Career Readiness College and

On the move

IntroductionA Message from Providence Public Schools Our School CommunityWho We AreWho We ServeProgress in Our DistrictSetting the Tone for Transformation in Our District

Highly Effective EducatorsEffective PrincipalsRhode Island Principal of the YearEffective TeachersTeacher of the YearProfessional Development

Student Centered LearningBlended Learning in PPSDGrant Supports to High SchoolsExtended Learning OpportunitiesOur Partnership with YouthBuild Providence

Systems That WorkStudent Information SystemHuman Resources Enhancements

Looking AheadNine PPSD StrategiesHow We Will Do Our Work

Call to ActionWant to Get Involved?

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Table of Contents

A Message from Providence Public Schools

Dear Providence Community members:

On behalf of the City of Providence, the Providence School Board, and our dedicated administrators, principals, teachers and staff, we are pleased to present the Providence Public School District’s “On the Move” progress report. Our schools are indeed On the Move to success and to ensuring a bright future for each and every one of our nearly 24,000 students.

Over the past year, we have worked diligently to implement the strategies and supports outlined in our 2013 “Opening Doors to Our Children’s Future” roadmap for achievement, a roadmap that we developed after extensive collaboration with countless community stakeholders. All of the roadmap strategies we developed and are now executing are designed to dramatically accelerate student achievement in our district’s schools so that all of our students are prepared to succeed in college and their chosen career.

Just one year into implementation, we are pleased to report that real progress is being made on a number of key indicators of student success. During the 2013-2014 school year, Providence Schools increased our graduation rate, decreased our dropout rate, improved our attendance rate and decreased chronic student absenteeism. We are also beginning to see im-provements in reading proficiency for our younger students, thanks to programs like Providence Reads and its counterpart program, Leyendo, both designed to support early learning and grade level reading.

These improvements have been made possible by the hard work of our principals, teachers, staff and community part-ners in implementing three priority strategies to drive teaching and learning in our school district: Creating Systems That Work, Highly Effective Educators and Student Centered Learning. In the pages that follow, we share a number of examples – creating new extended learning opportunities for our students to learn beyond the classroom, providing quality new professional development programs for our teachers, launching new integrated data systems – of the incredible work our school community members are engaged in to apply these strategies for the benefit of Providence students. While our entire Providence Schools community should be proud of the positive results we have seen over the last year, we have far more work to do to. During the 2014-2015 school year, we can and we must continue our commitment to improvement so that our students are prepared for college and career success.

Our district is On the Move and we hope that over the next year you will continue to work with us to create a brighter future for our students, our schools, and our community.

Susan F. Lusi, Ph.D. Keith OliveiraSuperintendent of Providence Public Schools Providence School Board PresidentSusan.Lusi@ppsd.org keith.oliveira@ppsd.org@ProvidenceSup

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PPSD On The Move

Who We AreAs the largest school district in the state, the Providence Public School District (PPSD) serves approximately 24,000 students and their families among 39 schools. Across our district each day, our educators, administrators and staff are dedicated to our students and supporting their paths to success.

As the largest department within the City of Providence, accounting for approximately half of the City’s operating budget, PPSD employs more than 3,200 hard-working men and women who support our many schools, including 22 elementary schools, seven middle schools, eight high schools and two public charter schools. Of our employees, approxi-mately 2,000 are educators and more than 600 others directly support our students in our schools. Additional staff mem-bers support students through a variety of roles, such as bus monitors, crossing guards, and central office administrators and staff that oversee PPSD functions, such as facilities and operations, human resources, academic oversight, finance and purchasing, and information technology.

Who We ServeIn recent years, PPSD has experienced relatively stable enrollment. Our schools are diverse learning communities; approximately 65% of our stu-dents are Hispanic, 17% Black, 9% White, 5% Asian, 3% Multi-racial and 1% Native American. PPSD also serves a high concentration of students with special needs. Approximately 19% of students are English Language Learners (ELL) and about 16% of students receive special education services. Nearly 60% of students come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken. Combined, students and their families speak 31 differ-ent languages and hail from 52 countries of origin. Approximately 88% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

Real progress is being made in our schools on a number of important student success indicators. During the 2013-2014 school year, Providence Schools’ improved our attendance rates, chronic absenteeism rates, 4-year gradua-tion rates and our dropout rates. Although these metrics are challenging to improve, we are making important progress.

2011-12

91%

32%

65%

17%

50%

34%

Metrics

Attendance

Chronic Absenteeism

4 Year Graduation Rate

Dropout Rate

Reading Proficiency

Math Proficiency

2012-13

92%

31%

71%

12%

49%

32%

2012-13

64.5%

17.5%

8.8%

5.06%

3.15%

0.92%

Ethnicity

Hispanic

Black

White

Asian

Multi-racial

Native American

2013-14

64.8%

17.4%

8.68%

5.01%

3.11%

0.88%

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PPSD On The Move

Progress in Our DistrictWhile NECAP scores throughout our district were relatively flat, during the last school year, our overall student success trends showed some important improve-ments. We started closing some of our achievement gaps and our younger students are making strong gains. Specifically, our fourth grade reading proficiency increased from 43 to 52 percent this past school year, with our English Language Learner (ELL) students making some of the largest reading gains. With research showing that students who are not reading at grade-level by third grade are significantly more likely to struggle academically and drop out of school, we are pleased to see our younger learners moving forward.

These improvements in reading proficiency are a testament to the dedication of our elementary teachers as they implemented the Reading Street program. They have also been supported by the Providence Reads initiative led by Mayor Angel Taveras, and its counterpart program, Leyendo. Provi-dence Reads enlists businesses and commu-nity members to help increase grade-level reading, promote school readiness, improve school attendance and support summer learning. Leyendo, also designed to increase grade-level reading, utilizes bilingual community volunteers to deliver reading intervention and mentoring to students who speak a language other than English at home. These programs are supported by Inspiring Minds, which help connect more than 1,200 interested tutors and mentors with volunteer opportunities in Providence schools each year.

Through the collective efforts of our district, the city and our partners, we will continue to strive for improved reading and math proficiency across the board.

NECAP Highlights: Positive Trends in Reading Grade 4

NECAP Highlights: Positive Trends in Reading Grade 11

All Grade 4Students with disabilitiesEnglish Language Learners

All Grade 11Students with disabilitiesEnglish Language Learners

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PPSD On The Move

Mission: Providence Schools will prepare all students to succeed in the nation’s colleges and universities and in their chosen professions.

Vision: The Providence Public School district will be a national leader in educating urban youth.

Setting the Tone for Transformation in Our District

Purpose: Every member of the PPSD community has a common understanding of the district’s goals and works to create the

best possible environment for students and their families. All PPSD employees can articulate how their work directly supports student achievement.

Urgency: We work with true urgency, focusing on critical issues and avoiding frantic busywork. We are driven by our deep

determination to ensure that every student in Providence Public Schools receives a world-class education. We come to work every day ready to cooperate energetically in the service of our students and their families.

Focus: PPSD maintains a laser focus on ensuring that every student in every grade in every school is on track to graduate

college- and career-ready. We prioritize important work and know when to say no to ideas or projects that will pull focus away from our key goals.

Service: PPSD staff work in service to our students and their families, to the community, and to each other. We commit to ensuring that we provide other members of the community with what they need to work with purpose, urgency, and

focus. We are solution-oriented and ask how to fix problems rather than where to assign blame.

Systemsthat Work

HighlyEffective

Educators

StudentCenteredLearning

CollaborativeCommunity

College and Career Readiness

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PPSD On The Move

Highly Effective EducatorsEffective PrincipalsIn Providence Schools, we know that effective principals shape a vision of academic success for all students, create a climate for education, im-prove instruction, cultivate leadership and man-age people, data and processes to foster school improvement.

To support and develop new, beginning and experienced administrators, we have established the Leadership Induction and Retention Network (LEIARN) to provide support to all new, begin-ning and experienced administrators. The Princi-pal Induction Program is a primary component of LEIARN and includes a summer and fall/spring institute and coaching.

The institutes are designed to prepare new and beginning administrators for a successful first year and provide them with the knowledge, skills and disposition to move their schools forward. By the end of the year, these administrators will have a clearer understanding of how to create and sustain a transformative climate and culture, dramati-cally improve student achievement and teacher practice, inspire leadership and shared ownership in others, and transform and manage the school community effectively.

Our PIP coaching pairs a new or beginning administrator with a member of the central office staff or a retired administrator who will serve as their coach for the entire school year. The PIP coach guides the new administrator on their practice in a mutually supportive and safe environment. PIP coaching will allow participants to gain deeper insight, skills and knowledge for their work as school leaders.

Rhode Island Principal of the Year: Scott SutherlandScott Sutherland, an elementary and high school principal in Providence for nearly 20 years, was honored recently as Rhode Island’s High School Principal of the Year.

He was principal of Mt. Pleasant High School for two years and was previously principal of Hope High School for seven years, where he led the school from warning status to full ac-creditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, reduced the dropout rate by more than 50 percent and increased the graduation rate at Hope Arts High School by nearly 20 percent.

Sutherland’s philosophy of what makes a strong leader and principal is based on collaboration. “At its best, principal leadership is a collaborative experience of teaching and learning. All stakeholders must be involved in order for true, meaningful gains to be made.”

Scott Sutherland now serves as Executive Director of Cur-riculum, Instruction and Professional Learning for Provi-dence Schools.

Our theory of action: If we develop and retain effective school leaders and teachers, and if we differentiate the necessary resources and services to each school, and if our school leaders and teachers are responsible for indi-vidual student outcomes, then our schools will effectively serve every child.

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PPSD On The Move

Effective TeachersJust as Providence Schools aims to produce highly effective building leaders, we continuously strive to develop strong and effective teachers. We believe in instructional practices that yield transforma-tive results including strong verbal abilities, deep content knowledge and a keen understanding of instructional theory.

We also believe that effective teachers are leaders of their classrooms, who have strong organizational skills and manage their classrooms with a vibrant climate and culture for learning.

Effective educators also: • Reflect and self-monitor their enthusiasm for

learning, their attitude toward teaching and their interactions with students;

• Focus on implementing research-based instructional strategies that communicate high expectations to students, challenge their thinking skills and increase engagement in schoolwork; and

• Monitor student progress and provide students with effective feedback and assistance.

To support teachers, the Teacher Induction Pro-gram (TIP) is designed to dramatically improve student performance and achievement by recruiting, developing and retaining high quality and effective teachers. TIP and Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) are the primary components of the Teacher Retention and Induction Network.

TIP is a one-year induction program for new and beginning teachers who receive intense professional development beginning with the TIP Summer Institute. In addition, each participating teacher is assigned a coach known as a Consult-ing Teacher who conducts at least 15 observations, shares feedback and provides support. All participants are required to attend monthly after-school professional development as well as a winter and summer seminar.

Teacher of the Year: ClaudiaJackvonyMeet Claudia Jackvo-ny, a 25-year teaching veteran of Providence Schools, who has taught at Robert F. Kennedy and the former Windmill Elementary Schools and at Pleasant View Elementary School since 2003. She has taught in regular, inclusion and split-grade classrooms.

Jackvony is credited for being part of the second-grade team of teachers who have significantly raised NECAP scores for their students. Her students made a 31 percent improve-ment in math and a 13 percent jump in reading over the last three years, with scores significantly higher than the district average. Jackvony believes in involving students in their educa-tion, from setting classroom guidelines and personal goals to resolving problems. “This involvement builds trust and strengthens the learning process,” she said.

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PPSD On The Move

PAR is a one-year program designed for experienced teachers in need of support through a partnership with a consulting teacher who conducts at least 15 observations, shares feedback and provides support. All participants are invited to attend the TIP institutes and professional development programs. Consulting teachers are required to report on the progress of each participant three times per year. At the end of the year, the PAR panel, made up of four teachers and three administrators, decides whether a teacher should be positively or negatively released, or continue in the PAR program. Teachers who are positively released have made sufficient progress to remain in our classrooms as success-ful teachers. Those who are negatively released are referred to Human Resources for potential job actions.

Professional DevelopmentProvidence Schools recognizes the importance of ongoing professional development for our teachers and administrators and has created school-based and collaborative programs on specific topics, such as English Language Learners (ELLs).Schools are able to select from workshops such as those focused on cultural awareness leading to improved interactions with students and their families, supporting ELLs in their classrooms at varying levels of language proficiency to assisting teachers in interpreting test data to determine students’ growth in their use of the English language.

An extensive series of professional development seminars focus on the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, a teaching method researched by the Center for Applied Linguistics to instruct ELLs in content area subjects.

“As an urban district, we face unique challenges. But if we establish well thought-out programs, staff our schools with exemplary teachers and leaders, monitor our schools’ progress daily and approach our work with passion and the conviction that all of our students can and will learn, we will succeed.” - Providence Schools Supt. Dr. Susan F. Lusi

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PPSD On The Move

Student Centered LearningPPSD strives to implement a rigorous and engaging curriculum, and provide rich learning opportunities at all grade levels and in all content areas for our students, such that every student realizes a year or more of academic growth each school year.

Blended Learning in PPSDIn 2012, Pleasant View Elementary School’s principal, Dr. Gara B. Field, secured $470,000 in federal and private grants to increase student-centered learning in the school’s classrooms, specifically by the integration of technology. These funds sup-ported the purchase of electronic whiteboards and iPads for every classroom.

Today, Pleasant View’s integration of technology – known as blended learning – has helped to better engage students and motivate educators. This model of learning has allowed teachers to tailor lessons to each student’s individual needs. The new technology allows students to work in small groups and at their own paces. Routine online assignments test students to ensure they have mastered a skill before they are allowed to advance in a program.

Not only has Pleasant View found success in blended learning based on positive feedback from educators, families and com-munity partners, but the school has seen an upswing in student performance, including an increase in reading scores and a sig-

nificant increase in math scores. Pleasant View’s blended learning success has drawn visitors from around the country to observe its innovative learning model first-hand, and PPSD, joined by Highlander Institute, is now supporting the growth of blended learning across our elementary schools.

Grant Supports Development of Two Innovative High Schools In July 2014, PPSD announced the receipt of a $3 million grant, awarded by Carnegie Corporation of New York, to sup-port the development of two small, innovative high schools in Providence.

The competitive grant, awarded to only two school districts in the nation in this round, will support the design of two new schools modeled after Carnegie’s Opportunity by Design Challenge Principles, developed by identifying and refining key principles used by the New York City Department of Education and other high-performing school networks. The schools will take an approach that is both recuperative, ensuring that students catch up to where they should be in terms of skills and credits, and accelerative, using mastery-based learning to allow students to progress and continually chal-lenge themselves on their way to graduating college and career ready. Further, the Providence Teachers Union has signed

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PPSD On The Move

a memorandum of understanding allowing for flexibility in the shaping of these two new schools in terms of staffing, schedules and more.

The schools will be located in existing PPSD buildings. The new schools will be open to all PPSD students through the school choice process, and will serve a student population representa-tive of our district as a whole. Planning for the schools will take place in the 2014-15 school year, with their launch in the 2015-16 school year.

Extended Learning OpportunitiesWhile our dedicated educators, administrators and staff work every day to provide challenging learning opportunities that support student success, success is found when our communi-ties work together to fully support our students. PPSD continues to expand and grow its partnerships with diverse community agencies that provide a wide array of resources and volunteers that support student learning in many ways, including powerful extended learning opportunities (ELOs).

During the 2013-2014 school year, ELOs for Providence students included: • Android Apps – Brown University Computer

Science Department • Art + Design Lab – RISD Museum • Reflect • Biotechnology at Juanita Sanchez

Educational Complex • Breakthrough Providence • Build A Bike – Engineers without Borders at

Brown University • Crash Course – Engineers without Borders at

Brown University • Critical Thinking and Writing and Media

Literacy – College Crusade • Debate Team – Rhode Island Urban Debate

League • DJ Workshop – Avenue Concept

• English Language Learners – Inspiring Minds • Justice Talks – Serve Rhode Island • Photomem - AS220 • Principal’s Leadership Program – Young Voices • ProviDance • Rhode Island Arts Passport • Rhode Island Urban Debate League • RI Rebellion Juniors Rugby League Program • Say What? Talking About Sexual Health – Planned

Parenthood of Southern New England • Teacher Training Program - Breakthrough

Providence • The Hip Hop Project – Project 4014 • Young Social Innovators – Social Greenhouse

Enterprise • Young Women’s Lives – Women’s Center of RI

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PPSD On The Move

We look forward to seeing many PPSD students continue their learning outside the classroom through the many new and continued ELOs this academic year and thank the Providence After School Alliance (PASA) for partnering with us on this important endeavor.

Our Partnership with YouthBuild Providence PPSD is committed to creating opportunities for every student to learn and succeed in higher education and in their chosen careers. Recognizing the importance of providing an array of instructionally rich opportunities that support all students, and offering multiple pathways to achieve high school diplomas, PPSD partners with YouthBuild Providence (YBP) to support Providence students who are in danger of dropping out of high school.

Our partnership began in Fall 2012 to develop a YBP diploma-granting school in Providence, serving students aged 17 to 21 who were in danger of dropping out. Focused on career readiness skills, today YBP immerses students in an academic program that includes development of skills in the construction, childcare, culinary arts, health care and social justice fields. YBP enrolls 25 diploma students each year, giving them the option of earning a PPSD diploma through the completion of our ap-proved curriculum and other state-mandated requirements.

PPSD has provided significant guidance to YBP and its cur-riculum and program development. As we strive to close the

achievement gap and prepare our students for continued education and workforce success, our partnership with Youth-Build Providence has been instrumental in meeting the diverse needs of our students.

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PPSD On The Move

Systems That WorkPPSD strives to build, refine and create systems that support high-quality teaching and learning.

Skyward Student Information SystemIn 2014, PPSD began rolling out Skyward, a new student infor-mation system designed to facilitate communication between schools, teachers and parents; streamline scheduling; and au-tomate reports and integrate student data all via a secure, user-friendly web-based interface. Skyward replaces an outdated system that was more than 15 years old.

Among the most exciting features of the new Skyward system is the parent portal where parents, using a password, can learn about and follow their child’s assignments and grades from any computer. Teachers will be able to contact parents directly and parents will be able to make changes to their contact information. All of these powerful features are designed to give parents and teachers the information they need to best customize learning strategies, supports and interventions for individual students.

Throughout the 2014-2015 school year, PPSD will be rolling out Skyward capabilities and training principals, teachers, guidance counselors, community partners and parents on how to use the new system.

Information is power, and Skyward will give our entire school community the data, tools and insights needed to track our students on their path to success.

Human Resources EnhancementsAs the largest school district in Rhode Island with approximately 3,200 employees, PPSD has focused on new ways to enhance and streamline our Human Resources Department. We recently created a new position control system to better track and control our staffing needs throughout our district. This new system identifies each unique position, including its location, assignment, certifications required and funding sources, allowing us to cross-reference this information with the district’s new student information system.

Additionally, our Human Resources Department has implemented a new data integration project to streamline our dis-trict’s data collection efforts. The Lawson system now serves as the data source through which other systems, such as those used for applicant tracking, substitute management and evaluation/professional learning, share data. This new integrated data system has led to the reduction of “off-line” or “standalone” systems and reports, and has dramatically improved data integrity.

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PPSD On The Move

Looking AheadPPSD is On the Move! We’ve seen important improvements in attendance, graduation, dropout, and reading in grades 4 and 11. Now, we must break through and make dramatic improvements in student achievement at all levels. To do this, we need to deepen existing work as well as add some areas of focus.

Again this year, we will organize our work into nine strategies. The first five are the same as last year, because while good work has been done, there is still more to do. We will also continue to use the work of our Innovation Zone (#6) as a source of learn-ing, particularly as we move to greater flexibility and autonomy in our schools. Professional development (#7) also remains important, but there will be even greater focus this year on creating strong school communities such that all students are on track to graduate college- and career-ready. This work will focus intensively on the Common Core standards and student mastery of those standards at every level. Finally, Strategies 8 and 9 call out new areas for attention – addressing the social-emotional needs of our students and customer service for all. Improving in both of these areas will remove barriers to moving our schools and the learning of our students forward. College and career readiness is vitally important for our students’ future success. We thank everyone for helping us move forward in realizing this goal.

Nine PPSD StrategiesThe set of strategies listed below will continue creating and improving the necessary conditions and infrastructure within PPSD’s central office in order to differentiate its support and resources to schools:

1. Negotiating breakthrough contracts that align to the district’s strategic priorities with competitive compensation packages.

2. Developing coherent assessment and data monitoring systems to improve instruction.3. Designing and implementing a system-wide accountability framework.4. Revising and improving critical business processes.5. Effectively implementing a teacher and school leader evaluation system to improve practice, increase accountability,

and address employee needs.6. Implementing innovative, scalable and sustainable reform strategies that increase options for high-quality education by

providing flexible conditions and differentiated autonomy to Innovation Zone schools.

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PPSD On The Move

7. Providing robust, research-driven, differentiated and targeted professional development to support teachers and administrators in creating learning communities that ensure every child in every grade is on track to graduate college and career ready.

8. Strengthening our support for student’s social and emotional needs by implementing proven, research-based programs that help teachers, students, and families foster positive decision-making and academic success for all children.

9. Designing and implementing a comprehensive training program for ALL employees that provides outstanding customer service to students, families, and fellow staff and community partners. The district’s goal is to build a long-lasting customer service culture where employees are motivated, energized and empowered, and where students and families are treated with dignity and respect.

How We Will Do Our WorkWe must not only change what we do, by committing to the above strategies, but also how we do it. Creating and maintaining change will require our commitment integrating three key practices into our work:

• The practice of cultural competency: We will not only recognize and celebrate the diversity in our community, but will deliver supports and services that meet the unique needs of each student and work to instill a sense of cultural understanding in all of our employees.

• The practice of collaborating with our employees and their unions: A strong partnership with our employees and their representatives will ensure we collectively unite around a common goal of increasing student achievement.

• The practice of partnering with our families and multiple individuals and organizations in our communities: We will engage all stakeholders who hold a vested interest in our children’s and community’s success by making them a part of our improvement efforts and leveraging the value each brings to the table.

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PPSD On The Move

Thank youWe are committed to supporting paths to success for all Providence students. But this commitment does not just lie within the hands of our educators, administrators and staff – our students can and will find success through deep levels of sus-tained community commitment.

Want to Get Involved?Please join us as we help our schools improve and our students grow. Whether you are a parent looking to volunteer, a community member with a skill to share, an organization looking to partner, a former graduate looking to inspire our students or a partner wanting to support a program or scholarship, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us by emailing contactus@ppsd.org.

Follow Providence Public Schools: https://twitter.com/graduatepvd http://instagram.com/graduatepvd http://www.facebook.com/ProvidenceSchools Sc

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Providence School BoardKeith Oliveira, Board PresidentNicholas Hemond, Board Vice PresidentNina Pande, Board SecretaryBarbara WongJulian DashEva Hulse-AvilaPhanida PhivilayBobby Gondola, Jr.Yamil Baez

School Department Executive TeamSusan F. Lusi Ph.D., SuperintendentJoseph DiPina, Jr., Chief of AdministrationMichael D’Antuono, Chief Financial OfficerBernard Luger, Chief Operating OfficerLori B. McEwen, Ph.D., Chief of Instruction, Leadership and Equity

797 Westminster Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02903Tel: 401-456-9100 Fax: 401-456-9252

www.providenceschools.org

August 2014