Oakland Unified School District

Oakland Unified School District

The Most Improved Large Urban District in

California Over the Past Six Years

118 Point API Gain since 2006

Oakland USD Data (2009)• Students

– District enrollment (includes 1,827 Pre-K) 41,082– Adult Education Programs 25,138– Number of Schools 104– English Learners 23.1%– Free or reduced lunch 70.18%– Attendance rate 94.5%

• Student Ethnic and Racial Distribution– African American 35.3%– Hispanic or Latino 34.7%– Asian 14.6%– White (not Hispanic) 7.0%– Multiple or No Response 6.2%– Pacific Islander 1.1%– Filipino 0.8%– American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%

• Oakland Charter Schools (1993-2010)– 42 Petitions approved, 32 Operating, 5 Revoked, 3 Surrendered– District authorized charter school enrollment 7,621

Effective Instruction for Every Student, Every Classroom, Every Day

Safe and Supportive Schools

Literacy for College and Career Readiness

Effective Instruction for Every Student, Every Classroom, Every Day


Literacy for College and Career Readiness

ACHIEVEMENT • EQUITY • ACCOUNTABILITY

Core Values Underlying Our Work

— — GOALS —GOALS —

All students will meet or exceed rigorous standards

in all academic disciplines. All students will:

Graduate prepared to succeed in college and the workplace.

Succeed in Algebra by the end of ninth grade.

Read and write by the end of third grade.

Students take responsibility for themselves and the common good.

Students will possess personalmotivation, skills and resiliency

necessary for success in life and the workplace.

VISION:All students will graduate as caring, competent and critical thinkers, fully

informed, engaged and contributing citizens, prepared to succeed in college and career.

— — BOARD PRIORITIES —BOARD PRIORITIES —

District Goals and Strategic Priorities

3rd Grade: Proficient in Reading and Writing3rd Grade: Proficient in Reading and Writing


Success in College and Career

Effective Instruction Every Day

9th Grade: Proficient in Algebra9th Grade: Proficient in Algebra

12th Grade: Ready for College and Career12th Grade: Ready for College and Career

The Results So Far…

Five Year Data:• 118 point district API growth past five years, highest by far of any

large urban in CA• 14 point increase in graduation rate, narrowed gap w African

American and Latino students• 30+ point gain in CST in Elementary math and ELA proficiency• Significant gains by schools and central office depts. on satisfaction

surveys

New Data:• All subgroups growing, Latinos narrowing achievement gap• District math CST grade 4 at 65%, grade 5 at 61% proficient/adv.,

beating the state average• Strong growth in 9th grade, extending grade spans with growth• Almost 50% of schools with 25+ pt. API gain

District API: OUSD Moves Ahead in 2010

OUSD Demonstrates Largest 6 Year API Gains

118 API points

8

every student. every classroom. every day. 8

9

every student. every classroom. every day. 9

7

EmpoweredSchool

Leaders

PerformanceManagement

Technology

StandardsBased

Instruction

PersonalizedLearning

QualityOptions

ExpectSuccess

Paper to computer Manual to automated Sustainable systems

Smart use of data

Small class sizes & schools Small learning communities Small principal networks

Families make choices District manages school portfolio

Dollars follow students More equitable funding

More flexibility in spending

Expect Success Reform: 2003-10

Standards-Based Pacing & Assessments

Collaborative Teacher Inquiry (PLC)Targeting Curriculum & PD

Investment in people Service Standards

Transparent scorecards

Public results

EmpoweredSchool

Leaders

PerformanceManagement

Technology

StandardsBased

Instruction


QualityOptions

ExpectSuccess


Smart use of data










Public results

Created a Culture of Accountability and Support at Each Level

Strategy & Strategic Projects

Homerun Projects

• Contracting

• Safety

• Pay Concerns

• On-boarding

• Substitute Fill Rate

• Clean Schools

Coherent Governance

Board of Education

Cabinet

Vision, Values, Goals

Strategic Planning Cycle

Schools & Central Office

School Goals/Scorecards Service Area Goals/Scorecards

SIPs, CPI & Team

Awards

SPSA, RBI & Team

Awards

Individuals Individual GoalsEmployee Evaluations,

Individual Learning Plans & Individual Awards

Data Collection

& Reporting

Leadership

ProfessionalDevelopment

Inquiry &Accountability

Cycle

Rewards &Consequences

Evaluation

Performance Accountability: Created a Data-Driven, Results-Oriented

Culture

Results-Based Cycles of Inquiry

Schools have the flexibility to partner with

a professional development provider or

data coach of their choice. Principals provide evidence of their inquiry

work to Network Executive Officers.

Central Office Supports Results-Based Inquiry in the following ways:

• Every administrator, teacher and coach has online access to real time student level data. Additional reports are released regularly.

• Standards-based common assessments are administered four times per year in Math and English Language Arts, and teachers have access to a robust item bank to create their own assessments.

• Principals receive data training and support from their Network Executive Officer, central office coaches, and peers at network meetings two times per month.

Central Office Accountability

Annual Scorecards Ensure Public Accountability

Every school posts a scorecard outside of the main office. Scorecards include information regarding:

•Enrollment,

•Summary performance data

•Student achievement and school climate and culture data,

•Qualitative description of the school.

30

American Indian 1

Asian 21

Pacific Islander 0

Filipino 2

Latino 167

Afircan American 47White 3

Mult.No Repsonse 25

DistrictSchool Trends

2007-2008 Annual Scorecard

XYZ Elementary SchoolOur vision at XYZ is that all students will have the tools to choose their life’s path and desired occupation with an equitable opportunity to attend college and pursue their dreams. We believe that access to college is the key to bringing about educational equity for our children.

Special Education 12.2%3rd Grade CST ELA Proficiency 87%

45% 57%English Learners Growth 57% 15%

35%

90% 90%4th Grade Writing Proficiency 90% 39%

88%

38%85%

85% 88%

85% 95%

87%

CST Math Proficency 95% 45%88%

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT2006 2007 2008

CST ELA Proficiency 88% 37%87%

86%

2006 2007 2008

No

801

Yes No

Address: Phone:

266

Enrollment by Ethnicity

58.4%English Learners

EnrollmentGrades K-5

0%

1%White

Filipino

18%

63%

8%

Scorecard

Student-Level Growth1%

Attendance Area

Oakland, CA 94601 Principal:

OVERALL PERFORMANCE

Fax:

Email:

Web:

Enrollment Board District

Latino

Asian

5

African American

9%

0%

Multi./No Response

American Indian

School Tier Blue

Program Improvement (PI) Status Not in PI

Green

Academic Performance Index (API)781718

670801

Met Adequate Year Progress (AYP) No

Achievement Gap Green

Free/Reduced Lunch 75.0%

Pacific Islander

1

85% 88%87%

85% 95%88%

86% 87%85%

90% 90%88%

45%35% 57%

781 801718

EmpoweredSchool

Leaders

PerformanceAccountability

Technology

StandardsBased

Instruction


QualityOptions

ExpectSuccess


Smart use of data










Public results

School Portfolio Management: Managing the Success and Quality of Schools

The District will provide a diverse portfolio of high quality schools for students and families both within neighborhoods and district-wide

DEMANDHigh quality and

diverse educational

options

SUPPLY

Enrollment / Capacity

Quality

Programmatic Diversity

OUSD is continually managing its dynamic portfolio of schools across these three dimensions

School Portfolio Management Framework

Tiered School Accountability and Support

In order to accelerate achievement in every school, OUSD differentiates the supports and interventions provided based on where schools currently exist along the continuum from needing intervention to having demonstrated a capacity to accelerate achievement. This differentiation also allows for innovation while increasing accountability across the system

BLUE Tier GREEN Tier YELLOW Tier ORANGE Tier RED Tier

Increased Curricular Flexibilities awarded through application process

Increased Monitoring and Support

Accountability for Results

Tiering Criteria:

i) Absolute Performance ii) Accelerated Student Level Growth iii) Closing the Achievement Gap

EmpoweredSchool

Leaders


Technology

StandardsBased

Instruction


QualityOptions

ExpectSuccess


Smart use of data










Public results

22

Common Vision and Aligned System Requires Effective Practice Defined at Each

LevelA

chie

vem

en

t

Acc

ou

nta

bilit

y

Eq

uity

Vision & Core Values

Effective Learner

Effective Instruction

Effective Leadership

Effective Schools

Effective District Office

To Implement the District Priorities, we must

have Effective Leadership

If we recruit, develop, support, and retain strong, learning-focused principals at each school, hold them accountable for achieving ambitious goals, and allow guided budget authority and opportunities for curricular flexibility to meet the goals, those principals will develop highly effective teachers, empower their communities, and create a vibrant, collaborative culture so that all students achieve at high levels.

Our Theory of Action for Principal Leadership is…

Supt. &Cabinet

Central ServiceDepartments

Recruits, develops,supports, challenges, holds accountable

Recruits, develops,

supports, challenges,

holds accountable

Aligns Support

• Defines goals and targets• Defines district-wide strategies• Brokers relationships (internal and external)• Supports, challenges, inspires, holds accountable

Strong Learning-Focused Principals

SchoolLeadership Team

Effective Instruction Every Day

Safe and Supportive

Schools

Literacy forCollege and

Career Success

HighLevels ofStudentLearning

OUSD Network Model

Board

Network Officers

Regional Team

Supports

Developing and Supporting Principal Leadership• Pipeline partnerships to find and select the best

possible site administrators

• Coaching for new administrators

• Network Officers intensively support and supervise principals, monitor school progress toward goals

• Small networks and inquiry groups allow principals to share effective practices and create a learning focused culture

• Results-Based Budgeting gives principals real cost control over resources

• School Quality Practices set the standard and path for school improvement

Effective School Practices & Supports

Effective School Practices

1. School-wide focus on effective instruction and assessing student learning

2. Grade level standards based curriculum, aligned assessments, and effective instructional strategies for all students

3. Data-based collaborative inquiry on individual student progress

4. Aligned resources and structures to support effective and student learning

5. Safe, positive school climate and culture

6. Partnerships with parents and the community

Supports & Resources

• Curriculum & Pacing Guides

• Assessments

• Tools and Coaching for Collaborative Inquiry

• Professional Development in Core Curriculum, Interventions and Instructional Strategies (Swun Math; OCR; Writing; ELD)

• Principal Learning and Leadership Coaching

• Operations Support

• Extended Learning

• Linked Learning & “a-g”

EmpoweredSchool

Leaders


Technology

StandardsBased

Instruction


QualityOptions

ExpectSuccess


Smart use of data










Public results

#10 Montclair350 Students

#10 Hillcrest260 Students

#9 Chabot370

Students

#7 Kaiser274

Students

School Size Matters: Is This Fair?

#10 Thornhill350

Students#7 Munck

315 Students

#10 Joaquin Miller356 Students

#10 Redwood Heights280 Students

#7 Grass Valley240 Students

Lake Merritt

Flatlands:

Hills:

#2 Garfield950

Students

#1 Jefferson1009

Students

#2 Melrose490 Students

#2 Bella Vista750 Students

#3 Manzanita921 Students

#3 Franklin860 Students

#1 Webster990

Students

#2 Horace Mann540 Students

#2 Allendale590 Students

#3 Fruitvale730 Students

#1 Hawthorne1447 Students#8 Lincoln

640 Students

#2 Lockwood876 Students

#1 Woodland265 Students

#2 Stonehurst800 Students

#1 Highland830 Students#1 Whittier

682 Students

#2 Cox1240

Students

Color Key:# API Ranking: 10 is the highest Enrollment

New Small Schools Theory of Action

• Effective leaders guide effective teams of leaders who have control over the variables for success in an accountable system will create success.

• Schools that are filled with at-risk student populations need to be small so they can develop strong adult relationships, personalized learning, and safety nets.

• Teachers working with such populations need strong intimate learning communities to be effective

• New schools emerge from an identified community need• Incubator converts small declining enrollment, failing schools into new up-and-coming

school that attract enrollment, through community-based design team process.• Incubator converts large, over-utilized failing school into new optimally sized up-and-coming

school, through community-based design team process.

OUSD New Small School Incubation

INCUBATORDesign Team

New optimally-sized up-and-coming school


Small, underutilized, declining enrollment, failing schools



Large, over-utilized failing school

Process

INCUBATORDesign Team

Design TeamTeam of 10 Parents, Community Members, Students, and Educators

Design CommunityLarge group of parents, community members, students, and educators

School CommunitySchool staff, administration, students, and families. Community organizations and neighborhoods. Oakland Unified School District and New School Development Group

Who is on the Design Team?Example: Design Team

• Liz O., Design Team leader• Marley C., parent• Elisa E., parent• Myesha L., parent• Jesus R., community partner (OCO)• Gilbert Z., community partner (Evenstart)• Eduardo E., teacher• Tim H., teacher• Linda T., teacher

Design Team Configuration

3

11

2

3

Parents

Community Partners

Student (6-12)

Des ign Team Leader

Educators

- 32 -

Fall 2000

ACORN Woodland

Fall 2001

Urban Promise

Life Academy

Melrose Leadership Academy

Fall 2002

* KIPP

Fall 2003

Fall 2005

Fall 2004

Think College

Now

YES

MandelaHS

Media College

Prep

* Robeson School of Visual &

Performing Arts

College Prep & Architecture

Encompass Academy

CBITS

**Explore

*East Oakland

Community HS

East Oakland School of the Arts Reach Academy

Sankofa Academy

RISE

*Kizmet Academy

ManzanitaSEED

EXCEL HS

*BEST HS

49 New Small Schools in Oakland: 2000 - 2008

ASCEND

Fall 2006

United for Success

Academy

*Peralta Creek

Alliance Academy

Bridges Academy

ColiseumCollege

Prep

Esperanza Elementary

NewHighland

Fred T.KorematsuDiscoveryAcademy

ManzanitaCommunity

School

ElmhurstCommunity

Prep

PLACE @

Prescott*Closed (7)

*Opened befpre incubation (2)

*National model, no OUSD incubation (3)

Fall 2007

West Oakland

MS

East Oakland PRIDE

FuturesElementary

Learning Without Limits

*Community United

Elementary

Global Family School

Graphic: Courtesy of Jean Wing, OUSD New School Development Group

*InternationalHS

*School ofSocial Justice& Community Development

LeadershipPrep

Roots Int’l

Int’l Community

School

*MetWest

GreenleafElementary

Fall 2008

Maxwell Park Int’l Academy

New School Incubator Curriculum – 1st Semester

Graphic: Courtesy of OUSD New School Development Group

OUSD INCUBATION PROCESS: 2004-09

Strand Strand Name

Strand 1 The New School Incubator: The Year, The Work, The Movement

Strand 2 Know Thyself: Understanding who you are as a leader in the context of this work

Strand 3 Getting Started: Forming and working with a design team

SCHOOL VISITS

Strand 4 Visioning: Who is the child walking out of your doors?

Strand 5 Know Thy Community: Who is the child walking into your doors?

Strand 6 Theory of Action: Bridging the gap between the child walking in the door and the child walking out of the door

SCHOOL VISITS

Strand 7 The School Program: Laying the foundation for the development of your new school

Recruiting Students

Fiscal Realities

Recruiting & Selecting Teachers

School Culture

Supporting & Training Teachers

Supporting Students

Community and Family Involvement

GovernanceDistrict

Operations

New School Incubator Curriculum – 2nd Semester

Jan - Feb

Mar - Apr

May - Jun

Gra

phic

: C

ourt

esy

of O

US

D N

ew S

choo

l Dev

elop

men

t G

roup

Instructional Program

OUSD INCUBATION PROCESS: 2004-09

SCHOOL DESIGN PROPOSAL = THE FOUNDATIONCommunity Analysis Theory of Action Vision

Instructional Program

Conditions That Have Promoted New School Success in OUSD

Leader• Desires to start a new school and willing to embrace the challenge• Has successful experience as an administrator, and as a leader in

OUSD• Has experience in the specific school community in which s/he is

started a school

Community• Wants a new school• Participates in the leadership selection and on the design team

Staff• Selected because their vision aligns with the school vision• Chooses to be part of the new school• Participates in the design (majority)

Conditions That Have Promoted New School Success in OUSD

Planning & Design (Incubation)• Happens before school opens

• Led by the person who becomes the principal

• Comprehensive one-year process

• Coaching provided to design team

• Clear theory of action and aligned program

Opening• Identified permanent facilities

• Received coaching in year 1 to support implementation of design

• Received operations support in year 1 to allow leadership to move past operations to instruction and culture

• Limited starting grade span, expanding annually

Stanford Study of OUSD New Small Schools Initiative

Research Goals:

• To understand how well new small schools and existing schools in OUSD are performing over time, taking into account the students they serve and their process of start-up & development

• To understand what factors influence schools’ achievement and their improvement trajectories over time

• To recommend policy strategies that can build on current successes and address identified needs and issues

Key Measure in the Study – School Level “Productivity”

Productivity is a school’s capacity to add value to students’ learning beyond students’ prior achievement and background characteristics.

Productivity is evaluated by looking at how a school’s students achieve on the CST tests in comparison to those in schools serving similar students. A productive school produces achievement that is significantly higher than this benchmark.

Student Level Factors Explain about 2/3 of Variance in CST Scores

Percent of ELA CST Variance Explained*

Student-Level Factors-- Prior Year's Test Scores, English learner status, Family income, Parent Education, Gender, Ethnicity, Retained in Grade

69.6%

School and Other Factors

30.4%

*CST Math model explained 66% of variance, leaving 34% to be explained by school and other factors

School Design Features Influence Productivity

API and Three-Year Average Productivity: Elementary ELA

th_yr_avg0.4000.2000.000-0.200-0.400

AP

I08

1000

800

600

400

NewExisting

Elementary Schools

Three-Year Average Productivity

AP

I 20

08

Mean New Schools = .019Mean “Old” Schools = -.012

Acorn Woodland

Learnings from New Small School Work

• Move out resistant staff from the outset. Staff forced to participate

perpetuate toxic culture

• Design team needs dedicated time and support to be successful.

• Design teams need a strong theory of action to ground their plans,

otherwise it becomes hard to know what to prioritize

• New schools need a lot of help implementing their plans. Year 1 is

often focused on just figuring out operations and culture

• New schools must develop a purposeful culture grounded in the

theory of action and where everyone shares responsibility for

implementation. Coherence is a lot of work.

Key District Policy Supports for Schools

Provide support and flexibility• Network Executive Officers serve as thought-partners rather than compliance

officers to school leaders• Embrace entrepreneurial ethos of small school principals; support innovation• Coaches support standards-based instruction and collaborative inquiry• Incubate new schools and leaders• Continue to strengthen BTSA model by investing in coaches and their training• Develop incentives for developing / keeping strong teachers and attracting them

to high-priority schools• Examine leadership, working conditions, hiring, and mentoring in high-turnover

schools• Strengthen coaching support for all new teachers

Provide service and support orientation, especially in HR• Streamline hiring process• Continue to move up hiring window to recruit top-quality candidates• Prioritize hiring experienced, qualified teachers wherever possible• Evaluate teacher pipelines in terms of retention and effectiveness and further

develop strong pipelines, including “grow your own” models • Identify and recruit strong student teachers

EmpoweredSchool

Leaders


Technology

StandardsBased

Instruction


QualityOptions

ExpectSuccess


Smart use of data










Public results

Swun MathSwun MathProgram Overview

A highly-effective and coherent math model with alignment in

standards, curriculum, assessments, professional

development and accountability measures.

Swun Math Partnership with OUSD• Thoughtful and careful phased expansion• Consistent, differentiated and ongoing PD for teachers and principals• Site support and coaching for teachers and principals to connect and build on

the PD provided (lesson modeling, co-teaching/elbow teaching, observations & feedback, debrief)

• Training and certification process of district math coaches to ensure high quality services provided

• District Math Pacing Guides (K-7) aligned with CST & district textbooks• Instructional strategies (manuals and PowerPoint)• Supplemental lessons for standards weakly addressed in textbook• Progress monitoring check-ins with district administrators and principals• Practice trimester exams that help teachers backwards plan and calibrate their

understanding of the expected rigor• Reliable common summative district math assessments (K-7)• Formative unit assessments aligned with pacing guides• District-wide Beyond the Basic Facts Math Competitions (Grades 3, 5, and 6)• Beyond the Basic Facts Parent Workshops (ES & MS)• Summer school/intervention pacing guides, pre-/post-assessments• Math teacher leader training to build site capacity

Before Swun Math Implementation After Swun Math Implementation 2007-2010

Oakland Unified School DistrictCST Math 2007-2010 (by school)

Percent of School Proficient and Advanced in Math











Oakland Unified School DistrictCST Math 2009-2010 (middle School)


Summary of Year 4: 2009-2010

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXPANSION• 15 schools added for a total of 35 out of 61 elementary schools• Coincided with first year implementation of newly adopted math texts• ALL PD made available to Swun Math and non-Swun Math schools

MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPANSION• Grade 6 expanded from 3 MS to all 18 middle schools• Grade 7 piloted at 17 out of 18 MS• Implementation challenges: first year of newly adopted math texts,

competing middle school initiatives & priorities, and significant number of new teachers

CST RESULTS• Grade 7 increased 8%• Average 8-10% growth in elementary schools, many higher

K - 12 Education is on the brink of the best of times…we can enter an era of unprecedented effectiveness for the practice of education--one in which the vast majority of schools can be highly effective in promoting student learning.

- Robert Marzano (2003)

Our Opportunity for Change

Thanks for listening!

Questions?

Brad Stam’s contact information:

[email protected]

415-676-1523

APPENDIX

New Small Schools Timeline: 1997-20091997-2000 Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) begins organizing. Wins

charter schools. Wins small schools policy.

2001 OCO partners with OUSD and BayCES (Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools) to create first 8 new schools.

2003 District bankruptcy & state receivership. OCO, BayCES & schools mobilize to protect small schools from cuts.

2004 OUSD moves new schools incubator inside District: New School Development Group

2005 Elementary schools in PI 4 enter incubator. OUSD opens 18 new small schools in two years.

2007 Significant improvements in district operations and achievement prompt phased return to local control.

2008 School Board appoints interim Superintendent. Proposal to close 10-17 small schools to address fiscal crisis.

49 small schools opened since 2000; 26 through OUSD incubator.

2009 Search for permanent superintendent – one who will build on reforms & gains of past decade of struggle for educational equity in Oakland

Documents

Oakland Unified School District