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Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

September 2012 Dear Educators, Over the last three years, Tennessee has transformed into a national leader for education reform. State and local leaders have come together to make a series of policy changes, including raising academic standards for our students, providing educators with more timely access to data, and focusing on our lowest achieving schools to ensure that more of our students graduate from high school with the skills they need to be successful in life. Although we have made significant strides in changing policy conditions, our most important work concerns how these policy changes impact whats happening in classrooms, schools, and districts throughout the state. Last year, SCORE awarded the first annual SCORE Prize to the elementary, middle, and high school and one district in Tennessee that have most dramatically improved student achievement. While our aim in awarding the SCORE Prize was to identify and reward those schools and districts that are effectively meeting the states new academic standards, an equally important goal of ours was to highlight best practices and distill them into a usable format for educators. We began this work by sharing video vignettes and data profiles of the finalists and winners after last falls announcement. Pathways to the Prize continues our work of highlighting best practices and providing educators with the tools they need to replicate them in their own communities. In the following pages, you will find information about Maryville City Schools, our 2011 SCORE Prize district winner, and its work to prepare all students for success after high school. Maryville demands that the school district prepare students to be globally competitive. In response, the district engages the broader community and uses data they have on student performance to translate those high expectations into the districts mission, vision, and goals. In order to achieve its goals, everyone in Maryville educators, parents, students, and business and community leaders has a role to play. Maryvilles story is reflective of the work that all of Tennessees districts must engage in to improve outcomes for students. As Tennessee moves into the second year of wide-scale implementation of many of its policy commitments, we must ensure that educators have access to information about those schools and districts that are rising to these new challenges. We hope that Pathways to the Prize, which is grounded in research and supplemented by additional tools on our SCORE Prize website, aids you in continuing the most important work: ensuring that our students graduate from high school prepared for the global economy.

Table of ConTenTs
3 4 6 18 20 24 26 Letter from Jamie Woodson About the SCOre prize 2011 SCOre prize District Winner: maryville City Schools Conclusion Appendix: Discussion Guide Glossary 2011 SCOre prize Selection Committee / Staff

throughout this document, there are Qr codes that directly link to additional online resources. to access these resources, simply scan the code with your smartphone. Qr code apps can be downloaded for free. You can also access these resources by visiting the link provided. the SCOre prize www.tnscore.org/scoreprize/

Very sincerely,

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

The SCORE Prize annually awards $10,000 to the elementary, middle, and high school and $25,000 to one district in Tennessee that have most dramatically improved student achievement. In awarding the SCORE Prize, SCORE aims to recognize those schools and districts that are doing the hard work of education reform, highlight and share their best practices, and show other schools and districts throughout Tennessee that improvement is possible. All public schools and districts are eligible for the SCORE Prize. In 2011, winners were chosen in a two-step process. For the first phase, SCORE used a multi-staged criteria selection process to narrow the schools and districts down to finalists. This process ensured that schools and districts met a certain benchmark before advancing to the next round.
The criteria that each school or district had to meet to advance are listed in order below:

next steps. A series of complementary analyses were also conducted to provide schools and districts with a number of bonus points that were used to supplement a schools or districts ranking.
These analyses included:

ACt college readiness benchmark rates Ap achievement data Ap and Ib participation rates Cohort dropout rates College-going rates tVAAS scores for individual subjects beyond reading and math

Overall, the selection criteria were designed to identify schools that have been able to meet and exceed the states new academic standards. The second phase of the selection process consisted of a series of site visits to document the policies and practices that have enabled schools and districts to make significant gains in student achievement. SCORE produced a site visit protocolaligned with our 2009 Roadmap to Success reportthat included a scoring rubric to ensure that all schools and districts were judged according to the same measures and criteria. For the 2011 SCORE Prize, initial analyses were conducted using 2008-2010 data. Data from 2011 were incorporated into the analyses on August 1, 2011, when the data became available. Finalists were chosen in mid-August. Site visits were conducted in late August and early September.

OU tt IZe He S CORE pr

Schools and districts must have an attendance rate of 93 percent or higher the school or district must have a tVAAS three-year growth standard t-statistic of at least 1.5 in both reading and math remaining schools and districts were ranked by their two-year change in tCAp scores on reading and math and their tVAAS three-year growth standard

Ab

TVAAS was weighted three times heavier than TCAP in our selection process. This weighting was intended to ensure that schools exhibiting high growth were also achieving at a high enough level to prepare students for

About the SCORE Prize

About the SCORE Prize

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

RYVILLE CITY MA SC

20 11 S CO RE
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aT a GlanCe

Director of Schools Stephanie thompson Website www.maryvillecityschools.k12.tn.us Grades served pK-12 Number of schools 7 Enrollment 4,890 Economically disadvantaged students 33.1% White 91% African American 4% Asian 3% Hispanic 2% Attendance rates (2010) K-8: 95.5% K-12: 95.5%

TVAAS three-year growth standard t-statistics (2011) math: 14.32 reading Language Arts: 3.84 Algebra I: 5.04 english II: 4.03 Overall district TCAP and EOC deciles (2010-11) math: 60th to 70th reading: 80th to 70th between 2010 and 2011, maryville City Schools narrowed its achievement gap between economically disadvantaged and non-economically disadvantaged students by 1.01 points on reading and 3.34 points on math. College readiness data ACt Composite (3-Year Average): 23.8 Graduation rate 2010: 90.5% College-going rate 2009: 76.5%

S OL HO

maryville City Schools and its surrounding community hold high expectations for all stakeholders public officials, administrators, teachers, parents, and studentsto ensure students are successful after they leave high school the districts director of schools initiated an 18-month process to develop the districts strategic plan that gathered input from all internal and external stakeholders and analyzed patterns of student performance data. the plan was designed to capitalize on strengths, address challenges, and prepare students for success in college, career, and life While maryville City Schools uses the strategic plan as a guiding framework, the district engages in continuous improvement by calling on district advisory groups and national experts to provide guidance on how to effectively meet district goals maryville administers community surveys three times a year to ensure that two-way communication is robust and the district is serving the community in the best ways possible

In addition to attracting the best talent, maryville cultivates its own leaders, drawing on individuals with expertise gained from years of teaching and serving in other positions in the district the district focuses on core content and supports its teachers by providing in-depth workshops on using data to guide instruction and implementing proven, effective strategies in literacy, mathematics, and science reading has received special attention in the district since data indicated need, particularly in the middle and high schools. reading levels are determined for all students and individualized assignments are made to accelerate progress. In addition, every 10th-grade student receives a double block of reading instruction the district provides multiple services for parents and families to help create the conditions for educational success for all students

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Beginning with a solid grounding in the expectations of its constituentsfrom parents to city officials, business leaders, educators, and studentsMaryville City Schools (MCS), located in Blount County, has a uniquely global outlook on its academic program. This perspective, which is focused on preparing Maryville students to succeed anywhere in the world, translates into a commitment to continuous improvement. The first goal in the districts strategic plan is to prepare all students for success in an ever-changing world. The district tracks student progress after graduation, and this information informs changes the district makes to its academic strategies to ensure all students are truly prepared. The seven MCS schools and their nearly 5,000 students have produced outstanding achievements in their progress toward a lifetime of learning and responsible citizenship. In 2010, the districts three-year ACT average was 23.8, considerably higher than Tennessees statewide average of 19.5. Similarly, TVAAS data for that year indicated that Maryville students improved at a rate 14 times faster on math than the state average. Change is constant in Maryville. In fact, when the district won the SCORE Prize, it was undergoing a major organizational reconfiguration brought about by overcrowding at its high school. Maryville City Schools previously consisted of a high school, middle school, intermediate school, and four elementary schools, but has now added a junior high school and closed one elementary school. The district also operates two pre-kindergarten programs, one special education pre-kindergarten program, and two alternative school programs. The district has a very lean central office staff, with just 10 administrative employees, led by a director of schools. This level of staffing is consistent with the districts philosophy of decentralization, driving decisions down to the school level and even the classroom level whenever possible. Five school board members and the director of schools govern the district and have been instrumental in promoting and supporting incremental positive change. The district has 28 administrators, with a principal and at least one assistant principal in each school, 384 teachers, and 319 non-instructional staff members.

The districts high standards are reinforced by the expectations for excellence held by the community. Community members are not shy about holding tnscore.org/scoreprize/Maryville-Promising-Practice.pdf the district to high standards. Most students are college bound, so the community expects them to be well prepared. The district has responded by improving its student performance levels each Video: education as a Workforce year. In return, the community is extremely Development Strategy supportive of the school district. Business http://youtu.be/nl02l8RnUt8 partners in the community, alumni, parent organizations, and the Maryville City Schools Foundation provide the district with resourcesincluding financial support and volunteered timeit needs to carry out work within its strategic plan. Teachers in the district receive high salaries compared to other districts in the state to ensure that the district is drawing and retaining the most effective teachers possible. (The starting salary for teachers with a bachelors degree is higher than the starting salary in seven out of the eight neighboring districts.) Internal and external stakeholders alike believe that education is essential to ensuring all citizens are successful in life, and all stakeholders provide support to achieve that goal.
maryville promising practice

District strategic plan. The district spent nearly 18 months developing and refining its

strategic plan. The plan codifies the values and beliefs of the district and the community it serves. The development process was as important as its outcome, Sharon Anglim, Director of Communications and Special Projects, said. We are a tight community, and we needed to hear about our strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats that all of our stakeholders perceive. That way, our plan could be responsive to our community and we could work together toward meeting goals. District leaders held town halls and open meetings, invited comments on the district website, participated in parent organizations and other meetings, and solicited information using a structured protocol for asking questions and collecting data. The strategic plan leadership group categorized all of the comments, narrowed the topics for focus, and prioritized strategies based on what the communityeducators, students, parents, business owners, nonprofits, city leaders, and many othersbelieved were most important for the schools. The process itself led to the development of very high standards for the district. For example, leaders heard the community assert that it wanted more advanced coursework for students. In response, strategies were developed to ensure that students had opportunities to enroll in multiple Advanced Placement (AP), dual enrollment, and honors courses. The district formed partnerships with local colleges and universities to extend the opportunities further. The initial strategic plan reflected school board and community priorities, exemplars from other districts, and an analysis of research, both published and experiential, around what works. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee addressed what was urgent and what was important to its stakeholders. By all accounts, the first draft of the plan was well-conceived and served to catalyze change. Over the next year, though, the district discovered that it needed more information and sought out details to better define

embraCinG hiGh sTanDarDs

maryvilles purpose is to inspire, engage, and invest. the district is built on five core beliefs, each of which is translated into a particular goal in the districts strategic plan: 1. Academic excellence prepare all students for success in an ever-changing world by delivering a rich and challenging instructional program Personal engagement engage and challenge every student by providing an array of academic and co-curricular programs Exemplary educators build a team of highly-qualified teachers and support staff who embrace the communitys high expectations and serve as positive role models and mentors

2.

3.

4. Purposeful involvement and support - Develop meaningful alliances in support of education and educational opportunities 5. A first-class learning environment - enhance student learning by constructing and maintaining efficient facilities with state-of-the-art equipment and technology; and provide a safe and nurturing environment that fosters civility, respect, and healthy lifestyles

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

measureable annual benchmarks and strategies for reaching them in a revised strategic plan. District leaders stated that the plan transformed the system from one in which individual schools tnscore.org/scoreprize/ created school improvement plans to one in which Maryville-Strategic-Communications_Plan.pdf the district as a whole focuses on creating and measuring initiativesaligned with the learning criteria created by the International Center for Leadership in Educationthat improve student achievement. Our Strategic Plan will continue to guide our decision making, but more importantly, it will help guide the creation of opportunities to deliver exceptional education for the development of whole individuals, the plan notes. Anglim said the district learned two important lessons through their strategic planning process: engage as many stakeholders as possible and keep them informed on how their input is being used, and involve principals from the beginning. They need to buy into what you are planning and articulate the right messages since they are the leaders, she said. They will be the ones to align school and classroom practices with the priorities in the plan, so they have to have a deep and clear understanding and believe in what you are doing.
reports on progress. The goals of the strategic plan are measured annually and
maryville City Schools Strategic Communications plan

be able to do at the end of the lesson. In schools serving older students, teachers post objectives in studentfriendly language directly aligned with each standard. Teachers discuss the standards during workshops and in professional learning community meetings to ensure that they understand the knowledge and skills that students are being asked to master. They track mastery through the use of frequent formative assessments, some of which are commonly developed by teacher groups. In the districts elementary schools, teachers report progress using standards-based report cards to make the connection between standards and lessons even clearer. Maryville is forward-thinking with regard to academic standards. When it became clear that the requirements for science were going to change through the Tennessee Diploma Project or that the Common Core State Standards were going to be adopted and implemented, the district quickly initiated professional learning opportunities for teachers to help them understand and plan for the change. We dont wait when something new is coming, said Tracy Poulsen, an assistant principal at Maryville High School. We instituted the new science requirements nearly two years before the state mandated them. We are working on the Common Core now. We tune into what is coming down the pike, anticipate what is needed, get the resources, and get it done. All stakeholder groups grasp the importance of being proactive in pushing toward ever-increasing advanced skills and high standards. Administrators and teachers know that the community demands strong performance. They know that they need to exceed expectations in their lessons by supplementing them with activities that extend thinking and prepare students for success in college and later in life. Teachers are empowered and encouraged to expect a lot from students, said Greg Roach, the principal at Maryville High School. We know they will set high expectations and help each other and the students to achieve them. We work together here, and we always work to benefit the students. Its who we are.

reported to the school board. For example, Goal 2 (Engage and challenge every student by providing an array of academic and co-curricular programs) involves two objectives: increase the percent of graduates who complete one or more college credit-bearing courses and increase student engagement and participation in extracurricular activities. Maryville measures the first objective by tracking a series of indicators, including the percentage of graduates leaving high school with at least three hours of college credit, the percentage of graduates with at least 12 hours of college credit, the percentage of graduates completing at least one dual enrollment course, the percentage of graduates completing one or more AP courses, and the number of AP exams administered. The second objecVideo: expanding Ap and Dual tive is measured by ensuring that all students in grades enrollment Opportunities 7-12 have a personal education and career plan. The http://youtu.be/sFqcNIPzdtk district also uses the National Student Clearinghouse Data and senior surveys to track the percentage of students graduating with a regular high school diploma, the percentage of students enrolling in postsecondary education after high school, those who return to postsecondary work if they leave, and when and if degrees are earned. The district also tracks the percentage of students who say they are engaged with their school and the number of students participating in job shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships. Students with disabilities receive extra attention at their exit meetings to help them and their families plan for life after high school.
standards in action. High standards are reflected in the strategic plan and articulated in school and class-

CulTivaTinG sTronG leaDers

leadership at the Central office. The Director of Schools, Stephanie Thompson, spent eight years in the district as the Assistant Director of Schools, exemplifying the districts preference to cultivate leadership within the district. She assumed the directorship in 2008 after having worked in the district since 1983.

Thompson started her career as a librarian and values many of the lessons learned during those years, including the need to read and understand the latest research about what works in schooling and the importance of using technology to its fullest extent. During the first few years of her tenure as director, Thompson asked her leadership team to read and engage in dialogue about effective schooling, and bring articles and books to share with others. In study sessions, teachers talked about book chapters, including, Marzano, Pickering, and Pollacks 2001 classic Classroom Instruction That Works, DuFour and Eakers 1998 Professional Learning Communities at Work, and Danielsons 2009 Talk about Teaching: Leading Professional Conversations. To enhance instruction, the director implemented a technology plan to bring interactive whiteboards and wireless computers to every school so that teachers and students had effective tools for instruction. The director surrounds herself with a lean but very experienced central office staff. The Assistant Director of Schools, the Director of Special Education, and others in the central office have also been with the district

room practices. In each school, teachers keep track of students performance on the standards in the aggregate and by department/grade level. Every teacher is expected to post the standard for every lesson. In the elementary and intermediate schools, the standards are posted as I can statements that tell students what they will

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2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

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Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

for many years and know the community well. Each works collaboratively with the schools, and serves with the principals, as a member of the district decision-making team. Several take on special assignments. For example, Dr. Mike Winstead, the assistant director, helps all of the schools analyze data for instructional improvement. Sharon Anglim, head of communications and special projects, has great strategic abilities and was asked to develop a district-wide communications plan. The community views the director of schools as a skilled communicator who empowers her leadership team with the information needed to make good decisions. Her communications with the staff are frequent and thorough, and colleagues are expected to become familiar with data and research so they can make decisions that best fit the needs of the district. Thompson initiated the strategic planning process to ensure the district provides the best possible education for its students. She frequently works with outside experts to provide critical feedback on district initiatives. For example, she worked with national expert Dr. William Daggett to guarantee the strategic plan was an effective planning tool. Thompson has earned the reputation as a strong advocate for best practices and keeping the district at the leading edge of effectiveness.
stakeholder advisory Groups. In addition to ongoing conversations with the school board and leader-

ninth graders develop time management and study skills, academic vocabulary, and comprehension skills needed to thrive in AP and honors courses. The school also altered its curriculum so that students could enroll in year-long English, math, and science courses. (The school is on a block schedule.) Teachers and administrators also assess students to determine interventions they will provide. No one escaped our notice, Galyon said. If we were worried about any student who was not adjusting well to high school life or not doing well in his or her classes, we went after them. If it was an attendance problem, they had to check in with their counselor every day during morning breakfast. If it was a course issue, they attended mandatory tutoring either with a peer or a teacher. We wanted every student to get through that freshman year with the skills they need to succeed. The roles of the district and the schools have been clearly delineated. The district provides basic curriculum, summative assessments, and professional learning opportunities and allocates staff members and finances. Principals make decisions over other aspects of school functions, such as how to use resources, hiring and placement, teacher evaluation, formative assessments, school-based professional learning, student discipline, and building management. Site-based management works for us, said high school principal Greg Roach. We can control almost everything except budget. That way we are able to meet the specific needs of our schools and students. In a small community like this, its crucial.

ship team, the director has instituted two other groups to help her identify and address education-related concerns that arise. One group, the Directors Education Roundtable, is comprised of community representatives. The Roundtable is convened four times a year to discuss matters of concern to district leadership. Topics considered by the group have included uniforms, student morale, and instructional issues. Another advisory group is the Critical Friends Group. This group is comprised of internal staff, including teachers, support staff, and administrators. Participation is voluntary and takes place outside of school hours. The group addresses concerns of students and members of the group. For example, the group once addressed a school librarians concern that students were strictly relying on online research tools and not using library resources. In response, the group asked the librarian to work with a small group of new and senior teachers to consider new ideas and guidelines for students on expectations related to the use of research tools. Maryville City Schools also keeps in touch with its community, administering surveys to a sample of community members three times per year. These surveys help the district to ensure that they are aware of community needs and on track with their strategic plan.
school leadership. Thompson delegates many decisions to principals, who she considers to be key instructional leaders in the district. Like Thompson, most principals know their communities well. Most remain with their schools for many years, moving to another opportunity only when a new school opens and requires experienced leadership. Principals enjoy wide latitude to reach goals, but are held strictly accountable for progress. Principals, in turn, convey high expectations to teachers, hold them accountable for success, and, as needed, provide them with mentoring and other supports so that they can maximize their effectiveness.

ensurinG exCellenT TeaChinG

Maryvilles expectations for outstanding performance extend to teachers as well as students, and the district gives teachers the support they need to excel. The districts expectations are met both by providing substantial teacher and student supports and by giving teachers the opportunity to collaborate with each other.
Professional learning. Maryville leaders recognize that to be effective, teachers need to

receive multiple forms of professional learning. The district put into place several types of opportunities at the district, school, and individual levels. For example, the district hosted a series of workshops from 2007 to 2011 focused primarily on literacy (writing and reading), mathematics, science, assessment, and data analysis to address priority student performance targets. Other professional learning opportunities have included:
Writing: All teachers attended Write to Learn workshops. the sessions used results from the district writing assessments to identify areas of student need and provide targeted help to teachers in those areas. teachers learned about the Six traits writing process and received traits Crates as resources. two national consultants provided training on writing across content areas and vocabulary development. A teacher-led elementary school task force developed a new writing curriculum with benchmarks and a rubric. teachers in grades 6-8 attended additional professional learning sessions on the Six plus One Writing traits process. As a result of the training, maryville implemented a system-wide K-8 portfolio process. teachers scored student writing samples at least four times a year in addition to scoring the Writers Workshop samples at the lower grades. Reading: All teachers attended sessions on reading instruction across content areas, and all schools implemented response to Intervention and differentiated instruction in reading. In addition, the middle and high schools learned about and implemented the national Lexile reading system to determine student reading levels more precisely and identify interventions that addressed needs and led to growth in fluency and comprehension for students in grades 7 through 10. At maryville

Principals are not afraid to ask for additional resources. For example, when Maryville High School decided to tackle freshman readiness, school leaders requested additional counselors and tutors to support the new freshman program. You have to catch them early and provide them with all of the supports they need, said Maelea Galyon, an assistant principal at Maryville High School. The high school builds in supports to help

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2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

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Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

High School, all teachers were trained in reading instruction, and teachers in the english, science, and social studies departments learned a set of effective instructional strategies for teaching high school students how to be better readers. the school redesigned its approach to literacy instruction, implementing a required half-credit reading class for all sophomores, a strategic reading class for any student performing below grade level in reading, and an analytic reading class for students who score at or above grade level reading. the analytic reading class teaches students to create complex text that features higher order thinking, similar to the types of writing required for the ACt and SAt. In grade 9, the district has also provided remediation for struggling readers through a pull-out program. teachers from multiple content areas, including english, math, and science, provide remediation both for reading and developing student skills in time management and organization. Math and science: Over two years, math workshops featured visualizing math, problem solving, mental math, and reading as critical components of math success. Science workshops recommended resources for hands-on, inquiry-based science instruction. Assessment and data analysis: each year, teachers learned more about data analysis for student assessment, including Discovery education Assessment, AImS Web Assessment, StAr reading and math Assessment, and Study Island Assessment. teachers learn about testing schedules, formative benchmarks, progress monitoring, and using data to guide their instruction. In addition, data analysis workshops orient teachers to using the results of analysis to inform instruction. Technology: each year, maryvilles technology teamwhich is composed of an educator from each school, the network administrator, and support stafffacilitates a day-long conference for teachers throughout the district. both employees and external experts have led breakout sessions on various technology issues, including personal computing and using technology to support instruction. Conference topics are determined by a survey of needs and special interests.

planning, discuss any emerging instructional issues, and address any individual student needs that are discovered. Several times a year, teachers meet in cross-grade level teams to discuss alignment and other topics and concerns. Teachers consider PLCs vital to effective teaching. Teachers often turn to each other if they notice their students are not responding well to teaching or mastering lesson objectives. We have open communication around here, and teachers share their concerns and help each other, assistant principal Maelea Galyon said. A concern is not seen as an individual teachers fault, but as a problem that needs to be collectively solved. We open our doors, talk about everything, and target our weaknesses. Teachers act as a team.
focus on reading. Maryville educators recognize that reading is the key to high performance in many content

areas, including mathematics, science, and social studies, so the district has chosen to focus on reading in every school. Elementary schools have a two-hour reading block, with 30 minutes devoted to whole class instruction and 90 minutes devoted to small group instruction. During the 90-minute period, both teachers and teaching assistants work to advance childrens reading skills. (Each class has been given a teaching assistant, funded through Title I, in addition to special education and local funds.) If needed, students receive an additional 3060 minutes of instruction in pull-out programs. Each teaching team at the intermediate schools has one teaching assistant, primarily to help with reading. The schedule accommodates a double block of reading to boost student achievement. Its crucial that students have this strong reading foundation since we found that the reading scores are correlated with all of the others, Dr. Winstead said. Students need this foundation, and since we concentrated on reading, we have seen acceleration in student scores across the board. The district has invested in preschool education to prepare students to succeed in kindergarten. The district sponsors three preschools: two traditional and one for students identified for special education. We screen the kids and get them working on any pre-reading skills that they will need to succeed the next year. This early boost has also made a difference, Dr. Winstead said.
oversight. The focus on effective teaching is also reinforced by administrators.

The district provides professional learning opportunities on many other topics, including professional learning communities and critical friends training, curriculum development work on vertical and horizontal alignment, interpreting new state standards and End of Course standards, and the Common Core State Standards. Some of this time has been devoted to developing I can statements and objectives for classroom lessons that are reflected in grade-level or departmental pacing guides. Special education training occurs each year. These sessions delve into topics such as inclusion, national and state policy for working with students with disabilities, behavior management, crisis intervention, and autism. Paraprofessionals also receive training on topics such as instructional strategies, behavior management, technology, and meeting the needs of all students. In addition to district professional learning opportunities, each school has needs-based professional development that is funded by Title I, Title II, and local funds. The school improvement team determines the content of these sessions based on data results and needs assessments. The schools professional learning resources allow teachers to attend national and regional conferences related to their content areas. Teachers also receive professional development through their professional learning communities, which often devote time to book study and learning best practices associated with content pedagogy. Each teacher in the school district is also allowed to engage in six and a half hours of self-directed professional development each year, with the principals approval. Teachers use this time to pursue coursework, engage in research to study and improve their own practices, and focus on specific areas in which they would like to improve.
Professional learning communities (PlCs). As a further investment in teacher development, Maryville

provides teachers with weekly opportunities to meet as a grade level or department to engage in instructional

Administrative teams comprised of principals and assistant principals organize themselves for success. Administrators are highly visible in the schools, visiting classrooms and providing feedback to teachers, participating in PLCs, assigning mentors or coaches as needed, and facilitating school operations. The team provides informal support both before and after formal teacher evaluations because they want all teachers to succeed. If you are new to the district, you learn early on that we have really high expectations, but also high levels of support around here. People observe you in action frequently and help you when you need it. However, we dont have patience for those who dont improve, high school principal Greg Roach said.

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2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

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Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

sTuDenT resPonsibiliTies anD suPPorTs.

maryville teachers believe in developing their students both academically and behaviorally, and push students to take responsibility for their own learning. All high school students have planners and keep notebooks that track their test scores and other measures of performance and progress. the district also publishes grades for students in grades 4 through 7 online so that they and their parents can review them at any time. If students are falling behind in any way, they are expected to go to a teacher, counselor, or other adult and ensure they get the assistance they need. every student at risk of failure also has an adult assigned to watch over them, helping them to bond with the school and understand that seeking assistance is encouraged and valued. High school students often attend the after-school tutoring sessions and Saturday schools. most believe it is a great way to keep up or get ahead. maryville recognizes that students need behavioral and academic supports and provides them with both as prevention measures and remediation. teachers, counselors, and administrators develop action plans with any student who is underperforming or at risk of underperforming in their coursework or on the tCAp. the plan sets out the specific activities the student will undertake to address the concerns. For example, if the concern is absenteeism or tardiness, the student will be tasked with signing in with a specific adult first thing every morning. If lack of mastery in a content area is the concern, the student will participate in after-school or Saturday programming, work with a National Honors Society student or other higher performing peer, or complete online course modules. High school students may be referred to one of the two alternative education programs where they receive more personalized instruction. One program, the maryville Academic Success House (mASH), provides a therapeutic, safe learning structured explicitly around a students academic and behavioral needs. Over the past four years, up to 52 students per year have been served by mASH. mASH also provides credit recovery and tutoring after school and during the summer. to ensure that the educational programming of the alternative programs is rigorous, several administrators and teachers review the programs annually.

Principals are also held to high expectations in terms of their performance as leaders and managers. Their responsibilities lie not only in helping individual teachers succeed, but also in nurturing an environment for success. To that end, buildings are run efficiently and effectively, and administrators create safe, orderly environments that strongly encourage learning. Disciplinary infractions are relatively rare and, when they occur, are dealt with swiftly. The district allows principals to focus on important areas by taking other concernssuch as human resourcesoff their plates. We have helped the principals with personnel management by creating a code of conduct, Thompson said. The code is a good tool that creates a fair playing field for expectations. Principals just need to follow it and not get involved in nuances around professional behavior. This gives principals the time they need to support instruction.

weekend food bags for students who report little or no food at home. Resource referral: the center has made local families more aware of free programs, such as those offered by the Child and Family Counseling Center of tennessee. Families have been connected to appropriate agencies for utility assistance, medical services, and housing, and the center has distributed information about events that addressed substance abuse, mental health, and suicide.

The center collects data from surveys and analyzes referral forms to plan its services. The most recent survey, conducted in 2010-11, gathered data from principals, assistant principals, school counselors, special education staff, school nurses, and Adventure Club directors. Evaluations of the Center show that the Center made 660 referrals during 2010-11 and provided more than 2,400 services. Ninety-eight percent of those responding to the evaluation survey rated the services as very effective. Young men in the centers Teens Need Training (TNT) middle school program engaged in homework assistance, career exploration, community clean-up, outdoor activities such as camping in national and state parks, and team and self-esteem building activities at the Maryville College Mountain Challenge Program. This last program resulted in 43 percent of students becoming employed because of the relationships that they had developed through interviews with local business leaders. More than 86 percent of students enrolled improved their grades and school attendance.

The family resource Center. The district has created a Family Resource

Center, which offers:

Educational services: the center helps high-risk families use the school and community resources necessary to meet human needs for educational success. Over the past several years, the Family resource Center has provided backpacks, school supplies, and calculators to children in need, arranged for access to computers and tutors for after-school homework assistance, raised funds for students to participate in extracurricular activities, such as music and summer programs, paid for college placement examinations, books, and courses for students who qualified for college admission, and assisted families in locating housing within the school district so the student would not have to transfer to another school. Parent training services: the center helps parents address problematic behaviors, such as truancy and anger management. Staff members visit homes to encourage parents to address their childrens needs and become more involved at schools. As needed, staff members have accompanied parents to service providers to assist them in understanding procedures or requirements for services and helped with translation for Spanish-speaking referrals. Family resource Center staffers have facilitated meetings between school personnel and parents through calls, home visits, and other correspondence. the center also provides transportation, in addition to monthly newsletters and calendars. Health and social services: the center also helps parents become familiar with and enroll in community programs. the maryville City Schools Childrens Fund, opened in 2003, provides clothing and other basic needs. the fund is staffed with volunteers trained by the Family resource Center. more than 1,000 students and their families have received assistance. the Family resource Center also connects families to sources of food, clothing, toiletries, furniture, and appliances. It also provides emergency assistance, supplied items and instruction for treatment of head lice, and prepared and distributed

usinG DaTa To enhanCe sTuDenT learninG

Assistant Director of Schools Dr. Mike Winstead conducts analyses of data after every benchmark or summative assessment test. He provides local, regional, state, and national comparisons and identifies patterns, trends, and contributing factors that I cannot imagine what some of these students may have influenced results. He routinely meets would be doing in life without the positive and conwith groups of teachers in grade levels or destructive influence that tNt has provided for the partments in each of the schools to share results, last 18 years, said teacher Jay malone, as quoted helping schools identify and target students in in the mCS Annual report. need of interventions. In addition, Dr. Winstead trains faculty and staff members at each school to use the state DVALT website where test scores are housed. He helps them understand how to download and analyze the data on the website, how to track the extent to which schools are meeting annual learning goals, and assists principals with strategy planning for their Title I and other school improvement plans. The district also deploys Dr. Winstead in helping school board members, parents, city council members, and community members become familiar with and interpret the test data for the district. The district utilizes PowerSchoolsoftware that resides on the districts websiteto generate high-level reports. Using benchmark information, the staff can accurately predict how well a student will perform on state assessments about 98 percent of the time. In addition to the data analysis resources provided by the district, each school has a data team and conducts an in-depth analysis of both the benchmark and summative test results. The principal and the other members of the data team scrutinize the data for trends and to identify individual teachers and students who may be facing challenges in reaching proficiency.

16

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

17

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Teachers in each school are required to engage in comprehensive analysis of test results for their students and develop a summary of outcomes and action steps for improvement. Finally, data are shared with each student, and his or her parents know what the student has mastered and which standards still need to be addressed. In several schools, information on standards mastery for each student is sent home as part of the nine-week report card.

While student responsibility is encouraged, it is not left to chance. Rather, the schools offer multiple interventions to any student at risk of failure or falling behind. Schools host before- and after-school programming and peer and teacher assistance during the day. Some students are assigned an adult to monitor, support, and mentor them. Families are also supported through the Family Resource Center and other sources of assistance. Maryville City Schools leadership, district governance, cohesive systems and operations, communication and advisory structures, and approaches to solving instructional challenges through deep data analysis, collaboration, and intensive interventions all work together to make the district effective. Maryville has operationalized high expectations in ways that can serve as a model for other districts in Tennessee and the nation.

ConClusion
Maryville City Schools has many factors in place that are associated with highly effective districts. The school board and director of schools are single-minded in their pursuit of excellence, as demanded by the community. The district has translated and codified these high expectations into the district mission, vision, and goals. The strategic plan further articulates the goals into specific objectives, and specifies the strategies that the district and its schools will undertake to reach goals. The plan itself was well developed, with district leaders and staff carefully listening to Maryvilles constituents, taking a critical look at the districts strengths and needs, and focusing on the areas where change would have the highest yield. The plan reflected both the communitys values and the research literature on what works. With so many voices represented in the development process, the plan was readily accepted by internal and external stakeholders. Maryville staff did not stop listening to constituents when the plan was developed, but rather engaged in creating a communications plan and structure to promote continuous improvement. The director and the board communicate regularly, and the district has also established two advisory boards comprised of internal and external stakeholders to consider issues of district concern on a routine basis. These deep and broad communication vehicles nurture cohesion and promote responsiveness to the community. Maryville extends its high expectations into the schools through the development of a performance culture that both demands accountability and supports its personnel in achieving goals. The district offers a wide variety of professional learning opportunities and ensures that its teachers and administrators receive current information about educational initiatives, ongoing training in areas of need, and targeted training for any individual who seeks to improve his or her skills. The district believes in local control and has given its principals autonomy to design instructional programs that work best for the students and families being served. Teachers collaborate to plan rigorous instruction and solve any instructional problems that arise. Families are often intensely involved in ensuring that students are engaged, challenged, and pushed to reach their personal best. Schools address issues of concern for them, such as reading in the elementary and high schools, and create structures that allow them to diagnose student challenges and offer the best types of instruction to meet those needs. The district is also very savvy in collecting and analyzing data for improvement. Student performance data are analyzed at the district, school, department, classroom, student subpopulation, and individual levels. In addition to examining test scores, absenteeism, and tardiness, teachers often conduct formative assessments to ensure that their lessons are effective in helping students master standards. Students themselves also track their progress so that they are aware of their individual strengths and challenges, and they are encouraged to seek assistance for any area in which they are at risk of failure.

maryville City Schools has many factors in place that are associated with highly effective districts. the school board and director of schools are single-minded in their pursuit of excellence, as demanded by the community. the district has translated and codified these high expectations into the district mission, vision, and goals.

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2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

2011 SCORE Prize District Winner: Maryville City Schools

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Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

high expectations
1. a. Maryville City Schools aims to achieve academic excellence by setting high expectations. What are some of the high expectations maryville City Schools holds for its students? In what ways are these expectations similar or different from the expectations in your district? How do you communicate your districts expectations to principals, teachers, students, parents, and the community? In what ways might you improve upon the articulation and communication of expectations in your district? How do your schools standards articulate high expectations? In what ways might you improve upon the expectations you hold for faculty, students, and parents? How do you convey high expectations in your classroom? What additional policies or processes could you use to convey high expectations?

b.

PENDIX DISCUS SIO AP N

c.

GU

d.

learning environment
2. One of the districts goals is to create a first-class learning environment that provides a safe and nurturing environment. What does your district do to support positive learning environments in schools? How might you better support the creation of positive school climates in your district? What policies and processes in your school support a safe, nurturing learning environment? How do you cultivate a positive climate in your classroom?

e ID

a.

b. c.

leadership
3. Principals in Maryville enjoy wide latitude to reach goals, but are held strictly accountable for progress. How does your district balance principal autonomy and accountability? How do you communicate with school leaders and provide feedback to support continuous improvement? In what ways could the feedback process with principals and schools be improved upon? What direct or indirect supports do you provide principals to help ensure their success? How does your school balance teacher autonomy and accountability? What type of feedback loops exist between school administration and teachers? How do you know you have been successful in your own classroom? How do you hold yourself accountable for student learning?

a.

b. c.

d.

4. Maryville City Schools prefers to cultivate leaders from within the district. a. How does your district support leadership at all levels? How might you improve upon the way the district develops leaders? How do you develop leadership in your school? How is leadership shared among the faculty? How do you develop leadership in your classroom? How is leadership shared between you and the students?

b. c.

20

Appendix: Discussion Guide

Appendix: Discussion Guide

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Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Professional learning
5. The guidebook details many of the professional learning opportunities Maryville City Schools provides its teachers, including opportunities that are aligned with district goals for student performance and professional learning communities that focus on school needs. In what ways are these offerings similar to the professional learning opportunities in your district? How does your district prioritize areas for professional learning? How might your district better tailor professional learning opportunities to teacher and school needs? How will you know that proposed changes are impacting teacher effectiveness and student achievement?

Data
8. Maryville analyzes data to identify patterns, trends, and contributing factors that may have influenced results, including student achievement on standardized tests and student persistence in college. Additionally, Maryville City Schools provides schools resources and support to aid in data analysis. a. How does your district use data? How does your district encourage and support schools to use data? How is data communicated to stakeholders? How could data analysis and communication at all levels be streamlined and improved upon? How can you engage school leaders, teachers, and students in the process of collecting and analyzing data? How do you use data to make decisions in your school? How might you improve upon this use or increase the types of data you collect and analyze? How do you use data in your classroom? In what ways could your school support your data use?

a.

b.

b. c. How does your school support transformative teacher learning? What structures support professional learning? How might these structures be improved upon? c. d. How do you identify what areas of learning are most important for you and your classroom? How might your school and district better support you in your professional development? d.

Community engagement
6. Maryville City Schools solicits and uses feedback from the community in a variety of ways. For example, it incorporated the communitys input into its strategic plan. Additionally, the Director of Schools meets with stakeholders four times a year to identify and address education related concerns. How does your district seek input from your local community? How do you incorporate this feedback into your goals and planning? In what ways could the communication process between the community and the school district be improved? Do you solicit feedback about your school from the community? How does your school connect with the local community? How might you improve upon your schools connection with the community? How do you connect your class with the local community?

a.

b.

c.

family engagement
7. The Family Resource Center, which connects high-risk families with school and community resources, is one way that Maryville City Schools involves parents in the education of their children. What does family engagement look like in your district? What structures in your district support parental engagement? In what ways could your district increase family engagement? How will you ensure that the parental engagement strategies support continuous school improvement and student achievement? What does family engagement look like in your school? How might you improve upon family engagement? How do you engage families in your classroom? to what extent are these practices effective in engaging families? How might you increase their effectiveness?

a.

b.

c. d.

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Appendix: Discussion Guide

Appendix: Discussion Guide

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Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

aCT. the ACt is a standardized assessment for high school

students frequently required for admission into college. the test has sections in english, mathematics, reading, science reasoning, and an optional written essay. Scored on a scale from one to 36, the test is intended to be an indicator of college readiness. the subjects align with common college introductory courses in english composition, the social sciences, college algebra, and biology. All 11th graders in tennessee are required to take this exam.

College-going rates. the college-going rate is the percentage of high school graduates who enroll in college by the fall semester after high school graduation. the rate includes students who attend college in state or out of state at public four-year colleges, public two-year colleges, technical colleges, and private colleges.

Common Core state standards. Common Core State

Standards are a set of english/language arts and mathematics standards that were developed by state leaders to ensure that every student graduates high school prepared for college or the workforce, regardless of the state in which they live. Common Core standards are internationally benchmarked, and are designed to promote critical thinking and depth of understanding of course content. the initiative is led by the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and Achieve.

AR LOSS Y OF t G er m

aCTs College readiness benchmarks. the ACt College readiness benchmarks are the minimum exam scores determined by ACt, Inc. to signal a students preparedness to succeed in first-year, credit-bearing courses at a postsecondary institution. these benchmarkswhich are based on a nationally representative sample of 98 institutions and more than 90,000 students are intended to give meaning to the numeric score and help students, parents, teachers, and counselors link high school preparation to college readiness. An english score of 18 and a reading score of 21 indicate a student would have a high probability of success in an english composition or social sciences course. Similarly, a math score of 22 and a science score of 24 illustrate a similarly high potential of success in a college algebra or biology class. ACt has determined additional college readiness benchmarks for the eXpLOre and pLAN tests.

Professional learning Communities (PlCs). professional

learning communities are groups of educators working collaboratively toward continued personal and school improvement. pLCs bring teachers and administrators together in order to enhance their effectiveness and, therefore, raise student achievement. pLCs often meet regularly and share a learning vision, and members work together to attain new and improved approaches to educating.

advanced Placement (aP). Advanced placement courses are courses offered by the College board that provide students with an opportunity to take college-level courses and earn credit towards college while in high school. there are more than 30 different Ap courses across multiple subject areas. attendance rates. All schools and districts are required to
submit student attendance rates to the tennessee Department of education. An attendance rate of 93 percent and 90 percent or higher was needed to fulfill the states adequate yearly progress (AYp) requirement for elementary/middle and high schools, respectively, under No Child Left behind.

TCaP. the tCAp assesses students in grades 3 through 8 in

tennessee and determines levels of proficiency in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Districts may also choose to administer tCAp assessments in selected subjects to students in grades K-2. there are four proficiency levels on the tCAp: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced. tCAp will be replaced by pArCC assessments, with full implementation scheduled for the 2014-15 school year.

Tvaas. tVAAS is a measure of the effect a district or school

has on the academic progress or growth rates of individual students and groups of students from year to year. tVAAS is based on the statistical methodology of Dr. William Sanders.

adequate yearly progress (aYP). Adequate yearly progress is a measure established by the No Child Left behind Act of 2001 that holds schools accountable for the performance of their students on standardized tests, including sub-groups such as racial/ethnic minorities and students with disabilities. every state administers its own examinations in reading/ language arts and mathematics, and student performance on those examinations determines whether schools are successful at making sufficient progress for a given year. Graduation rates are used in calculating high school AYp, while attendance rates are used for middle and elementary schools. tennessee received a waiver from No Child Left behind in 2012.

Tvaas 3-year growth standard. this measure provides

a common comparison of the effect a district or school has on the academic progress or growth rates of individual students and groups of students over a three-year period.

Cohort dropout rates. the cohort dropout rate is the percentage of ninth grade students reported as dropouts four years later. these data follow a cohort of students over a period of time.

24

Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

25

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

2011 SCORE

prIZ eC Om mI tt e
e
D AN
F AF St

2011 sCore Prize seleCTion CommiTTee / sTaff

Cory Curl Former Director, education Delivery Unit, tennessee Department of education Mary Graham president, United Ways of tennessee Dr. Tammy Grissom executive Director, tennessee School boards Association Linda Irwin Vice president, Niswonger Foundation Dr. Gary Nixon executive Director, tennessee State board of education Kathy Patty Outgoing president, tennessee parentteachers Association Dr. Richard Rhoda executive Director, tennessee Higher education Commission Dr. June Rivers eVAAS manager, SAS Institute Judith Rizzo executive Director and CeO, Hunt Institute Dr. Matthew Springer Assistant professor of public policy and education, peabody College, Vanderbilt University Deborah Woolley Former president, tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry

sCore Team
Jamie Woodson president and CeO Dr. Sharon Roberts Chief Operating Officer David Mansouri Director, Advocacy and Communications Laura Moore Director, Innovation Emily Carter policy and research Associate Erika Berry Outreach Associate Mary Cypress Howell Communications Associate June Keel business Associate Amber McCullough Administrative Assistant Jessica Terry Special Assistant

26

2011 SCORE Prize Selection Committee/Staff

2011 SCORE Prize Selection Committee/Staff

27

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

28

NOTES

NOTES

29

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

Pathways to the Prize Lessons from the 2011 SCORE Prize District Winner

30

NOTES

NOTES

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1207 18th Avenue South, Suite 326 Nashville, tN 37212 615.727.1545 www.tnscore.org