the show me achievement study: how school boards influence student achievement
TRANSCRIPT
The Show Me The Show Me Achievement Study:Achievement Study:
How School Boards How School Boards Influence Student Influence Student
AchievementAchievement
PresentersPresenters
Saint Louis University Doctoral Team:
Tim Dilg- Springfield Catholic
Aaron Gerla- Logan-Rogersville
John Mulford- West Plains
Bill Redinger- East Lynne
Background of the ProjectBackground of the Project
•Greater emphasis placed on student achievement in the last 20 years.
50’s-60’s: Financial Concerns
70’s-80’s: Personnel Decisions
90’s-2000’s: Student Achievement
•Age of Accountability: at every level of people who have an impact on student achievement.
•Lighthouse Study in Iowa
-Foundational study on school board governance and student achievement (late 1990’s)
-Significant limitations in the original study that could be improved upon:
-No Iowa school data (use of Georgia data)
-Used six schools as basis of their study
-Dated research
•School Board Research: Main Lines of Inquiry - September 14-15, 2007
-Des Moines, Iowa
•Prominent School Board Governance Researchers
•After Leaving the Main Lines of Inquiry Conference
-Use all of our current research to create a school board governance study that uses current research, as well as quantitative and qualitative data to help show Missouri School Board Members “best practice” to use in their own school districts.
School Ranking SystemSchool Ranking System•We ran into the same problems as Iowa at first with no student achievement ranking system in our state.
•All schools in our survey must be a Missouri school district, K-12 district, and completed all five achievement data areas through DESE. (446 school districts qualified for the study)
•Schools were then ranked from 1-446 in each category for the two year cycle, as well as an overall student achievement ranking for all five categories in the two year cycle.
•Data received from DESE for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years.
•We create our own ranking system based on the
following criteria:
-MAP Communication Arts
-MAP Mathematics
-Percent of Graduates attending College
-Graduation rate
-Average ACT score
Where that leads us…Where that leads us…
The school ranking system allowed The school ranking system allowed us to pick 180 districts from which to us to pick 180 districts from which to survey.survey.
With this step taken care of, it With this step taken care of, it opened the door to endless hours of opened the door to endless hours of research…research…
The Research/Reading The Research/Reading process:process:
•We began our reading with the sources We began our reading with the sources that were used in the Lighthouse that were used in the Lighthouse Inquiry.Inquiry.
•Our reading and research culminated Our reading and research culminated with our attendance at the School Board with our attendance at the School Board Research: Main Lines of Inquiry Research: Main Lines of Inquiry Symposium in Des Moines, IA in Symposium in Des Moines, IA in September 2007.September 2007.
•From this reading the team identified From this reading the team identified and refined 8 indicators of success for and refined 8 indicators of success for school boards to influence student school boards to influence student achievement.achievement.
1. Shared Vision & 1. Shared Vision & LeadershipLeadership
Vision: The board, on behalf of and with extreme participation by the community, envisions the community’s education future.
Leadership: The primary responsibilities of the school board and superintendent leadership team are to engage the community and staff to set a direction for the district (mission), provide a structure by establishing policies, ensure accountability, and provide community leadership on behalf of the district's children.
2. Assessment2. Assessment
Simply put, school boards shouldSimply put, school boards should actively embrace data as a tool to actively embrace data as a tool to help them improve. Districts should help them improve. Districts should celebrate positive data, and leaders celebrate positive data, and leaders must not shy away from difficult must not shy away from difficult information. They should model the information. They should model the acceptance of difficult data by acceptance of difficult data by pushing stakeholders to seek pushing stakeholders to seek solutions rather than placing blame.solutions rather than placing blame.
3. Accountability3. Accountability
• All school related personnel are now being All school related personnel are now being held accountable for the results produced held accountable for the results produced by their local school districts. For years by their local school districts. For years school board members were not included in school board members were not included in this era of accountability but things have this era of accountability but things have changed with new state laws requiring changed with new state laws requiring accountability from all. accountability from all.
• This relates to assessment, and further This relates to assessment, and further reinforces the need for the school board to reinforces the need for the school board to be involved in the process of reviewing be involved in the process of reviewing student data.student data.
4. Climate4. Climate
Researchers can all agree upon the extreme Researchers can all agree upon the extreme importance of school climate, but most have importance of school climate, but most have different ways of describing it and defining different ways of describing it and defining it. Most definitions focus on two aspects of it. Most definitions focus on two aspects of school climate: the physical structure of a school climate: the physical structure of a school building and the interpersonal school building and the interpersonal relationships that are taking place within relationships that are taking place within that setting. that setting.
Nearly every decision that a school board Nearly every decision that a school board makes has an effect on one or both of these makes has an effect on one or both of these aspects of climate.aspects of climate.
5. Communication and 5. Communication and CollaborationCollaboration
The school board should seek to The school board should seek to engage their community, not merely engage their community, not merely to communicate with them.to communicate with them.
Grunig’s communication model: Grunig’s communication model:
2-way symmetrical communication: 2-way symmetrical communication: information flows in from stakeholders information flows in from stakeholders and out from the school board.and out from the school board.
6. Community Involvement6. Community Involvement
• ““effective school boards have established effective school boards have established mechanisms for community involvement mechanisms for community involvement in setting the vision for the school district, in setting the vision for the school district, representing the values of the community, representing the values of the community, and identifying the district’s short-term and identifying the district’s short-term and long-term priorities.” and long-term priorities.”
• Ward, C., & Griffin Jr, A. (2005). Five Ward, C., & Griffin Jr, A. (2005). Five characteristics of an effective school characteristics of an effective school board. George Lucas Educational board. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Foundation.
7. Continuous Improvement with 7. Continuous Improvement with an Elevated Belief Systeman Elevated Belief System
““School improvement is not a mystery. School improvement is not a mystery. Incremental, even dramatic improvement is Incremental, even dramatic improvement is not only possible but probable under the not only possible but probable under the right conditions (Schmoker, 1999, p.1).” right conditions (Schmoker, 1999, p.1).”
The following quote helps to define what an The following quote helps to define what an elevated belief system should be: “I ran for elevated belief system should be: “I ran for school board because I have a vested school board because I have a vested interest. This is my community. As a group interest. This is my community. As a group we can help our schools so that our children we can help our schools so that our children can compete in the world (Lighthouse can compete in the world (Lighthouse Inquiry, 2001, p. 56).” Inquiry, 2001, p. 56).”
8. Data Driven Decision 8. Data Driven Decision MakersMakers
As alluded to earlier, the school board As alluded to earlier, the school board must become comfortable and familiar must become comfortable and familiar with the use of student achievement with the use of student achievement data.data.
Data constitutes the feedback loop that Data constitutes the feedback loop that empowers the board and staff to seek empowers the board and staff to seek ways to refine, strengthen, modify or ways to refine, strengthen, modify or even eliminate existing programs and even eliminate existing programs and practices. In short, to improve. practices. In short, to improve.
Research MethodologyResearch Methodology
Questionnaires and InterviewsQuestionnaires and Interviews
The QuestionnaireThe Questionnaire
Based on our reading and the Based on our reading and the development of the 8 indicators that were development of the 8 indicators that were just explained, the team developed a 26 just explained, the team developed a 26 question instrument to put before school question instrument to put before school board members.board members.
Before initiating the survey, the team Before initiating the survey, the team asked a panel of experts in school asked a panel of experts in school governance (superintendents and school governance (superintendents and school board members from across Missouri) to board members from across Missouri) to review the questions and offer advice.review the questions and offer advice.
The ParticipantsThe Participants
The questionnaire was launched via The questionnaire was launched via Surveymonkey.com in May of 2008Surveymonkey.com in May of 2008
Based on student achievement measures Based on student achievement measures from 2005 to 2007, the team invited school from 2005 to 2007, the team invited school board members from 180 K-12 school board members from 180 K-12 school districts across Missouri to participate.districts across Missouri to participate.
From June through August of 2008 the From June through August of 2008 the team received completed surveys from team received completed surveys from urban, suburban and rural districts urban, suburban and rural districts representing every region of the state.representing every region of the state.
The ChallengesThe Challenges
The team found that summer is not the The team found that summer is not the easiest time to ask Superintendents and easiest time to ask Superintendents and board members to do extra work.board members to do extra work.
In order to further the size and diversity of In order to further the size and diversity of the sample, the team members took to the the sample, the team members took to the phones and to the highways.phones and to the highways.
In addition to the online questionnaire, In addition to the online questionnaire, some board members were asked to some board members were asked to complete paper copies of the questionnaire complete paper copies of the questionnaire and return those to the team. and return those to the team.
The Challenges, cont.The Challenges, cont.
One limitation that the team One limitation that the team acknowledges is the limited acknowledges is the limited participation of urban school board participation of urban school board members. Urban boards are members. Urban boards are represented, but not to the extent represented, but not to the extent that the team had hoped.that the team had hoped.
Closing the QuestionnaireClosing the Questionnaire
In August, after 12 weeks, the team In August, after 12 weeks, the team finalized the collection of questionnaires finalized the collection of questionnaires with responses from schools of every with responses from schools of every demographic in the state. The project demographic in the state. The project team specifically chose districts to work team specifically chose districts to work with that encompassed urban, with that encompassed urban, suburban, and rural areas from every suburban, and rural areas from every part of the state. All school districts in part of the state. All school districts in Missouri can feel represented by this Missouri can feel represented by this project.project.
The InterviewsThe Interviews The second phase in the collection of data was to The second phase in the collection of data was to
conduct face to face interviews with school board conduct face to face interviews with school board members who also represented urban, suburban members who also represented urban, suburban and rural districts from across the state.and rural districts from across the state.
This qualitative data allowed the team to ask This qualitative data allowed the team to ask more direct and probing questions that were also more direct and probing questions that were also linked to the 8 indicators.linked to the 8 indicators.
The school board members were promised The school board members were promised confidentiality and were very candid with their confidentiality and were very candid with their responses, helping add to the validity of the responses, helping add to the validity of the study.study.
What Good School Boards are What Good School Boards are Currently Doing to Help withCurrently Doing to Help with
Student AchievementStudent Achievement
1) Finding ways to maintain continuity in 1) Finding ways to maintain continuity in administration positionsadministration positions
-Multi year contracts-Multi year contracts-Incentives-Incentives-Allows for clarity and efficiency-Allows for clarity and efficiency
2) District wide visions are set and followed 2) District wide visions are set and followed -Conviction in the school board is -Conviction in the school board is
reached instead of consensusreached instead of consensus
3) Involve as many stakeholders in the school process as possible.
-Committees
-Websites
-Constant Feedback and Interaction
-Community feels apart, builds a sense of “we”
4) Make use of student achievement data for the revise of curriculum.
-Student achievement data should not be used as a hiring/firing technique but a positive as to how you can improve student performance.
Summary ThoughtsSummary Thoughts•None of these suggestions can guarantee success due to other factors that may be present in your school district, but all of these suggestions were very apparent in our high ranked school districts.
•Student achievement is too important to leave to chance, we all need to be proactive to give ourselves the best chance for success.
Questions/CommentsQuestions/CommentsIf you have any additional questions of comments of this presentation feel free to contact us:
Tim Dilg- Springfield Catholic (417) 887-8817
OR
Aaron Gerla- Logan-Rogersville (417) 753-2896