Benchmarking Excellence - New Albany-Plain Local School ... · Eventually, our research led to a...

Benchmarking Excellence

Benchmarking Study

Research Report

2012

NEW ALBANY PLAIN LOCAL SCHOOLS

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

NAPLS Benchmarking Study

Benchmarking Excellence

Research Report 20102012

A summary of the process October 2010 – September 2012 which includes Discovery, Launch, Research, Planning, Site Visit, and Findings

Written by April Domine

Superintendent

Debra Lowery Benchmarking Study Coordinator

Marilyn Troyer

Chief of Innovation, Improvement and Human Capital

Contents

Letter from the Superintendent ................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5

Discovery and Launch ................................................................................................................................... 5

Research and Planning: Engaging Stakeholders to Define the Vision .......................................................... 7

Research and Planning: Identifying High‐Performing School Districts ......................................................... 8

Methodology: Research, Metrics and Rating Systems .......................................................................... 8

Identifying High‐Performing Schools: Our Process ............................................................................... 9

Results of Phone Interviews ................................................................................................................ 14

Public Schools ........................................................................................................................... 14

Private/Independent Schools ................................................................................................... 20

Charter Schools ......................................................................................................................... 21

Magnet Schools (K‐12 IB) .......................................................................................................... 22

Conclusion and Identification of Benchmarking Partner Schools ....................................................... 23

Site Visit : Preparing for and Conducting On‐Site Research ....................................................................... 24

Minnetonka Site Visit Researcher Roster............................................................................................ 25

Minnetonka Public Schools: Two‐day Site Visit Structure ................................................................. 26

Findings ....................................................................................................................................................... 29

Conclusions and Implications for New Albany ............................................................................................ 35

Recognition and Thanks .............................................................................................................................. 37

NAPLS Benchmarking Advisory Board ........................................................................................................ 39

NAPLS Benchmarking Excellence Page 2

Letter from the Superintendent Thank you for taking time to review our district’s work to reinvent education through benchmarking! In 2009, our District began an effort to strategically plan for our future and this work led to the initiation of a national benchmarking process to accelerate our innovation to create our future. Benchmarking is a team research and data‐driven process by which learning and innovation trigger fundamental breakthroughs in thinking and practice. We are committed to benchmarking as a key strategy that will guide us as we reach for our district vision to be the leader in reinventing education. Benchmarking is central to our work to become a constantly learning and innovating school district. Benchmarking focuses the district on studying some of the nation’s highest performing districts to inform and inspire our growth and pursuit of our vision. We designed an approach that borrows from an approach used by the most innovative businesses like IDEO and the foundational tools of qualitative and quantitative mixed method research. Unlike other approaches that identify programs, activities and practices that may come and go, our method is designed to study the DNA of these organizations – not what they do but why they do it and how they became schools that are constantly learning, innovating and improving. This report reviews the first major phase of our work: planning, design and research. This phase was completed in the Fall of 2011 and led to the selection of our top school for onsite research, Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnetonka, MN. The report also includes a review of the planning, implementation, data analysis and recommendations from the site visit to Minnetonka. The research began with multiple rating systems to identify the highest performing schools in the country. From this initial list of over 200 private, public, magnets and charter schools, schools that were highly rated on multiple lists were chosen for further collection of information. The goal was to identify the districts that most exemplified our vision for our future and demonstrated evidence of our mission. Eventually, our research led to a list of 40 and then a list of top 10 districts. Five volunteer phone researchers were trained in an interview and data collection protocol and conducted 20 hours of research on each of the top districts. The final review and analysis of data led to the identification of our top four districts, including the best match district for study. Our research led us to Minnetonka, Minnesota for an in depth on site research visit. Key to this work was the formation of a Benchmark Advisory Board consisting of over 40 students, staff, parents and community members who engaged in dialogue and discussion regarding our vision and mission and evidence of success, as well as explored and considered innovative schools and businesses and professional readings to inform our work. I am grateful to this visionary group for their energy, honest feedback and insight. Also, my many thanks to the five phone researchers whose gift of time, energy and quality data collection provided the information essential to our process, which is the information you will review in the pages to come. An expansive benchmarking research project of this magnitude is not possible without the extraordinary support and investment of visionary partners and I am profoundly grateful to our funders, Mark Corna and Jim Negron from Corna Kokosing, and The New Albany Community Foundation. Their passionate belief in the transformative power of this process and their willingness to provide $50,000 in funding has truly set the foundation for benchmarking to change the way we learn, grow and reinvent education.


For us, benchmarking with other schools and businesses will now be a way of life. The underlying drive to study the DNA of highly innovative and high performing organizations will unleash our imaginations, challenge us to reach and continuously learn and will spark our innovations. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or for any information we could share. It is our hope that we will be able to collaborate with many colleagues and share our work. We invite you to join us on this exciting quest to learn, reinvent and create the future of education. For our students and for their future, April Domine Superintendent


Introduction In 2009‐2010, New Albany‐Plain Local Schools (NAPLS) launched a massive effort to engage community and staff in setting the course to lead our high performing district to even greater heights. We undertook a strategic planning process using the Cambridge Strategic Services model. This process engaged 150 community and staff members working in collaboration to create a strategic plan for the district. A 35‐member Planning Committee identified a new vision and mission to guide our future as well as identified 10 strategies for advancing that vision and mission. Ten Action Teams, one built around each strategy, researched and developed more than 40 action plans to establish a foundation of possibilities to create that exciting future. One of the primary transformative action steps prioritized by the Board of Education in the Strategic Plan was conducting national benchmarking. Through the strategic planning process, our community and staff made clear their desire for a structured approach to becoming a nationally‐recognized district that would meet the district mission “to ensure the development of high‐achieving, ethical, self‐directed, and intellectually curious citizens of the world.” In fact, one of the formal recommendations of the Strategic Plan is to “objectively benchmark our district’s core curriculum against other outstanding state, national and international school districts.” This recommendation was the impetus to conduct a benchmarking study to identify, understand, and adapt outstanding practices from schools across the country and the globe to help our district improve its performance. This report details the early stages of our benchmarking study in fall 2010, the identification of a lead benchmarking partner school in late summer 2011, the site visit that occurred in the winter of 2012 and key recommendations developed from the data gathered.

Discovery and Launch October 2010 – January 2011 Preparing for benchmarking To initiate the benchmarking study, our district identified a Benchmarking Study Coordinator to work with the Superintendent to provide project management, research, and communication. The first step was to conduct research to determine the most appropriate process for the study. In the course of our preliminary research on benchmarking, we found that there is little information available regarding benchmarking K‐12 education. Most resources focus on either benchmarking in a business environment or the improvement of low‐performing districts. Two resources that were informative to our process are Benchmarking, A Guide for Educators by Sue Tucker and The High‐Performing School, Benchmarking the 10 Indicators of Effectiveness by Dunsworth and Billings. Next, we put in writing our goals for the project including objectives, teams and roles, timeline, how we intended to engage staff and community in the effort, the budget, and a plan to fund the study.


Establishing the Core Team It was at this point that we formed the Core Team comprised of the Superintendent, Benchmarking Study Coordinator, the Director of Operations and Planning, the Director of Curriculum, and the building principals. The Core Team members offered project leadership and expertise throughout the project, and the group was asked to provide input on the study objectives and the most appropriate and effective ways to engage staff and community. This team provided advance work and feedback on each key component of the project including the vision statement, partner school criteria and metrics, partner schools, and Site Visit Team criteria and responsibilities. Additionally, they serve as facilitators at the Benchmarking Advisory Board Meetings. Engaging staff and stakeholders As part of the district’s overall strategic improvement efforts and pursuit of its vision, the Superintendent engaged community and staff to provide input on methodology, metrics, and potential partner schools. While Superintendent Domine holds primary responsibility and decision‐making authority for all aspects of the Benchmark Study, numerous NAPLS staff members and identified community members are providing guidance and an advisory role throughout the project lifecycle. The Benchmarking Study will engage staff and community in the following capacities:

A Core Team, to provide project leadership, as described above.

The District Leadership Team (Superintendent, all administrators, all principals, technology director, special education director, deans of students, athletic director) review and provide input on initial drafts developed by the Core Team.

A diverse group of community and staff members was assembled to serve as the Benchmarking

Advisory Board (BAB). This board is advisory in nature and is one of several groups engaged in helping the superintendent create a descriptive vision statement that will guide benchmarking. The advisory board will provide feedback on and reaction to methodology, metrics, potential partner school criteria, and the draft report. The Advisory Board will also act as liaison to staff and stakeholders.

Site Visit Team, comprised of staff members who serve on the Benchmarking Advisory Board, will be selected by the Core Team to evaluate partner schools in person or by other means. These team members will conduct inquiry‐based research, participate in team debriefing, data collation and analysis, and communicate and lead discussions to at the building and district level to share results and plan for implementing results.

With the goal of obtaining both community support and funding for the project, the Superintendent began conversations about the benchmarking study goals with the New Albany Community Foundation early in the planning process and invited the Director of the Foundation to sit on the Benchmarking Advisory Board (described later in this section). When the project was significantly underway, we presented a grant proposal to the Foundation requesting approximately fifty percent of the project budget. The district is funding the remaining amount. The Benchmarking Study is fully funded for 2011‐12 thanks to the generosity and support of Corna Kokosing Construction and The New Albany Community Foundation.


Documenting our own current practices and performance levels To prepare for our benchmarking study, we acknowledged that we first need to know what and how we are doing in our own district and how well we are doing it. We asked our Core Team to discuss current practices and determine a process for documenting both practices and performance levels. Our building administrators headed up the effort to collect the following types of data and articles, all of which was placed in a shared Google database.

• Course curriculum, standards, lists of texts utilized • Assessment tools and how they are used to assess student progress; grade cards or learner’s

profiles for each level • Intervention programming and how it relates to the assessments • Staff evaluation process • Monitoring of curriculum delivery • Technology integration into the curriculum and how its effect is assessed • Collaboration as it exists in each building • Staff development as it exists in each building • Special education philosophy and programming • Gifted philosophy and programming • 2009‐10 Academic Achievement Report • NAPLS High School profile • Terra Nova/InView report and AIMS data • Intervention data

Research and Planning: Engaging Stakeholders to Define the Vision February – September 2011 In February 2011, we began two simultaneous processes of our Research and Planning phase: Engaging Stakeholders to Define the Vision and Researching High‐Performing School Districts. We began our process to identify high‐performing districts with match to our vision. At the same time, we sought to define the vision and unite as a district toward a common purpose. To do both things, we engaged community and staff in a variety of ways, but most formally and consistently in the form of our Benchmarking Advisory Board. In the section that follows, we detail the specific steps we took to identify high‐performing schools and the process we used to narrow that list to find the school district that is the best match to our vision. In this section, we describe the process of engaging our community and staff to

• craft a descriptive vision statement for the district • identify potential evidence and metrics for evaluating partner schools • prioritize metrics considered power indicators

Convening the Benchmarking Advisory Board As previously described, this advisory group of community and staff was created to help the Superintendent create a descriptive vision statement to guide benchmarking and met four times January‐June 2011. The group is scheduled to meet four times in the 2011‐12 school year as well.


There are approximately 45 members on the Benchmarking Advisory Board (BAB) – 25 staff members and 20 community members. A roster begins on page 38. Comprised primarily of classroom staff, our staff committee members represent a variety of core subjects, specialties, and grade levels and were selected for inclusion on the BAB by the building principals. We are fortunate to have on the BAB the president and a board member of our local education association (PLEA) as well as a representative from the bargaining unit for our non‐certified staff (OAPSE). Community members on the BAB include Board of Education members, New Albany High School students, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) representatives, parents, and residents. We engaged community leadership in the process by including a representative from our township trustees, city council, and the New Albany Community Foundation. A primary role of the Benchmarking Advisory Board is to explore, dialogue, and give feedback on each step of the research process. We began by exploring examples of innovative districts and models in other countries to stretch our thinking, then worked to create an expanded narrative description of our vision of the future (see link to Reinvent Education...defined). The group identified and discussed measures and evidence of achieving our mission and vision and reviewed and provided feedback about the research process as well as investigated the top ten schools.

Research and Planning: Identifying HighPerforming School Districts February – August 2011 Methodology: Research, Metrics and Rating Systems Benchmarking is a widely applied strategy in many industries. The concept of benchmarking typically applies to specific inputs and outputs of any business and often focuses on measuring effectiveness of specific operations. Our goal was to identify one or more of the highest performing districts across a variety of quality outputs and study the culture, beliefs and primary processes that have created the system. This goal reaches beyond simply identifying schools with high test scores and enumerating their programs, policies and practices. The foundation of this work is to identify school districts with a variety of results or indicators of high performance across several domains and study the DNA of these districts to identify the key drivers, beliefs, processes and culture that lead to the results of the system. To this end, the methodology design focused on both the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data about results and the inner workings of the organizations that led to the results. The conceptual framework of desired results focused on our district’s mission and vision: to develop graduates who are high achieving, ethical, self‐directed, intellectually curious, and globally competent and therefore the standard (and readily available) quantitative data could not be the only data used to select schools for study. In addition to identifying public school systems, a key goal of the process was to include magnets, charters, and private schools in order to provide any possible educational organization for study that had high performing results in areas aligned with our district vision and mission. The challenges in creating a mixed method design are numerous. First, although there are national rating systems based on high school test scores and graduates, no universal or widely recognized methodology exists for identifying the nation’s highest performing K‐12 school districts. Student performance data in lower grades is not universal across states nor readily available. Qualitative data


http://www.napls.us/superintendent/files/2011/04/Reinventing-vision-defined-5.25.11.pdf

regarding results across various domains of high performance is time consuming to gather and is often limited to what can be gathered publicly through the district websites. It is critical to note the limitations of any study of this type and to recognize that no final list is a perfect listing of the nation’s highest performing districts. Evidence that matched the domains of our district mission/vision conceptual framework was the focus. Clearly, other studies may focus on different outcomes and therefore yield different results. Overall, decisions were made at each step of the process to narrow the list and identify the best match for our mission. These decisions were based on available data, the selection criteria at each stage, and the data summary completed by the researcher. A multistage process was created to identify high‐performing schools and conduct research at increasing levels of detail to narrow and select districts for benchmarking. An in‐depth explanation of each stage follows in the next section, Identifying High‐Performing Schools: Our Process. To begin the process, we reviewed as many rating systems as possible to inform the process and to identify all types of high‐performing schools with strong indicators of results and evidence that they were providing education consistent with our vision and mission. Some of those rating systems included in our initial research are: 1. Newsweek’s Top High Schools

2. Newsweek’s Best High Schools: The Elites

3. U.S. News & World Report America’s Best High Schools

4. Research of five selective colleges regarding most consistently named high‐performing high schools, compiled by NAPLS college counselor, Jeff Stahlman

5. Research regarding highest‐performing states on the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) and the highest‐performing districts within these states, compiled by Educational Service Center of Central Ohio

6. Top Education States from Education Week, U.S. News & World Report, ESC of Central Ohio

7. Forbes America’s Best Prep Schools

8. Wall Street Online Journal: “How the Schools Stack Up”

9. U.S. News & World Report America’s Top International Baccalaureate Schools

10. Baldrige Quality Awards 11. Suggestions made by New Albany residents

Identifying HighPerforming Schools: Our Process A multistep mixed method process was created utilizing quantitative and qualitative data to identify districts that are high performing academically and also had evidence in the other areas of our district mission/vision as well as evidence of characteristics of highly‐effective schools identified in research. The first step involved identifying districts with high academic achievement across Advanced Placement participation and scoring, ACT and SAT means, and other widely available academic metrics. The steps in the process then advanced through additional data gathering to continually sort and narrow the list. As acknowledged above, limitations are expected in any research of this nature and it is understood there is no possibility of a “perfect” list. However, the stages of the process and the increasing level of in‐depth qualitative information sought have yielded strong matches for the district for benchmarking.



Action: Using multiple rating systems, create a list of top‐performing schools

Step 1

Resulted in: Our “mega list” of 200 high‐performing schools To create the initial list of top‐performing schools for study, we merged five lists with strong indicators of results based on their ratings (listed below). This resulted in the first “mega list” with about 200 schools.

1. Newsweek’s Top High Schools (top 50 schools)

2. U.S. News & World Report America’s Best High Schools (top 75 schools)

3. Research of five selective colleges regarding most consistently named high‐performing high schools, compiled by NAPLS college counselor, Jeff Stahlman (35 schools)

4. Research regarding highest‐performing states on the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) and the highest‐performing districts within these states, compiled by Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (30 districts)

5. Suggestions made by residents (10 districts)

Step 2

Action: Identify schools on the “mega list” that appear on multiple rating systems Resulted in: List of 31 schools that hit on two or more lists To narrow the list of 200 schools, we identified 31 schools that occurred on two or more of the five rating systems selected.

1. Baccalaureate School for Global Education, Long Island City, NY

17. Raleigh Charter High School, Raleigh, NC 18. Rye High School, Rye, NY

2. BASIS Charter, Tucson, AZ 19. School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne Ewell Townview Center, Dallas, TX 3. Edina High School, Edina, MN

4. Hume‐Fogg Academic Magnet, Nashville, TN 20. School of Science and Engineering Magnet, Dallas, TX 5. International Academy, Bloomfield Hills, MI

6. International School, Bellevue, WA 21. Signature School, Evansville, IN 7. Jericho High School, Jericho, NY 22. Solon School District, Solon, OH 8. Lowell High School, San Francisco, CA 23. South Side High School, Rockville Centre, NY 9. Martin Luther King Academic Magnet,

Nashville, TN 24. Stanton College Prep, Jacksonville, FL 25. Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY

10. Millburn Township Public, Millburn, NJ 26. Suncoast Community, Riviera Beach, FL 11. Minnetonka Public, Minnetonka, MN 27. Thomas Jefferson School for Science and

Technology, Alexandria, VA 12. Newport High School, Bellevue, MA 13. Oxford Academy, Cypress, CA 28. Troy High School, Troy, MI 14. Pacific Collegiate School, Santa Cruz, CA 29. University High School, Tucson, AZ 15. Paxon School for Advanced Studies,

Jacksonville, FL 30. Upper St. Clair Schools, Upper St. Clair, PA 31. Wayzata Public, Wayzata, MN

16. Princeton High School, Princeton, NJ

Action: Screen the 31 schools to find best matches Resulted in: List of 20 best‐match districts to which we added 22 schools to equal 42 schools To operationalize the selection of the highest‐performing districts for study, quantitative metrics were used to identify those with high‐performing achievement results. These key metrics were: mean ACT and/or SAT, percent of students participating in Advanced Placement courses and scoring at a college level on the tests, percent of senior class National Merit Scholars, and number of AP offerings. To determine schools to advance to the next round, we reviewed initial quantitative data and considered relevant characteristics, specifically:

• rank on Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report • rating system on which they appeared (e.g. “resident suggestion” rating was not weighted as

heavily as others) • characteristics such as selective enrollment policies, high‐school only charter school, district

without a clear feeder system, size of district (e.g. K‐12 districts of 300 students) After elimination of schools which would not be a good match (due to lack of K‐12 system or a dramatic mismatch of context), a list remained of 20 high‐performing school districts which we believed to be best fit for the purpose of the benchmarking study. At this point, 22 new schools were added to the list. These were schools that emerged during ongoing research which were of particular interest for unique reasons such as a very high ranking on one list, K‐12 International Baccalaureate program, top‐performing Ohio schools, or widely well‐regarded schools. This list below of 42 schools advanced to the next level of research.

1. Baccalaureate School for Global Education, Long Island City, NY

2. BASIS Charter, Tucson, AZ 3. Cate School, Carpinteria, California 4. Columbus Academy, Gahanna, OH 5. Fairfax County Public Schools, VA 6. Falls Church HS, VA 7. Fridley Public, Fridley, MN 8. Hawken School, Gates Mills, OH 9. High Tech High, San Diego, CA 10. International Academy, Bloomfield Hills, MI 11. International School, Bellevue, WA 12. Jericho High School, Jericho, NY 13. Millburn Township Public, Millburn, NJ 14. Minnetonka Public, Minnetonka, MN 15. Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA 16. Naperville Central HS, Naperville, IL 17. New Tech High School, Napa, CA 18. New Trier High School, Winnetka, IL 19. Newport High School, Bellevue, WA 20. Oberlin City Schools, Oberlin, OH 21. Ottowa Hills Local Schools, Toledo, OH 22. Oxford Academy, Cypress, CA 23. Pacific Collegiate School, Santa Cruz, CA

24. Princeton High School, Princeton, NJ 25. Rye High School, Rye, NY 26. School for the Talented and Gifted at

Yvonne Ewell Townview Center, Dallas, TX 27. School of Science and Engineering Magnet,

Dallas, TX 28. Solon School District, Solon, OH 29. Stanton College Prep, Jacksonville, FL 30. Sturgis Charter Public, Hyannis, MA 31. Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY 32. The Blake School, Hopkins, MN 33. The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ 34. Thomas Jefferson School for Science and

Technology, Alexandria, VA 35. Troy School District, Troy, MI 36. University of Chicago Laboratory Schools,

Chicago, IL 37. University School of Nashville, TN 38. Upper St. Clair Schools, Upper St. Clair, PA 39. Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati, OH 40. Wayzata Public, Wayzata, MN 41. Whitney High School, Cerritos, CA 42. Wyoming City Schools, Wyoming, OH

Step 3



Step 4

Action: Conduct internet research on 42 schools to gather additional data and evidence of school system results that match our mission/vision

Resulted in: 10 schools; combination of public, private, charter, and magnet In addition to a review of the quantitative academic metrics available, 30‐90 minutes of Internet research was conducted on each school to identify additional evidence of high‐achieving academic performance as well as evidence of broader results reflective of all areas in our mission—high achieving in arts, service, leadership, ethical character, intellectual curiosity, self‐directed learning, and international perspective/world citizenship. The researcher evaluated stories, focus, priorities, and overall rating of match to vision. This resulted in a narrowing of the list to ten districts, which we identified as best matches for further research by phone interview.

Public Bellevue School District, Bellevue, WA Fremont Unified School District/Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA Jericho Public Schools, Jericho, NY Millburn Township Public Schools, Millburn, NJ Minnetonka Public Schools, Minnetonka, MN Princeton Regional Schools, Princeton, NJ Solon City Schools, Solon, OH Private/Independent University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Chicago, IL Charter BASIS Schools, Tucson, AZ Magnet / International Baccalaureate World School (K‐12 IB) Fridley Public Schools, Fridley, MN

Step 5

Action: Perform in‐depth phone research with top 10 schools Resulted in: Identification of a Lead Partner School for direct visit and partnership and three

additional top matches for ongoing partnership and study The final research phase was structured for in‐depth qualitative phone research in each of the districts with approximately 20 hours of interviews per district along with additional collection of artifacts and data as available. Five volunteer researchers were trained in an interview protocol based on two consistent questions and then using a snowball technique to follow the conversation and prompt with concepts from the mission/vision and research domains. The goal of the phone interviews with district administrators* was to identify examples of high performance across the domains and uncover beliefs and culture that contribute to achieving high level results. *Administrators were the focus as research took place in the summer months and administrators were more readily accessible.


The focus was to identify evidence and examples of the elements of our vision in action in schools with high‐performing results. Key to this study is to uncover why the organizations achieve the results they do, not just what they do. Therefore, researchers focused on asking respondents why they thought the district achieved the results it did and to what they attributed the success. The focus was on student results. (Information about inputs were gathered if relevant but were considered secondary.) The phone researchers gathered four types of data: metrics on performance and participation, interview responses, examples and artifacts, and perception ranking by researcher regarding strength of representation of vision/mission (relevance for study). Main categories include:

a. Data on Priority Metrics • Rating or index score on state accountability system, if available • Value‐added data, if available • Percentage of students in accelerated or advanced performance on state assessments in

grades and subjects tested • AP/IB index or percent participating and percent scoring college level • ACT and SAT means • Percentage of senior class attaining National Merit Scholar status

b. Evidence/Indicators in Mission Domains • High Achieving – Academics • High Achieving – Arts • High Achieving – Wellness • High Achieving – Athletics • High Achieving – Activities, Service and Leadership • Citizens of the World • Self Directed • Intellectually Curious • Ethical

c. Evidence/Indicators of Seven Research Domains of Highly‐Effective Schools

1. Highly‐effective teaching 2. Clear, rigorous, aligned curriculum 3. Use of data and feedback 4. Personalization 5. Academic press 6. Quality leadership 7. Parent engagement and community investment

d. Indicators and Examples that Resonate with Expanded Vision

• Student as leader/teacher • Real world work • Flexible learning structures • Intergenerational learning • Community of year round and extended day learning opportunities • Teacher and staff system of ongoing learning and growth

The Superintendent of each district was contacted directly by Superintendent Domine to establish readiness for the researcher contact. This first engagement also included a request for contact


information on Curriculum Director, Director of Data and Research (if applicable), High School Principal, Middle School Principal, and Elementary Principal. Results of Phone Interviews Synopses of the findings from each district follow. Debrief meetings were held with each researcher to review field notes and their collective summaries from the information gathered. The interviewers’ field notes and collected artifacts were reviewed and key highlights and themes that emerged across multiple interviews were summarized. In addition, the specific emphasis on themes and highlights shared are those results that directly correlated to the mission/vision/research domains. The results summarized are in no way an exhaustive representation of the information gathered on each district interviewed. Each interviewer worked with a goal of 20 hours of interviews across multiple leaders, however, the total time fell within a range of this goal based on the availability of interviewees. Researchers began each interview with one question, “What makes your school so successful?” As they dialogued with the partner school contacts, they were listening for evidence of our mission/vision themes in action. After an example aligned with the mission/vision/research themes emerged, the interviewer would follow up by asking “What are the results or evidence of that success? And what unique characteristics about the school led to these results?” Researchers listened and followed up on interviewee responses to dig deeper into factors leading to student success. For each interview, researchers completed a Web‐based data collection instrument that can be used to sort and source data.

Public Schools Fremont Unified School District/Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA Superintendent: James Morris Public K‐12 district of 31,000 with multiple feeder systems. Mission San Jose High School feeder system includes four elementary schools and one middle school. Enrollment at Mission San Jose High School is approximately 2,150. NAPLS Researcher: Erin Karzmer Factors Leading to Student Success • Student learning is the focus, rather than teaching. Every discussion centers on student learning –

from budget planning to secretary meetings. The district wants to ensure that all staff members are pulling together for one main goal and that there are no silos. They want the district as a whole, as well as every employee, to be focused on student learning outcomes. Evidence of this consistency was the frequency with which this belief and culture was described by every interviewee. Another example of connecting research to district wide learning was the use of Results Now (Schmoker) to launch district wide learning and reflection on the amount of time students were spending in engaging rigorous thinking in their work.

• The Mission San Jose community holds the district to high expectations and drives excellence. Students as well as parents demand that the rigor of coursework is what students need to prepare them for the next level of study. The goal is that all graduates are eligible to attend the University of California. The district staff thrives on this challenge and shares a collective vision of what is needed to attain those expectations and how to go about it. District leadership put in place a model district‐

http://www.msjhs.org/Page/10418


wide collaboration. This infrastructure of district‐wide committees, leadership teams, and teacher networks allows the district to build capacity across all schools with best practice and launching innovation as well as ensure resources are deployed wisely. They use a system‐wide approach to all strategies, initiatives, goals and challenges. No school operates in isolation. An example of this is the district process to take to scale new approaches that are proven to have impact during initial implementation as occurred with the GLAD program at elementary for ESL students. After these practices were found to have impact in improving skills for all students, the practices were systematically scaled up through grade 8 to increase student learning. Another example of the collaborative focus on professional learning is the practice of principals and teachers using walkthroughs as a method to reflect on the level of curriculum alignment, student learning, etc.

• Student voice is key in guiding the school to grow, innovate and create what students want and need. This includes finding out from students what courses are desired and what instructional improvements and supports are needed, and teachers and administrators use this information to set goals and develop plans for professional learning. An example of this is the annual high school survey to ask students what courses they want to take in the next school year as well as ask them what they wish their teachers knew about their needs, struggles, goals, etc. After the first year of implementing responses to the first survey, the high school performance index (API) went up by 17 points.

• Teachers at the schools in the Mission San Jose feeder system focus on empowering students to reach their goals and set high expectations for one another in a collaborative environment for growth and change. Examples of this are teachers meeting to review student work and judging the grade level of the work to continually assess rigor and alignment. Another example is teachers volunteer to be the advisor for a student with a vision to start a club or a service outreach. The students lead and design the work themselves but have the support and guidance of teachers.

Evidence of Alignment to Concepts in Our Mission • Major focus of the district is to work with Stanford University, students and parents to understand

student stress and encourage balance across academics, family, social and physical development.

• Student leadership roles and courses exist to promote mentoring and student role models. An example includes an additional science class offered to middle school girls taught by older students with teacher support. The class is free to participants.

• School works to provide extensive numbers of activities, clubs, academic teams, service opportunities including intramurals at lunch to foster student community and the development of leadership and exploring student interests. Staff, parents and community members all help to lead these opportunities.

• Administrators have designed intelligent infrastructure focused on collaboration and empowering expertise within the system that allows collective ideas/goals/programs to be researched, tested, shared, and embedded district wide.

• High standards and rigor are available for all students with necessary scaffolding of support.

• Foreign language is an elective in middle school. Throughout the district, there are two Spanish immersion programs and one Mandarin immersion program.

• Next year, district plans to expand their current focus on walkthroughs to review and discuss alignment and data on student learning in Language Arts. They will connect this to professional learning district wide.


Data Overview − Top comprehensive public high school in California − Mean ACT: 29.3 − Mean SAT: 1958 − Students taking AP classes: 70% juniors, 63% seniors − Students scoring 3+ on AP test: 89%; 72% scored 4‐5 Millburn Township Public Schools, Millburn, NJ Superintendent: Dr. James Crisfield Public K‐12 district with enrollment of approximately 4,900. Includes five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. NAPLS Researcher: Kelley Schubert Factors Leading to Student Success • Unified leadership approach, philosophy, and practices across the buildings promote unity and

alignment that is connected to the district vision. This drives work that is intentionally focused on knowing the community’s vision for the future and what the community values.

• Administrators at Millburn attribute the district’s success to a philosophy of investing in human capital. The district has a history of growing, retaining, and promoting quality teachers. Millburn’s investment in people leads to staff who seek to continuously improve, are creative, and are willing to take risks. An example is the 7‐year induction and mentoring program for teachers that focused on Understanding by Design.

• An unwavering focus on improving instruction for increased learning and college/career outcomes is a major strategy of the district. As an example, teachers willingly engage in “lesson studies” with one another. A whole department will attend a colleague’s lesson – picture 35 adults crammed in the back of a classroom to observe and critique every aspect of the lesson in order to improve instructional quality and student learning.

• Community’s high expectations and involvement is a pillar of the district’s success. One example of partnerships are the school‐wide leadership teams that focus on one thing – how do we improve? Team members are comprised of four parents, four teachers, one school counselor, and the principal. They meet 3‐4 times a year and may simply discuss items, ask questions about certain programs or ideas, invite a guest speaker to discuss current district initiatives or opportunities or facilitate and analyze survey results.

Evidence of Alignment to Concepts in Our Mission • Extensive list of AP courses is offered and students can graduate with as many as eight AP classes.

• Numerous opportunities for students, both electives and activities, are available. One interviewee stated, “if students want to start a club, all they have to do is find an advisor.” Electives are open to students of all grade levels.

• New Jersey law requires districts to offer world language beginning at second grade. They provide access to French, Spanish, Latin, Italian, and Chinese.

• Fostering student leadership is a focus and recently launched a senior to freshman mentoring program to address concerns of student behavior. One example is a Peer leadership club for 8th

http://www.millburn.org/


graders, and a few select 7th graders. They meet once per week for a general meeting, and then work in smaller groups to discuss individual interests and activities. Some students choose to be a tutor for other children; others befriend a child with special needs and eat lunch with them or invite them to attend a school event with them. Other students choose to mentor younger students and volunteer in classrooms or church activities. The main criterion is that the students are responsible for someone else.

• Aim to provide relevant work and experiences that will prepare them for the next step.

• Concern about student pressure for academic achievement and stress led to efforts to engage students in discussions about balance and strategies for managing the demands.

Data Overview − Mean SAT: 1838 − Students taking AP classes: 31% − Students scoring 3+ on AP test: 95% − National Merit Commended Scholars: 19.3% Minnetonka Public Schools, Minnetonka, MN Superintendent: Dr. Dennis Peterson Public K‐12 district with open enrollment of approximately 8,800. Includes six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. NAPLS Researcher: Becky von Zastrow Factors Leading to Student Success • Ownership in learning vs. just teaching – culture where everyone is a learner (teachers,

administrators, students, support staff, parents). All members demonstrate an enthusiasm and responsibility for the school district growing toward its vision and succeeding with students. Universally, interviewees noted a focus on meeting students where they are and constantly pursuing research to develop what students need.

• Intentional and focused leadership with high expectations for staff. This starts with a Superintendent who challenges the leaders and teachers in a positive way, and continues at the building level. An example is that principals are visible in classrooms – they believe that informal unannounced visitation is the best way to understand how a teacher is teaching. The district leadership has a clearly articulated and communicated plan and seem to be constantly working toward their goals. Several leaders mentioned a state of “evolution” or constant growth, learning and change.

• The district makes all decisions based on research and data on student performance. Constantly reinventing themselves and adding/changing programs based on research. “Intentional” is a word that was used by administrators when describing the district’s approach to change. Examples of innovation based on studying research and systematic implementation include work in international studies, Guskey research to guide revision of grading system at the high school, and creation of a writing center at the high school focused on a variety of writing forms. Another example of data use is the incorporation of parents, students, staff and alumni survey results.

• Clear, aligned, rigorous curriculum that is communicated to all. Backbone of curriculum is the “Essential Learning” posted in every classroom and given to every parent. The teachers are clear on what must be taught in every grade. Everything in the classroom is intentionally connected to these

http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/pages/default.aspx


targets. One example includes the decision to offer both AP and IB because this met the needs of different groups of students. The goal is to keep the bar high and offer what students need to continually be challenged. Another example was a two‐year process to revise the middle school program to be more rigorous. The revised schedule provides the opportunity for multiple levels of core classes including Pre‐AP. Multiple principals noted that the goal is provide opportunities so all students needs are met.

• Parents are active and important partners in the educational process and are key to student success. (Non‐parent community members volunteer in the classrooms and schools as well.) Providing extensive communication is a foundation and the researcher noted that the website videos “make you feel like you are part of the classroom.” Another example is the approach to elementary school conferences. Teachers ask for 100% participation from parents/guardians to work in collaboration to ensure student success. In the first conference of the school year, the objective is to set goals for each student. At the second conference, the parent and teacher reflect on the accomplishment of those goals.

Evidence of Alignment to Concepts in Our Mission • Global perspectives, which include but are not limited to access to world languages, are embraced

throughout the curriculum. A variety of formats are offered to meet the needs of students. For example, they offer Chinese and Spanish all day immersion in kindergarten as well as half day programs and all day English Kindergarten to provide options based on student need. In addition to IB in 11th and 12th grades, they have an international studies program in High School where students study over the Internet with a partner student in another country. Teachers have worked with their sister schools to develop this program. 10% of the students are participating in the international studies program and the work is on their own time. Immersion teachers come from China and Chile for the year to teach.

• Every principal spoke of volunteerism and service at their school. There is a place on the district website homepage for volunteer opportunities, and they have a volunteer coordinator at the high school who helps match students/student groups with volunteer opportunities. A link on the district homepage features summer volunteer opportunities. Students can receive Presidential Awards for Service.

• Collaboration with the greater community is key. Intergenerational learning is a critical component and they have an extensive community education program. All principals spoke of their actively involved community – in the writing center, community awards, community involvement in volunteer activities.

• They have an activities director rather than an athletic director. The catalog for activities is extensive. They value all student activities (well roundedness and pursuit of all passions) with athletics as one of many types of available opportunities.

Data Overview − Mean ACT: 25.7 − Mean SAT: 1909 − Students scoring 3+ on AP test: 85% − National Merit Commended Scholars: 4.8%


Princeton Regional Schools, Princeton, NJ Superintendent: Judy A. Wilson Public K‐12 district with enrollment of approximately 3,100. Includes four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. NAPLS Researcher: Erin Karzmer Factors Leading to Student Success • High academic expectations by the community, students, staff and parents. The community is

internationally diverse and university connected and this creates a commitment to high standards for every student and that “no one misses an opportunity because of need.” District believes that all students should be held to high standards. One example is in 9th grade when all students take the same English and math classes. Students who need extra support take an additional class of the same subject with the same teacher in order to provide pre and post teaching support.

• Belief in the capability and capacity of children and the district focused on creating a warm caring environment where rules are not the focus. (“Rulebook is not needed.”) Environment is characterized by student empowerment and an expectation that students will be thinkers, model good behavior and lead. An example of the focus on every student’s needs met is the approach to middle school scheduling which includes individualized scheduling options such as advanced students taking courses at the high school or the arts‐oriented child taking choir and band or the struggling student who needs two periods of Language Arts. Another example is the concern that every student is known by an adult and therefore high school students are all in a small homeroom with the same adult for all four years.

• Academic rigor is expected by the community and classroom instruction emphasizes thinking and questioning (teachers do not rely on specific programs or textbooks but on the power of questioning by both teacher and student). A teacher new to the school experiences the pressure to provide a rigorous course – parent feedback is immediate. Requires very high standard for faculty mastery of content and pedagogy. Examples include a focus on reading literature not basal readers; art history not arts and crafts; science lab work beginning in Kindergarten rather than focus on reading textbook.

• A core strength of Princeton is its dedicated, professional faculty. Faculty development is supported by a mentor program for new teachers and an intentional professional development focus. The district utilizes a mentor/induction program for new teachers. This seven‐year program keeps teachers learning and helps them understand the need for continual growth. They focus on Understanding by Design. In orientation, teachers develop lesson plans based on this philosophy. Professional development has an annual K‐12 focus and all teachers focus on implementing and honing these skills.

• Unique to Princeton is its dynamic use of community support and partnering to the point where the “two are somewhat intertwined”. One key partnership is with the University which provides support to students and teachers – both academic and emotional/social. Academic, social, and afterschool support are provided by a cadre of community partners including local organizations, parents, and grandparents. The high school refers to it as a “web of support” to catch any student who might be falling. Examples include community experts presenting lectures, high school students teaching music lessons to elementary students, parents orchestrating and participating in a science expo, residents manning the study centers after school, grandparents reading with elementary students.

http://www.prs.k12.nj.us/%23


• A supervisor for each subject area is the standard bearer and focuses on research, trends in subject area, and is responsible along with assistant superintendent for K‐12 curriculum. Ensures AP class curriculums are held to highest standard and that 6‐8 curriculums prepare students to take AP classes. Conducts reviews of teachers within subject area and coordinates and plans professional development. This commitment to content area supervisors is a high priority as evidenced by its expensive cost in budget‐conscious times.

Evidence of Alignment to Concepts in Our Mission • Model international language and culture program that is experiential in nature. Programs include

full immersion Spanish K‐5, opportunity for Spanish and French in middle school and six languages in high school.

• Student as teacher/leader. Expects kids to be thinkers and leaders both intellectually and behaviorally. Students often take the lead in the classroom and community. The district holds frequent celebrations where students present and speak in front of large audiences.

• Numerous activities outside the school day are available. District believes that students do better academically when they are actively engaged in school outside of the classroom. For example, the high school has over 100 clubs for students.

• Intergenerational learning is prevalent and many year‐round and extended day learning opportunities are available. Rigorous academic pursuit continues in the summer as most students attend academic camps, study world language, or prepare for upcoming academic courses.

Data Overview − Highest SAT scores for public school in New Jersey − Mean SAT: 1860 − Students scoring 3+ on AP test: 91% − National Merit Commended Scholars: 20.5% Private/Independent Schools University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Chicago, IL Director of School: David W. Magill Private preK‐12 school with selective enrollment of approximately 1,800. Includes a PreK‐Kindergarten, lower school, middle school, and high school. NAPLS Researcher: Kathy Vinciguerra Factors Leading to Student Success • High expectation parents who are highly educated professionals or University staff who value

education. The combination of these high expectations and dedication to education results in constant support and partnership. Professors bring their work to students and staff. An example is when a Professor addressed the Supreme Court and came back to the school to hold special lectures for all the teachers and students. This results in exceptional learning experiences for students and staff. Parents also stay actively engaged through speaking and author visits, etc.

• Culture of continuous professional growth and support to develop the teaching staff. “We have an intentional focus to make all teachers successful.” Average tenure is 19 years. Teachers hold themselves to high standards. They develop goals in areas that could enhance student learning at the beginning of every year and are supported to reach and exceed them.

http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/index.aspx


• Students are seen as highly‐capable, empowered teachers and leaders. The method of teaching is to create discussions that are student‐led more often than teacher driven. Students are not only encouraged to lead but it is expected. They start this in 6th grade to give students the chance to be self‐directed and involved in their success. It teaches them how to study and be effective and successful students. Another example includes students engaging in real world issues and problems and serving as leaders to guide others in the discussions, such as the school newspaper Spring edition when students focused on Schools in Crisis – real world, why schools are in crisis, who they are, and how that affects them as students at University of Chicago Lab Schools.

Evidence of Alignment to Concepts in Our Mission • Music and art are integral parts of high school curriculum, with students required to take a

minimum of one year, selected among music theory, performance, fine arts, drawing, painting, photo, drama, etc.

• Service learning is integrated into curriculum and therefore not optional nor operating in isolation from the study of social issues. As an example, sophomore students are required to participate in a community learning unit with weekly seminars on social issues (three quarters) and perform weekly service (two quarters).

• Learning continues outside the typical school day and school year. For example, the Summer Link Science Research program is a partnership with the university that places high school juniors side‐by‐side with faculty and grad students in university labs to undertake research in fields such as genetics, nanotechnology, biophysics, and chemistry. It lasts seven weeks, starting at end of June.

Data Overview − Mean ACT: 29.9 − Mean SAT: 2024 − National Merit Commended Scholars: 25% Charter Schools BASIS Schools, Tucson, AZ Head of School: Julia Toews Charter school for grades 5‐12 with open enrollment of approximately 550. NAPLS Researcher: Kathy Vinciguerra Factors Leading to Student Success • Major focus of the school is to create self‐directed high‐achieving students. The school culture

revolves around the belief that every student can achieve high levels of success. Expectations are clearly communicated and understood by students. The job of students is to learn, and coming to school unprepared is not an option. Every student has a plan created for them starting in 9th grade.

• Rigorous curriculum requires students to take at least eight AP courses and complete high school by the end of the junior year. In the optional senior year, students may complete either a capstone course to graduate with honors or a research project to graduate with high honors. Another example of the rigor is the LEAP program through which students can “leap” to higher courses such as Algebra I in grade 6 and pre‐Calculus in grade 8.

• BASIS recruits highly effective and knowledgeable teachers who are capable of conveying difficult content and concepts to young learners. These teachers are given a lot of freedom in both curriculum design and pedagogy allowing for interdisciplinary collaboration and freedom to explore the interests and pursuits of students within the small classes.

https://www.basisschools.org/index.php


• Teachers are financially rewarded for the learning gains made by their students through the Master Teacher Campaign, a private fundraising campaign that raises private monies to compensate top‐quality teachers with salary supplements and bonuses.

Evidence of Alignment to Concepts in Our Mission • Parental involvement at middle school and high school is fostered and considered important to

student success.

• Teach students organizational and study skills in early middle grades to cultivate self‐directed learning and student accountability.

• Promotes a culture of high achievement for all students.

• Values the role of the effective educator as one of the most important factors in student success.

• Seeks to prepare students to compete in a global economy and offers curriculum consistent with international academic standards. As an example, global language is required for all students beginning in grade 5.

Data Overview − 100% of students take AP courses − Students scoring 3+ on AP test: 86% − National Merit Commended Scholars: 26% − 100% of seniors took SAT with middle 50% scoring 1900 – 2100 Magnet Schools (K‐12 IB) Fridley Public Schools, Fridley, MN Superintendent: Dr. Peggy Flathmann Public K‐12 International Baccalaureate World School District (all schools K‐12 are IB) with open enrollment of approximately 2,800. Selection note: Although Fridley is in pursuit of becoming a high performing district, it was chosen not for current performance but for what could be learned from its transition to a K‐12 International Baccalaureate School. Ten years ago facing declining enrollment and student achievement, Fridley started over with a new superintendent and new mission to raise student achievement and increase and sustain enrollment. State and federal funding enabled the district’s transition to the IB curriculum. NAPLS Researcher: Sudha Ganesan Factors Leading to Student Success • It is a singular vision—all school buildings tied to the single focus of delivering the best possible

education to ALL students—that has set Fridley on its path to success. Since all the schools share the common language and expectations of the IB curriculum, there is a continuum. “The rigorousness of the curriculum holds each and every one of us accountable and reinforces our fundamental belief that we are all a part of the success story,” says Dr. Flathmann. Every conversation comes back to the IB mission regardless of the topic. If an effort will not contribute to the IB initiative, it is not undertaken.

• Collaboration among staff K‐12 and constant willingness to learn, assess and reflect is key. The district uses a continuous mapping and alignment process called “truth mapping” to analyze need and see what kind of alignment exists within grade‐level and between grade levels. This effort also set the framework for correlation between the IB curriculum and state standard. Another example

http://www.fridley.k12.mn.us/


is every four months teachers meet with two grades above and below them to ensure communication and continuity between grades.

• The development of teachers is an important component of the ongoing effort to design and implement the new program; and giving teachers feedback and supporting them with professional development is essential. All teachers are evaluated by the Principal and team leader using the Charlotte Danielson model. Individual growth models are tracked. Every teacher has to set goals for the year. Staff development is year‐round with in‐house training/in‐service and out‐of‐school training/courses.

Evidence of Alignment to Concepts in Our Mission • Foreign language is introduced at the elementary level with Spanish being taught as part of the

Primary Years program. At the middle school and high school level, Chinese, German, and Spanish are offered to all students. The early introduction of a foreign language has ensured that all Fridley graduates are fluent in two languages.

• The district is committed to using ongoing formative data on student need and assesses students three times a year. The information is used for acceleration and intervention as needed.

• At Fridley, training students to become self‐directed is a focus and is integrated into the curriculum at every level. Every student is trained to be self‐directed from the elementary level and has to participate in a program called “Exhibition” as part of the Primary Years Program. The topics are student‐chosen, and it is a capstone project that every student completes before moving on to the Middle Year Program. Middle school students get a chance to participate in the History Day Project. High school students write an extended essay that involves independent research and those that choose the Diploma Program also have to complete the Theory of Knowledge program.

Data Overview − About 35% of students come from other neighborhoods − 15‐20% of the student population requires ELL services − Students scoring 4+ on IB exam: 69% Conclusion and Identification of Benchmarking Partner Schools The list that began with over 200 schools was steadily researched and narrowed until a list of 10 was selected for in‐depth phone interview research. Of the original list of top schools, three districts declined to participate or did not respond to requests to participate. These districts were: Bellevue School District, Jericho Public Schools, and Solon City Schools. This research was completed in the summer of 2011 and resulted in the identification of a top district for direct visit and partnership and an additional top three districts for distance collaboration and study. In review, our goal was to identify one or more of the highest performing districts in the country that the district could further benchmark and study regarding how they achieved the results that they did. The results that were used as the target were indicators of the district mission/vision and research regarding the characteristics of highly effective schools. Clearly, all the schools researched demonstrate characteristics of our mission/vision and the research on highly effective schools. As we reviewed the results, our goal was to look for multiple examples of different attributes of the mission/vision and research to yield the most benefit from the visits and future partnership. In particular, within the data gathered, we were looking to identify attributes that were triangulated or at least repeated by more than one respondent. In the end, schools were selected by identifying the schools with the most numerous and varied examples of connection to the various components of our mission/vision and research framework.


After review of the field notes, quantitative data and artifacts collected, the best match district was selected by considering the frequency of attributes of interest for study along with the context and demographics of the district. The district selected for benchmarking and in‐depth study was Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnetonka, Minnesota. However, three strong additional partners also emerged from the research and ongoing professional collaboration will be explored with these districts through phone, email, and video conferencing. These additional top three schools are: Princeton Regional Schools, Fremont Unified (Mission San Jose feeder pattern), and University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.


Site Visit : Preparing for and Conducting OnSite Research October 2011 – May 2012 In February 2012, a team of 16 district representatives visited the lead partner school district, Minnetonka Public Schools, for two days of in‐depth observation, interviews, discussions, and data gathering. Minnetonka also visited New Albany to further the partnership and collaboration. The research design for the site visit to Minnetonka was focused on in‐depth qualitative methods including interviews, classroom observations, and collection of artifacts across multiple elementary, middle and high schools and the district central office. The research questions driving the work focused on the vision, values and culture that enable a district to continuously improve and reach higher performance through innovation, as the Minnetonka school district has done. The team sought to uncover not only what they did but also how they evolved and why they pursued change the way they did. The goal was not to make lists of existing programs to copy but instead to understand the underlying culture and beliefs that created the excellent results and culture of achievement and innovation that Minnetonka has today. The site visit research team was purposefully structured with a majority of certified educators in order to maximize gathering of education‐specific data. Using educators as the primary researchers provided for understanding during the data‐gathering process regarding everything from pedagogy to school programs to vocabulary and education jargon. To ensure a deep understanding of the intent and methodology of the process, staff members who had participated in the Benchmark Advisory Board for many months were selected as possible researchers. A large research team was assembled consisting of thirteen staff members (teachers and administrators) and three parents (two Board Members and the Study Coordinator.)

Minnetonka Site Visit Researcher Roster Sarah Cachat K‐1 teacher, RTI behavior team facilitator

Andy MooreDistrict technology specialist

Mike Covey PLEA President, HS special education teacher

Karen MorlanHS math teacher, HS math department chair

Andy Culp MS Principal

Randy PfeifferInterim Director of Teaching and Learning

April Domine Superintendent

Robin Ryan2‐3 Elementary Principal

Gabe Heselton MS social studies teacher, 8th grade team leader

Diana Smith2‐3 teacher, 2nd grade language arts team leader

Kirk Hilbrands HS social studies teacher, HS SS department chair

Marilyn TroyerChief of Innovation, Improvement, & Human Capital

Debra Lowery Benchmarking Study Coordinator

Erika Walsh4‐5 teacher, 5th grade language arts team leader

Natalie Matt Board of Education member

Susan WoodmanseeMS science teacher, MS science department chair


Minnetonka Public Schools: Twoday Site Visit Structure The on‐site research design was based on two days of conducting interviews and classroom observations. Taking a large group of researchers for two days rather than a small group for more days was a purposeful element of the design. In order to ensure that the research connected with staff and impacted the work of the New Albany school district significantly and quickly, it was essential that staff in every building and from multiple perspectives experienced the process and were able to champion both the quality of the process and the findings. Selected staff members agreed to participate in extensive training and data collection and analysis, which occurred both during the day and outside the school day. The research team also agreed to lead presentations and discussions in their buildings and departments and serve as ongoing leaders in the benchmarking work. To prepare to conduct rigorous qualitative research, the team participated in 12 hours of training in the nature of ethnographic and anthropological research in a business setting. The work of IDEO, a leading business in designing innovation, provided key insight as well as traditional social science research methods. The team completed extensive reading and research review to expand their knowledge of qualitative research practices and the role of the researcher in observing with a focus on a conceptual framework, looking for themes related to the research questions, and setting aside comparisons to New Albany. Researchers practiced eliminating bias in observation, taking rigorous field notes and using technology for data capture and analysis. The final training culminated in a trial research exercise in New Albany with researchers going to buildings other than their own to practice techniques and test protocols. Working from our mission statement and the research on the characteristics of high performing schools, a conceptual framework was created to organize the data gathered by the research team. This conceptual framework served as the foundation for observations, interview protocols and field note compilation. The conceptual framework, as well as the interview questions, were discussed and reviewed by the Benchmark Advisory Board and their feedback led to the final revisions of the framework and protocols.

In February, the research team travelled to Minnetonka to conduct the onsite research. The team divided into four teams and visited six schools and the district offices. Over the two days, the team completed over 100 hours of interviews and observations. Interviews were conducted with parents, teachers, community leaders, students, staff and administrators from a variety of positions. Classroom and school observations in a variety of courses across elementary, middle and high school led to substantive data collection over the two‐day period. In addition, the team met with the leadership team at Minnetonka for preview questions and to debrief and ask additional questions at the end of the visit. The Benchmarking Project Coordinator worked closely with the Director of Communications in Minnetonka to plan the site visit and coordinate details to ensure the research goals were met.


Data collection and analysis began immediately during the visit and continued throughout February and March. All interviews were audio recorded and data were reviewed, analyzed and coded by each researcher. In addition, video of the Minnetonka visit and interviews with researchers while at Minnetonka were captured for use in communicating the process and findings. The researchers categorized their data within the conceptual framework and identified key examples and quotes to capture evidence of recurring themes. After the team reviewed summary charts from each researcher, a draft of conclusions and findings was created. The research team shared the draft findings and their observations from the research in Minnetonka with the Benchmark Advisory Board. Six key findings were identified from the evidence as recurring themes. The Benchmark Advisory Board provided feedback about the next steps to share with staff and to prepare for the Minnetonka visit to our campus.


“We are here to serve theneeds of every single student.”

Pete Dymit, Middle School Principal

The next stage of the process was to host a team from Minnetonka to share the findings and give the staff and the community the opportunity to hear directly from the Minnetonka leadership team. The Research Team with Benchmark Advisory Board members led staff meetings in each building to share the findings in preparation for the Minnetonka team visit and invited staff to submit questions that would be asked of the Minnetonka panel when they visited New Albany. Questions were submitted and the team worked to finalize the schedule and preparations for the two‐day visit by the Minnetonka team. Over the two‐day visit, Minnetonka teams provided panel discussions and answered questions at staff meetings, visited in buildings, met with teacher leaders, school board members, and Benchmark Advisory Board members. At the end of the two days, the Minnetonka leadership team conducted a final debriefing session with New Albany administrators to review and discuss findings and final questions. Hosting the Minnetonka team on the New Albany campus enabled the district to both broaden and deepen the discussion about the philosophy and practices ‐‐ the “DNA” of a highly successful school district like Minnetonka. This was an important next step in reinforcing the organizational learning for the district. The Minnetonka team visit to New Albany enabled larger numbers of staff to learn about Minnetonka’s philosophy and practices and enabled them to begin making connections to our district vision and planning for the future. In May, the Benchmark Advisory Board met to review the final version of the findings and preview the first draft of the final report video and provide feedback.

Findings Through the data analysis process described above, six themes emerged. These themes represent foundational elements that are infused throughout the Minnetonka Public School District and impact every program that is implemented and every decision that is made. Theme 1 – The needs of every student are at the center of all decisions, and multiple opportunities and supports are provided to prepare students for global citizenship in the 21st century. The Minnetonka Public School District works to meet the needs of every child at every level through creating multiple offerings, opportunities, and choices that support different learning styles, abilities, and interests. It is evident that there is a concerted effort to maximize every student’s full potential every day through differentiation of services and instruction based on student needs. Differentiation of instruction is evident at all levels from elementary grades through high school as teachers work with groups of students and individual students to ensure that learning targets are met. A typical class includes teachers assessing where students are in meeting learning targets, providing re‐teaching or review for those who need it, and scaffolding learning for all students to progress to the next level. Course opportunities include the full range from advanced options to programs for students with disabilities. At the middle schools, for example, basic math and reading courses are provided for students who need to develop those core essential skills. At the same time, the middle schools offer


We inspire in eacha passion to excelDavid Parker, Principal

Pre‐A.P. classes and advanced robotics. The elementary schools offer four tiers of programming for gifted students as well as instruction designed especially for students with disabilities. The high school has an apartment so students with disabilities can learn life skills, and also offers a wide range of courses including International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and Honors courses. Each student can find a program or set of courses that meets their specific needs, goals, and interests. The school culture is designed to be supportive of each student. The district values and believes that students can achieve in a multitude of ways, and provides many elective options for students during the school day, after school, and in the summers. There is a focus on educating the whole child, with attention to the arts, athletics, health, social and emotional well‐being, and student leadership. The district provides varied and ongoing student support groups and student activity clubs with numerous opportunities for student leadership. Global awareness and engagement are incorporated in multiple ways. Elementary students have the option of full immersion programs in Chinese or Spanish in grades K‐5, resulting in fluency in another language during the elementary years. After‐school foreign language classes are offered for students not in immersion programs. Cross‐curricular studies of other cultures are embedded throughout the years from kindergarten through grade 12. Student teachers from other countries, including Chile and China, provide a unique perspective to their students. The high school hosts many foreign exchange students and offers Minnetonka students opportunities to travel and study abroad. In addition, the high school’s International Baccalaureate program offers intensive study of other cultures. Other cross‐cultural offerings include: Global Citizens Week, a partnership with Beijing Normal School, service projects tied to other countries like Haiti and Kenya, Global Affair Challenge, and the Festival of Nations Cultural Fair. Theme 2: The district has created a culture of high expectations, rigor, and intellectual inquiry for both students and staff. The Minnetonka Public School District has deliberately created a culture of learning and growth for all members of the school community – including both students and staff. The district believes that every student will reach his or her full potential. The goal is for everyone to be the best person they can be, and the district never stops looking for better ways to educate students. Change is viewed as a constant, and is driven by research and data. Instruction is inquiry‐based and deliberate efforts are made to incorporate 21st Century skills and problem‐based learning into all classrooms. Assessment and grading practices support the notion that all students are expected to achieve at high levels, and the district constantly seeks ways to increase access to accelerated courses and curriculum for all students. At the high school level, students are offered a wide array of options, from International Baccalaureate (IB) programs to Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, to college courses. All students are expected to take at least one IB or AP course before graduation. Many students graduate from high school with college credits, and some graduate with an entire year of college credit completed. High school students can “letter” in academics as well as athletics. Advanced opportunities are also available at the middle school, through accelerated and honors courses, Pre‐AP courses, seminar courses, and programming for exceptionally gifted students. Algebra I is taught as early as fifth grade.


The beauty of working in education is that the sky is the limit – you can

never say you’ve done it all.Dr. Dennis Petersen, Superintendent

In the elementary grades, the High Potential program serves students identified as gifted as well as other students who are high‐achieving. Teachers in the High Potential program spend half of their time working with gifted students in pull‐out programs, and half their time working with teachers on differentiation and enrichment for students who are high‐achieving but not identified as gifted. The Navigators Program, a school‐within‐a‐school for exceptionally gifted students, provides thematic and interdisciplinary instruction with two‐week periods in the spring and in the fall during which students select any area of focus and are free to pursue any passion they choose. While expectations are very high, the district also provides significant supports to help students achieve those expectations. Rather than waiting for students to develop patterns of failure, the district develops relationships with struggling students and their families. Teachers work with parents to collaboratively develop better ways to work with these students, and provide support strategies such as intervention support classes, study lunches, advisory periods, and student‐to‐student mentoring. In the high school, upperclassmen set the tone for high expectations and mentor younger students. Students who have graduated come back to talk with juniors and seniors and discuss which high school classes helped them in college, and which classes they should consider taking before graduation. Many graduates report that the transition to college was seamless because of the rigorous expectations they experienced at Minnetonka High School. Theme 3: A visionary, forward‐thinking commitment to innovation is powered by research and data and serves as a constant force for growth. The Minnetonka Public School District established an Innovation Plan in 2009 and has deliberately fostered a culture of innovation over a multi‐year period. A district‐wide framework for innovation led by the superintendent is designed to encourage every staff member to think creatively and take risks. According to one administrator, every school in the district has innovators who are teaching. He states teachers are “willing to stick out their necks and take risks because they know they’ll get support.” The district has an Urgency Committee focused on looking five to ten years ahead and forecasting what students will need to be prepared for the future – including preparing students for jobs and careers that do not yet exist. A Guiding Team sets expectations for innovation and reviews proposals created by teachers. A “Big Idea Hunt” was conducted in 2011‐12 to elicit innovative ideas from staff, and Innovation Teams work with business partners to create and try out innovative ideas. National experts in innovation are brought to the district and provide training to staff in the areas of strategic thinking and innovation. Spigot software is used for staff to develop and post new innovative ideas.

Data is reviewed regularly to determine district goals and areas of focus. The Board of Education uses annual parent and staff surveys, as well as student achievement results, to evaluate progress and set benchmarks for improvement. Professional development for educators is job‐embedded and focuses on continual improvement and innovation. Teacher academies are provided every summer for professional development, and new


Unity brings results!President of Teachers

Association

programs and ideas are implemented every year. Teachers report that the district supports them with tools, professional development, and administrative support. One teacher stated that “you continually reinvent yourself, looking for ways to improve and not just be satisfied with staying the same as before.” Colleagues challenge each other to implement best practices, and every teacher is expected to be a leader either formally or informally. Teachers have opportunities to take leadership roles such as data coaches, literacy coordinators, mathematics coaches, and instructional coaches. Leadership roles such as department chairs and team leaders are rotated so that more staff can experience these opportunities. In addition, teachers have access to mini‐sabbaticals for developing new instructional strategies and materials. The Minnetonka Foundation awards grants to staff who develop creative programs to enrich the learning of their students.

The district constantly seeks out ways to incorporate new technologies into the learning process. Every classroom has a Smart Board and speaker/sound system and all libraries are being renovated into new digital media centers. All ninth‐graders are issued an iPad and access their textbooks on‐line. Every year, advancements are made in technology, supported through a tax levy that is dedicated specifically to technology.

Theme 4: Clear alignment and unity of purpose result from strong leadership at all levels championing the vision and focusing on the district strategic plan. The Minnetonka Board of Education and the Superintendent lead the district in a shared vision and unity of purpose, with student success as the central focus for the entire district. Mission, vision, values, and goals are transparent and vertically and collectively owned. Goals are posted online for everyone to see and are supported by the school board, parents, staff, and students. Effective and consistent communication regarding district goals is a priority at all levels within the district.

The Board makes decisions with plenty of input from stakeholders and keeps everyone refocusing on district goals. The district leadership team is described by educators as visionary, with the vision filtering down from the board and superintendent to every leadership level within the district. One principal described it as follows: “There are key people at all levels. It is a shared vision. It takes some real specific attributes at key levels. Key leadership acts and an engaged community are essential. Our board is so central in their boardsmanship, decision‐making, and their behaviors, and they build this culture.” Another principal described the importance of the superintendent: “Since Dr. Peterson came to our district, it has been a progressive ramping up of expectations and creating opportunities. Each year we are adding something, a new element. I think what works is a clear vision, direction and a clear process.” The superintendent is widely viewed as having brought a vision of excellence to the district, and has worked with the board to create a solid plan for the future. He is recognized as an instructional leader and ensures that everyone understands the vision and mission and has the room to implement it. All district efforts are aligned to support district goals.


Relationships are either thecatalyst or roadblock to

everything.Lee Drolet, Elementary Principal

In addition to the clear vision and leadership of the board and superintendent, it is apparent that strong, professional, knowledgeable leadership at the principal level is a key element to implementing the shared vision and goals. Principals provide the supports necessary to implement district goals and mission, and find a way to support teachers’ pedagogical needs if the request aligns with district goals. Teachers report that principals meet with every teacher often to discuss student growth and professional growth. They build a culture of going “above and beyond” for both staff and students. Teachers are recognized as key to implementing the shared vision and goals. Teachers were involved in the strategic planning process and are encouraged to generate ideas and try new things for students. Teachers and staff have a sense of ownership and want to be challenged to constantly improve. They recognize that everyone is held accountable and are able to articulate their role in meeting the district goals. Teachers have multiple opportunities to take leadership roles and lead staff development teams, data teams, and weekly problem‐solving teams.

Theme 5: Mutually supportive relationships, active community involvement, and public recognition and celebration foster a deep sense of pride and commitment. The Minnetonka community has a strong sense of pride and ownership in its schools, and the district proactively fosters that connection by building partnerships with the community and developing relationships with parents. Parents and community members are involved in strategic planning and innovation teams. They volunteer at all grade levels and lead more than 40 district committees. Parents are involved in decision‐making processes at the district and building levels, as well as in the creation of new programming and course offerings. Each school has an active Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and welcomes parents to take leadership roles. District employees have an open, customer‐service mentality and welcome parents and community members into the schools. Transparency on the part of the district fosters a high level of trust on the part of parents. Teachers report that parents are in the schools all the time – and not just in the elementary schools. Middle and high schools have parents walking the halls and helping out in study centers. Community experts serve as math mentors for students, and parents work on Cultural Fairs and other events. Parent‐teacher conferences and other special events enjoy more than 80% participation. New families are welcomed as they come into the district through a Welcome Center that handles everything new students and their families need.

The district makes it a priority to recognize each person’s worth, and ensures that students feel that they belong, they are loved, and are accepted just the way they are. Specific programming is offered to further relationships among students, staff, and community members, including Parents Night Out, Watch D.O.G.S., bully prevention programs, team building activities, Kindness Retreats, Pay It Forward program, and humanitarian projects. There is an expectation that students become involved in the community through service projects and realize the importance of giving back. The district deliberately nurtures strong relationships with community and business partners, resulting in increased opportunities for students. The Minnetonka Community Foundation provides support for


We ask questions; we don’t just tell and that helps us know things we may have never

.thought aboutAdam Ehrmantraut, Assistant Principal

innovations in the district, including teacher grants for innovative uses of technology. Responding to a need identified by the business community, the Foundation provided a five‐year, $250,000 grant to the launch a Writing Center in the high school, open to all students for individualized assistance with developing strong writing skills. The community takes pride in high student achievement, athletics, and the arts. The district and its partners have been very deliberate in creating world‐class facilities for fine arts and athletics in order to forge a bond and build a strong sense of pride. Community members and district employees described “Tonka Pride” and the value of publicly celebrating excellence. Recognition of student and staff accomplishments are shared within the school and throughout the community through numerous celebratory events. An annual Spring Gala is a district‐wide celebration of excellence. Many individuals speak of generations of Minnetonka graduates coming back to the community so their children can continue the success they have experienced.

Theme 6: Communication with both internal and external groups is an ongoing, engaged, two‐way dialogue that is listening, learning, and growth‐minded. Effective communication at all levels is an important priority for the Minnetonka Public School District. The Board of Education deliberately structures opportunities for two‐way communication with parents and the community. Examples include:

• Parent Advisory Committees

• Community webinars

• Regular Listening Sessions held by the Board of Education to hear feedback from the community

• Video‐streaming the Board of Education meetings

• Meeting notes sent out community‐wide the morning after each board meeting.

The Minnetonka Public School district has a dynamic website that includes many resources for families and community members. Video segments on the website highlight programs within the district and reinforce the culture and value that all students deserve excellent opportunities in academics, the arts, service, and leadership. The website features pertinent research and provides quality information. Parents and community members report being well‐informed about district programs, policies, and expectations. The district has a very effective Communications Department with six full‐time staff members, and regularly surveys students, staff, and parents on a variety of topics. Input is sought on every initiative before it is launched, and ongoing feedback provides information to the district on how programs should be adjusted or adapted. The superintendent holds Question and Answer sessions with the staff three times each year, with no question off‐limits. Through these strategies, the district has created a culture of openness, communication, and trust.


Conclusions and Implications for New Albany Each of the six key themes described above illustrate best practices that are informative for New Albany as we strive to continue improving educational opportunities for all of our students. In addition to the key findings, the following reflections resulted from the benchmarking research. The most significant overall impact is establishing the expectation, practice, and focus on benchmarking as central to how we learn and grow as an organization. While our many talented staff members have great knowledge and experience, there is no substitute for learning from other organizations that have achieved topnotch results.

The benchmarking research showed the power of a constant focus on continual growth and on what students need, using research and data to keep district performance at the highest level. In Minnetonka, this is combined with a willingness to embrace the inherent messiness of change and innovation. This focus is critical for us to keep at the forefront of our work. These converging forces and a commitment to improvement will power our work and our vision for many years to come, and will guide us through pilots that are successful and those that need to be abandoned. The benchmarking research reinforced several areas of focus in our vision and strategic plan – particularly the importance of keeping what students need for the future as our guide for prioritizing change, and seeing collaboration as essential fuel for building the vision and creating the future together with all stakeholders. The research also revealed how listening to the community and focusing on the needs of students led to increased choice for students and parents. For example, in the elementary schools, families could choose from six options for kindergarten – full day and half‐day options in each of three languages. Building more opportunities for student choice is a key consideration for our district as we innovate and create new opportunities for the future. Our benchmarking research reinforced the need to expand access to acceleration and rigor for more students, and the need to move away from a tracked approach to acceleration and college level rigor. This fits with our current goal of expanding access for students based on interest rather than past scores, for a variety of advanced study opportunities – including our current Advanced Placement courses and our future expansion into International Baccalaureate. Through ongoing discussion and partnership with Minnetonka and exploring expanded access with other high achieving districts, we can learn more about how this culture of access to rigor for all students was developed for students, parents and staff. Consistent with our own mission, we observed an expanse of international opportunities for students throughout the district, from K‐6 immersion programs in Chinese and Spanish to opportunities for international travel and short‐term exchanges. We also observed International Baccalaureate programming at the high school level and hosting of high school students and student teachers from other countries. Our district must elevate to a priority this vision for the expansion of international perspective and opportunities across the grades. Minnetonka’s collaboratively created forms of teacher leadership and growth serve as an inspiration to create our own structures to enhance staff opportunity to lead innovation and continually develop new skills and opportunities for students.


Through this research, we saw the power of strong communications in building commitment and connections. This matches our goal to improve our communications so that we fully inform, inspire, and engage our community in partnering to build the future and being proud of our school district. The communication systems and planning at Minnetonka were highly developed and can serve as an ongoing source of guidance and support as we design our system. We also saw clear and ongoing celebration of the accomplishments of the students and staff. There were expressions of excellence across a wide variety of areas – including opportunities to excel nationally in the arts, service, leadership, athletics and academics. This example can inspire our desire to expand such opportunities for our students to express their talents and passions and can lead us to design expanded and more frequent celebrations of student and staff successes. Throughout our site research, interviews, and observations it was clear that the Minnetonka Public School District has a deeply held set of beliefs and values – a culture that overwhelmingly embraces the importance of all students learning at high levels, never settling for anything less. Student needs are the driving force behind all decisions and choices that are made. Growth is viewed as essential and constant monitoring of student progress is the norm. This culture and focus permeates the work of staff in the district and is a driving force behind the district’s success. We look forward to continuing our work on incorporating these research findings into our work in the New Albany – Plain Local School District. We also look forward to launching our international benchmarking research in January 2013. Benchmarking with other highly innovative and high performing organizations unleashes our imaginations, challenges us to continuously learn, and sparks our innovations.


Recognition and Thanks We acknowledge and thank the following individuals and groups for the invaluable contributions to and support of the New Albany‐Plain Local Schools Benchmarking Study:

• The district leaders who kindly gave us access to their staffs and information: Dr. James Crisfield, Dr. Peggy Flathmann, David W. Magill, James Morris, Dr. Dennis Peterson, Julia Toews, and Judy A. Wilson

• The interviewees at the research schools who graciously gave of their time to be interviewed and who were so forthright and generous with input for the study

• Our intrepid and astute phone researchers Sudha Ganesan, Erin Karzmer, Kelley Schubert, Kathy Vinciguerra, and Becky von Zastrow who volunteered their time and whose research notes provide a great deal of the content in the phone interview results portion of this report

• NAPLS Benchmarking Core Team members Andy Culp, Deloris McCafferty, Madeline Partlow, Randy Pfeiffer, Robin Ryan, Ken Stark, Ric Stranges

• NAPLS Administrative Office staff member Phyllis Mason for ongoing and tireless support of the research and project teams

• Members of the NAPLS Benchmarking Advisory Board (listed beginning on the next page)

• New Albany High School college counselor Jeff Stahlman for early research regarding most consistently named high‐performing high schools

• Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, in particular Tom Goodney and Joe Weitz, for early research regarding highest‐performing states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress

• New Albany‐Plain Local Board of Education members Mike Klein, Laura Kohler, Cheri Lehmann, Natalie Matt, and Mark Ryan

We offer special gratitude to CornaKokosing Construction Company and The New Albany Foundation, funders of the NAPLS Benchmarking Excellence Study.

Their support and ongoing partnership made the project possible.


Staff Benchmarking Advisory Board (BAB) Members

NAHS social studies teacher .............................................. Kirk Hilbrands

NAHS drama teacher ......................................................... Elliott Lemberg

NAHS global language teacher .......................................... Carmen LaMotta

NAHS English teacher ....................................................... Jacqui Loughry

NAHS math teacher .......................................................... Karen Morlan

NAHS science teacher ....................................................... Bill Somerlot

NAHS college counselor .................................................... Jeff Stahlman

NAMS English teacher, Dean of Students ......................... Elizabeth Gonda

NAMS social studies teacher ............................................. Gabe Heselton

NAMS math teacher .......................................................... Ginny Nicholson

NAMS gifted coordinator .................................................. Taita Reeder

NAMS science teacher ...................................................... Susan Woodmansee

NAES 4‐5 classroom teacher ............................................. Scott Cooper

NAES 4‐5 classroom teacher ............................................. Erika Walsh

NAES 2‐3 classroom teacher ............................................. Kim Lauer

NAES 2‐3 classroom teacher ............................................ Karin McGee

NAES 2‐5 technology ......................................................... Tina Wyant

NAES 2‐3 special education ............................................... Amanda Coe

NAES K‐1 classroom teacher ............................................. Sarah Cachat

NAES K‐1 counselor, partner school researcher ............... Kelley Schubert

District technology specialist ............................................ Andy Moore

PLEA President and NAHS special education .................... Mike Covey

PLEA board member and NAES 2‐5 teacher ..................... Diana Smith

OAPSE rep and NAES 2‐5 educational aide ...................... Loni Burnip

BAB listing continues on next page


NAPLS Benchmarking Advisory Board

Community Benchmarking Advisory Board (BAB) Members

NAHS student .................................................................... David Allen

NAHS student .................................................................... Darron Hill

NAHS student .................................................................... Jordan Mazzi

NAHS sudent ..................................................................... Grace Meilen

NAHS student .................................................................... Mika Sasaki

NAHS student .................................................................... KayKay Stith

NAHS student .................................................................... Garrett White

New Albany Community Foundation Director .................. Craig Mohre

New Albany City Council ................................................... Sloan Spalding

Plain Township Trustee ..................................................... Dave Ferguson

NAHS PTO representative ................................................. Beth Silverstein

NAMS PTO representative ................................................ Cara Iovino

NAES 2‐5 PTO rep, partner school researcher ................. Kathy Vinciguerra

NAES K‐1 PTO representative ........................................... Christy Pirkle

Community member ......................................................... Neil Collins

Community member, partner school researcher ............. Sudha Ganesan

Community member ......................................................... Chuck Hovorka

Community member, partner school researcher ............. Erin Karzmer

Community member ......................................................... Amy Milbourne

Community member ......................................................... Lynne Redgrave

Community member, partner school researcher ............. Becky von Zastrow

Community member ......................................................... Greg Watson

Board of Education member ............................................. Natalie Matt

Board of Education member ............................................. Mark Ryan

Core Team

April Domine, Superintendent

Debra Lowery, Benchmarking Study Coordinator

Ken Stark, Director of Operations and Planning

Randy Pfeiffer, Interim Director of Teaching and Learning

Deloris McCafferty, Elementary K‐1 Principal

Robin Ryan, Elementary 2‐3 Principal

Madeline Partlow, Elementary 4‐5 Principal

Andy Culp, Middle School Principal

Ric Stranges, High School Principal

Marilyn Troyer, Chief of Innovation, Improvement and Human Capital

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