Congratulations, you are a District Coordinator for School Improvement (DCSI). In addition to the other many roles you hold, your newest task is to “oversee the work of school improvement.” You can do this work AND this DCSI guide will provide you with the clarity of your role while defining the expectations of this responsibility.
Often you might read, “this is not an exhaustive list.” This guide is just the opposite. This guide will serve as an exhaustive list of your roles, responsibilities, timeline, persons to contact, expected hours dedicated to this work, and support from Texas Education Agency (TEA) and your Regional Education Service Center (ESC).
Navigation tips: This DCSI Guide is designed so that you can start reading at any section and not feel lost or overwhelmed. Alternatively, you can read the guide from “start to finish” and see the structure and sequence of the guide. The guide is replete with links to connect you to other documents and helpful websites. While you might enjoy having “hard copies” of everything to hole-punch, put in binders, and take notes on; be advised - the documents are updated as statutes change, and what was correct at the time of your printing might not be relevant the next time you read the documents.
The Law
The legislation of the State of Texas outlines the support and partnership between the TEA, regional ESCs, and LEAs.
If the performance of a school is below any state or federal standard, a Campus Intervention Team (CIT) must be formed at the campus level to guide the school improvement process outlined by the Commissioner of Education in the statute. The DCSI is a leading member of the CIT; as such, you will be supporting the work of the CIT to improve the school performance. As written in the statute [39A .060], this work includes that the CIT shall “assist in updating the targeted improvement plan to identify and analyze areas of growth and areas that require improvement” and “submit each updated targeted improvement plan…to the board of trustees.”
Your influence and attention to the creation and submission of a Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP) and supporting principals and other leaders in enacting the plan as written is necessary for student success - and it’s also the law.
Texas Education Code
Change Management
As a DCSI, you are not only responsible for supporting principals while they manage a change on their campus (due to the actions in their TIP), but you are also managing change on the district level. As Peter Senge wrote, “People don’t resist change. They resist being changed.” The work you and your principals do requires people to be changed - their beliefs and behaviors. Peter Kotter outlines an 8-stage process to leading change in his book, Leading Change. The eight stages of change are outlined below:
- Establishing a Sense of Urgency
- Creating the Guiding Coalition
- Developing a Vision and Strategy
- Communicating the Change Vision
- Empowering Employees for Broad-Based Action
- Generating Short-Term Wins
- Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change
- Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture
You are leading change within your organization and supporting principals who are leading change on their campus. Championing changes at the district level and advocating for the principal’s changes at the campus level is no easy task, yet doing both is necessary for DCSI to ensure school improvement.
The Timeline
The work of a DCSI “begins” and “ends” in the summer. You are simultaneously wrapping up one school calendar year while beginning the following school calendar and fiscal year. Your “first day of school” in School Improvement is when accountability ratings are official - August 15.
Many schools and districts can predict with close-to-certainty whether a school’s performance will be high enough to exit School Improvement Support; however, August 15 is the start of the School Improvement Year. The 2021-2022 process is outlined on the website and begins in August.
Summer Work
Like a teacher, the DCSI has much to do before the school year begins. The bulk of that work is to identify schools and principals who will likely be supported by School Improvement and communicate the process with those persons.
You will work closely with the assessment support person and accountability support person in your district or charter to identify those schools and principals. Often, the accountability support person can predict if a school will be supported by School Improvement, and you can begin to build your relationship as a DCSI with that principal and leadership team. Introductions, clarifying roles and responsibilities, explaining the timeline, and assuring the principal that you are on their team happen during this time. In smaller organizations, the DCSI might also be the accountability support person.
TEA Accountability
ESF Overview Training
After August 15, you will attend an ESF (Effective Schools Framework) Overview training with your Education Service Center. The Principal and DCSI must attend; however, when more members of the campus leadership team attend, the quality of the TIP improves, and the more likely the team is to engage in the work as the school year progresses. The School Improvement Lead in your region will reach out to you, providing the dates of those training sessions.
The ESF Overview training will introduce or remind you of the Effective Schools Framework (ESF) and outline the TIP creation and submission process. The ESF was developed in conjunction with school and district leaders and included a national review of research about what makes high-performing schools excellent. The Effective Schools Framework consists of a set of district commitments and, for schools, essential actions. The TIP outlines the commitments, actions, funds, and progress of a school throughout the School Improvement process. You will submit the TIP via a web-based platform, Plan4Learning. The Overview Training outlined above includes training of Plan4Learning. Your TIP is an open-record and legal document available to any person at any time once you have submitted the TIP to TEA (so, ensure that grammar and conventions are at the level you expect).
Intervention, Stage, and Activity Manager (ISAM)
Also in the summer (with district permission), you should ensure that all your principals (and yourself) have access to the Intervention, Stage, and Activity Manager - ISAM. This web-based application serves as a portal and a gathering place for names and contact information associated with the review and monitoring of your School Improvement activities. You must update the names, positions, and contact information for your campus and district leaders. Emails concerning the School Improvement process are addressed to the email addresses in ISAM. If the names and email addresses are incorrect, you might not receive the communications, AND the former DCSI or principal WILL receive communication intended for you. It is imperative that you update this information prior to the training from your Education Service Center. The ISAM application is accessible after entering your credentials into the TEA Login (TEAL). TEAL is the same application you access to update your certifications with the TEA.
Intervention, Stage, and Activity Manager (ISAM)
TEA Login (TEAL)
ESF Diagnostic
During the summer months, you will also identify which campuses need an ESF Diagnostic. ESF Diagnostics are “good” for 3 years. Consider the schools you support in the School Improvement process and identify which campuses need a diagnostic evaluation. Other than that, most of your support for the Diagnostic happens during the school year. Do you know that ANY campus can schedule as ESF Diagnostic? ESF Diagnostics are a mandatory action for schools in the School Improvement process, AND any other schools can request a Diagnostic from their Regional Education Service Center. The fee structure for the required and optional ESF diagnostics will be clarified by your ESC School Improvement LEAD contact person.
ESF Diagnostic
State and Federal Requirements
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) became law on December 10, 2015, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act on July 1, 2017. Under the provisions of the Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 39, the state is required to provide interventions to improve identified low-performing schools. The ESSA statute increases the flexibility and decision-making authority afforded to states, encourages states and schools to be innovative, and holds states accountable for results. ESSA provides a unique opportunity for the TEA to chart a path for shifting key decisions related to school improvement, funding, and resources.
Comprehensive Support and Improvement
The lowest five percent of campuses performance in Domain 3 (Closing the Gaps) data that also receive Title I, Part A funds are identified for comprehensive support and improvement. Additionally, if any Title I or non-Title I campus does not attain a 67 percent four-year federal graduation rate for the all students group, the campus is identified for comprehensive support and improvement. Non-Title I campuses are not eligible for comprehensive support grant funding. For 2020, campuses that received a federal label of Comprehensive Support in the area of All Students only were advanced to Comprehensive progress.
Targeted Support and Improvement
A student group that misses the targets in at least the same three indicators, for three consecutive years, is considered “consistently underperforming.” Any campus not identified for comprehensive support and improvement that has at least one consistently underperforming student group is identified for targeted support and improvement.
Additional Targeted Support
Any campus that is not identified for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement is identified for additional targeted support if an individual student group’s percentage of evaluated indicators met is at or below the percentage used to identify that campus type for comprehensive support and improvement. Identification occurs on an annual basis.
Summary
Comprehensive support targeted support and improvement, and additional targeted support is federal identification for schools in need of improvement. There are also the state accountability rankings. Texas uses A-F Accountability ratings to evaluate the performance of schools. State Intervention Requirements include the TIP, identification of a DCSI, and the actions associated with implementing the plan. This announcement from TEA outlines the requirements for state and federal intervention requirements.
School Year Work
Once the school year begins, you will meet with several groups - your principals (as a group or individually), your School Improvement Consultant from your Education Service Center, and your TEA Specialist. The School Improvement Consultant is your go-to person during the school year. This person explains and clarifies the process, attends coordinated phone calls, reviews your TIP, and provides feedback on the TIP. Your TEA Specialist reviews your TIP, provides feedback and facilitates coordinated calls.
Targeted Improvement Plan Support
Firstly, you will work with your principals as they develop their TIP. As a partner in the work, you will answer questions, ensure district commitments are honored and provide time and space for the campus leadership team to do the work of writing the TIP. Depending on the campus and principal, this amount of time varies. Calendaring time to meet with your principals after the ESF Overview training is essential.
Purpose and Goals of Improvement Plans
Anchors what gaps need to be closed
Prioritizes and sequences the scope of improvement efforts
Blueprints the system and capacity building that need to be addressed. Outlines change management moves.
After the campus has developed the TIP and you and the School Improvement Consultant have provided feedback, the principals will revise and edit the TIP before you submit the TIP via Plan4Learning. There should have been many reads and revisions of the TIP before submission. We remind you that TIPs are public, open documents available to anyone who is interested. Please see this announcement from TEA which outlines community involvement requirements.
Coordinated calls are specific, collaborative phone calls during which the TEA Specialist outlines what he or she sees in the TIP, identifies strengths, and highlights opportunities for growth. The principals, DCSIs, and School Support Consultants also provide input. The TEA specialist then captures the notes, reflections, and action items, and emails a summary of each meeting to the participants.
TIP Rubric
Cycles and Dates
There are four three-month cycles and four submissions during each school year of School Improvement. Outlined below are the windows of, actions associated with, and submission dates of each cycle. The listed windows and dates are for the school year 2021/2022. Stay tuned for updates for subsequent years.
| Initial TIP Submission | Progress 1 Submission | Progress 2 Submission | EOY Submission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial TIP Submission req’s | Reflection on Cycle 1 | Reflection on Cycle 2 |
Reflection on Cycle 3 End of Year Reflection |
| Cycle 1 Action Plan | Cycle 2 District Actions |
Cycle 3 District Actions Action Plans |
Cycle 4 District Actions Action Plans |
Cycle 1
- Window: September - November
- Initial Submission
- Actions:
- Attend training
- Support the principal in developing the TIP, completing Cycle 1 Action Steps, administering the Cycle 1 assessment, inputting the Cycle 1 assessment scores, reflecting on Cycle 1 progress and student data, and developing Cycle 2 Action Steps
- Complete District Actions for Cycle 1
- Complete Cycle 1 Action Steps, as applicable
- Participate in a coordinated call
- Initial Submission date: October 1
Cycle 2
Cycle 3
Cycle 4
ESF Diagnostic Support
If you are also supporting a campus with an ESF Diagnostic visit, there is additional work associated with that task. Your work around the ESF Diagnostic process includes supporting your principal with their ESF Facilitator (ESFF). You will also support principals in administering and monitoring a culture survey. You might serve as the survey coordinator; otherwise, the campus principal serves that role. Once assigned to the campus, the ESFF will contact the DCSI and principal to establish the dates outlined below. See the full outline of the ESF Diagnostic Process.
ESF Diagnostic Process
Important Dates
The four dates your principals will need to identify are the following:
- Pre-Work Due Date
- Pre-Work is collecting artifacts for each of the Diagnosed Essential Actions (ESs). Artifacts will be shared with the ESFF.
- About 6 weeks prior to the visit
- Pre-Visit Call
- During this call, the ESFF will ask several questions to understand more about the evidence provided and the campuses’ actions around each EA.
- About 1-2 weeks prior to the visit
- Diagnostic Visit
- The ESFF visits the campus to observe and conduct focus groups.
- Window: January - April
- Post-Visit Call
- The ESFF visits the campus to observe and conduct focus groups.
- Window: January - April
Diagnostic Steps
Step 1: ESF Diagnostic Survey Deployment & Tracking
Timeframe: October - November
A survey is administered to all students in grades 3 - 12, parents and guardians of all students, and all teachers and non-instructional staff members. The survey will provide us with important stakeholder feedback that will be used as part of the ESF diagnostic analysis.
Step 2: Survey Reflection Assignment
Timeframe: December - January
The DCSI and Principal engage in a survey reflection activity reviewing stakeholder survey data gathered during the diagnostic survey administration. The goal is to gain a better understanding of stakeholder perceptions and school practices. These reflections will be submitted as part of your pre-work assignment.
Step 3: Pre-Work Assignment
Timeframe: 6 weeks before visit
DCSI and Principal complete pre-work collaboratively with the leadership team. Pre-work includes a reflection of campus practices per Essential Action, identification and submission of artifacts, and completion of the campus data tool. The Survey Reflection Tool is submitted along with other pre-work documents.
Step 4: Pre-Visit Conversation
Timeframe: 1-2 weeks before visit
A follow-up to the pre-work, during the pre-visit conversation the ESF Facilitator, DCSI, and Principal will discuss key takeaways from the artifact submissions and collaborate around the agenda for the campus visit.
Step 5: Campus Visit
Timeframe: Jan 17 - April 31
Campus visit is a full school day with observations in classrooms, common areas, and PLCs. There will also be scheduled focus groups with teachers and the leadership team.
Step 6: Post-Visit Conversation
Timeframe: 1 week after visit
ESF Facilitator will present a compiled report from all diagnostic activities including the survey, pre-work, and campus visit. During the post-visit conversation, the leadership team will collaboratively review areas of strength and areas of growth to identify 1 - 2 areas of prioritization to inform your school improvement efforts.
Other dates to keep in mind include the Survey Window (October to November). After your Post-Visit Call, you will receive a final diagnostic report outlining the campus’ strengths and identified focus areas. Following the receipt of that report, you will identify a Capacity Builder to support your work on the identified focus areas.
The Amount of Time
The amount of time necessary to complete all the work of a DCSI supporting School Improvement efforts varies depending on many variables. The amounts of time listed below are averages in most cases. Consider the “Work” column as outlining your responsibilities. Also, please see current calendars; this is for campuses that require an ESF Diagnostic, and this is for campuses that do not require an ESF Diagnostic.
Time for TIP Support
| Work | Estimated Time Allotment | Months/Time of Year |
|---|---|---|
| Attend Summer Training | 2 full days in July or August | July or August |
| Update information in ISAM | 1 hour per update needed | July or August |
| Meet your TEA Specialist via a coordinated call | Up to 1 hour per specialist | August |
| Meet with principals to develop TIP | 3 hours per TIP per principal | August and September |
| Engage in initial coordinated calls with TEA | 2 hours per principal | October and November |
| Meet with principals to revise and update TIP | 1 hour per principal | November and December |
| Engage in second coordinated call with TEA | 2 hours per principal | January and February |
| Engage in second coordinated call with TEA | 2 hours per principal | January and February |
| Meet with principals to revise and update TIP | 1 hour per principal | January and February |
| Engage in third coordinated call with TEA | 2 hours per principal | April and May |
| Meet with principals to revise and update TIP | 1 hour per principal | April and May |
| Meet with principals to revise and update TIP | 1 hour per principal | April and May |
| Ensure the final TIP is submitted | 1 hours per principal | June |
| Engage in the fourth coordinated call with TEA | 2 hours per principal | June |
| Personal Professional Learning of DCSI | Varies - plan for 6 hours of independent learning or discussion with School Support Consultant | Throughout the Year |
Time for ESF Diagnostic Support
If you support campuses with an ESF Diagnostic, more time associated with that work is outlined below.
| Work | Amount of Time | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Identify schools requiring an ESF Diagnostic - your ESC contact will identify and communicate this to you | 2 hours | August and September |
| OPTIONAL - discuss engaging in an ESF Diagnostic for schools not engaged in School Improvement | 4 hours | August and September |
| OPTIONAL - as survey coordinator, attend Panorama Training | 4 hours | October |
| Support Principals with Panorama Survey | 2 hours per campus | October and November |
| Support Principals in scheduling ESF Diagnostic and providing artifacts | 2 hours per campus | October through December |
| Support Principals during and after Post-visit calls in implementing action steps and identifying Capacity Builders | 8 hours per campus | January through May |
Who’s Who
Several people will be assisting you during this work. Use the table below to create your own “roster” of folks supporting you.
| Role | Actions | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| School Improvement Case Manager | Support TIP development and attended coordinated calls | ESC Region # |
| ESF Facilitator | Provide ESF Diagnostic and support Panorama Survey | ESC Region # |
| School Improvement Lead | Conducts training | ESC Region # |
| School Improvement Specialist | Supports TIP process and provides feedback during coordinated calls | TEA |
| Plan4Learning Chat | 24/7 support for all things Plan4Learning | 806 Technologies |
| District Supervisor/Manager | Support the process and honor the workaround school improvement | Your LEA/district |
| Assessment Specialist | Provide testing calendars and access to timely data | Your LEA/district |
| Accountability Specialist | PProvide support and information regarding accountability updates | Your LEA/district |
Concluding and Commissioning Comments
There is much work to be done, and you are now equipped and informed to do that work. The TEA and your ESC are here to support you as you support your principals. While this might be your first time serving as DCSI, the folks at TEA and your ESC have been doing this work for a while. Please reach out with questions, and know that you have many people on your team and in your corner.
You serve at both the district level and the campus level for the same purpose - ensure that every student in your district receives excellent instruction every day. This guide is designed to build your capacity and articulate what you can expect from this school improvement cycle! Well done on reading through the entire work! The TEA and your ESC are dedicated to supporting your School Improvement efforts.
Glossary of Terms
- 806 Technologies
- A technology company focused on digitizing and automating the Improvement Plan creation process. Also, involved in the management and documentation of federal programs.
- Additional Targeted Support
- Any campus that is not identified for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement is identified for additional targeted support - the lightest federally identified support.
- Artifact
- Documents requested by TEA and submitted by schools that align to the TIP.
- Capacity Builder
- Any person or entity who is designated to support the work of schools involved in School Improvement.
- Case Manager
- The ESC consultant supporting your work around TIP submission and coordinated calls.
- CES: Center for Effective Schools
- The purpose of the Center for Effective Schools is to build awareness for districts and campuses to implement school strategies aligned to the Effective Schools Framework.
- CIP: Campus Improvement Plan
- Federal and state code require all schools write a CIP every year, regardless of school improvement status.
- CIT: Campus Intervention Team
- Supports the campus in School Improvement processes.
- CLT: Campus Leadership Team
- The team creating the TIP.
- Comprehensive Support
- The lowest 5% of campuses who receive Title I, Part A funds - the weightiest federally identified support.
- Coordinated Calls
- TEA’s SI Specialist meets with the DCSI, principal, and case manager to support the process and provide feedback.
- DCSI: District Coordinator for School Improvement
- The DCSI oversees the work of school improvement as a required member of the Campus Intervention Team (CIT), leads and participates in the needs assessment, improvement planning, and monitoring processes, and ensures requirements and submissions are completed on time.
- DDI: Data-Driven Instruction
- Instruction based on assessment, analysis, action, and a data-driven culture.
- DIP: District Improvement Plan
- Outlines the districts’ actions within School Improvement.
- Diagnosed Essential Action
- A foundational Essential Action from each lever that schools must address prior to addressing the Essential Actions that follow.
- District Commitments
- Describe what LEAs do to ensure that schools are set up for success.
- EA: Essential Action
- Part of the ESF which describes what the most effective schools do to support powerful teaching and learning under a specific prioritized lever.
- ESC: Education Service Center
- ESCs support local districts in attaining the missions, goals, and objectives set forth by the Texas Education Agency./dd>
- ESF: Effective Schools Framework
- A research based, aligned framework outlining actions observed in high-performing schools.
- ESF Diagnostic
- A process through which schools are given feedback on a campus’ implementation of systems and supports that are aligned to the ESF.
- ESFF: ESF Diagnostic Facilitator
- The person conducting the ESF DIagnostic. This person communicates with principals/DCSIs, schedules the ESF Diagnostic, and provides a final report of prioritized focus areas.
- HQIM: High-Quality Instructional Materials
- Texas is now vetting curricula and programs to award designations as “HQIM”.
- ISAM: Intervention, Stage, and Activity Manage
- Used to manage contact and personnel associated with improvement plans. Important documents such as the TIP and ESF Final Report are uploaded to ISAM.
- Key Practices
- Describe the Essential Actions of the ESF with specificity.
- LEA: Local Education Agency
- A school district or charter.
- Levers
- Components of effective schools (as outlined in the ESF) ensure that every student receives an excellent education. (often heard or read as a “prioritized lever”)
- NOGA: Notice of Grant Award
- The official communication regarding funds awarded by a specific grant.
- Panorama
- A survey company that provides the climate and culture surveys for the ESF Diagnostic.
- Plan4Learning
- Web-based platform used to create the TIP and indicate drawn down grant funds.
- Pre-Work
- This includes gathering 2 pieces of evidence per Essential Action and providing them to the ESF Facilitator.
- Prioritized Lever
- A lever that is identified by a campus as a focus in the ESF Final Report and used for the work associated with the TIP.
- School Survey
- Part of the ESF Diagnostic Process in which feedback for each lever of the ESF is provided by students, staff, teachers, and families.
- SEA: State Education Agency
- The SEA for Texas is the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
- Self-Assessment
- The campus’ initial needs assessment.
- SI: School Improvement
- The School Improvement Division supports the state’s goal to improve low-performing schools by reviewing, evaluating, monitoring, and intervening with campuses and their districts to ensure excellence in education for all students.
- SIG - School Improvement Grant
- Federal grants awarded to the TEA and then districts to provide adequate resources in order to substantially raise the achievement of students in their lowest-performing schools.
- Success Criteria
- Describe universal best practices within each key practice of the ESF.
- Survey Coordinator
- The person supporting the School Survey through Panorama for the ESF Diagnostic.
- TAP: Targeted Action Plan
- An even more specific plan for schools who continue to be served by School Improvement after the implementation of their TIP.
- Targeted Support
- Any campus not identified for comprehensive support and improvement that has at least one consistently underperforming student group is identified for targeted support and improvement.
- TCLAS: Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports
- A large grant that many LEAs were awarded and has 10 decision points that districts could apply for.
- TEA: the Texas Education Agency
- Oversees primary and secondary public education by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.
- TEA School Improvement Specialist
- An employee of TEA who supports the DCSI during the School Improvement process and evaluates TIPs.
- TEAL
- TEA Login website
- Portal to access ISAM.
- TIP: Targeted Improvement Plan
- The legal and public document outlining a campus’ actions within School Improvement.
- TIP Rubric
- The document which outlines descriptions of complete and accurate TIP components.
- TRR: Texas Resource Review
- Gives quality reviews of instructional materials to inform local decisions.
- VIP: Vetted Improvement Partner
- A provider of technical assistance approved by TEA to support a campus’ work in School Improvement.