review student achievement and the effective use of financial resources provided by the State to determine continuation of the charter or enterprise school contract.

In long-range facilities planning, we encourage cooperation and consultation between public and private school systems. We support continuance of the enterprise school program and the continuance of the magnet and specialty schools, with regular review of outcomes to see if programs should be continued or, after federal grants end, be revamped.

B. Cooperate with private schools to provide expanded course offerings We encourage cooperative ventures among public and private schools within and outside our District to provide advanced math, science, technology and visual/performing arts courses for high school students. Project KIDS recommends the District continue to pursue agreements with willing private schools, community colleges, technology colleges and other educational entities, in return for compensation, to allow students access to courses not available in Oklahoma City Public Schools.

Q 5. The recruitment, development and retention of strong and dedicated teachers are fundamental elements of any successful educational system. What steps can the District take to achieve this? Objectives • Seek non-traditional sources for teachers and design a new and accelerated alternative

certification process to bring them into the District with guidelines for credentials and an alternative certification process formalized into policy by the fall of 2002.

• Offer an attractive compensation and benefits package to teachers by the fall of 2002.

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• Encourage teachers to participate in continuing education and professional development opportunities beginning with all elementary classroom teachers participating in designated programs by 2006.

• Support a state sponsored endowment to foster professional pay increases and development opportunities or, by the fall of 2002, formalize a privately-sponsored endowment through the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation to underwrite the cost for national board certification for District educators.

A. Seek new and non-traditional sources for teachers The teacher shortage for public education is approaching crisis proportions, especially in secondary education subjects such as mathematics, physical and social sciences, visual/performing arts and technology-related disciplines. The Colleges of Education are having difficulty finding and preparing students to enter these arenas. This problem is exacerbated in urban public schools that have trouble competing for the best teachers. Added to this is the less-than-competitive salaries offered to teachers in Oklahoma.

We must develop a variety of strategies to attract, retain and motivate excellent and dedicated educators. Non-traditional sources should be explored and could include retired teachers who wish to return to the classroom and experienced, college-educated professionals who lack teacher certification. Guidelines for credentials and experience would need to be formalized into policy by the fall of 2002. Project KIDS recommends the District work with the State Department of Education to adopt policies for an alternative certification process or “fast-track” to recruit the needed number of professionals into teaching positions also by the fall of 2002. These newly recruited professionals will help bridge the gap in our growing teacher shortage and greatly contribute by using their skills in mathematics, science, or visual or performing arts to broaden the intellectual horizons of the next generation.

Project KIDS recommends that the District develop an effective program to identify, recruit, and provide support qualified, non-certified individuals wishing to become teachers. This program will marshal resources, bring down barriers to successfully including these persons in the workforce and cut through administrative red tape to increase the number of nontraditional teachers in the classroom.

B. Offer an attractive compensation and benefits package to teachers There exist many benefits for Oklahoma City Public Schools teachers such as low-interest mortgage financing, credit union membership and professional development opportunities. However, these benefits have never been combined or presented to potential teachers as a comprehensive package.

Project KIDS recommends the District, working with the business community and the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, review existing benefits, research benefit packages offered in other districts, pursue additional benefits of low or no cost to the District, and package them in a way that would bring added value to employment with Oklahoma City Public Schools by fall, 2002.

C. Encourage teachers to participate in continuing education and professional development opportunities

Project KIDS recommends the creation of a center for professional development and ongoing training focused on effective teaching in an urban environment. It is further recommended that

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teachers have more days for professional development to participate in programs such as “Great Expectations,” and “Principal’s Academy.” The District should set an objective of, by the year 2006, putting every elementary classroom teacher who has been in the District for three years or more through the summer “Great Expectations” program at Northeastern University in Tahlequah and the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Continual training in all teaching methods, including phonics, reading and math instruction, is essential.

D. Establish an endowment to support professional pay increases and development opportunities

The number of teachers retiring in the next decade will be substantial. In addition, there is an increasing gap in compensation between Oklahoma City Public Schools and school districts in Texas and other states. We must balance these challenges with the need to continuously attract highly qualified teachers in light of constitutionally limited resources.

Project KIDS believes the government of the State of Oklahoma has an opportunity and a duty to replicate in public education the endowments it has created in higher education. Specifically, state funding should be provided, through permanent endowments, in instances where local school districts provide matching funds. These endowments would create a permanent, “untouchable” fund that would distribute roughly 5% in interest each year to the District. This interest would be used strictly for increasing the compensation and development of its professionals on a systemic, achievement-based model. The District must then put into place a plan for how it will reward performance as it relates to enhanced student achievement and communicate this plan to all District employees utilizing such an endowment. Project KIDS believes that the first focus of such an endowment should be to bring the compensation of school personnel to a regional market level.

Absent the endowment described above, Project KIDS calls for the creation of a private endowment, utilizing the Foundation, in which the focus would be to underwrite the cost to teachers for national board certification. When a teacher is nationally certified, he or she receives an additional $5,000 each year for 10 years from the state. Because the national certification testing is cost prohibitive for many teachers, the endowment would underwrite a portion of the initial investment benefiting the teacher financially and the District with more nationally certified teachers in the long term. While the State of Oklahoma underwrites the costs of some teachers to pursue this course, it limits this benefit to only 200 teachers a year for the entire state. The Oklahoma City Public Schools should establish as its goal that by 2010, it would have more national board certified teachers than any other similarly sized school district in the United States. Project KIDS calls on the District to work with the Foundation and the private sector by the fall of 2002 to formalize such an endowment and establish a process for choosing teachers for national certification by the same date.

Q 6. A top-heavy administration and a highly centralized decision making process result in fewer resources at the school level. The outcome is a system less likely to meet local communities’ needs. What steps can the District take to channel more resources and support to the school level and individual classrooms and ensure our limited resources have the greatest impact?

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Objectives • Create a new organizational culture and develop “site-based management” to place

management authority and accountability at each school site beginning with the 2001/2002 school year.

• Beginning immediately, adopt a technologically advanced information system to provide more complete, accurate and detailed financial and student achievement information of the District and each site. By 2004, utilize a web-based system to provide student-specific, school and District information to parents and guardians and taxpayers.

• Beginning immediately, re-engage the community in ongoing school improvement by recognizing the importance of citizen involvement and establish a model for meaningful, ongoing participation from the public through the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation.

A. Create a new organizational culture

Past management approaches in Oklahoma City Public Schools emphasized “top-down” processes with little authority for personnel at the school site level. Project KIDS recommends empowered site-level management teams consisting of principals, teachers, support staff and patron leadership (e.g. PTA, PTO). Emphasis should be placed on greater accountability to the public regarding District operations, teacher development and student achievement. Such a reorientation of the District management culture is underway. Beginning with the 2001/2002 school year, changes in management include professional development training and other critical resources to enable teachers and administrators to assume greater site-level responsibility.

This system and the site-level management team will be evaluated by District management on their ability to increase student achievement as evidenced by student test scores, operate within their established budget, hire and retain experienced and high performing teachers and effectively respond to maintenance, personnel and student discipline issues that arise.

Principals must be qualified, motivated and have more budgeting authority than is presently allowed. The principal must set priorities in conjunction with his/her team and develop programs to achieve student-learning objectives. The principal must have authority and support to hire, train and recommend for termination all members of the school’s team, and to administer and enforce District policies. The principal must set the standard for communicating with parents and students. The principal must support teachers who seek a classroom environment conducive to learning.

B. Adopt a technologically advanced information system

Historically, the financial and student achievement records of Oklahoma City Public Schools have not provided adequate or timely information for management, information systems were not integrated and limited information was available to principals and teachers. A new, comprehensive management information system is needed especially as the District emphasizes more control and responsibility at the school site level. With the recent approval by the Board of Education, the District is putting into place a new computerized information system that will integrate financial information, student attendance and achievement data and personnel information. Extensive training is underway for all District personnel to efficiently and fully utilize the new system for student records, ordering and budget tracking.

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Project KIDS recommends the District utilize an integrated information system and the world wide web to help provide periodic, confidential feedback on each child’s performance to his or her parents or guardians, as well as general school system performance information to taxpayers and the public by the end of fiscal year 2004.

C. Re-engage the community in ongoing public school improvement

To create lasting and sustainable change in our schools, citizen involvement cannot be activated only in connection with bond elections, tax initiatives and election campaigns. In fact, recent history suggests that citizens are no longer willing to support initiatives they had no hand in creating. The problems facing our schools are complex and systemic. They are not amenable to expert or top-down solutions.

To maintain and build on the momentum of community involvement generated through Project KIDS, it is strongly recommended that the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation continue to foster ongoing and increased citizen participation in community and school improvement by realigning its focus beginning with the 2001/2002 school year. (The proposals involving oversight committees are discussed in more detail under Question 7, Answer C.) Under this scenario, the Foundation shall provide:

(1) a forum for ongoing citizen engagement in the community and in schools;

(2) an independent agent to oversee and measure the progress of the District;

(3) a source for reliable information on school effectiveness;

(4) an avenue for citizen involvement in policy and legislative matters;

(5) a broker for school/community partnerships in support of program development, and

(6) a convener for greater interdistrict cooperation, partnerships, and shared services with surrounding school districts, municipal government, neighborhood organizations and others, seeking solutions to the challenges we share.

Q7. What steps can the District take to ensure central administration and governance policies enable the district to meet these objectives? Objectives • Create a system that emphasizes leadership by recruiting and retaining efficient, effective

leadership for the District. The District should continue steps taken in the 2000/2001 school year.

• By August, 2001, create a management structure with division of authority among the Board of Education, a trust entity to provide improved facility construction and oversight and an organization to ensure ongoing citizen involvement and oversight

• Develop a strong performance evaluation and oversight function and publish results of student achievement, educational performance and District management by the summer of 2003; establish “best practices” entity by the summer of 2003.

• Create a public affairs committee to petition to remove or revise archaic State of Oklahoma laws by the spring of 2002.

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A. Create a system that emphasizes leadership

Effective governance of the Oklahoma City Public Schools will deliver effective and efficient educational services to each student. Governance involves activities taking place within the District itself through the administration and Board of Education and in compliance with state and federal government laws and regulations. Top-flight professional managers must be able to implement the most effective administrative approaches and not be constrained by archaic laws, regulations and organizational inertia.

With seven school board members each representing a specific geographic district and serving a four-year term, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education lacked a member with a district-wide point of view and voters only had the opportunity to vote on a single board member every four years. The Project KIDS Committee recommended the addition of an eighth member of the Board of Education to be elected at-large and to serve as chairman. Enabling state legislation was approved in 2000, the board agreed to restructure itself with an at-large chair, and by early 2001, a new board structure was in place.

As well, with its $275 million budget, the Oklahoma City Public Schools must have a superintendent/chief executive officer with extensive administrative competence in the management of complex organizations. Project KIDS recommended modification of the Oklahoma law mandating the traditional state certification of school superintendents. Through the efforts of Project KIDS working with area legislators, permissive legislation was passed by the 2001 spring session of the Oklahoma Legislature and approved by the Governor. Project KIDS also recommended the hiring of a non-traditional CEO with academic and business management experience. The Board of Education followed this recommendation and has hired Dr. William Weitzel as CEO (since been named Superintendent).

B. Provide improved facility construction oversight

Traditionally, the Board of Education and administration is responsible for overseeing both the educational programs provided by the District and the management of school facilities and construction.

Reforming the Oklahoma City Public Schools will include improved facilities and credible systems of accountability. In order to allow the Board and administration to focus on the central mission of educating students and provide a more professional approach to construction and management of school facilities, Project KIDS recommends the formation of a trust entity to oversee real estate and school construction and renovation.

Given the District’s substantial capital needs identified in Question 8, a new trust entity is needed to administer the construction of new and improved facilities and to be responsible for long-term capital maintenance.

In consultation with the Board of Education and the City Council, Mayor Kirk Humphreys and School Board Chairman Cliff Hudson will appoint a seven member board to oversee a trust authority in August 2001. The authority will have the sole responsibility such that the planning, construction and renovation of physical facilities contemplated by this report are performed on time and within budget, providing periodic progress reports to the public. The trust entity will consist of citizens with a broad array of knowledge and experience sufficient to oversee large capital improvements and financial management.

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C. Develop a strong performance evaluation and oversight function

Greater emphasis on flexibility and responsibility by site-level educational teams will require careful monitoring of performance. By asking the public to support efforts to enhance efficiency and accountability, the District has an increased responsibility to keep the public informed of progress through systemic, comparative analysis. Project KIDS recommends the creation or utilization of two new groups:

(1) Independent Educational Analysis Group for oversight of school effectiveness – Accessible and reliable data is critical to understanding the performance of students and the effectiveness of the District, including schools of choice, surrounding school districts and similar school districts across the country. Project KIDS believes that the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation is an appropriate organization to contract for services to provide an independent educational analysis by the summer of 2003. This group would provide periodic performance reviews of the District and publish a comprehensible annual report to schools, parents and guardians, and the public at large beginning in January 2004. These reports would include analysis of student performance (utilizing local, state and national performance assessments including alternative education and special education populations) and would be cross-referenced with budgets, school population and other management criteria on a system-wide basis and school-by-school. The objective of the report is not to identify ways to increase test scores, per se, but increase student achievement that is measured, in part, by increased test scores.

(2) Best Practices Group – Either as a part of the independent educational analysis group or as a separate entity, the Foundation should also establish a semi-autonomous group by the summer of 2002 to research and publish the “best practices” of other schools, including schools of choice, surrounding school districts and similar school districts across the country. Proposals, based on best practices research and new ideas, could dovetail with the shortcomings made more apparent by the independent educational analysis group. The proposals would be presented to the Board of Education for review and approval before being implemented by the District.

D. Create a public affairs committee to petition to remove or revise archaic laws Some of the laws on the Oklahoma books were created decades ago in reaction to real or perceived challenges for schools. One example of such a law is restrictions on the sale of school properties to the private sector. This prohibits the District from selling land or property to the highest bidder. There are also federal laws that restrict the efficient use of resources in Oklahoma that need to be examined.

Project KIDS recommends the creation of a public affairs committee of volunteers by spring 2002, whether by the Foundation or otherwise, to examine laws governing Oklahoma City Public Schools and make suggestions or proposals to revise or remove laws that unnecessarily restrict or prohibit the District from operating in an efficient, cost-effective and business-like manner.

Q 8. What is wrong with our current school buildings? Over the past 30 years, the Oklahoma City Public Schools District has proposed only 10 bond issues. Out of those 10, only four passed, forcing the District to divert funds from general operating budget to maintain and repair facilities and remove hazardous materials such as asbestos. Over the past five years, surrounding public school districts have raised $200 million

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through successful bond proposals. During the same period, Oklahoma City has raised zero dollars. Bond money is important to public schools; traditionally, it is the only source of funding for building construction or improvements.

While it is simple to look at a school facility and identify structural or aesthetic needs, the District has needed a comprehensive, systemic evaluation of each site to understand all of the needs and associated costs of addressing those needs.

In the year 2000, Project KIDS, through the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, retained the services of two consultants to assist in the evaluation of the Oklahoma City Public Schools’ programs, technology, transportation and facilities. The group selected to assist with physical facilities was the Facilities Group of Atlanta, Georgia (“FG”); the counter-part in the instructional program area was the Myers Group of Indianapolis, Indiana (“MG”).

FG representatives completed a comprehensive evaluation of the physical condition of every facility in the Oklahoma City Public Schools District, including closed facilities and the administration building. From this investigation, they developed a comprehensive analysis of the condition of each building and projected renovation and expansion costs of each facility.

Simultaneously, MG focused on the instructional programs with scores of meetings held throughout the fall, winter and spring of 2000-2001 with teachers, students, administrators and patrons. The public input concluded with a series of “Key Communicator” meetings through the spring of 2001, collecting information on patrons’ ideas, preferences and suggestions as to size of schools, programs offered and strategic direction for the Oklahoma City Public Schools. This process of community engagement included nearly 4,000 individuals focusing on the issue of improving academic achievement in our schools.

MG and FG consulted with each other concerning appropriate national standards for educational programs and physical facilities. Their findings were utilized in developing their recommendations to Project KIDS regarding the Oklahoma City Public Schools.

The average age of Oklahoma City Public Schools buildings is 57 years. Considering the average “life expectancy” of school buildings is 50 years and the fact that the District has 98 facilities to maintain, it is easy to see why the District has had a difficult time keeping up with maintenance and repairs. At many of our schools, the physical condition of the building presents unsafe conditions for students.

With a lack of adequate funding, the District has been forced to take dollars from educational programs to fund critical repairs. With increased capital investment from the public, more resources would be devoted to educational programs.

The structure and function of a school building should support the school’s program objectives. The public has identified, through the Key Communicator series of community meetings, the need to offer academic programs such as science, visual and performing arts, athletics, etc. Yet many school buildings are currently too small for these additional programs/classrooms and many school sites are too small to accommodate facility expansions. In addition, many of our schools have a student enrollment too small to support additional academic programs. Therefore, Project KIDS has developed an educational plan that integrates building plans with the educational programs requested by the public. Extensive reconfiguration of current facilities is needed in order to offer additional academic programs and maximize school populations needed to support such programs.

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The need to “wire” our schools for technology is essential. In addition to the funds spent on hardware technology, it is essential that all of the Oklahoma City Public Schools, once renovated, will accommodate state-of-the-art technology. At a minimum, this should include not just fiber optic wiring throughout the school, including all classrooms, but also sufficient power supply in each school to support future technologies.

Beyond these specifics, it was important to the KIDS Committee that the schools be refurbished to make them safe for ordinary use and to stabilize the long-term life of these facilities, many of which are historical properties.

For example, the buses owned by the Oklahoma City Public Schools are horribly antiquated. National sources recommend that school buses in use average not more than 10-12 years old. The buses owned by the Oklahoma City Public Schools on average are 16 years old, well in excess of national safety recommendations.

Project KIDS recommends any consideration of new capital funding for the Oklahoma City Public Schools include transportation service to increase the safety of its children and reduce the likelihood of injury to young people. In addition, with fewer buses breaking down, students will consistently arrive at class on time and their learning capacity improved as a result.

Q 9. What benefits could be gained by reconfiguring attendance patterns in the district? Project KIDS recommends the reconfiguration of physical sites in the District to address several issues that have proven to be negative trends. One of the most pressing issues, according to citizens in the District, is the need to “fix middle schools.”

Project KIDS is aware of the loss of students from the elementary schools to the middle schools for Oklahoma City. Parents are often reluctant to move their child from their small, neighborhood elementary schools to larger, more distant middle schools with older children. The Oklahoma City Public Schools District loses nine percent of its students between elementary and middle school. In the worst case, over 50% of the elementary students scheduled to attend Harding Middle School leave the District. There is only one middle school in Oklahoma City that experiences an increase in students from its feeder elementary schools: Jefferson Middle School. All others experience a significant reduction in students from their respective elementary schools. Project KIDS concluded that, while the District reconsiders educational programs and widespread renovation, a reconfiguration of grade structure should be included to increase participation. (NOTE: It is not just the departure of students that is a problem, academic performance and perceived student safety also are major variables.)

Project KIDS believes that consolidating some schools and reconfiguring some from grades K-5 to K-6 or K-8 (see the map on Appendix 2) would help keep students at the same school longer, reduce flight to suburban areas, preserve urban neighborhoods and stabilize or increase student population, allowing for introduction of new programs. During public hearings, citizens have demanded programs such as science, visual/performing arts, physical education and others. These programs are cost-effective only in schools that are large enough to offer the programs to many students.

On the other hand, the citizens of the District have indicated a strong preference for small, neighborhood schools. Using the latest research, Project KIDS has developed a plan that

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provides the benefits of larger schools (i.e. more programs) and, yet, delay the point at which 11-14 year olds are sent to larger, more distant schools.

In schools with a K-8 configuration, this consolidation of students can be managed on the site by designing “pods” or separate wings of the building for clusters of grades. These areas could have separate entrances, so younger students are in a different area of the building from 7th and 8th grade students, but they could both benefit from use of the common areas such as the gymnasium and library.

One of the most important objectives of the Project KIDS recommendations is to ensure that the number of public schools and their condition are such that the related maintenance and operating costs could be permanently reduced. Certainly, the ongoing maintenance and operation costs of an excessive number of buildings that are in poor condition will sap the budget of any organization!

As the individuals engaged Project KIDS who were focused on physical facilities began to draw the review to a close, the primary objectives used in considering building configuration and facilities focus were: (1) Whether the proposed building configuration and school renovations would complement the

program component developed by Project KIDS;

(2) Whether the proposed school attendance pattern increased the likelihood of children going from elementary school on to middle school within the District, rather than discouraging this path; and

(3) Whether the cost of renovation, additions, and reconfigurations was achievable.

The result of attempting to reach these objectives with the fixed assets of the District resulted in the building reconfigurations shown in Appendix 2. It was intended that in each case the reconfiguration would result in a reasonable increase in the number of students attending the schools, increased percentage of students continuing from elementary to middle school, and thereafter, on to high school in the District.

Q 10. How will new or refurbished facilities enhance student achievement? Project KIDS wants to ensure that concerns over bricks and mortar do not overshadow educational reform. From the beginning, we insisted that the building program must grow out of the educational program; meeting the needs of students and teachers in a way that allows for future population and program growth.

Day-to-day learning could be enhanced with new and refurbished facilities that require less maintenance and prevent the diversion of funds from other areas; provide adequate, well-designed space for additional programs; a safe learning environment; better lighting in the classrooms and hallways; and a more attractive, inviting facility for students, teachers and the public.

The psychological effects of a new facility would be enormous for our young people. New or refurbished buildings are the most visual way in which the citizens of Oklahoma City can demonstrate to our children that their education is valued. It is difficult to convince a child that his or her education is important when their school facility is in a constant state of disrepair.

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Building a learning city will certainly require that technology be integrated into the learning experience. Without a significant understanding of technology and web-based learning, students are ill-prepared for the 21st century workplace. In addition, the lost opportunity of diminished educational resources via technology would be enormous.

The widespread implementation of computer technology as a tool for classroom usage as well as teacher and student training is essential. Each classroom should be fully “wired” and appropriate hardware should be available in all classrooms throughout the Oklahoma City Public Schools District.

In addition, technology should be implemented in such a way as to fully utilize financial information systems and student information systems by District administration in addition to administrators at the school-site level. This will not only permit the administration to efficiently manage its financial affairs, but also will permit school administrators to track the performance of students across the system and at each school, class-by-class, year-by-year.

Ultimately, it should be the goal of the Oklahoma City Public Schools to provide patrons with extensive and detailed information concerning the District’s performance from a central website and serve as a place where parents and guardians can gain information concerning their child’s performance.

Q 11. How many new schools will be built and where will they be located? The District currently has 88 facilities, excluding the administrative building, some special program facilities and buildings currently not in use. Project KIDS proposes that with modified, newly-built and discontinued schools, the District operate its current programs with 70 school buildings.

Of this number, four are new elementary and three are new replacement high schools. The map on Appendix 3 shows the configuration of schools following the implementation of the proposed plan.

Q 12. What will happen to the buildings that will no longer be used as schools? When implemented, the school configuration contained in Appendix 3 would result in 25 current facilities not continuing in the future K-12 program. This number reflects 23 facilities to be closed, reopening Page Woodson, building four new elementary schools and building two replacement high schools. However, this is not to say these buildings would not be of use in Oklahoma City. Recommended uses for these facilities would include: (1) Alternative schools for students with special behavioral problems, whether strictly part of the

Oklahoma City Public Schools District or joint-venture programs with surrounding school districts;

(2) Early childhood learning centers operated by non-governmental, non-profit agencies proposed previously;

(3) Daily living centers for senior citizens, or

(4) Housing for social-service agencies for local or state government programs.

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These are just a few of the recommended examples. Schools that do not meet other needs could be sold to the highest bidder, perhaps to the private-sector. The City of Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma City Public Schools need to ensure that each facility is utilized in another capacity or is managed so that it maintains its aesthetic responsibility to the neighborhood.

Q 13. How will the District fund these proposals? The amounts required to implement the various phases of work, which have been described and recommended, are considerable. The chart below shows them by category for their respective amounts:

Technology $ 52,000,000 Transportation $ 9,000,000 Building construction and renovation $469,000,000 Total $530,000,000

The current sources of public funding for these types of expenditures is limited. The traditional source for these types of large capital expenditures is issuance of bonds, the repayment of which is backed by property taxes paid by citizens within the school district. The maximum amount of these bonds is limited by the Oklahoma Constitution to 10% of the appraised property value within the school district. Oklahoma City Public Schools’ current bonding capacity is limited to just less than $120 million, an amount insufficient to complete the work proposed by this report. Consequently, Project KIDS believes that this proposal must include the current bonding capacity, with additional bonds to be issued only as bond capacity becomes available through the retirement of outstanding debt.

The renovations proposed for the Oklahoma City Public Schools cannot be performed if we rely only on the issuance of bonds. Additional funding, such as the sales tax Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys is proposing, is absolutely essential to meet these needs.

Q 14. How can taxpayers be assured that funds will be used with integrity and as intended? As described under question 7, Project KIDS is recommending new oversight measures be established to enhance accountability for construction and renovation projects.

Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys, with City Council approval, will appoint a trust with authority over all expenditures, including the selection and oversight of contracts with architects, engineers and general contractors. With City Council review and consideration, the Mayor will nominate three such members and the Chairman of the School Board will nominate three, with the School Board’s review and consideration. The Mayor and the Chairman will consult as to a seventh member, the Chairman. The seven member trust will be empowered to ensure that the construction and renovation provided for by this plan is performed on time and on budget, providing the public regular updates.

To summarize, Project KIDS recommends new and rehabilitated school sites and reconfiguration of grades and attendance patterns to accomplish the following:

(1) Every student would attend a new or renovated school that does not utilize portable buildings as classroom space except Van Buren Elementary (it was rebuilt in 2000);

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(2) By the year 2007-2008, the average elementary school would have a projected student population of 592 as opposed to the current population of 352 based on the grade structure and school utilization. This would permit additional academic programs beyond anything Oklahoma City Public Schools has offered previously on a consistent basis;

(3) No school that included seventh and eighth grader students would be without a gymnasium, thus promoting physical education;

(4) Every school would be technology ready, including the acquisition of appropriate hardware;

(5) Every school would be in a condition such that operating costs should decline for the average school because of lower utility and general regular maintenance costs, and

(6) The net change in schools would be to reduce the number of operating schools from 88 to 70 (excluding any future alternative schools which may be developed and utilized in that capacity).

With these proposals implemented, the Oklahoma City Public Schools system and physical facilities would be significantly transformed to support our children for the 21st Century.

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Conclusion These recommendations provide a basic road map to bring Oklahoma City Public Schools into the 21st Century by helping to create a healthy economic environment, establishing effective, efficient governance of our schools, providing the best possible learning environment, engaging the community in public schools and ultimately, preparing children for a bright future.

The inclusive process of gathering information and opening dialogue with the public must continue, but it must be more than dialogue. Real change in our District must come from the involvement, action and support of citizens. We can no longer sit by with the assumption that others will make necessary changes to ensure the school system is accountable for educating our youngest citizens. That is the mentality that has allowed the Oklahoma City Public Schools to reach an alarming level of ineffectiveness. We must follow the news and developments of the schools, become aware of the actions and proposals of the administration, offer our opinions and ideas to the school administration, Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, Board of Education and City Council, hold them accountable and we must give them the time and resources to make a learning city a reality.

The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu reminds us “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” To build the learning city we envision, create powerful opportunities and give the children in our city a most precious gift, we must take that step now.

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Appendix 1 Terms and descriptions Arts Integration – A teaching method that integrates art into the curriculum for enhanced student achievement. Integration could take the form of a dramatization of a particular skill, the creation of a piece of artwork to demonstrate a science concept, or the incorporation of music within the lesson. The method has shown enhanced learning or helped make “book knowledge” meaningful for those who learn by doing.

Core Knowledge – Used predominantly in elementary and middle schools, Core Knowledge curriculum contains content from the subject areas of language arts, math, history, geography, fine arts, and science. The curriculum is sequenced by grade level and encourages the integration of subject areas into thematic teaching units that build on preceding units.

Effective Schools – A model for comprehensive school improvement based research and proven methods for on effective schools and learning.

Great Expectations - Great Expectations is a unique and creative approach to teaching that is research-based in the very best of teaching practices. The program “energizes” middle and elementary school teachers and provides them new and innovative teaching methods. Schools of Choice Charter Schools - Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" that establishes the school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment and ways to measure success. Any group or corporation can apply to the Oklahoma City Board of Education for a charter with periodic performance reviews by the Board. Oklahoma City currently has 7 charter schools: Western Village Elementary, Independence Charter Middle School, Astec Middle School, Dove Science Academy, John Wesley Academy, Santa Fe South High School and Judge Alma B. Wilson Seeworth Academy.

Enterprise Schools - Enterprise Schools are managed by local advisory boards that are responsible for financial, personnel, curriculum and education services decisions. Unique to Oklahoma City, Enterprise Schools were created before the state law was changed in 1999 allowing Charter Schools. Because of their success, many Enterprise Schools have continued to operate and provide students a unique educational experience and opportunity to succeed.

Magnet Schools - Magnet Schools are based around themes that guide the educational process. Students' interest in the themes helps them learn the core curriculum. Federal grants provided special equipment to offer communications, science and technology classes that would otherwise not be available. Oklahoma City has seven Magnet Schools: North Highland for math & science, Dewey Elementary for Visual & Performing Arts, Martin Luther King Elementary for

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mass media/communication (writing focus), Longfellow Elementary for mass media/communication (broadcast focus), Moon Middle School for mass media/communication (technology focus), Star Spencer High School for mass media/communication (technology focus) and Creston Hills Elementary for Montessori (a teaching technique where different ages work collaboratively and at their own pace).

Specialty Schools - Specialty Schools are similar to Magnet Schools in that they are also based around themes to captures students' interest and enhance learning. Specialty Schools provide the state required curriculum along with a special focus and skill development. There are 10 Specialty Schools in Oklahoma City: Nichols Hills Elementary for international studies and fine arts, Cleveland Elementary for art and science, Thelma R. Parks Elementary for computer and foreign language, Wilson Elementary for arts integration, Horace Mann Elementary for reading enrichment, Hoover and John Marshall are the “Academy” programs for advanced arts, speech, debate and community service, Classen School of Advanced Studies for international baccalaureate diploma program (interdisciplinary academic program for high achievers) and visual and performing arts, Northeast Academy for health, sciences and engineering, Southeast High School for advanced technologies.

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Project KIDS would like to thank the following staff who helped provide information, resources, background, organizational support and encouragement to the Project KIDS committees. At the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation: Sherry Rice Rhodes, Ann McNellis, Cheryl Jones Diane Vinson, Susan Parker, Lavane Vowell and Christi Woodworth. At the Oklahoma City Public Schools: Joyce Henderson, Terry Wolfe, Rosa Lambeth, Cindy Carroll, Doug Braxton, Sherry Fair and Marci Williamson. Staff for Project KIDS: Dr. Larkin Warner, Sherre James and Debbie Anglin. We appreciate the dedication and enthusiasm you have demonstrated. For questions or further information please contact the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, 420 N 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73103, 405.232.4049, www.okckids.com or email ocpsf-am@swbell.net