Questions and Answers from January 18th Public Forum

What other schools may potentially close in the future besides Grant?
This will be determined when a long range facility committee is formed and meets to determine the future needs of our district. We have to sit down and go through this same process before that determination is made.

The academic standards of 90-90-90: why did we not practice these standards earlier? Will the 90-90-90 idea extend to all schools in the district?
Over the past year and a half, when doing research we were very diligent in looking at aspects, feasibility, financial implications, staffing, major paradigm shift in models. These are not quick decisions to make. It has only been in the past few years that we were aware of this model and the success rate of those districts in this nation. We believe we will see results with this model and once we begin showing this, other schools will take notice and begin integrating it into their school. We want to begin with success in a couple of schools, put our resources into those schools, and in time expand throughout the district. The Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle of continuous improvement calls for trying out new initiatives on a smaller scale before deploying full scale.

How many classrooms are at Lincoln and Hawthorne-Irving?
There are 20 classrooms at each building.

The students that are currently attending another school due to NCLB - will they be allowed to continue at the choice school or would they have to return to the “Academies?” If they are allowed to stay at a choice school, how will that save on our transportation costs?
Yes, they can. They are allowed to remain at their choice school. Transportation is paid for by the district only if their home school remains on the watch list.

To support the “sister school” continuity as well as benefit families with children between both sites, has consideration been given to how resources/staff might be shared? (The psychologist, social worker, elementary education counselor, speech pathologist, nursing, ESL, etc.)
Yes, we have spoken about the shared resources. We will have itinerant staff at both new schools. There will be one speech pathologist at each building, and nursing is shared between two buildings. Consideration has been given to continuity. We will continue to provide the best services to these schools as well as the schools in the rest of the district.

What will be the seniority process for the affected staff?
Seniority status for certified staff will be considered during the interview process. The four (RIEA) most senior certified tenured staff members that apply for an available vacancy will be guaranteed an interview. Seniority affects members of RIESPA in that “displaced” employees will be called back in reverse seniority to select from available positions for which they are qualified. Seniority affects members of AFSCME in accordance to the AFSCME Collective Bargaining agreement.

What is the timeline for posting positions?
We are expecting to hire our staff members between Feb. 4 and March 18. A draft of the process is being reviewed by the administration and RIEA. Once finalized, we will begin identifying the building principals. After they are selected we will identify lead teachers and meet with the principals to identify an interview team. All positions will be posted. An internal interview process with tenured staff members who have applied for the positions will begin. The 4 tenured staff members with most seniority for every teaching vacancy will be guaranteed interviews. Once selected, we will begin the interview process for non-tenured teachers, then make recommendations to the board for approval of the contracts. Any positions that remain will be posted as external postings for all staff and public to apply.

With the restructuring plan, dealing with the three elementary schools, does that mean the Thurgood Marshall building will remain status quo? (Alternative and preschool classrooms present.) Are accommodations planned district wide to locate PreK/Head start classrooms in a wider variety of schools with the displacement of 100 Head Start students from Grant?
Final determination for Grant has not been made but we are seriously looking at Thurgood Marshall Learning Center heading to Grant. We didn’t want to make it seem that we are closing Grant simply to move the Marshall students there. If and when we do that we project having Thurgood Marshall students along with a wing for Head Start students. Both systems will move and we can once again set up so the Head Start students from the Grant community can attend at that site. The administration has made a commitment to reserve a classroom for Pre-K and Head Start classrooms across the district as long as there are enough students to fill those classrooms. We want students to attend Head Start as close to their neighborhood as possible.

How effective is the 90-90-90 concept proposed under this new system?
It’s the third 90, meeting or exceeding state standards that describes the effectiveness of this program. We believe we have high poverty, high minority, but our achievement is nowhere near the 90% meets or exceeds. The premise of the 90-90-90 schools is that they have been able to demonstrate outstanding results in academic achievement.

Is there a plan in place to determine the success of this restructuring? Will there be an external audit of success other than ISAT scores?
We will use outside measures to determine individual student progress. We are currently discussing partnering with Augustana College and WIU to effectively measure the success of these restructured schools. We will determine dashboard criteria for the most important elements and will use the PDSA, data-driven model. Through the use of data and frequent ongoing monitoring we will be able to measure success with this model. In addition, we will use multiple measures for student success consisting of local, state and national student assessments and our own in-process measurement system that will provide ongoing and consistent feedback on student achievement.

What is the projected primary enrollment (K-2)?
We know there are a lot of students in those buildings who have transferred out and may choose to come back. Current enrollment is 257 with a potential of 316 students with the return of those who transferred out due to NCLB.

How is AYP calculated in the subgroups?
When students take these high stakes tests, their scores are reported in a number of ways. One student’s score may be part of a number of different subgroups. If a student has an IEP it is reported in the special education subgroup as well as other appropriate subgroups. There are a number of special programs that students participate in that are not in their home school. Where this is the case, those scores return back to their home school. If a special ed student attends a school other than their home school for another reason, then their score is part of the new school they are currently attending. It depends primarily on if the student attends a school because a program is not offered at their home school.

I am concerned that there seems to have been no discussion regarding special education students. With 7 instructional classrooms at Lincoln and Hawthorne-Irving, I hope they will get some thoughtful consideration regarding placement and grades served. What plans, if any, have been considered? For example, what will happen to classrooms that go across the break between buildings (2nd – 4th grade rooms)?
We advocate for special ed students and all students as well. Yes, there have been conversations on what to do. We will continue to provide a continuum of classes across the schools. Instructional classrooms and resource programming will provide the resources and reconfigure so continuum exists at both buildings. We will provide the services that the students need at both schools in order to be successful and give extra support to students.

What plans will be instituted to ensure the culturally competency of the teaching staff?
We have recognized for some time that we have a very diverse student population and it’s important impact on teaching and learning, recruiting, hiring, and maintaining a diverse staff that is reflective of our student population. Plans are in progress to infuse culturally relevant instructional training into District 41 Effective Teaching Instructional Professional Development Framework for the 2005-06 year. Additionally, training is being developed for administrators on “The Role of School Administrator in Facilitating a Culturally Diverse School Culture.” We have had discussions with professors from WIU and other consultants regarding Diversity and Culturally Relevant instruction/training. Plans are currently underway for Spring and Fall 2005.

How many minority staff members will we hire for these buildings?
We do not have an exact number or percentage of minority staff that will be hired. We understand the importance of hiring a teaching staff that is reflective of the diverse student population.

How are you planning to show the community that “effective” teachers will be in all buildings throughout the district and not all pulled for the two academies?
There is an expectation to hire highly qualified teachers so we have the best teachers available to us. We will look at all of our staff members and give them opportunities to apply and be considered at these particular buildings. After we give our current staff members this opportunity, if needed we will give the opportunity to outside candidates that meet highly qualified certification.

What was the reasoning behind combining these 3 schools instead of mixing with other schools? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each troubled elementary school partnering with a school not on the watch list i.e. Lincoln with Audubon or Longfellow?
In the end we had 9 scenarios that two separate teams studied. The teams looked at advantages and disadvantages of each scenario. Principals spent more time on that specific question than any other during this process. In the end, the following reasons were given: We do not want to send the students of Grant too far from their own neighborhood. We also feel when you look at the GIS or map, HI and Grant are only 7 blocks apart. By combining HI and FW we would keep a higher percent of African American students at those schools. When pairing Grant with Hawthorne-Irving and Lincoln, you have a lower concentration of African American students. By pairing each school with another school, it would increase the distance between schools and would affect approximately 1300 students by the beginning of next year.

Under 90-90-90 model, in detail, what will the curriculum consist of? Is this substantially different form the curriculum currently in use at Grant, Hawthorne-Irving and Lincoln?
We’re not talking about purchasing any new core curriculum but will continue with the balanced literacy approach we’ve been using. We will use the same textbooks and same materials. We will change the mindset, make a paradigm shift on how we approach learning and assessment. We will increase time spent on reading, writing, and math; while utilizing an integrated approach to fine arts and science. Teachers will pull in other content areas through the instruction of reading, writing, and math. Measurement of student progress will be different, frequent, and more ongoing with accountability toward meeting the standard. We will provide interventions that will help students meet standards rather than continuous moving on with the curriculum. Changing attitudes is a key. We will use data to change what we are doing with the individual student.

Will parents in any way be responsible for the fees of transportation, including a reduced fee or will the school system incur the lost 100%?
Children from Lincoln and Hawthorne-Irving are not to be bused by the district under the proposal. If transportation is desired, the parents/guardians would be responsible for contracting individually with the bus contractor and pay the cost for that transportation.

Is busing being provided to all school age children from all 3 schools?
The proposal is to provide district sponsored busing only to Grant School students.

If the 2 schools didn’t improve test scores, how long before they fall on watch list again?
After the 2nd year of not meeting AYP, they could be placed on the early academic warning list and students would be given choice to go to a different school.

What type of transition will be put in place for the students as well as parents?
Office of PPS has social workers, psychologists, elementary counselors and various liaisons to work with students to provide the most effective support possible, and will work with parents to support them. Discussions have begun on what kind of support they can offer. We want to provide support as a decision is made doing what can be done this spring, and providing ongoing support during the summer and fall. We’re in for the long haul but it is difficult to say today what the needs will be. The idea is to be aware that we do need to do some things as far as transition. The Pupil Personnel Office staff is very comfortable in this role. This is an ongoing process and will converse with those involved to know we are doing what is needed.

Will the displaced teacher be eligible to apply for vacancies in other buildings?
Yes and no. The administration is continuing to work with the RIEA to be sure we’re in agreement in the process. The draft proposed at this point is that individuals who have been selected through the interview process and assigned to the restructured schools cannot apply for open positions after they are selected for the new school. Tenured staff who lost their positions due to the school restructuring process that were not selected for a  new school will be identified as “displaced” staff members and will be eligible to apply for other available vacancies in District 41. Tenured/Non-Tenured staff members that were selected to be employed in one of the restructured schools will be asked to make a commitment to the school for which they have been selected and not be eligible for other vacancies that might come available in District 41. We are still in the process of discussing/formalizing this process with the RIEA who will share their concerns with us. We will work together to develop a successful process that is good for all parties involved.

How will the teaching staff be chosen? What qualifications are required?
We have not decided on all required qualifications at this point, but are in the process of identifying and will look for teachers who are a “best fit” for the specific approaches we plan to use at our new schools. We have had discussions that the successful staff member will have exhibited knowledge of the effective classroom, is an effective communicator, and will work with administrators to do whatever is necessary to help students succeed.

Why not restructure the schools within themselves?
This was a scenario discussed, but did not consider this to be our top option. More profound change was needed to get profound results.

Have you considered PreK classrooms at both academies and have K-3 and 4-6 schools?
 Yes, but in the end the teams recommended the scenario we have proposed. With this proposal,  multiage and looping considerations work better when PreK-2 and 3-6 schools exist. Students can have the same teacher for grades 3-4 and 5-6 and multiage would work the same way.

How will actual instruction time be affected by weekly assessments? (This is time consuming.)
We understand that delivering an assessment takes some time. These assessments will be closely tied to the instruction, and should be a natural teacher developed assessment that the teacher would probably use anyway. These should not be disruptive to the classroom setting but enhance what the teacher is doing in the classroom. The benefits far outweigh the negatives, as natural assessment data will be critical to use to determine how well our students are doing. We cannot wait until the end of the grading period. We need to monitor on an ongoing basis to see improvements in weeks rather than semesters and year.

How much will the restructuring cost the RI tax payer independent of the presented cost savings?
Very similar to what costs currently are at those schools. Basic funding of our schools is a formula driven status, per pupil ratio for certified staff. Allocation of supplies and materials is on a per student basis. General funding for the schools is supplemented with grants. As grants are approved for future year’s funding or the grant funding is completed, really determines the amount of supplemental programming going on in the facilities. If the grant funding is the same as this year, funding will remain similar. The recommendation for the transition is to allow the schools to utilize 50% of the proposed savings, from closing Grant, for the first two years to get them off and running in order to get a successful beginning which means approximately $125,000 each year.

The current buildings have many “teacher leaders” and specially trained teachers (e.g. Reading Recovery). With these changes will there be pockets of expertise neglected or lost in some of the buildings?
We will not know the impact until staffing is determined. We address a similar concern each year with retirements and transfers. We will train our teachers to fill their new roles.

What is the breakdown of special education students attending these 3 schools and where are their home schools?
Students are identified based on need. Those who have academic areas that need support, if the support can be provided with most of the day in the regular classroom, are identified as resource. Students needing more support are served in instructional rooms. 111 special ed students are currently being served in the 3 schools. 47 students are in the resource setting with less than 50% of their time in a special ed program, 24 students in the instructional program are primarily academic, 40 students receiving support in programs related to behavior emotional issues. As determined in the NCLB transfer policy, they have the ability to transfer to schools as choice if the students are in the resource program. Others are placed where the programs exist.

Academy sounds military?
Schools will come up with their names in the end. We are working on school safety, which is the number one concern heard from parents. We have pulled data, and the reality is we don’t have more fights at one school versus another, our students and teachers work hard to remain focused. We will provide over 75 hours of extensive training with staff for conscious discipline and PBIS structure and how to handle student discipline. Students will realize the excitement of a new school opening with new beginnings, and many will be surprised.

If Grant is closed and sold, what will happen to the money?
The proceeds from the sale of Grant will go into the Operations and Maintenance Fund to be used to maintain facilities.

Are there plans to enlarge or renovate any other school? Is there any school that has more students than room, requiring extra facilities?
At this time there are no firm plans to enlarge other schools, but this will be a consideration for the long-range plan for facilities. The long-range planning will begin this spring.

Will there be a new school constructed at the Franklin site?
This was in the recommendations of the citizens’ facility plan but there are no hard plans to do this. That will be part of the long range study.

Over the two to three years that students have gone to other schools from Grant, does the collected data show improvement (i.e. high standardized test scores, discipline, integration)?
The district has conducted two different studies: ISAT linked with attendance to see if there was any change. With the group of students that took ISAT at their original school then at their choice school, 70% of students improved their attendance, in math 14% improved and 86% no change; 14% declined in reading, 29% no change in writing, 14% declined. ITBS attendance 77% improved; math 23% improved, 77% declined, 38% improved in reading, language 31% improved and 69% declined. We did not see significant gains in student performance of students who transferred due to NCLB.

Third grade is typically considered to be primary – sometimes older intermediate students have distracting influence on them. Have you considered a K-3 and 4-6 with PreK in both sites?
Yes, but in the end the teams recommended the scenario we have proposed. With this proposal,  multiage and looping considerations work better when PreK-2 and 3-6 schools exist. Students can have the same teacher for grades 3-4 and 5-6 and multiage would work the same way.

If a new building is built sometime in 2008-2009, what written guarantee is there that a new building will be built on the old Franklin Field?
It was recommended by the Facilities Committee but it has not yet been reviewed and analyzed by the administration. No formal plans have been developed.

With the imminent tearing down of Valley Homes, has student impact been factored? Where will parent(s) relocate? Denkmann or Eugene Field area? Since most will not be able to afford the new $100,000+ homes to be built on the old property?
There are 79 students located in Valley Homes. These students mainly attend Audubon.

If Grant, which is and has been a racially segregated school, is closed, will Hawthorne-Irving still be racially segregated in the Superintendent’s proposed Academy plan?
The philosophy of our district is to have our students attend the school that is closest to where they live (neighborhood concept). Hawthorne-Irving and Grant are currently around 90% minority, including 80% African American and 10% Caucasian. After restructuring with Lincoln, the schools would be roughly 63% African American, 13% Hispanic, and 24% Caucasian (based on beginning of the year enrollment).

If student population is such a driving concern, when Longfellow’s parents were afraid that Longfellow would be closed because of reduced enrollment, was there board discussion of closure and sending the students to other schools outside the Longfellow area?
There was not a formal Board discussion on closing Longfellow. The Longfellow community addressed the Board regarding the possibility of closing due to rumors and media coverage in August 2003.

If the Facilities Task Force Committee’s Report carries so much weight in determining the district’s education policy and strategy, did every member visit every site? Did every member evaluate every school?
Several of the committee members did visit all of our schools, but in the end the committee as a whole decided to utilize professional engineers to determine the condition of the buildings.

What educational remedies are in place for the students that were attending Grant, Hawthorne-Irving and Lincoln schools, while on the state watch list, that has graduated from these schools and now attend jr. or sr. high school? Please describe what these provisions/remedies are and how/when they will be implemented to create academic success for these students.
As students transition into the junior high and high school settings, ongoing support systems help all students achieve to their potential. There is not a specific system designed to identify just those students from Hawthorne, Lincoln or Grant, but rather focuses on all students who are in need of academic support. A complete list of effective practices and interventions found at all of our junior highs and high school are posted online at http://curriculum.risd41.org/admin/strategies/strategies.htm. Programs are offered such as: Title I Literacy Specialist, Middle School Summer Session, Daily student intervention period, NovaNet Lab, SECME, Daily Advisory, Tutoring, Study Table, Study Skills Course, Night School and many others. For a complete description of each of these services, please visit the web site.

It is my understanding that programming and curriculum designed by African American scholars of national and international renown does exist; therefore, please explain why the district has not mentioned utilizing educational models from noted black educators like, Dr. Asa Hiliard, Dr. Wade Noble, Marva Collins and Barbara Sizemore’s “Ten Structural Routines” in the plans for educational achievement at the new Rock Island Academy schools?
In looking for education reform models, the primary characteristics we were seeking were: 1.) The model must demonstrate results with high poverty and high minority population, 2.) There must not be extensive costs associated with the implementation of the selected model and 3.) The model must demonstrate that it can work effectively and show academic results with the student population at the restructured schools. Therefore, in consultation with the Regional Office of Education and Western Illinois University, the 90-90-90 schools model was identified as a promising model to consider. This model will not be the only strategies implemented into the restructured schools. Upon further review of the aforementioned models (Dr. Asa Hiliard, Dr. Wade Noble, Marva Collins and Barbara Sizemore), there are many common characteristics of these philosophies that are incorporated in the 90-90-90 model.

In researching the scholars mentioned, it appears that some offer educational reform models while others are experts in their field who recommend or represent particular aspects of curriculum and instruction. It is our intent to review all of these in closer detail to determine what, if any aspects of their research may apply to the restructured schools. In short, our initial findings are:

Dr. Asa Hilliard does not endorse any model, but rather raises issues with the content of what children learn and how they are tested and how culture, race and ethnicity are a factor in these issues: Dr. Hilliard’s main concern is the material and content of what children are learning in schools. He believes that schools often select materials that are biased and represent cultural pluralism. Rock Island school district policies call for careful review and selection of instructional materials that are free of all forms of bias including: race, religion and gender (board policy 2510). Therefore, we believe that this concern is addressed in our current materials selection practices. We could not find any particular methodologies that would serve as an overall reform model.

Dr. Wade Noble, Psychologist does not endorse any particular school reform model, but rather writes on topics such as youth drug use. It appears that the issues Dr. Noble addresses are more social issues of black youth, rather than academic. We could not find any particular methodologies that would serve as an overall reform model.

Marva Collins- It appears that the Marva Collins Methodology is a potential reform model to research further. Below summarizes general information on this model.

• Mrs. Collins promotes excellence for the children in her charge. Effective teaching requires making daily deposits so that every child can become a lifetime achiever and they will never have to go through life faced with "insufficient funds". She tells her students that if you cannot keep one desk orderly, how can you possibly keep the world. She believes if we are not in control of small things; then the larger order of things will not become ours to command. Marva Collins believes every child is a winner until somewhere, someone teaches him or her too thoroughly that they are useless.
• Marva Collins Preparatory School is a franchised replica of the Westside Preparatory School in Chicago, started by teacher Marva Collins after she became frustrated with the city's public school system. Collins' reputation is national -- she was the subject of a "60 Minutes" profile and a TV documentary -- and her methods for motivating poor, mostly African-American kids are controversial. Like its Chicago progenitor, Marva Collins in Milwaukee features the ordered regime of Marine Corps boot camp, with punishment mitigated by lavish praise for good behavior and work, physical displays of affection and enough moral messages to put values czar William Bennett to shame.
• Discipline is central: Misbehaving kids can be found cleaning bathrooms or standing in front of the principal's desk, and a schoolwide policy allows lunches to be withheld until children complete their work -- or demonstrate to teachers' satisfaction that they have done their best.
• Proverbs supplement the school's creed and are pasted on walls everywhere. "Excellence is not an ACT, but a habit," a quote from Aristotle, adorns the girls bathroom.
• School uniforms are mandatory -- the boys in dark pants, white shirts and long red ties; the girls in green and blue plaid jumpers with white blouses and red bow ties. The pace is frenetic. Teachers have no breaks or lesson preparation time during the school day and do not even have their own desks. They are expected to be on their feet all the time, teaching constantly, identifying and correcting errors on the spot. Not a moment is wasted: On occasion, flash cards are used to drill children as they wait in the corridor to use the bathroom.

• The routines that made a difference for them deal with assessment, student placement, curriculum pacing and acceleration, monitoring, measuring, discipline, instruction, evaluation, professional development and decision making. In the assessment routine, for example, test scores are examined at the individual, class and grade levels, and then growth goals are set.
• While all the routines are important, those involving decision making and professional development are pivotal. If they are not done right, the others may be impossible to achieve.
• Many schools with depressed standardized test scores have constituencies that are fighting each other or resisting change. This constant struggle for power creates instability and destroys morale. Decisions are made by majority rule, and the defeated minority spends its energy and time making sure that the decisions of the majority are thwarted. School improvement will not happen until the school employees make student achievement their highest priority and agree to cooperate and collaborate in changing their educational routines to attain it.
• Consensus and commitment are facilitated by group problem solving and planning. However, it is hard for schools to find time for teachers to meet together in grade-level and subject-matter teams. One hour should be added to the school day for this necessary professional activity. Further, parents, local school council members, teachers and administrators should devise a process that allows all segments of the school community to participate in identifying problems, devising solutions and making assignments. After that, the principal must oversee the completion of the assignments.
• Much professional development is being conducted in the Chicago public schools. But there’s been little effort to determine whether teachers have changed how they teach. This needs to be altered; there must be monitoring. If teachers aren’t developing and using new skills, they should receive extra help (especially modeling from an expert teacher) until they do. Employees who refuse to improve should face a lowered job rating and be mandated to participate in professional development.
• Here, too, time is a problem. One of the ways schools provide time for professional development is restructuring their day. For example, a school might start classes 10 minutes early for three weeks to generate 22 hours for professional development.

1. Job vacancies are posted for a minimum of 5 days.
2. Building principal screens all applications.
3. Tenured staff member with the greatest seniority are guaranteed interviews for each vacancy that is posted.
4. An interview committee is formed to review screened candidates.
5. Building principal and interview committee identifies candidates to be interviewed.
6. Interview schedule is developed and applicants are contacted to schedule interview.
7. Building principal submits formal (written) recommendations of the chosen candidate to the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for review.
8. Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources reviews the recommended candidate’s credentials and accepts or rejects recommendation.
9. If the recommended candidate is approved by the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources the recommended candidate is forwarded to the Board of Education for approval.

• A principal and staff who make a commitment to getting parents involved, making it a high priority, and following through on a well devised plan -the Title 1 Parent Coordinator will be working with us to develop such a plan. Note other high poverty schools have been successful in this area, we can do the same, but it will have to be a complete team effort.
• We will need a carefully selected parent involvement/liaison coordinator who understands what needs to be done to reach the parents and is willing to go out to the home to communicate and recruit and one who will work with and encourage teachers to connect with the parents.
• We will also need to have a principal and teachers who not only understand that they cannot do it alone, but are willing to go the extra mile to make parents feel comfortable coming to school.  Who will make the extra effort to contact that hard to reach parent.
• In the end, we need a well developed plan (examples are there) with everyone committed to making it happen. Even after that we will have some who won't get involved, this is where we will need to use our partnership and/or mentoring coordinator to make sure we can connect that needy child with a mentor/advocate who makes that child feel special, feel successful.

This Page was last update: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at 11:19:19 AM
This page was originally posted: 3/29/06; 3:08:06 PM.
Copyright 2008 Facilities and Restructuring Study

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