Full District or Individual School Turnaround

WHAT is a Full District or Individual School Turnaround?

It is a Customized, Strategic, Multi-year Plan designed to dramatically improve the overall performance and standardized test scores of students within a District or School.

Our experience has been that most Districts or Individual Schools who are struggling with Learning Gaps, Under-Performance on Assessments, frustration with Ever-Changing Initiatives and Resources, etc., usually do not have a Teacher or Administrator quality issue. What they really have is a Game Plan issue.

 

The right Game Plan, effectively executed, is what will make the difference, not any one program, textbook, platform, software, or curriculum.

  Highly achieving Schools come about when Administrators and Teachers are moving together in one direction, with a solid vision and Game Plan that utilizes the strengths and resources already available.

Our purpose is to work with District and School Leaders to create and help implement a dynamic and effective Plan that leads to improved performance and an educational community that is consistently high achieving; fully capable of sustaining that success after we leave.

 

 

WHY a Customized, Strategic, Multi-year Plan?

 

Customized

There is no one best way to do school. Best practices do not tell us what kind of approach to schooling is best nor which philosophical perspective or preferred pedagogy is the right one. Every School is distinctive in Community, Circumstances, Environment, and Strengths.

There is no one particular idea, program, textbook, or solution that works for all Schools, even Schools within the same District or Educational Organization.

There are No One Size Fits All solutions to improving education.

Each School requires its own, unique Game Plan based upon data and the circumstances of the School to make progress.

 

Strategic

As Educators begin working towards desired outcomes, there are a lot of variations in the way which Administrators and Teachers approach it. This is normal and understandable.

However, calculated steppingstones and intentional actions are essential for positive change. In fact, it is the only way it can happen effectively. Our personal experiences, knowledge, skill sets, and backgrounds give us a unique set of tools which we utilize to comprehend needs, analyze data, identify strengths to leverage, problem solve, assist in developing strategic plans, and guide implementation of the new designs.

 

Multi-year

Although relatively significant academic achievement improvements can and do happen within just one year of following a well-constructed, strategic Game Plan, the true greatness of the Plan can only be seen after a couple of consecutive years of intentional implementation. 

Thus, a Full District or Individual School Turnaround is best observed and measured over a longer period. Depending on how much ground needs to be gained, usually at least 3 years are required. In some cases, 4 or 5 years may be what is needed to completely turn a District or School around. 

Whatever timeframe is decided upon, we will do what we do best and then leave with the District or School heading in the right direction and capable of sustaining the success. 

We come to love and admire the Educators we work with. So, after relationships are formed during our time together, of course we will be ever ready to assist wherever needed in the years after our part of the Turnaround is completed.

 

HOW does a Full District or Individual School Turnaround Work?

 

First, the District or School Leadership Team meets with us to determine the needed timeframe for the work and a multi-year contract is made and approved by the appropriate Governing Body.

Once the contract is approved, it is time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We take the time necessary to develop as comprehensive an understanding of the current situation of the District or School as possible.

That requires having access to Assessment Data, Administrators, Teachers, Staff Members, and Students.

We are very good at quickly comprehending things as they have been and as they are currently.

After in depth analysis of the circumstances and past performance of the District or School, we share our observations and suggestions with Leadership Teams and collaborate to create a Strategic Game Plan for moving forward. Once the Plan is created and agreed upon, we support the Educational Leaders of the District or School in presenting and explaining the Plan to the Teachers and other Stakeholders, in whatever manner the Team deems best (PDs, large and small group workshops, etc.). And we will do so arm in arm with the District or School Leaders.

It is important to us that the Leadership Teams are well aware of the What, Why, and How of the Plan and that they can effectively perform their function as Instructional Leaders. The Teachers need to trust, follow, and be loyal to their Leaders – not to us. Although our purpose is to help create a Game Plan, it must not be the McLeod Educational Services’ Plan, but the District or School’s Plan.

After establishing buy-in by the Teachers and other Stakeholders, we then focus on all the
aspects of putting a Game Plan into action.

    • Coaching the Site-based Leadership so that they become truly effective at leading their
      Schools and performing their role as Instructional Leaders.

    • Developing the Unique Curriculum that the District or School desires.

    • Establishing the Scope and Sequencing of Standards Instruction.

    • Helping Teachers to Decompose and Fully Understand the Standards.

    • Training Administrators and Teachers on Methods and Strategies that will help them
      become solid at whatever the preferred pedagogy of the District, School, or
      Individual Teacher (ie. If Direct Instruction is preferred, then how do you use that
      method to its full potential? Likewise, if Cooperative Learning methods are
      preferred, how do you get the most out of those strategies, etc.?).

    • Assisting in putting together well constructed Formative and Summative Assessments.

For a better idea of what we are capable and willing to do to help the Turnaround to be successful, please look at the ‘Administrator Coaching’, ‘Teacher Coaching’, ‘Professional Development’, ‘Special Education Consulting’, ‘Curriculum Consulting and Development’, and ‘Alternative Schools Consulting’ sections on the Services page.

Throughout the school year, and especially at the end of a year, we debrief with the Leadership Team(s) and evaluate the progress we are observing. If slight alterations to the Plan are necessary, then we identify the problem, solve it together, and make any needed adjustments.

Finally, we look at the measures we collectively established in the beginning as the indicators of success. Foremost would be the end of year standardized assessment results for the District or School.

 

 

More Than Just Test Scores

However, a Full Turnaround is about more than just test scores. The process of turning around a District or School produces a variety of beneficial outcomes.

    • Students will have more confidence and begin to expect, of themselves, high achievement through their personal efforts.

    • Teachers will feel enthused and rejuvenated in their profession. They will see growth and success in their Students and will hopefully love their job even more than they already do.

    • Site Administrators will be capable, empowered, and feel like they are making a difference for good. They should have less stress because of their improved management of time, people, and resources.

    • Administrators and Teachers will be equipped with the tools needed to Analyze Data, Problem Solve, Plan Strategically, and Collaborate Powerfully to sustain and increase the successes that came from the turnaround years.

    • Educational Communities will have enhanced Environments of Positivity, High Expectations, Enthusiasm for Learning, and the Strong Sense of Identity that comes from all that makes each School wonderfully Distinctive, including High Achievement.

    • Parents and other Community Members will perceive the School in a better light. Word will spread of the great things happening in the District or School and a Positive Reputation will be established.

    • With success known publicly, Student Enrollment at the School(s) will begin to increase, especially in areas where parents have many choices of Districts or Schools for their child to attend. Increased Enrollment means access to more Resources and Opportunities for the District or School.

    • And many other seen and unseen benefits…

 

 

A Point to Ponder

The National Center for Education Statistics did a nation-wide survey of parents, asking them to indicate the most important things they looked at when considering to which school to send their child.

The top four attractions for all parents (public school – chosen, public school – assigned, private school – nonreligious, private school – religious) are listed below. All other considerations scored well below these in the survey:

 

Quality of Teachers, Principal, and Staff – 79%

Safety (Including Discipline) – 71% 

Curriculum Focus or Unique Academic Programs – 59% 

Academic Performance of the School (Test Scores) – 53%

 

Why do parents choose schools for their children? 

 

We have seen the effect of District and School Turnarounds. As Districts and Schools begin to increase Academic Performance, other important outcomes ensue. 

A Reputation for Academic Success is Established and Parents, Stakeholders, and other Community Members begin to naturally assume that the Quality of the Teachers and Principal is Excellent and that the Curriculum Focus and Programs are Outstanding. 

So, 3 of the 4 most important considerations for parents in choosing to which school to send their children are centered in, and enhanced by, the improvement of Academic Performance.