School improvement is the continuous process that ensures all campuses are provided access, opportunity, and support to the highest leverage school practices to increase school and student outcomes. The school improvement process follows the School Improvement Theory of Action.
Theory of Action
The School Improvement Theory of Action is a continuous improvement approach that ensures schools and student outcomes will improve: if data is collected using a shared vision of highest leverage school practices, assessing the current state of the campus, writing a plan to prioritize gaps in systems, and process, then build capacity in this gaps, then monitor the plan and the capacity building, then reassess and continue the process. The Change Leadership model is the blueprint for any change effort and it has been layered in the school improvement Theory of Action over that blueprint for success.
If districts and schools:
- Build a common vision of the highest leverage school practices;
- and assess their current practices in relation to that vision;
- and prioritize the identified gaps;
- and connect to effective capacity builders to help them in this work;
- and receive ongoing, targeted support during plan implementation and change management;
Then, schools and student outcomes will improve.
School Improvement Theory of Action
Calendar of Events
August - September
- TEA Releases accountability scores
- TAA sent out regarding scores and interventions
- LEA identifies District Coordinator of School Improvement (DCSI)
- DCSI name entered in ISAM
- DCSI attends phone conference to discuss interventions and submission requirements with TEA Staff
- DCSI and Principal establish Campus Leadership Team (CLT)
- DCSI and Principal attend appropriate training at ESC
- Effective Schools Framework (ESF) Overview and Targeted Improvement Plan Development)
- DCSI and relevant stakeholders engage in planning activities and develop ESF-aligned web-based Targeted Improvement Plan
- ESF-Campus Principal identifies a point of contact to serve as survey coordinator and shares information with TEA.
- ESF-Survey coordinator attends training to gain an understanding on the survey process and related materials.
- ESF-TEA sends an ESF-aligned stakeholder survey to the campus survey point of contact. The point of contact oversees the administration of the ESF Diagnostic Survey.
- DCSI/Grant Contact name entered in ISAM by August 31st.
October - November
- DCSI submits web-based Targeted Improvement Plan including Grant Budget Summary as applicable in ISAM
- DCSI, ESC staff, and TEA staff hold phone conference to discuss Initial plan submission
- DCSI and CLT collect evidence of fidelity of implementation and progress and update TIP (Updated student achievement data, Results, and Reflections on Cycle 1 and completion of Cycle 2 Action Plan)
- ESF-Campus deploys stakeholder survey to gather data for the ESF Diagnostic
- Grant Contact/DCSI submits web-based Targeted Improvement Plan including Grant Budget Summary as applicable in ISAM by September 30
December - January
- DCSI and CLT collect evidence of fidelity of implementation and progress and update TIP (Updated student achievement data, Results, and Reflections on Cycle 1 and completion of Cycle 2 Action Plan)
- DCSI submits Progress #1 submission in ISAM o Artifacts are included with the submission.
- DCSI, ESC staff, and TEA staff hold conference to discuss Progress submission #1
- ESF- Campus engages in ESF Diagnostic process Jan.-April
- DCSI submits Progress #1 submission in ISAM by December 16. Artifacts are included with submission.
- SI Lead submits ESF Diagnostic Final Report in ISAM 14 days following the ESF Diagnostic
February - March
- DCSI and CLT collect evidence of fidelity of implementation and progress and update TIP (Updated student achievement data, Results, and Reflections on Cycle 2 and completion of Cycle 3 Action Plan)
- DCSI submits Progress #2 submission in ISAM
- Artifacts are included with the submission. ● DCSI, ESC staff and TEA staff hold conference to discuss Progress submission #2
- ESF- Campus engages in ESF Diagnostic process Jan.-April
- Grant Contact/DCSI submits Progress #2 submission in ISAM by March 3. Artifacts are included with submission.
- SI Lead submits ESF Diagnostic Final Report in ISAM 14 days following the ESF Diagnostic
April - May
- DCSI and CLT collect evidence of fidelity of implementation and progress and update TIP (Updated student achievement data (STAAR), Results and Reflections to Cycle 3, End of Year reflections and completion of Cycle 4)
- ESF- Campus engages in ESF Diagnostic process Jan.-April
- ESF-DCSI and CLT uses the ESF Diagnostic Final Report to complete Cycle 4 with preplanning activities for the following school year
June
- DCSI and CLT collect evidence of fidelity of implementation and progress and update
- TIP (Updated student achievement data (STAAR), Results and Reflections to Cycle End of Year reflections and completion of Cycle 4)
- DCSI and CLT engage in reflection of school improvement progress to proactively plan for next year
- DCSI submits Progress #3 submission in ISAM
- DCSI, ESC staff and TEA staff review Progress #3 submission
- DCSI submits Progress #3 submission in ISAM by June 30. STAAR data (as available) is included with submission.
Accountability 101
Texas provides annual academic accountability ratings to its public school districts, charters and schools. The ratings are based on performance on state standardized tests; graduation rates; and college, career, and military readiness outcomes.
Texas Education Agency. (2021, September 23). Academic accountability. Texas Education Agency. https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/accountability/academic-accountability
2022 State Accountability System
Domain I: Student Achievement
All Students for STAAR, CCMR, Graduation Rate
Domain Score: for elementary and middle schools, the Student Achievement domain scores are based solely on the STAAR component. For districts and high schools, the three components are weighted 40%-40%-20%
Domain II: School Programs
All Students
Part B: Relative Performance awards performance relative to similar districts and campuses
Domain Score: The School Progress domain scores are the better of Part A: Academic Growth or Part B: Relative Performance
Domain III: Closing the Gaps
All students and Disaggregated Student Groups
The Closing the Gaps domain is based on the four components (below) weighted according to districts or campus type:
- Academic Achievement
- Federal Graduation or Growth Status
- English Language Proficiency
- School Quality or Student Success
Domain Score: credit awarded based on the weighted performance of student groups against annual targets
What identifies a campus for school improvement?
Schools earn both a federal and a state rating.
Comprehensive Support - Federal Identification
- Schools who receive Title 1 schools and are in the bottom 5% of schools in the state for Domain 3 (Closing the Gaps)
- Federal graduation rate below 67% in Domain 3
Targeted Support - Federal Identification
Schools that have at least one student group that fails to meet three indicators in Domain 3 for three consecutive years.
Additional Targeted - Federal Identification
Any student group that fails to meet the comprehensive 5% target for all its Domain 3 indicators
Schools with an Overall F - State Identification
Schools with an Overall F must engage in the school improvement process.
Schools with an Overall D - State Identification
Schools with a D in any domain must engage in the school improvement process.
Schools with a D in any Domain
Schools with a D in any domain must engage in the school improvement process.
What Happens Next?
School Improvement Identification triggers a series of required interventions and submissions. TEA has created a calendar with required interventions and submissions listed by month.
One of the first and most critical tasks will be to attend an Effective Schools Framework (ESF) overview session at your local ESC. The training will provide an introduction to both the ESF and School Improvement Processes along with an overview for developing a Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP).
TEA requires the submission of a Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP) in early October. Resources to help with the TIP development are available on the TEA School Improvement website. Campuses that are in their second year of school improvement will also need to develop a Turnaround Plan and submit it to the commissioner for approval.
How do I Exit School Improvement?
If your district or campus is identified for School Improvement due to your ratings in the state A-F Accountability System, then your campus or district will need to earn an Overall C or above in the next set of accountability ratings.
If your campus was identified for School Improvement due to your ratings in the federal accountability system, this is reflected in your Domain 3 score. Each rating has a different path to exiting school improvement.
- Targeted Support and Improvement - Campuses are identified annually based on performance in the Domain 3 indicators. 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 - The student group(s) that triggered the additional targeted support status must meet the targets for the Academic Achievement component in both reading and mathematics.
- Comprehensive Support and Improvement - For 2 consecutive years, campus Domain 3 scores must not fall within the bottom 5% of campuses across the state.
How do I lead a campus through the school improvement process?
Ensuring that the campus is supported in their school improvement process is the most important role in the process. The DCSI job description will help you determine if the right person is selected for the role. For the best results, it is strongly recommended that the DCSI is the principal’s supervisor, can help make budgetary decisions at the district level and can ensure the district level support determined in the plan can be met.
The DCSI should be an instrumental part in the needs assessment, plan formation, and implementation. Providing the campus leadership team with direction, district support, and budgetary oversight is a large part of improvement plan success.
The DCSI must also be familiar with all timelines and submission requirements, as well as, lead interactions with TEA during all progress submission conferences.
Resources
Effective Schools Framework Website
School Improvement
A-F Resources
