Eye on the Prize

"A group of teachers came to us with feedback on our language arts program—they said we needed to improve the supports for the English language learners in their classrooms," says Donna Ryono, one of the district's curriculum leaders. "So at the district level, we developed new units to help bridge the English language learners' curriculum into the language arts curriculum and then prepared our coaches to train teachers on those new units in the classroom."

Through tailored programs like these and with support from the district to the school level, Long Beach succeeded in narrowing the achievement gap between Hispanic students and their white peers in reading at both the elementary and high school levels between 2003 and 2006, according to The Broad Prize methodology.

"Our upper levels of support have really helped us stay the course with our teachers, to provide them dependable resources and regular feedback," says Lisa Isbell, Long Beach's assistant director for professional development. "But at the same time, focusing that support at the school level allows us to stay flexible and better meet the needs of all our students."

Bridgeport Public Schools
Bridgeport Public Schools' primary—and substantial—investment in instructional support is instructional coaching.

All elementary and middle schools in Bridgeport have one math coach and at least one literacy coach—sometimes as many as three, depending on the needs of the school's student population. These coaches spend at least 60 percent of their time in classrooms, offering hands-on assistance to teachers by modeling teaching strategies, working one-on-one with students who are struggling, and providing additional tools and materials to help the curriculum come alive.

"The literacy coach at our school has helped me so much this year," says Deanna Landeen, a new teacher at Madison Elementary. "Because I was new to the classroom, there were lots of things that I needed to develop for my students, but I didn't want to start from scratch. She provided the materials and resources that I needed and helped me work through them all the first time."

Teachers and coaches in Bridgeport also enjoy the support of curriculum specialists—district team members who are deployed to schools throughout the city to support curriculum design and instruction.

"I meet on a regular basis with a group of literacy coaches to look across schools and identify where students are struggling," says one curriculum specialist. "We sit down together and we'll say, 'what is working at your school that we can replicate at another school where they're having the same problem?' There's a lot of communication and co-planning to help our teachers."

Teachers and district leaders agree that intensive coaching has had a measurable impact on student learning in Bridgeport. Since 2003, the two-time Broad Prize finalist has helped a higher proportion of African-American and low-income students reach advanced proficiency in elementary school reading than the average rate across the state. There have also been consistent gains in elementary mathematics at the proficient level and a reduction of the number of students in the lowest levels. "Our curriculum specialists and instructional coaches are of tremendous support to the implementation of the curriculum and the instruction that takes place in Bridgeport," says Ricardo Rosa, the district's director of mathematics.

New York City Department of Education
Leaders in New York City have similarly reformed the department's human resources office to align with its school improvement efforts. "In the past, HR was kind of an 'add on' department," says Vicki Berstein, deputy executive director of the division of human resources. "We had responsibilities for finance, administration, facilities, safety—HR was one of more than 10 things we were responsible for." Since 2003, however, Chancellor Joel Klein and his leadership team have recast the role of the human resources office to reflect a keen focus on strategic human capital.

Over the past four years, the office has worked to shift from a transactional entity focused primarily on filling vacancies to a "quality broker" that works with schools to find the best person for a specific job, whether a teacher or a principal. "For a long time, the focus had been on hiring and placing teachers ourselves," says Berstein. "We wanted to focus instead on serving the school. So we've had to change our systems to help us do a better job of matching candidates with schools." New York started by re-staffing the central recruitment office with recruiters who had teaching experience rather than a civil service background.

The HR office also established a new placement process to allow principals more authority over who works in their school. Instead of reviewing applications only for basic eligibility, HR staff now screen each new teacher applicant according to a common rubric that was developed based on input from principals across the city.

"We make sure candidates have all the proper credentials so that principals aren't wasting their time interviewing people who they can't actually hire," says Peter Ianniello, director of recruitment and selection. "But we are also more selective about the teachers we are bringing in and recommending to our schools." Each candidate who passes the initial screening is placed in a pool that is made available to school leaders online. Based on candidates' strengths and interests, principals can schedule interviews only with those applicants who they believe would be good matches for their schools.

NYCDOE's human resources office is also analyzing data about new recruits to help improve the department's future recruitment and selection strategies. HR staff have begun surveying new teachers and principals about which elements of the hiring and placement process work for them and which need to be improved. HR is also collecting information about new teachers—from how they came to the DOE and were placed, to their college GPA and matching this information with the teachers' impact on student learning to gain insight about the characteristics of recruits who are most effective in the classroom. In the future, this information will allow the HR office to more strategically target recruitment efforts and refine screening and selection to help ensure that all schools are staffed by the highest-quality teachers.

Sophisticated Data Analysis

Each of the 2007 Broad Prize finalist districts employs sophisticated data systems that allow teachers, school leaders and district officials to analyze student performance and school needs throughout the school year. Miami-Dade County Public Schools and 2007 Broad Prize winner New York City Department of Education stand out for their powerful assessment management systems. Both districts provide practice test questions that are specifically aligned to state standards, make test results available almost immediately after the student has taken the test, and allow teachers to analyze their students' performance down to a specific question or skill. The result in both districts is a resource that makes it possible for teachers to modify their instruction in real-time to better meet all students' needs.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools
"Everything is about data with Dr. Crew," says Louis Algaze, principal at American High School on the north side of Miami, of Superintendent Rudy Crew. Indeed, using data to identify student learning needs has been at the center of Crew's reform effort in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) since he arrived in 2004. Students in MDCPS participate in diagnostic benchmark tests three times each year to assess progress toward state standards in math, reading and language arts. Teachers across the district can also generate their own assessments from an online bank of questions. The tests provide teachers with the tools to target weak spots and adjust their instruction to help students fully grasp each concept before statewide testing in the spring.

"Regular benchmark testing helps teachers understand what they need to re-teach and focus on to get every student progressing toward standards," says Millie Fornell, Miami's assistant superintendent for secondary curriculum and instruction.

A new online data system called Edusoft enables MDCPS teachers to access their students' scores on each of these tests and generate a variety of customized reports with the click of a mouse. This tool makes the benchmark tests even more powerful. For example, reports from the online system enable teachers to see a list of students who missed a given question on an interim assessment. They can then use this information to target re-teaching or change their strategies with individual students.

"In the past three years I have seen a major shift in the way that everyone here looks at data, from the district level to the school, down to each classroom where teachers are working with individual students," says Algaze. "Our online data system lets teachers see what their students are learning. I don't think we had ever looked systemically at data and reflected on our instruction the way that we do in Miami now. "

At Ruben Dario Middle School, results on interim assessments guide many of the school's intervention programs. "Every week I meet with my department chair to analyze the data from our interim assessments," says English teacher Ana Careaga. "The reports we generate show us which students aren't meeting standards, and where they're missing questions. Then we make a plan to intervene with those students—either in class or during after-school tutoring—to help push them from level 2 to level 3."

Because teachers and school leaders can analyze student assessment results across years and classrooms, the data system also enables school leadership teams to have broader conversations about refinements to curriculum, lesson plans and instruction.

Veteran Miami teacher Barbara Walker says for her, "the reports create a knowledge base so that I can construct an individual lesson plan for every child, based on a more precise understanding of what they have and haven't learned."

The regular benchmark assessments and customized classroom assessments have created a new dialogue about teaching and learning in Miami. Together with the district's powerful online data system, these tools have helped Miami educators continue to reduce achievement gaps between African-American and Hispanic students and their white peers faster than the state between 2003 and 2006.

New York City Department of Education
In a school system as large and diverse as the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), meaningful, reliable and timely access to information about student performance is critical at all levels. Since 2003, NYCDOE leaders have implemented and refined several systems to help parents, teachers, principals and district leaders assess school performance and student learning.

In 2006, the department introduced periodic assessments, on-line and paper-based tests of students' progress in reading and math throughout the year—showing what concepts they have mastered, and where they need extra help to meet state standards. Teachers can choose from an online bank of questions to develop assessments that are most relevant for their students' learning needs. Results come back almost immediately, allowing teachers to change their instruction within days.

"Our teachers and principals are very clear that to effectively differentiate their instruction, they have to know where a student's strengths are and where there are gaps. Our periodic assessments make that type of analysis possible," says a district administrator.

The tests enable principals and teachers to analyze more than just month-to-month progress. For example, at Manhattan Bridges High School, all students take part in a core evaluation before entering ninth grade. Teachers and school leaders are then able to individualize a student's core academic program of study throughout high school, based on the subjects they have mastered and which concepts need additional attention.

"Not too long ago, when a student wanted to enroll in our school, we would only be able to see which courses he had taken and which he hadn't," says Manhattan Bridges Principal Lawrence Pendergast. "Now, we have far more specific information about what that student knows and doesn't know, so we can be more flexible when we're developing their schedule."

Starting in 2007, the NYCDOE advanced and further refined the data that is available to teachers through the Achievement Reporting and Innovation System (ARIS), a web-based clearinghouse of student academic data. The database collects results from Periodic Assessments and other sources to provide educators with a comprehensive view of achievement over time for individual students and across classrooms and schools. In coming years, the data system will also provide an online workspace where teachers across the city can collaborate and share effective teaching strategies and find new resources to support their students.

"This year we've seen tremendous data improvement in our schools—how teachers tailor their instruction and most importantly, how their students are performing," says Linda Wernikoff, New York's instructional manager for special education. Indeed, in 2006, low-income and minority students in New York City outperformed their peers in other New York districts that serve similar populations of students, according to The Broad Prize methodology.

"Showing our schools data about student performance used to be more about compliance—giving schools a letter about all the things they weren't doing right," says Wernikoff. "The systems we have now empower teachers to actually use the data to help their students improve."

District-Wide Communication Strategies

Leaders in the 2007 Broad Prize finalist districts have built strong lines of communication to establish a common set of expectations and keep all stakeholders informed of district achievements, challenges and new initiatives. This is especially true in the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio and in Miami-Dade, where carefully planned meetings, regular channels of communication and the power of technology help keep central office and regional staff, principals, teachers, parents and community members connected and informed.

Northside Independent School District
Northside Superintendent John Folks understands that successfully rolling out several new programs simultaneously—including data-driven instruction and greater accountability in the classroom—requires open lines of communication between teachers, administrators, parents, students and the community.

"We pride ourselves in Northside on our relationships with our staff members and the community," says Folks. "Much of what we have accomplished is due to mutual sharing and consistent communication."

At the beginning of each school year, the superintendent conducts nine back-to-back pep rally-style "convocations" throughout the district, attended by every employee in each of the district's nine feeder patterns. At these meetings, Folks shares news of improvements in achievement, challenges the district is facing and his expectations for the year. Through the "Northside Communication Network," Folks meets on a regular basis with representatives from each school who are nominated by their staff to bring forth issues and concerns. Folks also keeps in touch with all district and school staff through the "Monday Message," a weekly email he writes to communicate expectations of students, update staff on relevant statewide policy changes, and highlight recent accomplishments of students and teachers.

The lines of communication in Northside don't end with Folks. District leaders conduct a well-orchestrated set of meetings for central office staff, principals and teachers every month to ensure a good flow of communication, common understanding of key initiatives and a sense of shared purpose throughout the year. Monthly agendas appear on a centralized calendar, which is booked many months in advance.

All schools in Northside also have a specialized team of teachers who serve as conduits between the district's office of curriculum and instruction and the rest of the school faculty. These facilitators communicate regularly with teachers about curricular expectations, and work with individual teachers to adjust their instruction. Most importantly, district leaders coordinate their work so that Northside's variety of meetings truly becomes a coherent communications package—principals' meetings foreshadow upcoming professional development for teachers, and school facilitator meetings feed directly into curricular improvements for teachers.

"There is a big emphasis on communication in Northside," says Karen Grimley, an English teacher at Tom C. Clark High School. "We may have a lot of meetings about improving student performance, but they are productive and short. We cover what really matters."

District staff, principals and teachers across the district agree that this integrated communication among district administrators, school facilitators and teaching staff has been key to ensuring that curriculum and instruction in Northside flow from a common set of high expectations. The district's commitment to high standards has also helped educators at the elementary, middle and high school levels close achievement gaps between Northside's African-American and Hispanic students and their white peers in both reading and math.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Since 2005, a carefully crafted strategic plan for Miami-Dade County Public Schools has helped define the district's vision and mission and has instilled a sense of common purpose among parents, staff and community members. Through surveys, workshops and regular meetings, Superintendent Rudy Crew has helped build a message across the city of providing equal opportunity for and maximizing the potential of all Miami-Dade students—while preparing them to be globally competitive .

From the Miami-Dade Strategic Plan...
VISION
We are committed to provide educational excellence for all.
MISSION
We provide the highest quality education so that all of our students are empowered to lead productive and fulfilling lives as lifelong learners and responsible citizens.
CORE VALUES
Excellence
We pursue the highest standards in academic achievement and organizational performance.
Integrity
We build positive relationships through honesty, respect and compassion, which enhance the self-esteem, safety, and well-being of our students, families and staff.
Equity
We foster an environment that serves all students and aspires to eliminate the achievement gap.
Citizenship
We honor the diversity of our community by working as a team to ensure the educational success of all our students and recognize our obligations go beyond our professional responsibilities to promote democratic principles.

Crew communicates about key district initiatives and solicits feedback from faculty, staff and parents through regular town meetings and "CEO briefings," small gatherings with community and business leaders from across the city.

"At CEO briefings, members of the community get an opportunity to sit for an hour with the superintendent in a small group—maybe 10 to 12 folks—and express their concerns," says a community leader who has attended several briefings. "Then before you know it, a couple of weeks later you'll receive a report about your suggestion."

Communication about new initiatives and curricular changes extend deep into Miami's schools and classrooms, as well. MDCPS has harnessed the power of technology to help staff members at each of the district's 378 schools communicate quickly. Regional superintendents and school principals carry Blackberries to stay in touch with their colleagues. The district's automated notification system, Connect-Ed, enables administrators to schedule, send and track personalized messages to staff members, parents and community members about district events, goals and initiatives.

Crew also shares information about new programs with each of Miami's principals through weekly webcasts. "When Dr. Crew started, we told him that we really felt we were being pulled out of our buildings too often," says Stacey Mancuso, a veteran high school principal. "The solution was the webcast. Now, I'm connected with my colleagues across the city every week via the phone line. We can talk about new procedures on reducing suspensions, for example, or increasing attendance, even about procedures for the upcoming hurricane season without traveling downtown."

The webcasts not only save principals a drive to the central office—but they also enable members of school leadership teams to attend every week. Allowing principals and their staff members to hear Crew's updates first-hand has helped eliminate miscommunication and lack of understanding that was more common with weekly emails.

Crew's availability and regular communication with parents and community members, as well as technological innovations at schools and in the classroom, have helped make instructional leadership much more accessible in MDCPS. The result is an environment where parents and community members often see their own words and ideas put into action, and teachers and leaders share a common understanding of the district's 2005-2008 strategic plan goal: "to help all students achieve high standards and compete in the global economy."

For more information about any of these promising practices in the districts highlighted in this edition of Eye on the Prize, please contact:

Integrated Instructional Support

2007 Broad Scholars Announced

Sophisticated Data Analysis

District-Wide Communication Strategies