Common Challenges Districts Face on the Road to College Readiness:

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Felix Green
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1 Common Challenges Districts Face on the Road to College Readiness: A Case Study Highlighting EXCELerator Districts Challenges, Strategies for Implementation and Results Introduction School districts are becoming increasingly focused on preparing all students for postsecondary success upon graduation. As a result, many seek guidance to identify critical issues and prioritize actions to address these issues. School districts have partnered with the College Board s EXCELerator Group by using the EXCELerator District Diagnostic to analyze strengths and challenges in a district s capacity to ensure college readiness. This case study reviews the district challenges most commonly identified by the District Diagnostic, presents strategies that selected EXCELerator districts implemented after the District Diagnostic to address these challenges, and describes each district s emerging results. Information in this case study was compiled from 11 District Diagnostic final reports. Additional information about implementation strategies and results was obtained from key district personnel and from publicly available information such as district websites and planning documents. EXCELerator has used the District Diagnostic to assess districts college readiness infrastructure since Eight key challenges emerged from EXCELerator s work in districts, and the top three are explored in more detail. Each of the top three challenges was addressed by at least one district, whose strategies are described in further detail. The EXCELerator District Diagnostic provides the most complete analysis of a district s capacity to ensure college readiness. The District Diagnostic assesses the district across five essential components: District Infrastructure Coherent Curriculum Assessments that Inform Student Academic Support Culture and Community The District Diagnostic findings are presented in a final District Diagnostic Report that includes identification of the critical issues facing the district s college readiness infrastructure, detailed evidence supporting EXCELerator s findings and specific recommendations for improvement.

2 What Is EXCELerator? The EXCELerator Group is a team of experts at the College Board focused on improving college readiness for all students, especially those who are traditionally underserved. We work with school districts using the EXCELerator Diagnostic Approach, a hands-on data-driven method that allows us to highly customize a set of services and professional development for each of our partner districts. How can EXCELerator help? The EXCELerator Group supports districts by offering a range of programs and services provided by professionals with school and district experience. EXCELerator uses its Diagnostic Approach to partner with district leaders to analyze and assess their current college readiness strategies and to implement programs to improve college readiness infrastructure. EXCELerator services currently include: District Diagnostic Program Analyses Implementation Services Professional Development Multiyear Partnership EXCELerator offers both comprehensive and targeted program analyses to make districts aware of their current capacity to ensure college readiness for all students. The District Diagnostic and Program Analyses are researchbased and use a variety of methods to gather information data and document reviews, district interviews and school visits. Frequency of Challenges Identified Through the EXCELerator District Diagnostic (Number of districts) Leaders are not engaged in a process of ongoing improvement 7 Clear college readiness goals and roles have not been established 5 Curriculum is not aligned to college readiness standards and expectations 4 Data to inform college readiness outcomes are not collected and used systematically No quality assurance for curriculum implementation and monitoring Lack of consistent college readiness expectations to support district goals Lack of focus on assessments to inform instruction Professional development does not build capacity

3 CHALLENGE: District and School Leaders Were Not Engaged in Ongoing Improvement EXCELerator District #1 Understanding the Challenge: The most common challenge identified in EXCELerator districts is the absence of an improvement process. EXCELerator calls this practice ongoing improvement: collecting and analyzing information to inform planning, do more of what s working and abandon programs that are not working. Many districts implement ongoing improvement steps but fall short of implementing a cycle to continuously evaluate progress. The District Diagnostic framework emphasizes the importance of a district s ongoing improvement practices, which are characterized by the following hallmarks: Collecting and reviewing various types of data systematically Understanding the effectiveness of programs and monitoring progress toward goals Revising plans and strategies according to data analysis Implementing formal processes to collect and use stakeholder feedback Collaborating with all stakeholders regularly around data Identifying and sharing best practices and abandoning ineffective practices District Strategy: Striving to achieve consistency across all schools, one EXCELerator district s leaders made several noteworthy districtwide shifts, particularly in curriculum and instruction, which provided a strong foundation for ongoing improvement practices. District leaders: Implemented a common rigorous curriculum in all middle and high schools in English language arts and math based on the district s recognition that curricula lacked college readiness skills and standards Trained all teachers in curriculum implementation and provided support to teachers through regional coaches to provide peer feedback Developed formative assessments that measure student progress at regular intervals as a tool for the monitoring process Created accountability for consistent curriculum implementation, both by collecting feedback from users and providing feedback for improvement District Results: The district successfully systematized a process for ongoing improvement. With a stronger curriculum foundation in place, district educators built and implemented tools and processes needed to enable teachers to provide more rigorous instruction. Because district leaders were able to implement a common curriculum with processes to continually review and revise content and instruction, they were able to build ongoing improvement practices that have allowed them to: Implement data-based decision making as a standard practice across the district Build common, regular, formative indicators of student progress Respond quickly to data to inform instruction and to connect students with appropriate supports Create an equitable access policy for all students to partake in rigorous courses Establish professional learning communities for teachers Achieve higher AP enrollment rates while maintaining or increasing AP performance

4 CHALLENGE: Clear College Readiness Goals and Roles Have Not Been Established EXCELerator District #2 Understanding the Challenge: The district lacked clear college readiness goals that were understood by all stakeholders in the district. College readiness goals are a fundamental building block of a district s college readiness infrastructure. Strong college readiness goals that are communicated regularly supply the vision for all students in the district and provide the end result toward which leaders, teachers, students and families continually strive. To establish clear college readiness goals and roles, districts generally: Agree on the importance of college readiness above and beyond college eligibility for all students Collaboratively set college readiness goals aligned to a vision or mission statement connected to college readiness Develop a common understanding of college readiness goals, from the central office to schools to classrooms Align roles and responsibilities to support achievement of the college readiness goals Robust college readiness goals generally reflect nonnegotiable student achievement targets and access to rigorous course work for ALL students. Goals must also make provisions for professional development and support resources for educators. District Strategy: EXCELerator recommended that district leaders allocate time with their leadership team to develop and clarify their college readiness goals, begin to translate the goals into strategies, and create communication and implementation plans to support these goals. In response, approximately 25 district leaders, including central office staff, principals and assistant principals, and teacher leaders, participated in a four-day retreat facilitated by EXCELerator staff over the course of two months. Key objectives of the leadership retreat included: Develop explicit, nonnegotiable college readiness goals, benchmarks and indicators Define core messages that communicate expectations for equitable access to college readiness resources for all students and empower leaders to implement the district improvement plan Analyze strategies to meaningfully engage all staff in understanding the importance of college readiness initiatives and ensure buy-in from all staff members Implement outreach strategies to meaningfully engage the district community in understanding the importance of college readiness initiatives Critique the district s instructional and curricular documents on their alignment to college readiness standards Create professional development for schoolbased professionals grounded in college readiness research on how to effectively use data to change classroom practice District Results: The district recently launched a multiyear district improvement plan, including a district vision statement referencing college completion for all students. Over a multiyear curriculum improvement cycle, the district will implement a curriculum in core content areas that explicitly reflects college readiness competencies. The district continues to focus on communicating college readiness messages and ensuring that all stakeholders understand their responsibilities in supporting college readiness for all students. Results are still emerging as the district rolls out its communication plan during the school year. 4

5 CHALLENGE: Curriculum Was Not Aligned to College Readiness Standards and Expectations EXCELerator District # Understanding the Challenge: This EXCELerator district did not have a common curriculum across schools, and few curriculum practices and programs reflected college readiness standards. The direct links between curriculum and instruction and college readiness cannot be overstated. Ensuring that all students participate in a rigorous, common curriculum that includes a variety of components supporting content learning and skills mastery is fundamental to the goal of college readiness for all high school graduates. Features of an aligned college-ready curriculum include: Content that is mapped to state and/or Common Core State Standards Vertical alignment across grades and content areas Common tasks embedded with key cognitive strategies: important metacognitive capabilities that students use to learn, understand, retain and apply content across disciplines Consistent curriculum implementation across schools High-quality professional development on curriculum implementation and instructional strategies Common observation tools for administrators and/or peers to use to provide feedback to teachers Opportunities to collect feedback about curricular improvements District Strategy: The district provided a four-day professional development summer institute, facilitated by EXCELerator leaders, for teachers and school administrators to develop vertically aligned curriculum maps for middle and high school grades in English language arts and social studies. More than 100 participants worked together during the institute to map content both state content standards and national Common Core State Standards by course into 10-month plans, which also reflected the key cognitive strategies and the essential learning experiences students need in order to be prepared for college-level course work. Teachers and administrators came to a consensus around the types of knowledge and experiences students needed and developed an understanding of what being successful in courses like AP looks like. At the end of the institute, district curriculum leaders shared the curriculum maps with teachers across the district for implementation the following fall. Additionally, participants demonstrated an increased comfort level with all of the components of the district s curriculum maps: state content standards; Common Core State Standards; units of study; essential learning experiences; and assessments. District Results: A subgroup of the professional development institute participants reconvened periodically throughout the first year to discuss the strengths and challenges of implementation. The district s curriculum maps were enhanced to include district-developed formative benchmark assessments in secondary grades and courses. A common instructional framework was also developed and incorporated into the district s professional learning opportunities. Finally, the district extended its curriculum work by offering a second professional development summer institute in which school teams of teachers and administrators analyzed student work in English language arts and social studies. Participants learned how to monitor the development of key cognitive strategies and key content knowledge in students work during classroom observations and through a collaborative process with teachers. 5

6 Recommendations EXCELerator districts have made an investment in the goal of college readiness for all students by engaging in the District Diagnostic. It is critical that districts sustain the focus on improving college readiness, which can be particularly challenging in an era of limited resources and competing priorities. Based on its experiences in nearly 20 districts, EXCELerator offers the following guidelines: District needs are great and must be prioritized. In addition to identifying all the needs of students academic, social-emotional, health and wellness, family involvement district leaders should prioritize high-need areas and address challenges through swift, deliberate and data-based strategies. Although attempting to chip away at all priorities may appear to be a comprehensive strategy, districts risk the mile wide, inch deep implementation of too many initiatives. Increase capacity by supporting adult learning and development. School and district leaders have developed the capacity to track performance metrics in the era of accountability. Most metrics relate to the outcomes educators want for students the nonnegotiable student results that give meaning to districts college readiness visions. Fewer districts develop an understanding of how the adults in the system must change their practice in order to support these essential student outcomes. Creating clear expectations and support for teachers, administrators, staff and families results in more coherent and connected strategies. Emphasize that college readiness is a longer-term goal. Demonstrating progress on annual state tests is an important objective. Preparing all students to be college ready, above and beyond college eligible, will take more commitment and resources than demonstrating progress toward content standards alone. District leaders will benefit from educating and involving all stakeholders in the process and generating community support for a long-term commitment. To learn more about EXCELerator, please visit excelerator.collegeboard.org The College Board. College Board, AP and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the College Board. EXCELerator is a trademark owned by the College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit the College Board on the Web: 12b

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