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Race to the Top, Phase 2

Webinars: May 4, 6, and 10, 2010

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In this presentation

1. Lessons learned from Phase 1

2. Timeline for Phase 2

3. Stakeholder engagement

4. MOU details and deadlines

5. Why participate? How does the money work?

6. Section-by-section proposals and changes from Phase 1

7. Next steps and questions

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Lessons Learned from Phase 1

MA scored well in many areas:• progress in reform areas and in improving student outcomes• statewide capacity & impact • using data to improve instruction• school turnaround plans• making education funding a priority

Opportunities for substantial point gains:• sign-on and support from LEAs• implementing common core standards• fully implementing a state longitudinal data system• teacher and leader strategy

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Timeline for Phase 2

March 29: TN and DE win Phase 1 grants

March 30: Began planning for Phase 2; reopened MOU process

April & May: Engage stakeholders in planning for revised proposal

May 24: MOUs due

June 1: Applications due to USED

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Stakeholder Engagement• Numerous meetings with key state associations

• Distributed survey statewide to identify priorities for revisions

• External teams formed for assurance areas to assist with revisions

• Scheduled three webinars in May for superintendents, union leaders, and school committee members

• Regional district “ambassadors” selected

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MOU Updates

• All MOUs submitted for Phase 1 will be counted for Phase 2 unless districts choose to opt out and notify us in writing.

• Districts that did not submit complete MOUs in Phase 1 have until May 24 to complete them for Phase 2.

• Only MOUs with signatures from the superintendent, school committee chair, and local union leader will be counted.

• Districts can also change their choices on the two optional MOU elements, but again, you must notify us in writing by May 24. Optional elements:

• Teaching and learning system• College and career readiness

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Why participate?

•Work worth doing • Prepare students for success after high school• Become more deliberate and skilled at using data

effectively• Provide more useful feedback to teachers and principals• Increase access to the best teachers for struggling

students• Increase the sense of urgency and the resources

available for reforming low performing schools

•Opportunity to shape reforms• RTTT requirements are likely to be reflected in other

federal grants (already in School Turnaround Grants)• Many state policy proposals are on the agenda even w/o

RTTT• Opportunity to influence their shape and to access

additional resources to support implementation costs

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Why participate?

•Additional funding for implementation • Participating districts will receive roughly 15% of their

usual Title I allocation in each of the 4 years of the grant

• More in a minute

•Early access to new state systems• PreK to 12 Teaching and Learning System• Expansion of Educator Data Warehouse access to all

teachers• Models for teacher and principal evaluation

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How does the money work?

•The state will apply for $250 million

•$125 million will go directly to participating districts through the Title I formula

• Participating districts can expect to receive roughly 15% of their usual Title I allocation in each of the 4 years of the grant

•The other $125 million goes to the state• Build systems that benefit all districts• Provide incentives for districts to participate in grant

activities (e.g., sharing the cost of starting an Early College High School)

•RTTT money can only be spent on activities specified in the state’s application

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Plans for improvement: Section by section

(A) State Success Factors

(B) Standards and Assessments

(C) Using Data to Improve Instruction

(D) Great Teachers and Leaders

(E) School Turnaround

(F) General

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Includes:

• Executive Summary

• State implementation plan

• LEA participation and stakeholder support details

(A)State Success Factors

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• Increase LEA participation

• Illustrate plans to sustain work post-RTTT

• Strengthen focus on outcomes over process

• Clarify plans to support LEAs and to ensure dissemination and implementation of best practices

• Cut $37 million from the budget

A – Changes from Phase 1

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Includes:

•Plan to adopt Common Core Standards and participate in Common Assessment Consortium

•Massachusetts Teaching and Learning System

•Plan to turn MassCore into default HS curriculum and align public college entry requirements

•STEM-focused Early College High Schools

•Pre-AP teacher training & curriculum development

(B) Standards and Assessments

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•Highlight plan to adopt Common Core Standards if they are at least as strong as our current standards

•Illustrate our leadership role in the multi-state assessment consortium

•Refine teaching and learning system

•Strengthen focus on college and career readiness and streamline range of activities

B – Changes from Phase 1

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(C) Using Data to Improve Instruction

Includes: •Development of state longitudinal data

system

•Improvements to Education Data Warehouse

•Technology needs to support the MA Teaching and Learning System in Section B

•Expansion of educator training and supports in data use

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C – Changes from Phase 1

• Rewrite descriptions of existing state longitudinal data systems to clarify what is currently in place

• Provide mock-ups of new reports for teachers, principals, district-level administrators, and state agencies (including DHE & EEC)

• Reduce overall scope of new technology builds

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(D) Great Teachers and Leaders

Includes:

• Development and implementation of a teacher and administrator evaluation system based in measures of effectiveness

• Efforts to ensure equitable distribution of teachers and principals, including incentives, loan forgiveness, partnerships with UTeach, etc.

• Improvements to teacher and principal prep programs

• Improved support for teachers and principals through targeted PD opportunities

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D – Changes from Phase 1

• Articulate comprehensive theory of action for an aligned performance-based system across the career continuum; clarify and specify the intended outcomes of the proposal.

• Accelerate regulatory change with respect to teacher and principal evaluation tied to core elements specified in MOU

• Shift evaluation pilot funding to implementation; continue emphasis on principal/teacher training

• Focus equitable distribution on narrower set of initiatives to attract and retain effective teachers and principals in high need fields and schools; increase incentives and specify their reach.

• Clarify how retention and student performance data will be used

• Refine PD approaches and provide clearer links to evaluation and relicensure.

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(E) School Turnaround

Includes:

• Identification of persistently lowest-achieving schools

• Specialized corps of turnaround teacher and leader teams to support these schools

• Development of partners to:

• Build district capacity to support low performing schools (social/emotional supports, expanded school day/year, effective use of data)

• Strengthen key district systems (HR, governance, family engagement)

• Launch the restart model at Level 4 and 5 schools

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E – Changes from Phase 1

• Include approved regulations for the new ed reform law

• Describe the characteristics of the 35 Level 4 schools and the supports now in place for their transformation

• Highlight and expand services for English language learners and their families

• Highlight and expand services for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities

• Reframe wraparound zone, dropout prevention, and alternative education strategies as part of a larger statewide strategy of the governor’s Cabinet on Child and Youth Services

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(F) General

Includes:

•Illustrates how MA has made education funding a priority, even through fiscal downturn

•Laws relating to charter school caps, accountability, funding and facilities

•Details on other innovative schools

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F – Changes from Phase 1

•Clarify new charter law and “smart cap”

•Add details about Innovation Schools

•Explain the funding mechanism for charter schools more clearly to address concerns about variation in funding

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Next Steps

For ESE:• Bolster commitment from LEAs and

stakeholders • Continue to work with external stakeholders to

vet and refine revisions• Reapply for Phase 2

For districts:• If not currently participating: submit your signed

MOU• If currently participating: as needed, notify ESE

of any changes in your MOU• All MOUs are due by May 24

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Questions?

Today: Submit questions using the Chat feature

If you have questions later:•Email: rttt@doe.mass.edu•Website: http://www.doe.mass.edu/arra/