March, 2011 CSO Meeting. 11 Agenda 9:00-9:30Welcome and District Support Program Update 9:30-9:40Communications: Discuss state initiatives and effective

March, 2011

CSO Meeting

2 2

Agenda

9:00-9:30 Welcome and District Support Program Update

9:30-9:40 Communications: Discuss state initiatives and effective practices

9:40-9:50 Communications: District presentation

9:50-10:25 Communications: Facilitated breakout

10:25-10:35 Break

10:35-11:15 Resource allocation: Discuss effective practices

11:15-11:50 Resource allocation: Facilitated breakout

11:50-12:00 Wrap-up

12:00-1:00 Optional meeting for data coach liaisons

3 3

Objectives for today

Discuss Support Program updates

Understand effective practices for communications and work on the “communications and stakeholder engagement” part of your plan

Understand effective practices for resource allocation and work on the “activities to remove” part of your plan

4 4

Support Program Updates (1/4) – Common Guidance

▪ All districts received a “Common Guidance” document based on the February 28 submissions

▪ A few additional themes emerged from last week’s phone calls with Chiefs:

▪ Districts need to have one plan

▪ Plans need to be focused and comprehensive

▪ Plans should be specific, not long-winded

▪ Consider having a community member read your full draft plan for clarity and understanding

5 5

DRAFT Agenda: 90 minutes

1.Welcome and agenda overview 5 minutes

2.District presentation on the plan 10 minutes

3.Q&A on the plan development and success factors 20 minutes

4.Q&A specific to the individual district’s plan 40 minutes

5.Wrap-up and agree on next steps 15 minutes

Support Program Updates (2/4) – May meetings

Scheduling: All districts received dates and times from Margie

Participants: Teams must include the Chief, teacher representation and board representation – districts are invited to bring other team members as desired

Preparation: All districts will receive a detailed agenda three weeks in advance, including guidance for the presentation and specific questions

6 6

Support Program Updates (3/4) – Resources

Visits ▪ All visit materials are online

▪ Please let us know how we can support districts in incorporating the lessons from visits

April Chiefs’ Meeting

▪ The April Chiefs meeting has been cancelled due to the substantial amount of plan work

▪ Please use the time to prepare for the May meetings

▪ Please also use that time to complete a brief survey on the LEA Support Program

Resources ▪ DOE has compiled a “resource index” handout aligning all resources to the plan components

▪ Please contact your facilitator or liaison if you have any questions

7 7

Date

September 23

November 16

Activity

October 11, 12, or13

December 6, 7, or 8

December 14

January 27

February 7, 8, or 9

February 24

March 7, 8, or 9 County workshop

March 24 Chief meeting

October 28

Support Program Updates (4/4) – Program Calendar Completed

April 11 Submit full draft of plan

In-person meetings with Secretary LoweryMay 4 - 11

Submit final draft of planMay 20 - 27

Receive funding decision from DOEEarly June

Participants will receive

up to 30 clock hours,

based on attendance

8 8

Agenda





10:25-10:35 Break



11:50-12:00 Wrap-up


9 9

State Communications Initiatives

Program overviews

▪ Recently completed one- to two-page backgrounders on each major initiative

▪ Soon to be posted on DOE website, updated regularly

Teacher e-blasts

▪ New outlet to communicate directly on a regular basis with teachers, so as to share updates on RTTT and other initiatives

LEA PIO meetings

▪ State public information officer meeting with district communications staff to share information, get feedback on how DOE can better coordinate with LEAs

Website redesign

▪ Early stages of planning to revamp state’s website, making it easier to navigate and more useful to the public, with an RTTT-specific webpage

Media coordination

▪ Daily media inquiry summaries sent from the state to all districts/ charters to keep LEAs informed of potential news stories before they appear in print

UpdateInitiative

Media training workshop

▪ Workshop on April 12th for districts and charters without public information officers to discuss effective practices for engaging the media

10 10

District Expectations for Communications

1) Stakeholder engagement to develop your plan (past)

From the plan template:

How did you engage stakeholders in the process of developing this plan?

From the plan rubric:

LEA should:

•Ensure that all stakeholders understand the plan and that representatives from all stakeholder groups have had an opportunity to provide input into the plan

2) Communications and stakeholder engagement (ongoing)

From the plan template:

What stakeholders will you need to engage in your implementation efforts? What mechanisms will you use to effectively engage with them on an ongoing basis? What are the key messages that will need to be delivered, and how do these differ by stakeholder?

From the plan rubric:

LEA should:

•Have a plan for ensuring that all stakeholders understand their roles in ensuring the plan’s success

•Develop a communications plan for ongoing dialogue with stakeholders

At a minimum,

all districts should

share their draft plans

after the April 11

submission

Today’s breakout will give districts time to make

progress on this part of their plans

11 11

Framework for Communications and Guiding Questions

Develop the messages

Identify the stakeholder groups

Determine the objectives

1

2

3

Provide feedback mechanisms

Select the channels

Establish the timing

4

5

6

Which “groups” do we need to engage? Which groups do we need to

inform?

What does each group need in terms of communication? What are we trying

to achieve with each group?

Why are we changing? How are we changing? What does this mean for

each group?

How will the messages be delivered - written or face-to-face, and through

what venue?

When will the messages be delivered, and how frequently?

How will we get feedback? How will we know whether our objectives have

been achieved?

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Agenda





10:25-10:35 Break



11:50-12:00 Wrap-up


13 13

Caesar Rodney School District Newsletter

What are the state requirements for Race to the Top?

What is Race to the Top?

How is the Department of Education leading the change?

What are some Race to the Top terms?

How does all of this change affect me and my students?

Why a Success Academy and Freshman Academy at CRHS?

What is a Success Academy?

What is a Freshman Academy?

For more information:

14 14

Learning FocusedUnit and Lesson Planning

Common Assessments

Intervention ProgramsLiteracy and Numeracy

In School and Out of School

Using DataReportable Timelines

What data?

Culture of Learning Vision/Mission

Norms/Loose/Tight CultureInstructional Feedbacks

Professional Learning CommunitiesTeams as a basic Unit

Learning, Collaboration and RESULTS

District Team/Principals Team/Building Leaders Team/Content or Grade

State StandardsGuaranteed and

Viable Curriculum

SMART GoalsData to CompareData Coaches

Triangle of Interventions

Master Schedule

Professional DevelopmentMatches Needs/EffectiveLearning Focused/Assessment of/forSolution Tree/StetsonTime Studies/SAMS

Effective Teacher and LeadersInstructional Monitoring

DPAS II/Development CoachesTeacher & Leader Surveys

Student AchievementRecruit, Train, Promote, Retain, Remove

Communicate and Engage Families and Community

Expand Rigorous Coursework

Caesar Rodney School District Race to the Top Implementation Priorities

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Agenda





10:25-10:35 Break



11:50-12:00 Wrap-up


16 16

What How Materials

▪Discuss your communication and engagement plan for one stakeholder group

▪With your district

▪Flip charts, markers, and handouts

▪20

Time

▪Share the above, as well as your district’s effective practices for communications

▪With your table

▪Flip chart with notes

▪15

Facilitated breakout on communications

Stakeholder groupsWhich “groups” do we need to engage? Which groups do we need to inform?

ObjectivesWhat does each group need in terms of communication? What are we trying to achieve with each group?

MessagesWhy are we changing? How are we changing? What does this mean for each group?

Channels How will the messages be delivered - written or face-to-face, and through what venue?

TimingWhen will the messages be delivered, and how frequently?

Feedback MechanismHow will we get feedback? How will we know whether our objectives have been achieved?

17 17

Agenda





10:25-10:35 Break



11:50-12:00 Wrap-up


18 18

Agenda





10:25-10:35 Break



11:50-12:00 Wrap-up


19 19

Resource Allocation and the Relationship to District Plans

1) Activities to remove

From the plan template and rubric:

•Background: Implementing new, more effective strategies/activities, by definition, means ceasing to do less effective ones. This section is intended to help LEAs think through what ineffective activities they will stop doing. In particular, LEAs are encouraged to identify those ineffective activities they are implementing that are using up significant monetary and non-monetary resources.

Districts should use the planning process to discuss strategic resource allocation – which

activities will be prioritized or de-prioritized, to ensure the success and sustainability of the overall

effort

DOE understands that these funds provide an opportunity for

experimentation; sustainability should be approached from the

perspective of how your district will evaluate program effectiveness

and ensure that effective programs continue

2) Sustainability (per objective)

From the plan template and rubric:

•How will LEA ensure that this is sustainable once RTTT funds are gone? Sustainability can be achieved through increased capacity or additional funds.

The District Management Council

70 Franklin Street

Boston MA, 02110

Tel: 877.DMC.3500

www.dmcouncil.org


Strategic Resource Allocation

March 24, 2011

© 2011 І District Management Council І www.dmcouncil.org 21

Agenda

Approach to Strategic Resource Allocation

Examples

Discussion


School District Strategy & Execution

Aspirational Vision

Initiatives

Action Plan

Responsibilities Timelines

Goals Measures

Theory of Action

Prioritization of Time and Money Focus for Today


Developing Strategic Resource Allocation Step-by-Step

• What resources do not advance the strategy?

• Where are we under-investing ?

• What resources are not creating student learning?

• Where can productivity be improved without impacting students?

• Where are opportunities to shift resources from less effective efforts towards strategic priorities?

• What is the district’s theory of action?

• What programs and initiatives support this theory?

• Is this an effective program or initiative?

• How do we know?

• How are these prioritized?

• Where are resources currently allocated?

• What is the flexibility of these allocations (e.g., contractual, legal, political)?

Activities & Deliverables

For each potential savings or investment opportunity, assess:

•What is the forecasted impact on student achievement?

•How else will the adjustment affect the system?

•What impact will this adjustment have on the community?

•How do we know this?

•What additional data do we need to make an informed decision?

• How will the district prioritize and rank the rationalization options?

• How much buy-in exists from the staff and community?

• Who will champion the change?

• How will the final decisions be reached?

Assess Current Strategy and Budget

Identify MisalignmentAssess Impact of

potential opportunitiesPrioritization

& Buy-inCommunication

• How will final decisions be shared?

• How will the process be communicated?

• Internally?

• Externally?

• Who will help deliver the message?

• How will questions and concerns be addressed?

Stakeholder Engagement

• Facilitate Senior Team strategy session

• Detailed budget review

• Facilitate session of principals and senior administrators

• Line item analysis & detailed benchmarking

• Best practice comparison

• Scenario development

• Systems thinking framework

• Facilitate session of principals and senior administrators

• Software-based trade-off tools

• Develop communication plans and feedback process

• Develop implementation plans


Diagnostic Areas: General Education

Targeted Study Areas

• Management of available seats

• Staff to student ratios and variance by school and subject

• Course offerings

• Use of partial FTEs

• Adjustment procedure based on enrollment fluctuations

• Enrollment projection, management

• Assess effectiveness of current programs (e.g., reading, intervention, math, gifted and talented, college readiness)

• Develop measure of “Return on Investment” (i.e. student learning/dollars spent)

• Service delivery model for special education, ELL and other remediation and intervention efforts

• Assignment of nurses, social workers, physiologists and other specialized staff

• Teaching assistants

• Administrative organizational structure

Class Size Management

Program Effectiveness

Non-classroom Staff


Diagnostic Areas: Special Education


• Speech therapy (caseload, group size, use of assistants, variance)

• Occupational therapy (caseload, group size, use of assistants, variance)

• Applied Behavioral Analysis support

• Scheduling efficiency

• IEP development guidelines

• Class size by disability, variance

• Staffing model

• Non-teaching support staff

• Assignment rules

• Scheduling

• Utilization

• Push-in versus pull-out models

• Role of special education teachers, testers and administrators

Related (Therapeutic) Services

Special Education Service Delivery Model

Severe Needs Classrooms

Paraprofessional Staffing


Diagnostic Areas: Operations


• Maintenance

• Capital expenditures

• Custodial

• Revenue generation

• Purchasing

• Contracting and outsourcing

• Grants management

• Compliance (e.g., lost revenue)

• Reimbursement (e.g., Medicaid)

• Expense management

• Contracting procedure

• Routing procedure, scheduling efficiency

• Special education transportation

Facilities

Finance

Transportation


Agenda


Examples

Discussion


New Model: Shifting Staffing as Enrollment Shifts

2624

242323

2221

2120

2020

1919

191918

171717

161616

1515

1414

131313

1311

20 student target

Regular ed Pupils per Regular Ed Teacher

School 31School 30School 29School 28School 27

School 2School 1

School 8School 7School 6School 5School 4School 3



School 14School 13School 12School 11School 10

School 9

• DMC has found savings opportunities ranging from 2-5% of total district budget, regardless of district size.

• Research suggests that class sizes up to a point do not negatively impact student achievement.


New Model: Thoughtful Grouping in Building-level Master Schedules

37.0

29.5

22.0

50.0

36.0

30.0

+35%

+22%

+36%

SpeechOTPT

Target caseload

Current Average Caseload for Therapists

• DMC has found opportunities to reduce therapist staffing by 20-25% to be typical, regardless of district size.

• In this example, over 25% savings were realized while caseloads remained below the national average.


New Model: Partial Day/Partial Week Paraprofessional Support

0.000

0.005

0.010

0.015

+74%

District

CGCS Average

Ratio of Paraprofessionals to Students,District versus Council of Great City Schools Median • DMC has found

opportunities to reduce staffing needs by 30%+ are common, regardless of district size.

• In this example, shifting paraprofessional staffing to the CGCS average would save almost 2% of district budget (gross)

Note: District currently staffs paraprofessionals at a rate 74% higher than the average of the 31 member districts of the Council of the Great City Schools


New Model: Strategic Outsourcing

Traditional View on OutsourcingTraditional View on Outsourcing

Strategic Viewon OutsourcingStrategic Viewon Outsourcing

• Cost cutting

• Consider outsourcing all non-core functions

• Contract-driven vendor management

• Arms-length functional management

• Strategic value

• Consider keeping control of all functions that are competitive differentiators

• Relationship-driven vendor management

• Alignment of external partners with district objectives

Pursuing outsourcing with the traditional view can create value

for districts, but only in less critical areas such as food or

custodial services.

Outsourcing arrangements can be formed with a long-term view, and

should be designed to align the provider to achieve a strategic goal

of the district.


Agenda


Examples

Discussion


Discussion Tool: Prioritization Matrix

“First Priorities”or

“Phantom Promises”?

• Where would you place the tactics listed?

• Which are your top priorities?

• What else would you add?

• What other high value opportunities can we compile? “Strategic Impact”

HIGH VALUE(Long Term)

Tackle these high-impact issues by breaking down into manageable pieces

Resist the urge to cut deep where long-term strategic value could be eroded

“The Shiny Coins”

“Distractions”

LOW VALUE(Short Term)

Opportunities that used to be ignored in good times now look very attractive: pick

these up quickly

Low priorities: ignore until all other opportunities exhausted

HARD(Low Control)

EASY(High Control)


Pre-brainstormed Tactics List

• Management of available seats

• Management of staff to student ratios and variance by school and subject

• Course offerings

• Change use of partial FTEs

• Adjustment procedure based on enrollment fluctuations

• Enrollment projection, management

• Assess effectiveness of current programs (e.g., reading, intervention, math, gifted and talented, college readiness)

• Develop measure of “Return on Investment” (i.e. student learning/dollars spent) and prioritize spending accordingly

• Change service delivery model for special education, ELL and other remediation and intervention efforts

• Change assignment model of nurses, social workers, physiologists and other specialized staff

• Teaching assistant staffing

• Administrative organizational structure

• Speech therapy management (caseload, group size, use of assistants, variance)

• Occupational therapy management (caseload, group size, use of assistants, variance)

• Applied Behavioral Analysis support

• Improve scheduling efficiency

• Change IEP development guidelines

• Increase use of push-in versus pull-out models

• Adjust role of special education teachers, testers and administrators

• Manage class size by disability, variance

• Adjust staffing models

• Non-teaching support staff management

• Modify paraprofessional assignment rules

• Improve paraprofessional scheduling

• Improve paraprofessional utilization

Management of :

•Maintenance

•Capital expenditures

•Custodial

•Revenue generation

•Purchasing

•Contracting and outsourcing

•Grants management

•Compliance (e.g., lost revenue)

•Reimbursement (e.g., Medicaid)

•Expense management

•Contracting procedure

•Routing procedure, scheduling efficiency

•Special education transportation

General Education Special Education Operations

What else would you add?


Looking for Opportunities to do More with Less: Activities

Staffing Teaching & Learning Operational Efficiency

Effective Scheduling & Staffing

•Class size management

•Therapeutic services (speech and language, OT and PT)

•ELL

•Paraprofessionals

•Remediation and intervention staff

Staffing Guidelines

•Targeted class size (core and non-core)

•Special education case loads

•Substantially separate classroom support

•Student supports (nursing, guidance, social work)

•Custodial & maintenance

Benefits Management

•Part-time vs. Full-time

•Certified vs. Non-certified

Academic Programs & Strategies

•Assess full costs of each effort

•Find what works

•Curtail ineffective efforts

•Calculate student achievement return on investment

•Reduce duplicative programs

Professional Development

•Audit current efforts

•Align with priorities

•Expand in-house experts

Monitor Effectiveness

•Student growth increases

•Common formative assessments

•Teacher feedback

Maximize Resources

•Control and alignment of state and federal grants

•Medicaid reimbursement

•Third-party funding

Operational Efficiency & Cost Effectiveness

•Transportation routing (general education and special education)

•Subcontracted services

•Vendor review and competitive bidding

Track & Monitor Spending

•Overtime

•Program budgets

Where should your district look?



If you have any comments or questions about the content of this document, please contact Nick Morgan, Managing Director

[email protected]

Tel. 617-453-0718

Fax. 617.491.5266

70 Franklin St., Boston MA 02110

Web: www.dmcouncil.org

37 37

Agenda





10:25-10:35 Break



11:50-12:00 Wrap-up


38 38

Wrap-up – how did we do?

Please complete the workshop surveys on your table

Remember to send your full draft plan by April 11

Discuss Support Program updates

Understand effective practices for communications and work on the “communications and stakeholder engagement” part of your plan

Understand effective practices for resource allocation and work on the “activities to remove” part of your plan

39 39

Agenda


9:30-9:40 Communications: Discuss statewide initiatives and effective practices



10:25-10:35 Break



11:50-12:00 Wrap-up


40 40

Optional meeting for data coach liaisons

12:00-12:15 Update on Data Coach ProjectAllocation Worksheet for Data CoachesPLCs & # of Core Teachers in each building

12:15-12:30 Instructional Improvement Systems

12:30-12:40 Additional TLEU Upcoming Initiatives Development CoachesSAMsVision Network

12:40-1:00 Q & A

Documents

March, 2011 CSO Meeting. 11 Agenda 9:00-9:30Welcome and District Support Program Update 9:30-9:40Communications: Discuss state initiatives and effective