Report on Progress - August 2014

  • Bradley v Pinellas County Schools
    Memoranda of Understanding
    Report on Progress – August 2014
     
    To date, four Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) in the area of Quality of Education have been negotiated and approved by the plaintiffs and School Board. The MOU in place to date include:Student Achievement, Student Discipline, Assignment to Programs and Classes and Administrative Staff Assignment and Faculty.


    Each MOU includes provision for semiannual meetings (March and August) of both parties to provide data updates and review progress toward aspirational goals and means and methods set forth in the memoranda. This report and supporting data includes the following elements referenced in the MOU.

    Student Achievement

    • Evidence of School Improvement Plans including data on black student achievement relative to white and other students in general, strategies and interventions to improve black student achievement, and school-based individuals responsible for implementation
    • Equitable allocation of resources
    • Data to support the above using district data systems


    Student Discipline (Behavior)

    • Evidence of School Improvement Plans including data on black student discipline relative to white and other students in general, behavioral strategies and interventions to improve student behavior and school-based individuals responsible for implementation
    • Evidence of schoolwide behavior plans to include positive behavioral supports and professional development in the implementation of the plan through the use of data for identifying the underlying causes of negative behavior through problem solving (PS/RtI:B)
    • Data to support the above using district data systems


    Assignment to Programs and Classes

    • Evidence of School Improvement Plans including data relative to assignment of students by race to exceptional education programs, accelerated classes, district application programs, AVID, and/or gifted programs, means and methods to achieve continuous improvement and school-based staff responsible for implementation.
    • Data related to black student participation in exceptional education programs, accelerated classes, magnet/application programs, AVID, and gifted services.


    Administrative Staff Assignment and Faculty

    • This report has an annual reporting date in March.
     
     

    Quality of Education – Student Achievement

     

    FCAT Results and Tiered Supports

    The disaggregated student achievement data for the 2012-2014 is reported by the Florida Department of Education for the district and individual schools and can be accessed at http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/. Additionally, the PCS Assessment, Accountability, and Research Department has prepared reports showing FCAT achievement levels by race/ethnicity.

    Analysis of the FCAT data suggests:

    • Students scoring an Achievement Level of Level of 3 or higher in FCAT Reading have remained flat over the last three-year period in Pinellas County Schools.
    • Students scoring an Achievement Level of 3 or higher in FCAT Math have remained somewhat flat over the last three-year period in Pinellas County Schools.
    • Black students have shown incremental growth in FCAT Math.
    • The achievement gap between black and nonblack students in both reading and math has not increased, but rather has remained somewhat constant.


    These data created intensive conversations leading to the development of actions to support increased achievement rates across all of our schools in the areas of reading and mathematics. These plans include:

    • Increased opportunities for more students to attend Summer Bridge to narrow learning gaps beginning in summer, 2014
    • Increased the opportunities for teachers to attend standards-based professional development targeting reading and math
    • Provided additional funds to all schools to further expand extended learning opportunities before, during, and after school hours
    • Continue to provide all schools with supplemental reading and math technology programs that can be used at home, in the community, and before/after school programs
    • Provided additional support sessions throughout the summer of 2014 assisting schools with targeted strategies to build effective school improvement plans


    In addition to our data analysis, the state of Florida uses two methods for identification of “struggling” schools. The first designation requiring state oversight by a Regional Differentiated Accountability team is referred to as Turnaround Schools. This designation is defined by FL Department of Education including FCAT data over multiple years. The following Pinellas County Schools have been identified as Turnaround Schools: Azalea Middle, Campbell Park Elementary, Fairmount Park Elementary, Maximo Elementary, Melrose Elementary, Pinellas Park Elementary, Pinellas Park Middle, High Point Elementary, Ponce de Leon Elementary, Largo Middle, Bear Creek Elementary, Belleair Elementary, Dunedin Elementary, and Tyrone Middle.
     

    A second designation from the Florida Department of Education is defined as the lowest 300 elementary schools in the state based on reading proficiency rates using the FCAT reading achievement measures. These identified schools must receive one hour of additional, intensive reading instruction per day. Pinellas County already provides an additional 30 minutes of reading instruction daily. The following elementary schools will increase their school day by an additional 30 minutes to then deliver an hour of intensive reading instruction daily: Campbell Park Elementary, Fairmount Park Elementary, Maximo Elementary, Melrose Elementary, Pinellas Park Elementary, High Point Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, Ponce de Leon Elementary, New Heights Elementary, Bear Creek Elementary, Lealman Avenue Elementary, Sandy Lane Elementary, Blanton Elementary, Seventy-Fourth Street Elementary, and Woodlawn Elementary.

    Contributing factors for the decline FCAT achievement scores in these identified schools may include:
     
    • Increased turnover of leadership and staff members
    • Reduced instructional time due to increased time out of the classroom associated with behavior issues
    • Mobility rates in particular areas of the district

     

    In response to the low achievement scores in these identified schools, district improvement initiatives have been put into place to positively impact these trends. The following actions have been put into place for the 2014-2015 school year:
     
    • Debriefing meetings with individual principals and district leadership to review data and to review components within their School Improvement Plans
    • Differentiated staffing models including both instructional, non-instructional, and support staff
    • Differentiated allocation of funds at both the district and school levels to support improvement efforts with a focus on increasing the extended learning opportunities beyond the school day
    • Specific research-based intervention programs implemented with fidelity in each school site
    • Expanded professional development opportunities for all staff members focused on the implementation of the identified interventions as well as school-wide behavior strategies
    • Protective hiring practices to ensure highly qualified teaching staffs are in place
    • Increased monitoring practices at both district and school levels
    • Expanded opportunities for students to attend Summer Bridge academic programs
    • Expanded opportunities for students to take home computers for academic practice and engagement before, during, and after school (Beyond the Classroom Initiative)

     

    Additionally, the district’s Assessment, Accountability, and Research Department completed an extensive educational literature review targeting what is needed for success in schools with significant levels of poverty. For Campbell Park, Fairmount Park, Lakewood, Maximo, and Melrose, support plans have been further differentiated using the findings of this research analysis. A strong community partnership with Juvenile Welfare Board has been formed to further expand services to designated schools in an effort to positively impact the achievement levels while at the same time addressing behavioral concerns in these identified schools. After extensive conversations with the principals of these five schools around the research findings of the best practices, the partnership between PCS and JWB will provide:
     
    • Comprehensive mental and social counseling services
    • Additional classroom assistance to further reduce teacher/pupil ratios
    • Full behavior management systems
    • Enhanced family engagement opportunities
    • On-going professional development on a monthly basis at each of these school sites
    • District monitoring visits every 5-6 weeks with specific feedback to school teams
    • Preferential human resource processes
    • Comprehensive wraparound services
    • Enhanced extended learning opportunities

      Supporting Data

    [NOTE AS OF 9-25-2015: (1) The first report is misdated and should read "2014-15," not "2013-14;" and (2) the second report's exit data is cumulative of both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years - the Fall 2015 Report, due to be published near the end of September 2015, will contain separate exit data reports for each of the 2013-14 abd 2014-15 schol years.]
     

     

    Graduation Rate

    Official Graduation Rate data becomes available from the FDOE in November each year and will be included in the March Bradley MOU Report.

    New U.S. Department of Education regulations require each state to calculate a four-year adjusted cohort rate, which includes standard diplomas but excludes GEDs, both regular and adult, and special diplomas.  Another difference in the new rate is that adult education transfers will count as non-graduates, rather than simply a transfer out of the cohort.  This new rate is referred to as the Federal Graduation Rate and the U.S. Department of Education is adopting this calculation method in an effort to streamline graduation rate calculations to acquire uniform, accurate, and comparable rates across all states. States began calculating the new graduation rate in 2010-11, and states were required to implement the federal graduation rate in determining School grades beginning in 2011-12.  District and school level federal graduation rate data disaggregated by race and gender is now available for the 2012-13 school year and is provided below.  Graduation Rate reports for 2013-14 are scheduled to be published in Late November or Early December 2014.

    College Readiness Scores

    SAT and ACT scores become available from the College Board and ACT in September and will be included in the March Bradley MOU Report. 

    Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

     Multi Year AP Exam Comparison

     The district student data file is provided by the College Board annually in early July and requires additional formatting and analysis to understand the progression of the Advanced Placement program in Pinellas County Schools.  The data provided in this progress updates relate to AP exams is from the annual district data files.

    This table shows the trend in the number of AP exams taken at each high school over the last three years.

     

    Chart 1

    While the Bradley reporting has focused for several years on AP performance, the data should not be considered in isolation. Advanced Placement coursework was established as the focal point of this report because it is offered to students without entrance or eligibility criteria, but other courses that we review in conjunction with AP courses include dual enrollment and AICE (Cambridge) courses.
    Dual enrollment access is limited by statutory eligibility requirements, serving only those students with a 3.0 unweighted cumulative GPA and qualifying test scores from the SAT, ACT, or PERT. While this limits participation, we have continued to grow the access to these courses by removing other barriers such as location and transportation; at the same time we continue to see a 90% or better success rate (as measured by the percentage of students earning passing grades) in dual enrollment coursework. Students should be cautious when deciding to take dual enrollment courses because poor performance can have a negative impact on their ability to obtain financial aid and/or their acceptance to the college of their choice.

    The University of Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Program is a District Application Program that directly competes with IB and limits enrollment based on the same eligibility criteria as IB. However, unlike IB, the courses can be taken by students at the host school who are not in the AICE program, just as AP courses can be accessed by any student. Students in the application program must pursue completion of an AICE diploma, while those selecting one or two courses are not obligated to do so.
     
     It is important to take both dual enrollment options and AICE options into consideration when reviewing the AP exams taken at each school. Several schools showed significant increases in the number of AP exams taken, while other showed significant decline in AP exams taken.

    • Boca Ciega returned to a number similar to 2012
    • Clearwater, Countryside, East Lake, Largo, and Pinellas Park continued to show steady growth in their AP program during 2013-14.
    • Significant declines in AP exams taken are evident at Dixie Hollins and Lakewood. As mentioned previously, these numbers have to be inspected with consideration to other offerings.
    • As the AICE program matures at Dixie Hollins, the AP offerings have decreased due to the fact that AICE courses have replaced some of the AP courses. For example, AICE Language has replaced AP Language & Composition.
    • Lakewood offered core content dual enrollment classes on their campus for the first time in 2013-14 and their overall student population declined by approximately 100 students from 2013 to 2014, therefore it is appropriate that their AP enrollment has declined in number.
    Below is a summary of Advanced Placement exams taken in Pinellas County since 2002. As you review the data, there may be concern for the decreased pass rate. Our goal is to continue to increase the number of students who are able to earn scores that translate to college credit, with a particular focus on decreasing the gap between the rate at which black and non-black students are able to do this. During this time, we have steadily increased and more than doubled both the number of students accessing AP courses and the number of students achieving scores that are eligible for college credit because we have made these classes accessible to all students.
    The AVID elective serves as an optional system of support for the students in the academic middle who decide to enroll in accelerated courses. AVID started with one high school in 2004-2005, adding more high schools every year or two until we completed the expansion of AVID in high schools in 2011-12.
     
     
    Chart 2
     
     

    Data related to the African American students participation in AP exams and dual enrollment courses can be found in the following links. Included in this is data related to the low-socioeconomic status (SES) student group. With the introduction of the Community Eligible Provision that provides free breakfast and lunch at three of our high schools, this data set is no longer complete. The numbers impacted by this are highlighted in the tables for your reference.
    Files attached include:

     

    Efforts to date have predominantly been focused on insuring access to these courses. The systems that are in place to insure the continued identification of students in order to expand access to accelerated coursework include the items listed below which will continue to be implemented.

    •  All high schools and middle schools are certified AVID sites. AVID elective teachers play a large role in the course selection process for all AVID students and participation in AVID requires participation in accelerated courses.
    •  AVID recruitment efforts include identification of underrepresented students with the potential to be successful in rigorous courses with a support system. Students identified in the reports used are at or near proficiency in reading and math, and they have average GPA’s (2.0-3.5). These students are then personally invited to take the AVID elective and make the commitment to courses of rigor. Special attention was given to the black students identified through these reports as part of the scheduling process last spring in preparation for the 2014-15 school year.
    •  ReadiStep is administered to all 7th & 8th grade students and PSAT is administered to all 9th & 10th grade students. The data from these nationally normed assessments allow for earlier identification of students with the potential to be successful in advanced courses and is being used as part of the course recommendation process. Schools were provided the data and asked to target the underrepresented students in their accelerated course recruitment efforts, with a focus on black students. Additionally, this data will be incorporated into the automatic scheduler processes for middle school students in preparation for the 2015-16 school year.

    Our next step is to provide quality professional development to teachers of rigorous courses in order for their practices to meet the needs of a population that is becoming more diverse each year.  The initiatives that have been put in place are outlined below.

    • All AP teachers are required to attend the Advanced Placement Summer Institute prior to teaching a class for the first time and a minimum of once every three years after their first year of teaching the course.  AP Summer Institute is a week-long workshop facilitated by College Board Consultants with expertise and demonstrated results in the AP subject which they facilitate.
    • AP teachers are encouraged to apply to become an AP Reader.  Those that have had the opportunity to do this return with a much deeper understanding of how the exams are scored and what they should pay particular attention to or focus on in their instruction and assessment of students during the school year.
    • AP Teacher Professional Learning Community (PLC) calendar is in place for 2014-15 and has been communicated to all AP teachers, with paid stipends for teachers who attend.  These PLC meetings will allow teachers from across the county to collaborate with other teachers of the same AP course.  Research shows that active participation in a PLC results in improved instructional practices and therefore increased student engagement.  This is new this year.
    • The Advanced Studies staff model has been adjusted to provide more support to teachers at each level.  An additional staff developer was hired to start 2014-15 so that there is one assigned to support each level (elementary, middle, and high school) and to continue the expansion of AVID Elementary in Pinellas County Schools. 
    • The high school staff developer is responsible for assessing the needs of AP teachers and AVID elective teachers and providing professional development in the identified areas of need. 
    • The middle school staff developer is responsible for assessing the needs of teachers of high school courses and AVID elective teachers and providing professional development in the identified areas of need. 
    • The elementary school staff developer will work with the 7 AVID elementary schools to support their school wide plans for improving students’ organizational and study skills while building a college-going culture.  These staff developers also work with the curriculum teams from Teaching & Learning and participate in the Instructional Support Model school visits to insure that their work supports all content areas.
    • Planning with AVID Center is in progress to bring a large scale Culturally Relevant Teaching workshop to Pinellas County Schools.
    •  Leadership for College Readiness workshop was provided for school teams in June and will continue to be provided to school teams each summer as a means of building the capacity of administrators and teacher leaders to challenge their colleagues to operate with a growth mindset and a belief that every student can progress to post-secondary educational opportunities.
    • Semi-annual data reviews are conducted in partnership with principals to insure planning for expanded course offerings, recruitment of students into AP and DE classes, support for the teachers of advanced courses, identification of students who can qualify for greater levels of scholarship with test preparation support, etc.


    School Improvement Plan (SIP)

    School Improvement Plans (SIPs) are developed annually by leadership teams at schools with guidance and input from District staff. These SIPs are divided into six major sections: 1) Current School Status; 2) Expected Improvements (data analysis and goal setting); 3) Professional Development; 4) Coordination and Integration (Federal/State funding relative to meeting student needs; 5) Budget; and 6) Mid Year Reflection on progress. As the MOU requires, each school includes the following in the SIP:

    a) Data on black student achievement relative to white and other students in general
    b) Instructional strategies and interventions to improve black student achievement
    c) Identification of school-based individuals responsible for implementation
    d) Analysis by the schools or the District administration as to the effectiveness of the strategies and interventions at the school

    As part of the data analysis needed in this year’s SIP, student achievement data for each content area as well as data on an Early Warning System including the number and percent of students who are absent 10% or more, have one or more referrals, have in- or out- of school suspensions, have failed a course, have FCAT level 1 scores, are reported and used in the development of school goals and strategies to accomplish those goals.

    These requirements are communicated regularly to all school principals and their teams through SIP trainings, District and state feedback processes, and technical assistance offerings. The SIP development process for the last two school years has included six yearly training sessions, a newly revised PCS SIP form, a feedback process for improving the SIP prior to submission, and a mid-year reflection on progress towards the goals of the plan submitted to the Area Superintendents and to the Bureau of School Improvement (BSI) for Differentiated Accountability (DA) schools. Additionally, since the 2011-12 school year, SIP technical assistance and monitoring is coordinated through the district Assessment, Accountability, and Research (AAR) Department.

    Support on developing a complete School Improvement and Action Plan was provided to all school based leadership during the spring and summer. All schools attended at least one session. Ongoing monitoring and support of the implementation of School Improvement Plans and the Action Plans are overseen by the Area Superintendents. F and D schools have additional monitoring and support from the state Regional Executive Team.

    Like previous years, school improvement plans were also reviewed by peers. This required each school improvement plan to be reviewed by another school based administrator. The review included a peer review checklist which required each plan to have goals and objectives for the continuous improvement of Black students in the areas of reading, writing, math, science, graduation, relative rate of discipline, and enrollment in advanced courses.

     Executive Summaries for the SIPs and the SIPs for the 2013-2014 were approved by the School Board on September 23, 2013 and posted on the District website.   These plans may be accessed School Improvement Plans or from the District homepage (Select Schools and then, School Improvement Plans).  Executive Summaries and SIPs for the 2014-15 school year are due September 9th and will be presented to the School Board for approval on September 23, 2014.

    Supporting Data

    School Improvement Form High School

    School Improvement Plan Evaluation Tool

     

    Equitable Allocation of Resources
    The district staffing process for schools begins with a base staffing model that is the same for every school. Projected enrollments are used to determine the number of classroom teachers staffed at each school. After the base staffing model is established, additional resources are provided to schools based on need. This is accomplished through a variety of local, state and federal funding sources such as Title I. Schools with large populations of minority students receive much of the additional human and financial resources. Please see the support data document, Additional Resources 14-15, for specifics on the rationale for each type of additional resource. Data is collected on the expenditures made per school per Weighted Full Time Equivalent (WFTE). This data demonstrates that the schools with higher concentrations of minority students receive higher rates of funding. Comparing a collection of 9 schools with higher rates of minority students to 3 schools with lower rates of minority students, the schools with higher rates receive on average, 46.75% more in total funding.

    Supporting Data

    Additional Resources 2014-15

    WFTE Comparison

     

    Culturally Responsive Teaching Professional Development

    New professional learning opportunities have been specifically designed to impact three critical areas related to teacher effectiveness: knowledge for practice, knowledge in practice, and knowledge of practice. Knowledge for practice is addressed through traditional, large group training sessions that focus on building understanding of what culturally responsive teaching is and why it is essential to improved achievement outcomes for Black students. Knowledge in practice and of practice will be addressed through onsite work with teachers, with a focus on applying culturally responsive teaching in the classroom. This will involve working directly with teachers to plan, implement, reflect upon, and adapt instructional approaches that incorporate cultural assets and experiences of Black students for increased engagement and learning.

    Supporting Data

    Culturally Responsive Instruction-Professional Development

    Quality of Education – Student Discipline (Behavior)

    Suspension Report
    The indicator of discipline required as a goal in the FDOE School Improvement Plan template is suspensions, both out-of-school and in-school suspensions. Pinellas County Schools’ Assessment, Accountability, and Research (AAR) Department has developed yearly suspension reports since 2006. A supplemental suspension report is compiled to specifically compare black and non-black students. These reports are based on historically archived data on a date certain for each report. The main report includes changes from the previous year and these reports are the most consistent and reliable suspension data available. All the suspension reports are posted on the district AAR website and the links to all of the current and past year reports can be found with the supporting data below.

    The 2013-14 Main Out-of-School Suspension Report indicates that the total number of black student suspensions increased by 432, from 9,325 in 2013 to 9,757 in 2014. The total number of unique individual black students suspended decreased by 3, from 4,092 in 2013 to 4,089 in 2014. This report also disaggregates suspensions by race by grade levels. Additional reports for individual schools detailing total black student suspensions and individual black students suspended are also included below. All suspension reports can be found on the PCS Research and Accountability web page at the link below.

    Supporting Data

     

    Discipline Trends

    During Bradley mediation, a graphical report of Discipline Trends including suspension and arrest data from the Educational Data Solutions (EDS) system has been shared in recent years. This report was designed by the Directors of School Operations (a position that no longer exists in Pinellas County Schools) and has been compiled by staff in the Technology Information Services (TIS) office. This report is included for consistency with previous Bradley MOU Reports. Data in the two reports may vary slightly as the TIS graphical report is developed from dynamic data pulled on a specific day and not the same “date certain” used for the Research and Accountability Suspension Reports.

    Based on the July 14, 2014 TIS graphical Discipline Trends Report, the total number of in-school suspensions for black students decreased by 890 from 15,674 to in 2013 to 14,784 in 2014. The total number of out-of-school suspensions increased by 479 from 9,330 in 2013 to 9,809 in 2014. Disaggregated black and non-black data is provided for the district and individual schools. The data provided includes suspensions, arrests, most common incidents resulting in suspensions and the number of days suspended by incident type. The number of black student arrests for campus related incidents declined by 51, from 399 in 2013 to 348 in 2014.

    Supporting Data

     

    Disciplinary Reassignments and Expulsions

    The Area Superintendent Offices have developed summary reports related to reassignments and expulsions. Disaggregated data by race is included for the past five years. The total number of student reassignments declined by 76 students, from 481 in 2012 to 405 in 2013. The total number of black students reassigned declined by 13 students, from 218 in 2012 to 205 in 2013. The total number of student expulsions increased by 3 from 20 in 2012 to 23 in 2013. The total number of black student expulsions increased by 4, from 7 in 2012 to 11 in 2013.

    Supporting Data

     

     School Improvement Plans

    As required by the MOU, each school is to include data on black student discipline relative to white and other students in general, behavioral strategies and interventions to improve student behavior and school-based individuals responsible for implementation.

    Supporting Data
    Information on the Bradley MOU SIP goal requirements and the 2013-14 SIP Template can be found above in the Student Achievement section of this report.


    Schoolwide Behavior Plans and Positive Behavior Support Implementation

    To address the needs of all schools for eliminating challenging behaviors and replacing them with pro-social skills that support learning for all students, the Pinellas School District has adopted Positive Behavior Supports. In 2001, The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) reported,
     
    Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is an empirically validated, function-based approach to eliminate challenging behaviors and replace them with pro-social skills. Use of PBS decreases the need for more intrusive or aversive interventions (i.e., punishment or suspension) and can lead to both systemic as well as individualized change.

     

    PBS can target an individual student or an entire school, as it does not focus exclusively on the student, but also includes changing environmental variables such as the physical setting, task demands, curriculum, instructional pace and individualized reinforcement. Thus it is successful with a wide range of students, in a wide range of contexts, with a wide range of behaviors.
    Blending behavioral science, empirically validated procedures, durable systems change and an emphasis on socially important outcomes, PBS always involves data-based decision making using functional behavioral assessment and ongoing monitoring of intervention impact.

    All PCS School Based Leadership Teams (SBLT) have participated in training on problem solving to build their capacity to implement a core level (Tier 1) school wide behavior plan grounded in the principles of PBS and positively supporting all students. Schools submit action plans for school-wide and classroom level behavior systems via the School-Wide Behavior Plan (SWBP) to their Area Superintendent early in the first semester of the school year. This year those initial plans were due on August 22. Because outcome data indicate that either some SWBPs have not been implemented with fidelity or some interventions have not sufficiently reduced identified barriers, a system of more intensive support for the 2014-15 school year has been developed.

    1. Fidelity of PBS Implementation: Extensive professional development to reinforce the concepts of PBS will be delivered by the Florida PBS Project at the University of South Florida for the 28 schools identified this year as “Priority Schools” (Azalea MS, Bardmoor ES, Bear Creek ES, Belleair ES, Blanton ES, Campbell Park ES, Dunedin ES, Fairmount Park ES, Gulfport ES, High Point ES, John Hopkins MS, Lakewood ES, Largo MS, Lealman Avenue ES, Lynch ES, Maximo ES, Meadowlawn ES, Melrose ES, Mildred Helms ES, New Heights ES, North Shore ES, Pinellas Park ES, Pinellas Park MS, Ponce de Leon ES, Sandy Lane ES, Seventy-fourth Street ES, Tarpon Springs ES, and Tyrone MS). All 28 schools, represented by 162 participants attended the first session on August 14. Subsequent sessions will be provided on September 24, October 15, November 12, January 14, February 18, and March 18.

    2. School-Wide Behavior Plan: The four Area Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Specialists (MTSS) collaborated during the spring and summer of 2014 with the district’s Technology Information Services (TIS) to develop a FileMaker Pro solution to provide an on-line submission of SWBPs. The revised template includes guiding questions for each area of the plan, as well as prompts and dropdown menus to ensure compliance with every required area, including the development of specific interventions for addressing discrepancies between the number of referrals and in- and out-of-school suspensions for Black and Non-Black students. In addition a rubric to evaluate the quality of the plan has been disseminated to every school. That rubric will also be used by the Area MTSS Specialists to provide feedback to each school on their initial submission as well as the two updates that are required during the school year. The FileMaker SWBPs will be posted on the district website for public review.

    In addition to regular SWBP review, the Area MTSS Specialists engage in on-going discipline data review and classroom walkthroughs with particular attention to the collection of classroom management data, and provide face-to-face feedback during school-wide walkthroughs regularly scheduled by the Area Superintendents and the Executive Directors of Elementary, Middle, and High Schools.

    In addition to outcome data on referrals and suspensions, implementation data is obtained by all schools through the PBS Implementation Checklist (PIC), a self-report on implementation completed in October and February of each year, and the Benchmarks of Quality (BOQ).

    The Benchmarks of Quality (BOQ) assesses progress on development and implementation of school -wide Positive Behavior Supports. This document is completed by school teams at the end of each school year to identify areas of strength and weakness. The BOQ is used by the district to guide technical assistance and training in ten critical elements of PBS (the PBS Team, faculty Commitment, Effective Procedures, Data Entry Plan, expectations, Reward Programs, Lesson Plans, Implementation Plan, Evaluation, and Classroom Systems). These data are also used to identify model schools and to evaluate outcomes related to level of implementation. Schools reaching the 70% level overall or for individual critical elements are considered to be implementing with fidelity.

    Included below is a summary of the Benchmarks of Quality assessment used to monitor implementation of PBS including the specific benchmarks assessed in each of the ten critical elements. Also included are graphs of aggregating the BOQ responses across all participating schools in the district, and graphs for schools by level/type.

    3. Coaching Support: In order to ensure continuous support to schools, the Area MTSS Specialists will provide specialized professional development and coaching support to school-based MTSS coaches and behavior coaches in six sessions totaling 18 hours of professional development focused on facilitation and coaching skills, especially for school-wide behavior systems and classroom management, as well as the design and implementation of culturally responsive behavioral instruction and interventions. Area MTSS Specialists will also continue to provide individual schools with on-going assistance for data-driven decision making, structure and function of the School-Based Leadership Team, and development and function of school behavior teams for full implementation of PBS.

    4. District-wide Professional Development: Two of the Area MTSS Specialists became certified Positive and Proactive Classroom Management trainers and trainers of coaches during the summer of 2014. That certification will allow continued provision of district-wide classroom management professional development for teachers and other staff at all schools. Currently, four on-line modules are open to all PCS staff: STOIC Overview, Classroom Organization and Structure, Using Tools to Review/Revise Classroom Management Plans, and Classwide Motivation Systems. Schedules are being developed for after-hours face-to-face professional development open to all staff in CHAMPS: A proactive and positive approach to classroom management and The Tough Kids Tools, both strongly aligned with PBS.
     

    Supporting Data

     Quality of Education – Programs and Classes

    School Improvement Plans
    Each school is to include data relative to assignment of students by race to exceptional education programs, accelerated classes, countywide programs, AVID, and/or gifted programs, means and methods to achieve continuous improvement and school-based staff responsible for implementation. Individual schools selected the type of courses or programs to address in their SIP based on the programs and courses offered at the school. Some schools may have addressed magnet or fundamental programs, while others addressed accelerated course participation or students assigned to exceptional student education programs.

    Supporting Data
    Information on the Bradley MOU SIP goal requirements and the 2013-14 SIP Template can be found above in the Student Achievement section of this report.


    Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Classes (including EBD and Gifted)

    2013-14 District ESE participation data is compiled in February of each school year after the start of the second semester and will be included in the March Bradley MOU Report.

          

    Accelerated Classes

     
    Enrollment of students in accelerated classes is compiled in February of each school year after the start of the second semester and will be included in the March Bradley MOU Report. These courses include middle school advanced, middle school honors, Algebra I in middle school, high school honors, high school dual enrollment and high school Advanced Placement (AP).


    District Application Programs (DAP) (Magnets, Fundamentals, Career Academies)

    A category for tracking enrollment and dismissal in these programs is included in the FOCUS student information system to provide more precise data by application program.

    The application and acceptance period for district application programs was conducted in January and February of 2014 and parents have the ability to make late applications during the remainder of the school year, summer, and into the next school year.

    A proximity preference is included in the School Board Policy for the application program process to give students living nearest to schools with some of these programs, located in predominantly black neighborhoods a priority for open seats. The proximity preference is applied after the feeder patterns, sibling and/or professional courtesy preferences already in existence have been applied.

    In the 2013-2014 school year, the district opened six new magnet programs (4 middle and 2 elementary). Due in part to the new programs, but continuing a multi-year trend the total number of applications, invitations and acceptances was up in 2014. Black students mirrored this trend, showing significant increases in applications (845), invitations (362), and acceptances (209). The percentage of black students that applied that were accepted was 18% compared to 23% for all applicants. This comparison will be monitored closely as these percentages should be more equal since the application and invitation process is random. One area for the district to address is to make sure that black families are aware that they must log back in during the acceptance period to accept any invitations. This can be accomplished through effective communications during the acceptance period.

    For the 2012-13 school year, students exiting from magnet and fundamental programs were tracked within the Portal system in the application programs exit reason data element. This provides a mechanism to monitor students exiting from these programs by race and dismissal reason. Data for the total number of dismissals in the student information system by reason for exit is provided for the past two years. In the first year, schools did not always enter this new data element. But in the 2013-2104 school year, the Student Information System was programmed to prompt dismissal data entry for exit date and exit reason prior to completing the withdrawal process in an effort to increase the reliability of this reporting. This resulted in a noticeable increase in the number of dismissals reported, but there were negligible changes in the total percentages of black and non-black students dismissed from District Application Programs District Application Programs 39.4% in 2013 to 39.2% in 2014).

    One area of concern was an increase in the percentage of black students dismissed from fundamental schools for homework/classwork (“academic”) infractions, up from 14.3% in 2013 to 23.6% in 2014. Homework/classwork (“academic”) infractions are defined in fundamental policy as missing, incomplete, or unsigned homework assignments, or not having necessary materials for class. The district is sharing this data with fundamental principals in an effort to make staff more cognizant of the homework/classwork needs of black students attending fundamental schools.
     

    Supporting Data

     

    Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)

    The AVID program included 35 secondary schools in 2013-2014, the 16 traditional high schools and 19 traditional middle schools and seven elementary schools.

    Enrollment of students in AVID classes is compiled in February of each school year after the start of the second semester and will be included in the March Bradley MOU Report.