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Dear Educator,
Wasco Union Elementary School District has been identified as a recipient of District Assistance and Intervention Team (DAIT) services. The central premise of the DAIT initiative is that the district is the nexus for educational improvement. It provides the leadership, along with the fiscal, human, and technical resources, to fully implement a solid instructional program for all students. The district's capacities for self-examination and its willingness to implement educational changes to promote academic achievement of all students are prerequisites to deep and sustainable reform.
The DAIT process begins with a comprehensive needs assessment and continues with the identification, prioritization, and implementation of actions that have the potential to bring about dramatic improvements in district and school operations. An essential component of the needs assessment is the District Assistance Survey (DAS), which includes key stakeholders' responses to targeted items.
You have been identified as a key stakeholder in the district, and are invited to participate in this survey. Your participation is extremly important to the DAIT process. |
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| At what level of the system do you work? |
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| What is your Educational Role? |
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Answer the following question by checking the appropriate answer.
I have been employed for _____ with the district. |
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A.1 The local governing board works within the scope of its role and responsibilities as a member of the district governing team, setting policies and aligning the budget to support the successful implementation of the Local Educational Agency (LEA) Plan.
Full implementation means that the local governing board has established a process with the LEA superintendent to ensure that policies are implemented and monitored and that funding is allocated to support the successful implementation of the LEA Plan.
•Board policies and regulations explicitly address the roles and responsibilities of the local governing board, superintendent and staff in the governance structure.
•Board members support and follow their adopted policies as reflected in their decisions regarding student achievement, curriculum, assessment and accountability, personnel and budgetary allocations. |
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A.2 The LEA’s vision, mission, policies and priorities are focused on the academic achievement of all students, especially English learners, (ELs), students with disabilities (SWDs), and other high priority students, and reflect a commitment to equitably serving the educational needs and
interests of all students.
Full implementation means that the local governing board, upon recommendation of the superintendent and with input from stakeholder groups, adopts a long-range vision for the LEA focused on student learning and sets priorities based on student achievement, including ELs, SWDs, and all other high priority students.
Prior to adopting board policies, the governing board reviews how the proposed policy will support the stated vision, mission, and priorities, including ELs, SWDs, and all other high priority students. |
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A.3 The LEA leadership fosters an organizational culture that supports educational reform based on a coherent research-based instructional program. This culture of shared core values and norms can be observed at all levels of leadership and across all schools.
Full implementation means that the board and district superintendent, together with district leaders, foster an organizational culture characterized by:
•A commitment to a district vision of universal student achievement realized through a rigorous, coherent standards-based instructional program anchored in the Essential Program Components (EPCs) for Instructional Success.
•A transparent communications structure so that personnel in schools and the wider community understand how decisions are made and how communications are shared across the district.
•Positive working relationships among adults based on mutual trust.
•Collaborative team work among LEA and site-level leaders.
•Participatory decision making among all stakeholders, including district and school administrators, teachers, parents, and community members.
•Allocation of appropriate time and resources to support and sustain reform initiatives. |
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A.4 The LEA has policies to fully implement the State Board of Education (SBE)-approved EPCs for Instructional Success in all schools in the LEA. These include evidence of implementation regarding instructional materials, intervention programs, aligned assessments, appropriate use of pacing and instructional time, and alignment of categorical programs and instructional support.
Full implementation means that the LEA has policies addressing the full implementation of each of the EPCs in all schools in the LEA. These policies guide the LEA in establishing:
• Process for selection and monitoring implementation of SBE-adopted standards-aligned instructional materials, including intensive intervention programs.
• Expectations for the appropriate allocation of instructional time, as outlined in the state’s curriculum framework, and implementation of the annual district instructional/assessment pacing guides to ensure that all students receive sufficient time to learn grade-level standards incorporated in the adopted instructional materials.
• Expectations for the regular and uniform administration and analysis of common district benchmark assessments and formative/curriculum-embedded assessments and the use of placement/exit criteria to provide students strategic and intensive interventions, as well as grade-level instruction.
• Professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators, including SBE-adopted materials-based professional development; ongoing training and in-classroom support, including content experts, coaches, specialists, or other teacher support personnel with subject matter expertise, and monthly structure teacher collaboration meetings (preferably twice per month) by grade or course or program level.
• Alignment of fiscal and human resources to support the EPCs. |
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A.5 The LEA Plan is developed in alignment with the accountability requirements at both the state and federal levels and with input from all stakeholders. It is grounded in sound, research-based instructional practices and is the guiding document for the development of the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) in each of the LEA’s schools.
Full implementation means that the LEA Plan is fully aligned with all accountability requirements, including any federal Title I, Title II, and/or Title III requirements to which the LEA may be subject. Research-based practices to improve student achievement are evident throughout the plan.
• The development process for the LEA Plan includes a representation of district stakeholders and is based upon a comprehensive needs assessment and analysis of student achievement data.
• The SPSA for each school is clearly aligned to the LEA plan; incorporating the activities from the LEA plan in order to support a coherent implementation of the LEA plan in all schools.
• The LEA Plan describes how the district provides support to all schools through the seven areas of district support. Underperforming schools are targeted for additional support in fully implementing the EPCs. |
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A.6 The LEA’s fiscal policies and adopted budget are aligned with the LEA Plan and reflect a coherent instructional program based on state standards, frameworks, SBE-adopted standards-aligned materials, sound instructional practices, and the EPCs.
Full implementation means that sufficient fiscal resources are allocated to support the full implementation of the LEA Plan.
• LEA budget decisions and priorities are determined by the priorities established in the LEA Plan which are to include all ELs, SWDs, and other high priority students in the district whether the students are attending a categorically-funded school or not.
• The SPSA and other site-level budget allocations are aligned to the LEA Plan, with an emphasis on meeting the instructional needs of high priority students. |
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A.7 The LEA uses an effective two-way communication system and provides timely and accurate information to all stakeholders, especially students, parents/families, teachers and site administrators, about student achievement, academic expectations, and accountability requirements.
Full implementation means that the LEA has in place timely two-way communication systems with all stakeholders regarding student achievement, academic expectations, and accountability requirements. All communication is rendered in a format and language that is understandable to all stakeholders.
• The LEA has established channels to facilitate ongoing and frequent communication from the stakeholders to the LEA. Examples of these communication channels are evident.
• The LEA annually sets student performance goals and clearly communicates these goals to all site administrators, teachers, students, and parents/families. Goals are measurable, achievable, and evaluated annually. |
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A.8 The LEA holds teachers, site administrators, and district personnel accountable for student achievement and meeting federal, state, and local accountability requirements.
Full implementation means that all LEA personnel, site administrators, and teachers throughout the LEA are accountable for meeting specific teaching and student achievement goals, as defined in the LEA Plan.
• The LEA has clearly communicated the actions required by teachers and site and district administrators in order to support implementation of the LEA Plan.
• There is a clearly defined method of monitoring the implementation of the plan, including benchmark activities and timelines and the persons responsible for carrying out each activity. Follow-up action is taken when revisions to the plan are needed or when benchmark activities are not completed.
• If the LEA is in Title I, Title II, and/or Title III improvement status, all LEA and site personnel are knowledgeable of and accountable for implementing the accountability requirements. |
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A.9 The LEA provides all schools with the infrastructure to collect and interpret student achievement data in order to establish and communicate instructional priorities and strategies for improved student achievement.
Full implementation means that the LEA provides all schools and teachers with a data system to collect and track student achievement data. The system provides timely turnaround of data reports and maximizes the use of data within a continuous improvement process.
• The adopted data system:
– Is implemented in all schools within the LEA.
– Is supported by the LEA (e.g. fiscal and personnel resources).
– Provides continually-updated student achievement and demographic data for analysis and decision making by teachers and administrators (for example re-rostering of class lists).
– Provides varying levels of access to data (educators, administrators, parents).
– Has the ability to report data in multiple formats and for multiple users.
– Enables rapid turnaround of data reports for teachers. |
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| B. Alignment of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment |
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B.1 The LEA has a coherent standards-based curriculum, instruction and assessment system. Curricular and assessment materials are aligned with one another and based on the SBE-adopted standards-aligned instructional materials.
Full implementation means that all components of the curriculum are aligned to the state standards and to state-mandated assessments. The LEA has SBE-adopted standards-aligned instructional materials for all students; teachers use the materials with fidelity and on a daily basis following the district pacing guide; and student assessments are aligned to the adopted instructional materials.
• SBE-adopted standards-aligned instructional materials are adopted system-wide.
• All site administrators and teachers are knowledgeable of the state content standards and skilled in the effective implementation of the adopted instructional materials to meet state achievement targets.
• There is clear evidence of system-wide coherence in curriculum, instruction and assessment from classroom to classroom and from grade level to grade level. This coherence is observable at the classroom level.
• For the core subjects, there are district instructional/assessment pacing guides based upon the adopted instructional materials. Pacing guides clearly describe the breadth and depth of content to be taught and are aligned with the standards tested on state standardized exams.
• District benchmark assessments are aligned to the SBE-adopted standards-aligned instructional materials and to the district pacing guides. |
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B.2 The LEA provides all schools with sufficient SBE-adopted core and intervention materials in reading/language arts, mathematics, history/social studies, and science. The LEA ensures that the materials are used with fidelity and on a daily basis in all classrooms.
Full implementation means that every student in every classroom and in every school has the most recent SBE-adopted standards-aligned core and/or SBE-adopted intensive intervention materials. Materials are implemented with fidelity as designed on a daily basis.
• A systematic textbook adoption process is in place and aligned to SBE adoption schedule and resource allocations.
• Program Improvement (PI) high schools or high schools in PI LEAs adopt the articulated high school versions of the SBE-adopted middle school core and intensive intervention mathematics and reading/language arts programs.
• The LEA monitors the implementation of core and intervention materials in all classrooms. |
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B.3 The LEA ensures that all students, especially ELs, SWDs, and other high priority students, have access to the core curriculum and, based on assessed need, to English Language Development (ELD), strategic interventions, and SBE-adopted intensive interventions.
Full implementation means that all students in the LEA have access to the core curriculum and appropriate strategic and intensive interventions. All high priority students, including ELs, SWDs, and high priority students, are assessed, appropriately placed, monitored, and exited from intervention programs in a systematic way to accelerate progress.
• ELs receive the sufficient instructional time within the core instructional program as well as additional instructional time for ELD.
• ELs are appropriately placed in ELD by language proficiency level based on the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) and formative assessments. (See the Academic Program Survey (APS) for specific guidance on appropriate level of ELD instruction.)
• LEA and site administrators schedule sufficient core and intervention time and/or classes, as recommended in the state curriculum framework, to meet the assessed academic needs of all students.
• Intensive intervention students’ core is the SBE-adopted intensive accelerated program.
• SWDs have access to the core curriculum and to all curricular materials with appropriate accommodations and/or modifications of curriculum or instruction, as specified in their individualized education programs (IEPs). |
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B.4 The LEA fully implements adopted materials and provides and monitors appropriate instructional minutes and pacing for all core subjects and interventions.
Full implementation means that grade-level, standards-based instruction is taking place in all classrooms throughout the LEA; the materials adopted by the LEA are used consistently and uniformly in all classrooms; the state-recommended instructional minutes are allocated in all core, strategic and intensive intervention classes; and course and grade level pacing guides are in place and monitored for effectiveness.
• The LEA has collaboratively developed and implemented reading/language arts and mathematics instructional/assessment pacing calendars for all grade levels in all schools, aligned to the adopted standards-based materials.
• LEA and site administrators visit classrooms on a regular basis in order to monitor full implementation of materials, as defined above.
• Schools’ schedules and structures protect required instructional time and reflect a priority on the core, as well as on strategic and intensive interventions. |
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B.5 The LEA requires and supports the regular collection and analysis of common formative and summative assessment data to establish instructional priorities, inform classroom instruction, appropriately place and exit students from intervention programs, and monitor student progress in core and intervention programs.
Full implementation means that the LEA has developed a common assessment system. Teachers and administrators receive timely and reliable data, which they use to determine student mastery of key standards, inform classroom instruction, and make decisions about additional supports needed for high priority students.
• The LEA has explicit expectations and procedures for data use among all principals and teachers. These expectations are communicated to all site staff.
• The LEA provides training and ongoing support for district and site administrators and teachers on use of the adopted system and on data analysis.
• LEA and sites administrators ensure that all schools have the necessary common curriculum embedded/benchmark assessments materials that are needed to administer the assessments.
• LEA and site administrators monitor the administration of common curriculum embedded/benchmark assessments on an agreed-upon timetable.
• The LEA establishes common cut points for proficiency levels and common rubrics for curriculum embedded/district benchmark assessments.
• The LEA ensures that all teachers apply these common cut points and rubrics to assess student work.
• The LEA establishes a district-wide assessment calendar that includes formative and summative assessments for the core curriculum.
• LEA and site administrators continuously analyze student achievement data and CELDT data, to gauge student progress towards mastery of standards and identify students in need of additional instruction or interventions and exit in a timely manner. |
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C.1 The LEA meets all fiscal health criteria, as measured by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) Fiscal Health Risk Analysis survey.
Full implementation means that the fiscal criteria and standards guide the LEA in the budget development process and in its periodic self-evaluations of solvency, and the LEA meets all fiscal health criteria, as measured by the FCMAT Fiscal Health Risk Analysis Survey. Indicators of fiscal health include:
• Adequate reserves and ending balances.
• Budgets that reflect LEA priorities.
• Reasonable assumptions regarding changes in student attendance and compensation costs based on data.
• Evidence of data-driven program planning and adequate funding to support long-term LEA Plan goals. |
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C.2 The LEA Plan and the SPSA allocate and align general and categorical expenditures to improvement activities based on the identified needs of high priority students in all of the LEA’s schools.
Full implementation means that LEA and site budgets are aligned with one another and with the priorities of the LEA, as documented in the LEA Plan. These priorities are determined by student achievement data, including LEA-wide and disaggregated student data on the California Standards Tests (CSTs), California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), and the California Modified Assessment (CMA); CELDT data; and data from local curriculum-embedded/benchmark assessments.
• Funds allocated to all activities identified in the LEA Plan and SPSA accurately reflect the true costs of these activities.
• The LEA monitors how resources are used and funds are expended to meet its achievement needs. |
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C.3 The LEA considers the academic achievement of the schools within the LEA, especially those in PI to determine appropriate site budget allocations.
Full implementation means that the LEA differentiates funding to sites based on academic need, with highest priority given to schools in PI status, and allocates funds to programs aligned to the LEA Plan goals which have a direct impact to student achievement.
• Adequate funding is provided to address the needs of all high priority students, regardless of whether these students are in PI schools. |
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| D. Parent and Community Involvement |
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D.1 The LEA has implemented parent/family involvement policies and programs at all schools, including community partnership programs that meet state and federal requirements.
Full implementation means that the LEA has established and is implementing district parent/family involvement programs that address all components required by law and that are designed to support the LEA Plan goals for student learning.
• The LEA Plan has specific parental involvement goals and provides technical assistance to their schools for implementing parent/family programs. Technical assistance includes oversight, support, coordination, and monitoring of parent/family engagement policies, and programs.
• LEA and school administrators monitor level of parent involvement at the district and in all schools. |
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D.2 The LEA has systems in place that provide timely and two-way communication in a format and language understandable to parents/ families and community members about student achievement, academic expectations, accountability requirements, and how parents can help improve their students’ academic success.
Full implementation means that the LEA works with school administrators to communicate with parents, in a language they can understand and in a timely manner, information on academic proficiency levels, grade-level standards, high school graduation requirements, data reporting for the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program, local assessments, available interventions in reading/language arts and mathematics for students needing assistance, and strategies for supporting the academic achievement of students.
• The LEA has a system in place to facilitate the two-way flow of information between parents and teachers/site administrators.
• The LEA provides parents with information on students’ results on local and state assessments in easy-to understand reports. Reports clearly define proficiency and report student progress in terms of proficiency in the state content standards.
• The LEA assists parents to interpret student report cards and state reports on state standardized exams so that parents can understand the extent to which their children are meeting state standards.
• The LEA and site administrators inform all parents of English learners of the student’s identification as an EL, local re-designation criteria, and a student’s annual progress towards attaining these criteria. In addition, parents are informed of student proficiency level as measured by the CELDT, the benefit in receiving ELD instruction, and the program’s specific re-designation criteria.
• The LEA and site administrators inform all parents of students with disabilities of opportunities to participate in any decision-making meeting regarding their child’s special education program. |
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D.3 The LEA’s teachers and parents/families participate in instructional program and budget decisions affecting the development, implementation, and evaluation of core and categorical programs.
Full implementation means that LEA and site administrators actively solicit the participation of teachers and parents/families and consider their input into decisions affecting the development of the LEA Plan and SPSA goals and budget.
• Teachers and parents receive training on their roles and responsibilities and serve on various LEA and school committees and are consulted in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of school and LEA programs. |
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D.4 The LEA and all schools provide multiple opportunities for parents/ family members to access school programs and staff, receive student and school information and resources, and be a part of decision-making.
Full implementation means that the LEA employs a broad range of strategies and hosts a wide variety of programs and activities to actively engage parents in their students’ education. All parents understand how to contact teachers and school staff and are encouraged to do so.
• The LEA collaborates with site principals to offer parent activities and workshops, such as family literacy workshops, math/science events, and college scholarship information nights.
• At the elementary school level, parent involvement activities focus on building parent strategies to help their students learn, i.e., home work support, family math.
• At the secondary level, parent involvement activities additionally focus on providing parent information so that they can guide their students through the many decisions they face in high school, e.g., University of California a-g requirements, Career Technical 2+2+2 programs, CAHSEE remediation programs. |
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E.1 The LEA recruits principals with demonstrated instructional leadership skills and places them at underperforming schools.
Full implementation means that principals with demonstrated instructional leadership are equitably distributed throughout the LEA, with priority given to placement of principals in underperforming schools.
• Demonstration of instructional leadership among principals is characterized as:
– Support for the effective and full implementation of the district-adopted core and intervention programs and research-based teaching strategies.
– Analysis and use of student achievement data to monitor the effective implementation of programs and inform student placement in various interventions.
– Collaboration with staff to identify targeted professional development to help move school staff toward specific instructional and achievement goals.
– Leveraging of all available resources, both inside and outside the school, to fully implement the SPSA to maximize learning.
• The LEA monitors the mobility of principals at underperforming schools and provides incentives to retain highly effective principals to work in underperforming schools.
• The LEA offers leadership programs for site administrators.
• The LEA opens leadership programs to teachers in order to build a potential pool of highly qualified administrators. |
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E.2 The LEA provides an ongoing support system for administrators, especially those new to the profession and/or placed in underperforming schools so that they can effectively support and monitor the implementation of the adopted standards-based instructional program, the intervention system, and the academic achievement of all students.
Full implementation means that the LEA provides all administrators with ongoing professional development, with priority given to new administrators and to those placed in underperforming schools.
• The LEA has articulated policies and practices to support new administrators and those assigned to underperforming schools.
• The LEA provides principals with structured and ongoing professional development focused on the specific needs of high priority students and their teachers.
• The LEA develops systems and networks to build instructional leadership skills. These may include principal support networks, coaching systems, peer support networks, and leadership assessment systems.
• The LEA develops and trains administrators to use classroom observation protocols to ensure that all teachers are implementing instructional materials with fidelity. |
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E.3 The LEA monitors the performance of all principals in the LEA, including their implementation of the SPSA.
Full implementation means that the LEA has developed and uniformly applies clear criteria for monitoring and measuring the performance of principals, including their implementation and monitoring of activities documented in the SPSA. These criteria are articulated in LEA policies and clearly communicated to all principals in the LEA. Performance is monitored regularly.
• Criteria include:
– Implementation of district adopted, standards-based curriculum in all classrooms, as detailed in the district instructional/assessment pacing guide.
– Implementation of the district assessment system so that all students are appropriately placed in core and intensive and strategic intervention programs in reading/language arts and mathematics and in ELD.
– Academic achievement of all students in the school, including ELs, SWDs, and high priority students.
• LEA ensures that administrators regularly conduct classroom walkthroughs and informal observations to monitor alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessments.
• LEA administrators regularly examine student achievement data (both aggregated and disaggregated) from formative and summative assessments to determine growth trends and areas of need. |
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E.4 After consulting with the teachers’ association, the LEA develops and implements a plan to attract and retain No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001- highly-qualified and appropriately credentialed teachers and to equitably distribute them in underperforming schools within the LEA. This plan includes incentives to recruit highly qualified teachers to underperforming schools within the LEA.
Full implementation means that highly qualified teachers are equitably distributed across the LEA in accordance with Title II requirements.
• In consultation with the teachers’ association, the LEA has developed a plan to employ and certify all teachers as highly-qualified under NCLB and recruit highly-qualified teachers from high-achieving schools to teach in underperforming schools within the LEA. The plan includes monetary and non-monetary incentives to recruit highly qualified teachers to underperforming schools.
• The LEA has established a staffing goal to achieve equitable distribution of fully prepared, experienced teachers in all schools.
• To the extent possible and in consultation with the teachers association, the LEA assigns the most effective teachers to those students with the highest academic needs.
• The LEA monitors teacher transfers to ensure that underperforming schools retain highly qualified teachers and maintain a balance of experienced and new teachers.
• The LEA recruits and hires teachers as early in the spring as possible. |
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E.5 The LEA provides competitive salaries, wages, and benefits to classroom personnel.
Full implementation means that teacher salaries, wages, and benefits are sufficiently competitive to attract and retain highly-qualified teachers.
• LEA and site administrators conduct annual salary, wage and benefit surveys and analyze their relationship to teacher recruitment and retention data.
• In addition to offering competitive salaries, the LEA offers incentives to attract and retain teachers (i.e., professional development in leadership; opportunities to acquire advanced degrees in education; a supportive, collaborative environment). |
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E.6 The LEA provides an ongoing support system for teachers, especially those new to the profession and/or placed in underperforming schools, so that they can effectively implement the SBE-adopted, standards-based curriculum; deliver effective instruction; and monitor and support the achievement of all students.
Full implementation means that all teachers receive ongoing support in implementing the standards-based curriculum adopted by the LEA. Priority is given to new teachers and those assigned to underperforming schools.
• The LEA provides an approved induction program for new teachers.
• The LEA regularly monitors student achievement data in all classes and provides support structures and resources where appropriate, especially to new teachers.
• To the extent possible, the LEA provides teachers with release time from classes to attend staff development.
• The LEA provides coaching and lesson support in the adopted curriculum. Priority is given to teachers new to the profession or to their current subject area or grade level assignment, as well as to teachers working with ELs and SWDs and to those in underperforming schools.
• LEA and site administrators monitor classrooms to ensure that professional development activities lead to improved instructional practice. |
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E.7 The LEA links evaluations of all certificated staff to implementation of standards-based curriculum, instruction, and assessments.
Full implementation means that all teacher evaluations are based upon criteria related to the implementation of the district’s standards-based curriculum and to the alignment of instruction to the district’s assessments. These expectations are articulated in LEA policies and clearly communicated to all teachers and principals in the LEA.
• LEA and site administrators regularly conduct teacher evaluations which may include the following activities:
– Regular classroom walkthroughs and informal observations to monitor the implementation of the grade-level, standards-based, adopted curriculum, including adherence to instructional minutes and pacing guides, and the delivery of effective instructional practices.
– Monitoring of the timely administration of student curriculum-based assessments. |
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| F. Data Systems and Monitoring |
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F.1 The LEA has a system of regular data collection and analyzes data from multiple sources, tracked over time, to determine the effectiveness of the district’s academic program and the implementation of the instructional materials. Data are both summative and formative, aggregated at the district level, and disaggregated by student subgroups.
Full implementation means that the LEA has adopted a user-friendly and easily accessible data management system that tracks data over time. The system is implemented to regularly assess and monitor over time student achievement on formative, curriculum- embedded and benchmark assessments at all grade levels and in all schools in the LEA.
• The adopted system provides data necessary to follow trends as well as growth of individual students or cohorts of students over time.
• The data are examined by grade, subject, course, and subgroup and tracked over time to determine student achievement in the LEA’s adopted core and intervention programs across all classrooms and in all schools throughout the LEA.
• The data are used to target fiscal and human resources to specific areas of need, such as additional teaching sections in the master schedule, professional development at a grade level, and collaboration time for teachers to analyze student data to improve instruction.
• Data include student achievement results from state standardized tests and district approved entry-level placement and/or diagnostic assessments; progress monitoring, including frequent formative curriculum-embedded assessments; and standards-based summative assessments, including common benchmark assessments. |
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F.2 The LEA provides the necessary technology and expertise to ensure data collection and analysis and maintains assessment data and student information in readily accessible forms.
Full implementation means that the LEA maintains student data, including assessment data, in readily accessible forms and provides all schools with the technology, expertise, and support to access the data.
• The LEA employs and designates staff to support the data management system at the district and all school sites.
• The schools have the technology and software to ensure that teachers and administrators can retrieve and create reports which integrate and/or disaggregate such data as demographic data and student achievement data on formative, curriculum/embedded assessments, and state standardized exams. |
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F.3 The LEA has procedures and processes to monitor the accuracy of the data and support teachers and administrators in accessing timely school- and classroom-level data based on common formative and summative curriculum-embedded and standards-aligned assessments. The data are used for student intervention, placement/exit, instructional decision-making, progress monitoring, teacher collaboration, targeted professional development, and monitoring of instruction by site and district leaders.
Full implementation means that the LEA has established and fully implements procedures to ensure accurate and timely scoring, storage, and retrieval of student assessment data.
• The LEA has assigned and trained staff to maintain and update the data system.
• The LEA has taken steps such as data audits and centralized validation programs to ensure that the data captured by the system are accurate.
• The analytical procedures used by the LEA are statistically valid and appropriate.
• The LEA provides all site administrators, teachers, and counselors with professional development and ongoing support on the data management system and on the accurate entry and retrieval of data in the system.
• The LEA evaluates the technology proficiency of school staff on an ongoing basis and provides targeted training to non-proficient staff. |
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| G. Professional Development |
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G.1 The LEA provides district administrators with leadership training, ongoing professional development, and support in aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment to state standards; providing an efficient data system to monitor student achievement; aligning human and fiscal resources to district goals; building effective parent and community involvement programs; and providing targeted professional development for teachers and site administrators.
Full implementation means that the superintendent, cabinet members, and other district leaders receive both collective and individualized professional development in the seven areas of district work (DAIT Standards), identified in the California Education Code Section 52059(e), so that each person understands his or her role in the systemic improvement process as well as the interconnection of these roles in building a coherent system.
• The district cabinet and leadership work together as a “learning organization,” investing in ongoing and system-wide professional development and support for all district administrators in all seven areas of district work.
• The district cabinet and leadership assess the knowledge and expertise of each person on an ongoing basis and provide job-alike mentoring when appropriate. |
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G.2 The LEA provides resources to deliver coherent professional development that is based on standards-based content knowledge and the instructional materials adopted by the LEA; reflects research-based strategies for improved student achievement; and includes effective leadership training for site administrators and teachers to implement systemic reform.
Full implementation means that the LEA allocates funding to provide all site staff, including site administrators and teachers, especially mathematics, reading/language arts, and ELD teachers, with professional development related to standards-based content, district-adopted instructional materials, research-based strategies for improved student achievement. In addition, the LEA provides both site administrators and teachers with opportunities for leadership training.
• The LEA has a coherent vision of professional development for all teachers within and across grade levels and departments. This vision is articulated by a common understanding among all teachers of the content standards, the adopted curriculum, and the instructional and achievement priorities of the LEA.
• The LEA’s professional development plan, as documented in the LEA Plan, is based on student needs, as determined by formative and summative assessment data.
• LEA and site administrators monitor the impact of the targeted professional development by observing classroom instructional practices and analyzing student assessment results to determine the measurable impact on student achievement.
• The LEA ensures that each school’s SPSA and budget are aligned with the specific professional development goals of the LEA.
• The LEA provides leadership training in implementing systemic reform and encourages teachers to attend this training. |
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G.3 The LEA ensures that all school principals and vice principals complete materials-based professional development, as well as targeted, follow-up support, in the most recent SBE adoptions in reading/language arts and mathematics, which includes strategies for English learners, students with disabilities and other high priority students.
Full implementation means that all site administrators in the LEA have completed materials-based professional development in the LEA-adopted reading/language arts and mathematics instructional materials and receive structured and targeted follow-up support.
• The LEA trains site administrators in the LEA-adopted curriculum before or at the same time that it trains teachers in order to ensure that site administrators understand what their teachers are learning.
• The LEA monitors principal attendance and completion of materials-based professional development.
• The LEA meets with all principals and vice principals that have not completed materials-based professional development to collaboratively schedule specific dates for completion. |
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G.4 The LEA ensures that all teachers complete materials -based professional development in reading/language arts, mathematics, English Language Development, and interventions.
Full implementation means that all appropriate teachers in the LEA are provided with and complete materials-based professional development in the SBE-adopted reading/language arts, mathematics, and ELD instructional materials adopted by the LEA. Training includes strategies for use with English learners.
• LEA and site administrators monitor teacher attendance and completion of materials-based professional development. |
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G.5 The LEA provides teachers with ongoing and targeted support focused on district-identified research-based instructional practices to improve student learning. Such support includes content experts, professional development and coaching that is differentiated by content, grade/course level, and individual teacher need.
The LEA provides all teachers in the LEA with ongoing support, differentiated by grade/course level, subject, and teacher need. Support includes targeted professional development in district-identified teaching strategies and ongoing classroom support from content experts and coaches in implementing these strategies.
• All professional development activities are structured around specific learning targets and aligned with the state standards and adopted instructional materials.
• The LEA provides accessible and structured follow-up support for materials implementation and identified district priority instructional strategies. Such support may include:
– Assignment of instructional specialists and coaches to classroom teachers to model lessons and effective instructional strategies
– Principal walkthroughs to review implementation of strategies and practices introduced in teacher training
• The LEA prioritizes the professional development needs of schools, grade levels/courses and/or individual educators in order to fully implement the curriculum and instructional priorities of the district to increase the achievement of all students. |
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G.6 The LEA provides professional development to site staff on effectively analyzing data from common standards-based assessments to inform instructional decisions and increase student achievement. The LEA monitors professional development activities to ensure effective implementation.
Full implementation means that the LEA provides all site administrators and teachers with professional development and ongoing support on the use and analysis of student achievement. The LEA monitors professional development activities to ensure that they are being implemented effectively.
• The LEA provides all teachers with training in student goal setting, progress monitoring, data analysis, intervention placement, and monitoring of students placed in interventions.
• Staff applies this training to inform classroom instruction, identify students in need of additional support and/or interventions, and plan future lessons.
• LEA and site administrators monitor teacher application of data on an ongoing basis to ensure that data are effectively applied to inform instructional decisions and improve classroom instruction. |
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G.7 The LEA ensures that teachers are provided with frequent and structured opportunities to meet and collaboratively focus on the use of curriculum-embedded assessment data, data analysis, instructional planning, and lesson delivery in order to adjust and strengthen instructional practices and address the needs of all students. All teachers of high priority students are included in this collaboration. The LEA monitors teacher collaboration meetings to ensure effective implementation.
Full implementation means that structured collaborative time is assigned and documented in the calendars of all schools for teachers to meet regularly by grade, course and/or content area to examine student assessment data and plan lessons and activities to improve student achievement.
• The LEA supports site administrators in setting aside adequate time, on at least a monthly basis, for collaborative data-based discussions.
• LEA administrators collaborate with site administrators and teachers to develop a timetable for monthly grade-level or course/department-level meetings in which teachers collaboratively discuss and analyze student achievement data, plan lessons, share materials, and instructional strategies.
• Teachers come together as a professional community and are encouraged to ask questions, seek help from one another, and use student achievement data to reflect on the effectiveness of their instructional practice.
• LEA and site administrators visit/monitor teacher collaboration meetings on an ongoing basis in order to ensure that they follow local protocol and lead to constructive dialogue around student achievement data and on the implications of the data for classroom instruction. |
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G.8 The LEA provides ongoing professional development and support to content experts and coaches and monitors their effectiveness in strengthening the instructional practices of teachers.
Full implementation means that all content experts and coaches deployed by the LEA are provided with rigorous and ongoing professional development in district-identified, research-based instructional practices to improve achievement among all students, including ELs, SWDs, and high priority students.
• Using the LEAP and SPSA goals, the LEA and site administrators establish instructional priorities and specific academic goals, across grades and content areas, for all content experts and coaches. These goals are communicated clearly to coaches and used to assess their impact and effectiveness.
• The LEA has developed reporting and monitoring mechanisms to ensure the effective delivery of these services:
– Regular classroom visits and observations of coaches/content experts.
– Monitoring of implementation of daily coach/specialist schedules. |
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