Lorain City School District 2601 Pole Avenue Lorain, OH 44052 Tel 440.233.2271 Fax 440.282.9151 www.lorainschools.org FIRST 90 DAYS 2017 Believing in POSSIBLE
TABLE OF CONTENTS LETTER: MY WHY PERSONAL CORE BELIEFS ABOUT THE TRANSITION PLAN COMPONENT 1: LEARNING COMPONENT 2: UNDERSTANDING LEADERSHIP COMPONENT 3: UNDERSTANDING PERFORMANCE AND GROWTH COMPONENT 4: EQUITY COMPONENT 5: COMMUNITY COMPONENT 6: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE TRANSITION TIMELINE 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
My why. I am the son of a man who made his way from his aunt's modest home to a historically black college where he learned to write his first five-paragraph essay because he was fast enough to catch the track coach's eye and a mother who never stepped foot on a college campus, but made sure ivy league schools would be in her two sons' futures. I am a product of believing in possible. That belief in possibility extends to how I think about the future of education. We must move from the "assembly line" approach to teaching and learning in order to compete not only in our backyard but on the world's largest stages. Industry giants from Quintiles to Google seek thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators who can collaborate, invent and dream up the impossible. Whether it was my time as a school leader when a single mother asked me to ensure her son was one of the 98% of students that met state standards at my school; or this past spring when I received phone calls and text messages on college signing day in which my former middle school students named universities from Howard to Harvard as their next stop; or when I demanded every school had a great principal during my time as a regional leader for the New Jersey State Department of Education I have never allowed good or enough to be in the same sentence. Let alone impossible. The city of Lorain presents an opportunity to continue following my purpose. I see in Lorain a community saturated with some of the most committed people: a community flourishing with business, civic, and religious leaders; nationally recognized educators; and a community motivated by a collective desire for educational opportunity and equity. Three years ago, I found myself in a similar place after being selected as Chief Academic Officer for Saint Louis Public Schools. After listening to key stakeholders, I made strategic organizational shifts, maximized our return on instructional investments, and shifted our office mandates from top-down to one of bounded autonomy to make possible happen. As a result, the district improved graduation rates, progressed academically, increased post high school placement and rebuilt the confidence of the community in its schools. I am proud to say Saint Louis Public Schools is a fully accredited district again for the first time in over 15 years. Similarly, as CEO in the Lorain City Schools, it will be my job to enable greatness not to get in the way of it. Research shows that 60% of the jobs our kindergarten students will one day hold do not even exist yet which means that our job as educators to prepare our students for the unknown is no longer optional, but a mandate. If we create environments in which innovation creates inspiration; community stakeholders are valued not voiced over; progress overcomes politics; teachers and school leaders are empowered then we will have a school system that enables a generation of young people to defy the odds of becoming globally-competitive thinkers. In short, Lorain City Schools will be the place where our young people can grow, think, and aspire to greatness. A place where the color of your skin or the zip code you live in doesn't determine your destination. A place where we take our good to great, and our great to heights we have not seen. I have committed my life's work to get to the point where I can humbly approach an opportunity to lead a district like this one. Lead this district to the next level a level that will one day be commonplace for all of our students in the city of Lorain. In the best interest of students, David Hardy Jr. CEO, Lorain City School District Page 1
Personal Core Beliefs None of us are as strong as all of us. With more than 6,700 students and 860 employees in 15 schools and programs, we must come together to create a direction that is not only cohesive but complete. This will take multiple teams of people working toward the same goal, with the same purpose. Great teams can create an environment that allows for healthy debate and discourse as part of everyday interactions because it is this difference in opinion that will bring us to the best solution for our children. Healthy disregard for the impossible. I do not know what impossible looks like almost to a fault. I find it important to have a solution-orientation that never loses sight of the big picture. I firmly believe that the work we do is the backbone of this country s future, and we have only one option. We have to find the answers to the toughest questions and provide the support our schools need to make sure those questions are answered the best way we know how. In doing so, we will be thoughtful in our relentless approach toward transformative academic progress, and we will have fun doing it along the way. Failing to plan is planning to fail. I am a firm believer in planning with a purpose. We are responsible for the lives of thousands of young people, and I refuse to allow that responsibility to go without sincere thought, commitment, and understanding of what must happen to get the results we want and our students deserve. Therefore, I believe in always being as prepared for any and all circumstances as best as possible to mitigate unnecessary errors and unintended consequences. This is coupled with a desire to always seek feedback to ensure that the next time we are driven toward a decision, we are cognizant of what we have learned from our past experiences. Page 2
About the Transition Plan The first 90 days of our district transformation are aligned to six components that will serve as the core of our community engagement, district diagnosis, and ultimately the development of our strategic plan. Over the next 30 days, I will look forward to working with our internal and external stakeholders to listen to the successes we should build upon, the challenges we will need to face, and the tough conversations and decisions that will need to be had. This 90-day transition plan began on the day I signed my contract as CEO (August 8, 2017) and is focused on six components that will ultimately be the center of what I will be looking to understand about the district. These components will also be the foundation of the corresponding action plan and functional decisions derived from the findings of our consulting partner, TNTP. The six components of this transition plan are: Component 1: Learning Essential Question: What results of students, teachers, and school leaders have impacted the ability of our children to be ready for life after high school? Component 2: Leadership Essential Question: How have we improved the lives of our young people? Component 3: Performance and Growth Essential Question: What has been the return on our investments made throughout the district over the past three years? Community 4: Equity Essential Question: Is our current approach leveling the playing field for all of our students to succeed? Component 5: Community Essential Question: How do we create a collaborative community environment to create the greatest collective impact? Component 6: Organizational Culture Essential Question: How do we create trust? Page 3
About the Transition Plan (continued) Each of the six areas of focus will be taken through a four-step cycle of analysis that will eventually lead to the creation of a strategic plan for the district. These four steps are listed below. Please note that during my 90-day entry only one segment of the cycle will be initiated Prioritize. The other three segments of the cycle (Strategize, Operationalize, and Actualize) will be identified, implemented, and aligned to evaluation metrics as a result of the community engagement efforts and the district diagnostic process. The four segments of the process are located below and aligned with the number of days each segment is projected to take to complete with a high level of detail and potential effectiveness. STEP 1: PRIORITIZE - WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES? In the prioritization phase of the work, I will work with our community engagement partners and district personnel to identify the areas of greatest concern that are identified by multiple data sources both qualitative and quantitative. These priorities will be organized from greatest-to-least impactful on student outcomes. This segment of the process will be completed within the first 30 days and presented at a meeting held on September 7th. STEP 2: STRATEGIZE - WHAT IS OUR STRATEGY? After engaging deeply with the community and uncovering important data points through multiple district diagnostics, we will move into a phase of creating a collective, district-wide strategy. This process will be intense and urgent, as together we create a strategic direction for the district over the next 35 months with the intent of re-evaluating progress and course-correcting as necessary after each school year. The process will be driven by the comprehensive report provided by our consulting partner and will support the development of our organizational functions and work streams (organizational chart), district priorities and goals, performance metrics, professional learning for teachers, leaders, and staff, and ultimately a coherent vision for equitable teaching and learning practices throughout our school district. This strategic plan will be posted on our website and disseminated widely throughout our community to gain feedback from our community stakeholders. This segment of the process will be completed within the first 70 days, and the first draft of our strategic plan will be presented at a meeting held October 17th. STEP 3: OPERATIONALIZE- HOW WILL WE SYSTEMATIZE OUR SCHOOL AND DISTRICT OPERATIONS? While our strategic plan is under review, it will be my intent to spend significant time with those directly impacted by our strategic plan to ensure that their sentiments and needs are the drivers of our district s strategic plan. This second segment of community engagement will result in finalizing a strategic plan Page 4
for a final vote of confidence from the Academic Distress Committee (ADC) ahead of the mandate indicated by House Bill 70. This segment of the process will be completed within the first 90 days and the final draft of our strategic plan, organizational functions, intended year one outcomes, and projected year-three goals will be outlined and presented on November 6 th. STEP 4: ACTUALIZE- WHAT OUTCOMES SHOULD WE EXPECT IN THE SHORT- AND LONG-TERM? The actualization stage will be the critical work of mapping out the implementation of the strategic plan for short-term and long-term outcomes expected by the task and objectives identified. These measures and/or metrics will be the centerpiece for all presentations made by the senior leadership team to the greater community on an ongoing monthly basis. This segment of the process will be a completed draft within the first 150 days and will include our intentions on how we will monitor the progress of students, teachers, and leaders. These expectations will be outlined and shared with the community on a yet-to-be-determined interval. Page 5
Component 1: Learning According to the Ohio State Report Card, Achievement rates in reading, mathematics, social studies, and science are below state averages across all grade levels. PRIORITIZE: WHAT ARE OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PRIORITIES? The student and teacher actions that happen inside of our classrooms and hallways every single day must be our singular focus and our number one priority. To make this possible, we must engage in critical conversations about pedagogy, deepen our understanding of our standards, and prepare our students for lifelong learning experiences that will allow them to unlock their full potential and experience boundless success. To do so, we must: 1. Meet with my team, district leaders, school leaders, teachers, students, and parents to gain an understanding of teaching and learning throughout the district 2. Understand the academic landscape and ensure that the qualitative and quantitative data is accurate and telling the whole story 3. Audit the current systems in place in our schools 4. Speak with students (past and present) about their experience in their schools Status: Looking Ahead: What happens after the first 90 days? Strategize how we will: Improve instructional practices and curricular resources Identify best practices to support transformational practices during pivotal student years Incentivize collective instructional and climate impact Consistently innovate to meet the changing demands of our students Operationalize how we will: Deliver a demanding academic program that promotes growth and ends with improved performance Improve student assessment and intervention practices Evaluate effective teaching and leading across the district Embed systems that improve efficiency and effectiveness of instruction Actualize how we will: Measure our return on instructional investments Build a students-first organizational culture Align accountability with job functions to maximize human capital Restructure our organization to meet the needs of our students Project (post 90 days): Create an instructional approach that empowers students to innovate, teachers to facilitate, leaders to support, and the district to coach schools to higher expectations for student outcomes Page 6
Component 2: Understanding Leadership According to the Ohio Department of Education s Review of Lorain City School District s leadership practices, The district has not developed a formalized system of evaluation to determine the effectiveness of programs, practices, services or initiatives to align with student achievement goals. PRIORITIZE: WHAT IS OUR BIGGEST LEADERSHIP PRIORITY? At the core of what we do, is the student. However, it is the relationship between the teacher and those that support them that directly impacts the ability for learning to occur. For that reason, it will be important to understand the dynamics between teachers and leaders to inform the direction we must go to support their work and how it will impact our students. To do so, we must: 1. Speak with our school leaders to understand leadership challenges 2. Speak with our teachers to understand the challenges they face within the classroom 3. Review all evaluations of school and district leaders 4. Assess the quality of feedback and coaching provided to school and district leaders 5. Review the current professional development landscape within the district 6. Observe leaders with their staff and students throughout the school day Status: Looking Ahead: What happens after the first 90 days? Strategize how we will: Develop our most talented leaders Identify and grow our rising stars throughout the district Establish a common picture for an excellent school with an excellent school leader Operationalize how we will: Standardize observation and feedback loops of leader practice Establish accountability measures for student outcomes Conduct professional learning for our school leaders Support school leaders with high expectations and ongoing coaching Actualize how we will: Measure an excellent school Create a culture of excellence among school leaders Improve upon school year preparation and ongoing support to school leaders Project (post Restructure 90 days): school Create and a system district of excellent functions schools to meet and the a performance needs of schools management system to assess progress and hold school leaders accountable for outcomes Page 7
Component 3: Understanding Performance and Growth Our district s data indicates that the majority of LCSD students including gifted students, students in the lowest 20% in achievement, and students with disabilities did not experience growth. PRIORITIZE: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PRIORITY IN IMPROVING PERFORMANCE? Great organizations have a laser-like focus on outcomes and spend considerable time on the front-end to identify their goals. Once goals are identified, those that will lead the work are given the opportunity to create the strategies and successfully meet expectations. It is my goal to create our district s approach, establish clear expectations, create transparent accountability metrics, a coherent vision and strategy, and heighten our understanding of excellence. To do so, we must: 1. Analyze all available data points (both qualitative and quantitative) about student achievement and attainment 2. Review student, teacher, and leader records for accuracy, consistency, and transparency of student performance 3. Understand the current practices, procedures, and protocols to measure, review, and respond to data, data practices, and school performance 4. Review current board and union(s) policies regarding performance and accountability 5. Comprehend the Ohio State Report Card, its metrics, and the derivation of its metrics Status: Looking Ahead: What happens after the first 90 days? Strategize how we will: Identify, retain, promote, and grow talent Find a balance between growing our talent and seeking sources outside of the community Measure the effectiveness of our human capital throughout the school year Improve our talent pool to meet the needs of our diverse community Operationalize how we will: Standardize evaluation practices throughout the district Present a data dashboard that will consistent and transparently display individual and collective progress Identify, establish, and phase out ineffective job functions and roles Actualize how we will: Measure our return on human capital strategies Measure impact of teachers and leaders at every level of the system Measure the key performance indicators in a transparent manner Project (post 90 days): Create a talent strategy to hire, develop, evaluate, and retain educators who meet the demands of our diverse students and student needs Page 8
Component 4: Equity According to the Ohio State Report Card, LCSD is not yet narrowing proficiency gaps; students with disabilities showed the greatest proficiency gap, with 9.2% and 10.4% passing the reading and math assessments, respectively. Furthermore, the district s subgroups have failure rates of 28 percent or more in reading and 39.3 percent or more in math. PRIORITIZE: HOW WILL WE LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD? The ability to create a strategic plan and an agenda that will meet the needs of our students stems from a collective understanding of what it will take to truly accomplish what is at hand. Each of our students presents themselves and their pathway towards success differently. For that reason, I must learn how the district establishes equity and promotes the importance of it in every decision we make. To do so, we must: 1. Understand the current district definition and corresponding equity plan (if in existence) 2. Meet with the cultural competency committee to understand the equity work underway 3. Unpack the data to see where the disparity lies between demographic groups 4. Listen to stakeholders to gauge where to begin the work in providing equitable outcomes for kids 5. Make equity a priority Status: Looking Ahead: What happens after the first 90 days? Strategize how we will: Address the opportunity gaps across all demographics Provide equitable opportunities for success across our K-12 continuum Identify local and national resources to support our equity agenda Operationalize how we will: Ensure that equity is embedded systemically throughout the district Address inequities that exist in our schools and classrooms Systematically provide equitable solutions in innovative ways Actualize how we will: Ensure equity outcomes for all of our students Measure our ability to close the opportunity gap Maximize philanthropic dollars to support implementation and execution of our equity agenda Project (post 90 days): Establish a strategic direction that embodies an agenda based on equity and the elevation of all of our young people, regardless of circumstance Page 9
Component 5: Community According to 2015-2016 statistics on our graduating class, 55 students earned a remediation-free score on ACT or SAT, earned an honors diploma, and/or earned an industry-recognized credential. PRIORITIZE: HOW DO WE CREATE OUR VILLAGE TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN? These results are far from what we can and need to do for our children as they enter the world after high school. I will not hold back regarding my purpose and hope to share my passion for facing the challenges of our achievement gap. Therefore, I must be open and honest with what I find and engage in multiple conversations about what we will need to do moving forward. I will need to the guidance, support, and ongoing partnerships with the community to make it happen for our kids and the city of Lorain. To do so, we must: 1. Listen for common threads that we hear from all community stakeholders 2. Spend time with our children and understand their wants and desires 3. Survey key stakeholders to gain an additional perspective on the state of our district 4. Build relationships and common understandings that will bring us all together 5. Identify places and events where I can become immersed in our city and its culture 6. Establish an understanding of all members of the district leadership team and share who I am as a leader Status: Looking Ahead: What happens after the first 90 days? Strategize how we will: Align community partnerships to meet the needs of the whole child. Communicate with our community and gain their trust and engagement. Heighten expectations for community engagement and the outcomes we seek. Operationalize how we will: Structure engagement with the school board. Transparently communicate actions and progress to all stakeholders. Maximize community partners to meet the needs of our students. Actualize how we will: Measure the effectiveness of our community outreach. Build relationships that are fundamentally built on the best interest of students. Create the impact necessary in our community so our students can succeed. Project (post 90 days): Create an outcomes driven community council to support the Academic Improvement Plan of the district. Page 10
Component 6: Organizational Culture According to Ohio Department of Education, the district has not developed a formalized system of evaluation to determine the effectiveness of programs, practices, services or initiatives to align with student achievement goals. PRIORITIZE: HOW DO WE BUILD A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM? I look forward to working with our leaders to create a cohesive plan that incorporates the input of all key stakeholders and data from the field while embodying the district s vision for student excellence. This team must operate with a high level of trust, purpose, and joy if we are to accomplish great things for our young people. This will be a process that will take time and disciplined thought to meet the needs of our students. Along the way, let s have fun doing it. To do so, we must: 1. Understand the level of trust that exists internally and externally of the district 2. Understand the current organizational structure, how it works, and where it could improve 3. Review data on the district, the feedback that has been provided to the district on its performance 4. Understand the budget process and the corresponding impact on instructional practice development 5. Attend and observe district meetings (internally and externally) Status: Looking Ahead: What happens after the first 90 days? Strategize how we will: Build a true team and family approach to the work for our children. Incentivize behaviors that create the greatest outcomes for kids. Identify our district s core values and build systems to support them. Rally around a district vision that is sound and aspirational yet feasible. Operationalize how we will: Embody the Lorain Way in the work we do every day. Make data-driven decision-making a part of system-wide thinking. Approach communication, feedback, and improvement throughout the district. Communicate using a common vernacular driven by performance metrics. Actualize how we will: Seek regular feedback from our constituents to ensure we are providing appropriate support. Systematize our culture and build operational expectations for each other. Measure the health of our organization. Project (post 90 days): Establish an ongoing measure of organizational health and well being Page 11
Page 12 Transition Timeline DAY(S) ACTIVITY/EXPERIENCE COMPONENT 1-30 Listen for common threads that we hear from all community stakeholders. Community 1-30 Identify places and events where I can become immersed in our city and its culture Community 1-30 Unpack the data to see where the disparity lies between demographic groups Equity 1-30 Listen to stakeholders to gauge where to begin the work in providing equitable outcomes for kids Equity 1-30 Review data on the district, the feedback that has been provided to the district on its performance Organizational Culture 1-30 Understand the budget process and the corresponding impact on instructional practice development Organizational Culture 1-30 Spend time with our children and understand their wants and desires Community 1-30 Speak with students (past and present) about their experience in their schools Learning 10-30 Speak with our school leaders to understand what is getting in their way of being more successful Leadership 20-35 Analyze all available data points (both qualitative and quantitative) about student achievement and attainment Performance 10-40 Establish an understanding of all members of the district leadership team and share who I am as a leader Community 25-40 Meet with my team, district leaders, school leaders, teachers, students, and parents to gain an understanding of teaching and learning Learning throughout the district 1-45 Review all current board and union(s) policies regarding performance and accountability Performance 1-45 Comprehend the Ohio State Report Card, its metrics, and the derivation of its metrics Performance 10-45 Attend and observe district meetings (internally and externally) Organizational Culture 15-45 Meet with the cultural competency committee to understand the equity work underway Equity 30-45 Speak with our teachers to understand the challenges they face within the classroom Leadership 15-50 Understand the academic landscape and to ensure that the qualitative and quantitative data is accurate and telling the whole story. Learning 1-60 Review student, teacher, and leader records for accuracy, consistency, and transparency of student performance Performance 1-60 Understand the current practices, procedures, and protocols to measure, review, and respond to data, data practices, and school Performance performance 1-60 Review all evaluations of school and district leaders Leadership 20-60 Understand the current organizational structure, how it works, and where it could improve Organizational Culture 20-60 Observe leaders with their staff and students throughout the school day Leadership
20-60 Audit the current systems in place in our schools Learning 30-60 Survey all key stakeholders to gain an additional perspective on the state of our district Community 30-60 Assess the quality of feedback and coaching provided to school and district leaders Leadership 30-60 Review the current professional development landscape within the district Leadership 40-60 Understand the current district definition and corresponding equity plan (if in existence). Equity 30-90 Understand the level of trust that exists internally and externally of the district Organizational Culture Ongoing Make equity a priority Equity Ongoing Build relationships and common understandings that will bring us all together Community Ongoing Ensure that students are always first Organizational Culture Throughout the months of August and September, I will be traveling 1-3 days a week between Saint Louis and Lorain to close out my work with Saint Louis Public Schools, establish a residence in Lorain County, and get up to speed with understanding the district. Throughout, I will be able to successfully engage in-person and remotely with the larger community with the intent to be located full-time, charging forward in Lorain starting as early as the first week of October. The dates below I will be in town for scheduled meetings: August 1 st, 2017 August 8 th -10 th, 2017 August 19 th, 2017 August 21 st -23 rd, 2017 September 7 th, 2017 Week of September 11 th (TBD) September 26 th, 2017 Page 13