Alabama State Department of Education Innovation Zone/Flexibility Application

1

Alabama State Department of Education Innovation Zone/Flexibility Application Please fill out all appropriate boxes and respond to all questions. The application/plan must be in 12 pt. font and is limited to 20 pages.

Section 1- Applicant Information School System: Florence City Schools Contact Name & Title: Dr. Janet S. Womack, Superintendent Telephone Number: 256-768-3015 E-Mail Address: [email protected] Number of Schools Involved: __7______________________________________________________________________________ Number of Students Served/Affected by Plan: 4,413 Number of Teachers Involved/Affected by Plan: 364 Number of Service Personnel Involved/Affected by Plan: 170 Please place a check beside the appropriate entity(ies) applying for Innovation Zone designation: ______ School ______ Department or Subdivision of School ______ Coalition of Schools (fill out multiple listings below) ______ Feeder System of Schools ___x___ District Please complete the chart below for the District’s leadership team that will support plan (add rows as needed): Name of Team Member Dr. Janet S. Womack Mrs. Connie Wallace Dr. Jimmy Shaw Mrs. Anne Behel Mrs. Becky Odell Mrs. Nira Dale Ms. Jacquelyn Flowers Ms. Sherry Chase Dr. Auty Horn Mr. Chris Westbrook Mr. Billy Warren Mr. Darrin Lett

DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM Title Superintendent Asst Supt/CSFO Director of Instruction/Assessment Director of Instruction/Federal Programs Director of Special Education District ELA Specialist District Math Specialist Director of Data/Accountability Director of Student Services Director of Technology Curriculum Director Director of Career and Technical Education

2

Signature

Please complete the chart below for each school that will be involved/affected by the plan (insert additional rows as needed): School Name Harlan Elementary Harlan Elementary Harlan Elementary Forest Hills Elementary Forest Hills Elementary Forest Hills Elementary Weeden Elementary Weeden Elementary Weeden Elementary

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS Name of Team Member Title Mrs. Janice Jackson Principal Mrs. Karen Creasy Instructional Coach Mrs. Anna Wicks Teacher/Academic Leader Mr. Michael South Principal Mrs. Laura Hillhouse

Instructional Coach

Mrs. Monaire Murphy

Hibbett Middle Hibbett Middle Hibbett Middle

Ms. Tracy Brown Mrs. Jill Edwards Mrs. Marti Smith

Florence Middle Florence Middle Florence Middle

Mrs. Aimee Rainey Mrs. Krissy Malone Mrs. Lydia Barnett

Florence Freshman Center Florence Freshman Center Florence Freshman Center Florence High School Florence High School Florence High School

Mr. Roderick Sheppard

Teacher/Academic Leader Principal Instructional Coach Teacher/Academic Leader Principal Instructional Coach Teacher/Academic Leader Principal Instructional Coach Teacher/Academic Leader Principal

Mrs. Jennifer Ozbirn

Instructional Coach

Ms. Jordan Marris

Teacher/Academic Leader Principal Instructional Coach Teacher/Academic Leader

Mr. Joey Dawson Mrs. Amy Donnelly Ms. Daphnae Hogan

Mrs. Lynne Hice Mrs. Jennifer Butler Mrs. Michelle Russell

3

Signature

Section 2- Abstract and Waiver Requests Provide a project summary that briefly describes the project’s vision, goals, activities, and key features for student success that will be addressed. Please include how the proposal reflects Alabama’s PLAN 2020. Please limit the length of the abstract to the text box found on this page only. Florence City Schools has a proven track record of success and has accepted the challenge by Dr. Bice and the SBE to be innovative and transformational. As our district has fully embraced Plan 2020, we have quickly realized that layering additional assessments does not result in increased student/teacher success. Furthermore, layering student assessments provides redundant data for a district and negatively affects school culture, stifling innovation while creating a culture of teaching to the test rather than teaching to the Standards. In a recent YouTube video titled "Ask Arne: Testing and Accountability," U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan stated if testing is extreme, too much, redundant, duplicative, and too time-consuming for test prep, then it doesn’t make sense. Instead, he states that the testing data should be actionable, useful, timely and relevant to enhance teaching and improve student learning. By embracing Plan 2020 and the tools that have been made available to Alabama districts by the SDE, specifically Scantron's Global Scholar Performance and Achievement Series, Florence City Schools has accomplished the hallmarks of Alabama's Plan 2020: student achievement, student growth, gap closure, graduation rate and college- and career-readiness. The comparability of Global Scholar data (see attached Scantron Global Scholar vs ACT Aspire Correlation Study Tables based on Florence City Schools' data) demonstrates a strong statistical correlation between assessment results. Global Scholar Performance Series data is timely and actionable--creating a culture of ownership of data by both students and teachers. Florence City Schools is growing stronger academic students who are demonstrating deep mastery of standards as a result of utilizing this assessment. All components required by Alabama's ESEA Flexibility Waiver for student achievement, growth, gap, and subgroup data can be met through Global Scholar Performance Series without adding a duplicative assessment--ACT Aspire. In addition, improving teaching and impacting student learning, we believe, only occurs when data is readily available for immediate impact. ACT Aspire, although providing comparable data, provides "autopsy" data that is not actionable to transform teaching or learning since the data arrives once per year and after the student has already long advanced to the next grade level and core set of standards. Florence City Schools respectfully requests that you allow us to take charge of the learning and success of our students. Our teachers have embraced and believe in the value of the Global Scholar data and are making meaningful, transformational connections with students--academically advancing them to outclass the competition. We ask that you support our mission to empower students to explore, create, challenge, innovate and lead. We accept Dr. Bice's challenge in his "Future of Public Education" tour in which he challenged districts to "imagine the limitless possibilities for educating children and youth." Florence City Schools has proven to be a pacesetter in the state in educational innovations through always doing what's right for kids. Our district has built a solid instructional framework based on the five absolutes promoted by the SBE and SDE to ensure that our students are prepared graduates (evidenced through our 96% high school graduation rate that was 68% in 2008). Therefore, Florence City Schools seeks a waiver to exclude ACT Aspire in grades 3-8 and End-of-Course (EOC) assessments in Algebra I and English 10; to administer ACT Aspire in grade 9 instead of grade 10 for formative purposes and as a predictor of success on the ACT Plus Writing; and, consequently, to allow accountability in Florence City Schools to rest on the results obtained through Global Scholar Performance Series in grades 3-8 and 10 instead of ACT Aspire. In Florence City Schools, we do not desire to "beat it to fit nor paint it to match." We believe that instruction and assessment should be customized for Florence's children. 4

Waiver Requests Indicate the specific type(s) of policy or code that prohibit or constrain the project that you wish to request a waiver from: __X_ Specific waiver requested of ALSDE policy ____ Specific waiver requested of Alabama Administrative Code (AAC) statute ALSDE Policy Waiver Request

(Specify memo, etc., outlining policy)

Alabama Administrative Code (AAC) Statute Waiver Request

Impact of the Waiver

(What will the waiver enable the school to do differently, etc.?)

(Specify AAC Rule No., etc.)

Use our current Global Scholars Performance Series Assessment for Accountability instead of an additional assessment (ACT Aspire) that is duplicative. The waiver will also provide teachers more instructional time with less time taken for testing.

Memorandum dated 4/11/2013: Resolution to approve the assessment and accountability task force recommendation of ACT Aspire as Alabama’s grades 3-8 summative assessment Memorandum dated 10/28/2014: FY15-1000 Assessments

       

REQUIREMENTS THAT CANNOT BE WAIVED Those imposed by federal law Those related to the health and safety of students or employees Those imposed by ethics laws Those imposed by the Alabama Child Protection Act of 1999, Title 16, Chapter 22A, Code of Alabama 1975 Those imposed by open records or open meetings laws Those related to financial or academic reporting or transparency Those designed to protect the civil rights of students or employees Those related to the state retirement system or state health insurance plan

NOT ALLOWABLE FOR WAIVER  May not compensate an employee at an annual amount that is less than the amount the employee would otherwise be afforded through the State Minimum Salary Schedule  May not involuntarily remove any rights or privileges acquired by any employee under the Students First Act of 2011, Title 16, Chapter 24C, Code of Alabama 1975  May not deny any right or privilege granted to a new employee pursuant to the Students First Act of 2011  May not authorize the formation of a charter school

5

Section 3- Vision and Needs Assessment Creative Vision for the Project 1. What is the purpose and expected outcome of this project (include expected outcomes for students)? The purpose of this waiver is to eliminate duplicative assessments that render the same student achievement results as demonstrated by the Florence City Schools’ Scantron Global Scholar vs ACT Aspire correlation study and to increase instructional time for both students and teachers. The outcome of this project will see increased student achievement and mastery of standards due to timely and meaningful data and empowerment for teachers to continue to "do things differently" and to become transformational with instruction. We expect our students to progress farther on the national level long-term as a result of the Scantron Global Scholar's Performance Series Assessment being more difficult as reflected in the correlation study between the two assessments. Thus, Florence City students will have greater success in competing on the national level. We expect greater gains in student achievement due to full ownership of assessment results by students, teachers and administrators which will result in exemplary accountability data and remarkable increases in ACT scores. In turn, students will have greater scholarship opportunities and a higher success rate of being accepted to a myriad of colleges of their choice. 2. Explain how the school’s or school district’s current data influenced the need for the project described in Question 1 above? When reviewing our ACT Aspire results from Spring 2014 testing, we were astounded by the quickglance mirror image of the data from our Scantron Global Scholar Performance Series results. After a formal correlation study performed by Scantron’s statistical analysis team of experts, it was clearly evident that we were redundant by giving both assessments. Our teachers believe in, have confidence in, and have embraced Global Scholar Performance Series and are already seeing the power of progress in student acquisition of state content standards at a deeper level. They view Global Scholar as a beneficial assessment that aids the teaching and learning process in a meaningful way. 3. How is this project linked to Alabama’s PLAN 2020? How is this project linked to the school’s or district’s strategic plan? Florence City Schools’ waiver request specifically addresses Alabama’s 2020 Learners— achievement/growth, gap closure, graduation rate and college- and career-readiness. Just as the ACT Aspire assessment was selected based on measuring these components, likewise, Scantron’s Global Scholar accomplishes Plan 2020 Learners. Our intense use of Global Scholar data and our request to use the data as our Plan 2020 Learner accountability component, coupled with our Florence City Schools Strategic Plan, were carefully implemented and constructed to correlate with Dr. Bice’s five absolutes as stated in Plan 2020. Through the use of our Global Scholar data coupled with our district’s strategic plan, we are teaching the standards to mastery through clearly articulated and locally aligned K-12 curriculum pacing along with resources, support and professional development (our PD/Data Days) using formative, summative and benchmark assessments (Global Scholar Performance and Achievement Series) to ensure that our graduates (96% high school graduation rate) acquire the knowledge and skills to succeed in post-high school education and the workforce (our 12 For Life program) without remediation. 6

4. How is the school’s or district’s project connected to best practice and current research in reference to raising student achievement and preparing students to be college- and careerready? Research supports that students who master content at a deeper level achieve higher on the ACT. Also, in the Journal of Educational Research, Brown and Walberg’s research suggests that “standardized commercial and state-constructed tests that have no bearing on students’ grades may be underestimating U.S. students’ real knowledge, understanding, skills, and other aspects of achievement.” Therefore, layering assessments yields cookie-cutter instruction that limits the creativity and innovation in students and teachers that lead to increased achievement. In Phil Schlechty’s book, Leading for Learning, he states that schools which are focused on student assessment are more likely to encourage teachers to value docility and compliance of students above creativity and intellectual curiosity. Florence City Schools has challenged teachers to “do things differently.” We believe that giving the ACT Aspire, in addition to our other assessments, will force teachers back into assembly line instruction instead of continuing our quest to empower them to take our students into uncharted territory that will lead to remarkable results in student achievement. Today’s student, to compete in a global economy, must develop skills far beyond those of previous generations to be successful. We believe that our people are the key to success in Florence City Schools. If our people have a passion for using Global Scholar data to transform learning, why disrupt a successful formula just so we can say that we are giving the ACT Aspire assessment because all 130+ other districts are giving it?

5. How will this project be supported and monitored for implementation by the district? This waiver request to utilize Global Scholar Performance Series instead of ACT Aspire for accountability will be monitored through our continuous review of both diagnostic and benchmark data, through our seven calendar-inserted intensive Data/PD days, and through learning walks and data meetings at the grade/department/school and district levels. We will consistently measure our progress holistically and by subgroups.

7

Section 4- Goals, Objectives, Evaluation, Timeline GOALS:  Objectives

Activities

Personnel

Timeline

Budget

Identify the measureable objectives that will be used to determine success in achieving these goals

Develop activities for each objective that are: creative and innovative; impact student success; allow for greater flexibility; change the way the school(s)/school system currently operates

Indicate the name and title of personnel that will be responsible for the activities

(Must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely goals (SMART ) Florence City Schools will meet/exceed the trajectory outlined in the Alabama Accountability requirements from our district’s baseline data using Scantron’s Global Scholar Performance Series.

Identify the timeline for the activities (include month/year)

Indicate budget requirements and funding source (include formulas used to derive totals in budget sections, e.g., 3 subs @$143/day=total)

Florence City Schools will use Scantron’s Global Scholar Performance Series three times per year to provide real-time data and feedback for instructional improvement (both formative and summative) and accountability purposes.

All administrators and teachers in FCS

2014-2015 none school year and for accountability in May 2015

Section 5- Project Evaluation and Sustainability 1. How will you evaluate and report the impact this innovation project has on increasing student success and/or other stated goals and objectives? This waiver request will be evaluated and reported through the state’s accountability report for Florence City Schools. The increase in student success will be clearly evident in our district’s meeting/exceeding our trajectory outlined in Alabama’s Accountability requirements from our district’s baseline data. In addition, we expect to see gains as reported on the ACT Plus Writing.

8

2. How will this innovation project be sustained? This project will be sustained by Florence City Schools’ continued administration of the Global Scholar Performance Series assessment and close monitoring of the process to maximize results in student achievement and engagement.

9