CASE STUDY: Lowell Community Charter Public School

CASE STUDY: Lowell Community Charter Public School The turning around of a failing charter school Renaissance School Services

This is the story of the first year of turnaround of a chronically failing charter school, the Lowell Community Charter Public school (LCCPS), a 900 student PK-8 school in Lowell, Massachusetts. A School in Disrepair In December of 2009, the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recommended the closure of LCCPS based on very disappointing academic results during the school s first ten years of operation. LCCPS s student population was 85% free and reduced lunch, 45% ELL, 30% Asian (primarily Cambodian), and 40% Hispanic. More than 20 home languages were present in the school. The school had had a series of different leaders and leadership structures over the preceding five years, and the school s board was not functioning well. The Commissioner of Education decided to close the school. In January, 2010, however, the Lowell Public School district advised the Commissioner that it would be unable to absorb 900 new students were LCCPS to close. In response, the Commissioner determined in February, 2010 that LCCPS could remain open with certain probationary conditions in place. These conditions included that the existing board be dissolved and replaced by a new board, that a host of academic conditions be met, that the school s leadership be completely revamped, and that the school engage a management company to be approved by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Commissioner wrote, I have made it very clear that the status quo is not acceptable and that nothing less than transformative change is required. Renaissance Engaged In February, 2010, the board of LCCPS selected Renaissance School Services (RSS) of Califon, New Jersey as the management company to turnaround the school. LCCPS engaged RSS on a short-term consulting contract beginning on March 1, 2010 while a longer-term management agreement was negotiated between the school, the DESE, and Renaissance. Beginning in March, 2010, and over the next four months, Renaissance initiated a number of major changes at the school including: Revamped and restructured the school s leadership Replaced 3 of the top 4 academic leaders New organizational structure and positions New RSS-designed management model deployed Installed new teacher evaluation system Evaluated all staff and replaced 50% 2400 applicants for 44 open positions 100 applicants for Head of School Installed a new performance-based compensation system Created curriculum benchmarks for the first time in the school s history, aligned to state standards Revised the curriculum per the benchmarks Completely revised the ELL structure and approach within the school Implemented new training for behavior and discipline systems in the school Eight days of pre-opening training Installed a new academic diagnostic benchmarking system Deployed numerous proprietary RSS-developed tools, metrics, analytics, etc. which RSS uses to manage various functions within the school 1

In June, 2010, as the final negotiations with the state were concluding on the contract, and as many of the initiatives on the list above were either underway or completed, a simultaneous negotiation was occurring between Renaissance and the DESE over the school s accountability plan a document with multiple performance measures, including making AYP and/or achieving the school s growth target at the end of the first year of turnaround. In mid-july 2010, the state approved Renaissance s management contract, making Renaissance the first state-approved turnaround provider in Massachusetts. The contract incorporated the academic and other performance criteria in the accountability plan. Renaissance was given the authority to structure the turnaround as it saw fit, with a provision that allowed Renaissance to exit the contract early with an early termination fee if the school s board instructed Renaissance to undertake actions that would impede Renaissance s ability to perform the turnaround. The proposed contract creates the potential for the sweeping transformational change I contemplated in the probationary conditions of the school's renewal, wrote the Commissioner to the state board. At the end of August, 2010, the new school year opened with new staff, new leadership, new curriculum maps, new teams, and new operating procedures and protocols. Veteran teachers lauded LCCPS as being a completely different school from prior years. One wrote, the best week of training we ve had in the nine years I ve been with the school. Throughout the course of the year the school made progress on numerous fronts both academic and behavioral. Metrics on various aspects of school performance were monitored daily, weekly, and monthly. The leadership team and the faculty at the school received input and feedback from Renaissance s senior team each week on curricular, operating, and cultural issues. "One year into the improvement efforts, site visitors found that many of the systems, structures, and overall organization that had been missing at the school for years, have now been instituted." DESE site report DESE Site Review and Positive Findings In early April, 2011 two-thirds of the way through the first year DESE sent a program review team to the school to conduct a thorough site review. The school had had DESE site reviews in each of the several preceding years, and it was these site reviews that significantly informed the DESE s decision initially to close the school in December, 2009. At the conclusion of this two-day review, the DESE team gathered the school staff in the cafeteria and declared the school transformed, harkening back to the Commissioner s original language that nothing less than transformative change is required. The DESE s written report listed a number of transformative findings. Below are several excerpts from the report (italics are in the original report): Finding: While acknowledging that the school continues to serve and honor the diversity of its student population, all school stakeholders emphasized that the academic achievement aspect of the mission has become the driving force behind school efforts. This year, academic achievement was reported to be the school s primary mission. Parents, teachers, and administrators reported that the school s original mission and vision remain the 2

same, but a new emphasis has been put on academic achievement As evidence of this shift, stakeholders noted that the school has instituted a formal curriculum mapping processes (sic), a new teacher evaluation system, a focus on data driven instruction, increased the amount of time spent on literacy and math, and added distinct MCAS preparation classes. The school made AYP in the aggregate in both ELA and math, the first time since 2007. During this time, RSS assessed, and subsequently non-renewed the contracts of approximately 44 percent of LCCPS teachers for the 2010-11 school year, with the approval of an interim executive director. RSS also began a curriculum mapping project to vertically and horizontally align LCCPS s curriculum. Furthermore, RSS instituted school wide MCAS preparation strategies. Teachers and school administrators also stated that this year, for the first time, teachers are required to create lesson plans. The weekly lesson plans may vary in format, but grade level teachers are expected to teach the same topics at the same time. This expectation is also new this year. Teachers reported that LCCPS s curriculum documentation helps them navigate the textbooks, make connections to the MCAS and to plan instruction. Vibrant learning environment: A majority of classrooms reflected an academically rich environment. Site visitors observed word walls, academic posters, motivational posters, maps, and book lists covering the classroom walls In approximately half of all classrooms site visitors noted that student work was prominent posted. The school s hallways are replete with student work, the majority of which is colorful art. Finding: In contrast to prior years, teachers now receive ample feedback, guidance, supervision, and evaluation. Teacher supervision and evaluation has been entirely overhauled over the past year. Beginning in the spring of 2010, when RSS was serving in a consulting capacity, the EMO evaluated teachers which resulted in the dismissal of approximately 44 percent of teachers RSS also implemented its own teacher coaching and improvement plan form, which notes any area of concern and an action plan for instructional improvement. Finding: LCCPS has provided teachers with extensive amounts of professional development and training this year. LCCPS established a plan for professional development during the 2010-11 school year that outlined six major objectives: create a climate of excellence; create a common understanding of new policies; establish high standards for teaching; create a data-driven decision making process; teach staff to use school resources such as coaches and curriculum; and create a common language and set of strategies for helping diverse learners. Finding: Over the past year, LCCPS has begun to administer a wide variety of assessments and train teachers to collect and analyze student assessment data in order to better inform instruction and prepare for the MCAS exams. Teachers and administrators reported that RSS has introduced systems, structures, and new assessments that are presently fostering a data-driven instructional culture at LCCPS. 3

Finding: A majority of students reported feeling emotionally and physically safe. Parents universally stated that students are safe at school, particularly compared to other public school options. All students interviewed reported that they felt physically safe at the school. The school s front door is always locked and monitored. All but one student reported feeling emotionally safe at the school. Students cited the school s new bullying policy as clear and well understood. Finding: All constituents report that the school has implemented a clearer, more consistently enforced and tracked discipline system for when students are referred out of the classroom. Parents, students, teachers, and administrators reported that the school s discipline system had greatly improved from prior years. Finding: All community members report a high level of satisfaction with the school. All members noted a dramatic improvement in school culture with an increased focus on academic achievement. Students and parents expressed a great deal of satisfaction with the school s new academic focus, caring teachers, improved communication, and overall cultures. In conclusion, the DESE report stated, In 2010, LCCPS s charter was renewed with probationary conditions. The school has embarked upon whole school change in order to meet the conditions and improve academic performance of its students. The school has contracted with an external management organization, replaced and reorganized its administrative team, and is governed by an entirely new board of trustees. One year into the improvement efforts, site visitors found that many of the systems, structures, and overall organization that had been missing at the school for years, have now been instituted school administrators and board members expressed confidence that LCCPS s 2011 MCAS scores would demonstrate a vast improvement. "In contrast to prior years, teachers now receive ample feedback, guidance, supervision, and evaluation." DESE site report Positive Results in the First Year The site review occurred in early April. At the end of April, on the strength of the transformation noted by DESE, the Commissioner recommended, and the BESE approved, lifting a probationary condition that had been imposed on the school a year earlier allowing the school to keep its 5th and 6th grades, which otherwise would have been eliminated, a tremendous vote of confidence by the Commissioner in Renaissance s work at the school. As the site review noted, the school had great confidence that MCAS scores would demonstrate a vast improvement. The school s accountability plan required that the school make AYP and/or achieve the state s growth targets in order to remain open. The school had not made AYP either in the aggregate or in all subgroups since 2007. In September, 2011, the state released its MCAS results, showing the school made AYP in the aggregate in both ELA and math, the first time since 2007. In addition, the school achieved the state s growth targets in both ELA and math, as detailed below. 4

MCAS Results The state test, MCAS, is scored on a 100 point scale, the Composite Performance Index (CPI). In math, the school increased by 12.1 points on the CPI a gain of more than 10%; and in ELA, the school gained 1.5 points. In both subjects, these were the highest CPI s in the school s entire ten year history. Please see chart 1. A Same Cohort analysis, however, chart 2, provides a better picture of a school s growth. Using the 5th grade as an example, one would conclude in looking at chart 1 that the students performed less well in 2011 than in 2010, but as chart 2 shows, the fourth grade in 2010 that became the 5th grade in 2011 showed very substantial growth. So while the school showed only a 1.5% CPI gain in ELA, in truth, the student population at the school 45% English Language Learners experienced a much greater gain, masked by the conventional report. (The decline in 3rd to 4th is explained by a long composition requirement in MCAS in 4th grade only a particularly difficult requirement for non-english speakers.) Chart 1 FY10-11 MCAS SAME GRADE ELA MATH Grade CPI FY10 CPI FY11 Change CPI FY10 CPI FY11 Change 3rd 71.60 74.20 2.60 65.70 80.60 14.90 4th 54.70 68.50 13.80 58.00 69.80 11.80 5th 73.50 64.40 (9.10) 59.10 66.10 7.00 6th 77.30 81.90 4.60 67.30 68.10 0.80 ALL 70.60 72.10 1.50 60.60 72.70 12.10 Chart 2 SAME COHORT ELA MATH Grade CPI FY10 CPI FY11 Change CPI FY10 CPI FY11 Change 2ndFY10/3rdFY11 N/A 74.20 N/A N/A 80.60 N/A 3rdFY10/4thFY11 71.60 68.50 (3.10) 65.70 69.80 4.10 4thFY10/5thFY11 54.70 64.40 9.70 58.00 66.10 8.10 5thFY10/6thFY11 73.50 81.90 8.40 59.10 68.10 9.00 MCAS and Proficiency In addition to AYP as a critical measure, Renaissance also measures its schools performance in improvement in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state proficiency averages. While LCCPS is still substantially below Massachusetts average, the school made substantial gains relative to the state, chart 3. In math, the school increased the percentage of student at proficient or above by almost 50% in a single year. It is worth noting that the state itself showed a modest decline. Chart 3 % PROFICIENT OR HIGHER LCCPS FY10 FY11 Change FY10 FY11 Change All Grades-ELA 38% 42% 4% 68% 69% 1% All Grades- Math 30% 43% 13% 59% 58% -1% State 5

MCAS and NAEP Comparison There are two reasons Renaissance is especially proud of its work in Massachusetts: first, for having been named that state s first state-board approved turnaround provider, and second, for the academic performance of the school in a state with the most rigorous academic standards in the nation. Per a report released in Sept., 2011 from NCES that expressed every state s high stakes tests in terms of NAEP equivalents, Massachusetts had the highest proficiency standards of any state in both Math and Reading for Grade 4 (NAEP tests 4, 8, and 11 of these, LCCPS only has grade 4). As can be seen in both charts, Massachusetts is the only state that scores proficiency in terms near or equal to NAEP s standards of proficiency, which are considered the most rigorous available in the U.S. Chart 4 ELA NAEP scale equivalents of state grade 4 reading standards for proficient performance, by state: 2009 Source: Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto the NAEP Scales, National Center for Education Statistics, August, 2011 Chart 5 Math NAEP scale equivalents of state grade 4 mathematics standards for proficient performance, by state: 2009 Source: Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto the NAEP Scales, National Center for Education Statistics, August, 2011 6

LCCPS s Performance vs. SIG Schools in MA We conducted one final analysis to understand the performance of LCCPS to other turnaround schools in Massachusetts and that was to compare LCCPS s performance with schools that had received School Improvement Grants, each of which received an average of $2,100,000 in additional funding to assist with their turnaround. By contrast, LCCPS was forced to decrease its funding by almost $1,000,000 through a mandatory reduction in the school s enrollment from 900 to 792 students and the loss of grades 7 and 8 (the school s highest performing grades historically, because of the ELL population) as part of the Commissioner s original set of conditions. "LCCPS has provided teachers with extensive amounts of professional development and training this year." DESE site report As can be seen on charts 6 and 7, LCCPS had more than double the average gain in math, and slightly less than the average gain in ELA, despite the reduction in revenue to the school. Almost half the SIG recipient schools showed performance declines in ELA. Chart 6 English Language Arts CPI Data LCCPS v. MA SIG Recipients District School Model 2010 2011 CPI Gain Additional English CPI English CPI Funding Lowell Lowell Community Charter Public School N/A 70.6 72.1 1.5 $(984,788) SIG Funding Boston Blackstone School Turnaround 53.5 52.6-0.9 $2,399,107 Boston Dearborn School Transformation 58.8 64.5 5.7 $1,256,363 Boston Elihu Greenwood School Transformation 57.2 64.6 7.4 $1,380,269 Boston The English High Transformation 73.1 75.7 2.6 $2,830,101 Boston Harbor School Turnaround 72.3 78.0 5.7 $1,236,632 Boston John F. Kennedy School Transformation 63.2 65.9 2.7 $1,238,137 Boston John P. Holland School Transformation 56.2 55.3-0.9 $2,869,384 Boston Orchard Gardens School Turnaround 58.7 63.9 5.2 $3,728,029 Boston Paul A. Dever School Turnaround 58.4 54.4-4.0 $2,320,755 Boston William Monroe Trotter Turnaround 62.6 60.7-1.9 $1,559,728 Chelsea Chelsea High School Transformation 76.6 81.0 4.4 $2,761,183 Springfield M. Marcus Kiley Middle School Transformation 66.3 63.3-3.0 $2,260,000 SIG Recipient Average 63.1 65.0 1.9 $2,153,307 7

Chart 7 Mathematics CPI Data LCCPS v. MA SIG Recipients District School Model 2010 2011 CPI Gain Additional Math CPI Math CPI Funding Lowell Lowell Community Charter Public School N/A 60.6 72.7 12.1 $(984,788) SIG Funding Boston Blackstone School Turnaround n/a 57.7 n/a $2,399,107 Boston Dearborn School Transformation 48.3 51.8 3.5 $1,256,363 Boston Elihu Greenwood School Transformation 55.4 61.9 6.5 $1,380,269 Boston The English High Transformation 66.6 65.6-1.0 $2,830,101 Boston Harbor School Turnaround 52.3 51.4-0.9 $1,236,632 Boston John F. Kennedy School Transformation 65.2 78.9 13.7 $1,238,137 Boston John P. Holland School Transformation 57.0 59.8 2.8 $2,869,384 Boston Orchard Gardens School Turnaround 50.4 63.9 13.5 $3,728,029 Boston Paul A. Dever School Turnaround 56.1 65.7 9.6 $2,320,755 Boston William Monroe Trotter Turnaround 51.1 55.1 4.0 $1,559,728 Chelsea Chelsea High School Transformation 67.8 73.8 6.0 $2,761,183 Springfield M. Marcus Kiley Middle School Transformation 43.5 42.3-1.2 $2,260,000 SIG Recipient Average 55.8 60.7 5.1 $2,153,307 CPI is the Massachusetts Composite Performance Index, which is the score given to every school based on MCAS testing U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has called turnaround the most difficult work in schooling. Educational researchers who study turnaround do not expect to see it occur in less than 2-3 years. Renaissance does not believe that its first year story at Lowell constitutes a completed turnaround, but it does demonstrate Renaissance s ability to produce very substantial change, recognized by all parties teachers, administrators, parents, and state officials in the first year of turnaround. Having achieved all of the originally imposed conditions on this school s renewal replace the management team, make AYP and/or the school s growth target, install and/or improve dozens of programmatic initiatives in one year s time constitutes one of the most rapid initial turnaround successes in Massachusetts history, one that the state itself did not believe was possible. Renaissance s partners are one of the most experienced turnaround teams in the U.S., having been asked to turn around the worst performing schools in DE, MD, and PA, and among the worst in MA and CT. For more information on Renaissance, contact Jacquie Jewett, Regional Director for Partnership Development at jjewett@rsservices.org, or visit our website at www.rsservices.org. 8