Adrian Fenty 
Academic Plan, Final Draft
February 23, 2007

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[The following editor's note was added to the academic plan on May 9, 2007, after it was revealed that about a third of this plan was copied from an academic plan for the Charlotte-Mecklenberg, North Carolina, public schools.] 

Editor's Note

This document is a compendium of earlier reform initiatives, plans and best practices developed for the District of Columbia Public Schools and other jurisdictions. It includes language from: the DCPS Master Education Plan, 2006 Parthenon Report, 2000 McKinsey Report, 1986 COPE Report and numerous reports prepared by the Council of Great City Schools, as well as documents prepared by, for or about the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools, Denver Public Schools, Houston Independent School District, Los Angeles Unified School District, Miami-Dade Public Schools, New York City Department of Education and the Oakland Unified School District. As we seek to raise the performance of all our students, we will work with speed and resolve to intervene aggressively on behalf of our lowest performing schools and students, and will not be satisfied only by an increase in performance among our lowest performing. The Administration will seek to increase the rigor, options and performance of our highest performing students.

The Vision

In 2006, the United States produced six Nobel Prize winners. All of them were educated in public schools. This is the standard of education that DCPS must strive to deliver. The Fenty administration expects DCPS to produce students who can compete locally, nationally and internationally.

This endeavor towards excellence will demand an intense focus on student success above all else, a strategic prioritization of resources, and relentless attention to implementation. More than anything, it will require unwavering commitment and hard work on the part of thousands of adults within the school district and across numerous city agencies, as well as parents and community members.

To secure the District of Columbia’s place as an indisputably world-class city, we must have a world-class education system. We recognize that where we stand today the goal of making DCPS the public school system of choice seems audacious, but as a community we must aspire to more than that, because we deserve better and because, as globalization continues to flatten the world, success for the next generation will require it. And so, our reference point must move beyond our own historical performance or that of other urban jurisdictions; in fact, it must move beyond the United States itself. We must seek to transform DCPS into the premier urban public education system among world capitals. It is an ambitious goal, and one this administration will pursue tirelessly.

Measures of Success

While standardized testing can only tell part of the student achievement story, it is the easiest method of tracking and comparing student performance at the most basic levels. At the local level, we will continue to track the progress of our students using the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC-CAS). At the national level, the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) will be our yardstick, and at the international level, the District of Columbia will investigate the possibility of tracking its performance on the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the two most widely used international measures of student performance.

Our starting point is sobering. We have all seen the data, perhaps so much that it ceases to enrage us in the way it should. On average, our students are performing poorly by any measure. Moreover, the data reveal a stunning achievement gap between white students and students of color.

We will seek to raise the performance of all our students. We will work with speed and resolve to intervene aggressively on
behalf of our lowest performing schools and students, but we will not be satisfied only by an increase in performance among our lowest performing. We will also seek to increase the rigor, options, and performance of our highest performing students.

The Task at Hand

Many of our students are challenged by circumstances outside of the schools’ control, such as poverty and learning English as a second language. But there can be no excuses. We must prepare all of our students to reach beyond today’s scores, today’s tests and today’s challenges. There is significant research indicating that schools in general, and teachers in particular, can have an enormous impact on student achievement, despite whatever outside challenges a child brings to school. So even as we seek to ease the burden on schools by addressing the social issues that impact our students’ ability to excel, we must move forward aggressively with the knowledge that schools can drive high levels of achievement despite these obstacles.

We have taken the first bold step of asking that the artificial boundaries that exist between DCPS as a school system and the network of agencies controlled by the Executive Office of the Mayor be eliminated. But that change is only the first step.
Getting DCPS to succeed will require an across the board mindset shift. We must earn the trust of educators, support staff, parents, students, and the community at large through demonstrating that this is not business as usual. In return, we will demand the investment and hard work of all of these stakeholders. Across city government, we will demand that agencies define their roles and measure their outcomes from a new vantage point. The failure of ANY child will be OUR collective responsibility.

The Plan

Under the leadership of the current Superintendent, DCPS has articulated a new Mission, a set of Core Beliefs and Commitments, a Master Education Plan and a Master Facilities Plan. The Fenty administration recognizes these reform principles and documents as the product of significant community involvement and is committed to them as the starting point for its reform efforts following the passage of the “District of Columbia Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007”.

We have identified a set of high priority goals and strategies that fit within the framework of the Master Education Plan. Some of these are strategies that have been adopted already by DCPS, but not implemented fully. Others are strategies that were not discussed explicitly in the MEP, but support the implementation of MEP objectives.

The strategies outlined in this Plan are not all-inclusive. Rather, they represent the major initiatives that will be in place by 2010to meet the goals listed. Achieving the new goals will take time, but some dramatic action and changes must — and will — occur immediately. More actions and changes will follow, as additional plans and strategies are developed and/or refined.

This Plan is being provided to give context around the “District of Columbia Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007.” The recommendations within this Plan were made with limited access to data, personnel, etc. There will be continuous dialogue between the Mayor and the Superintendent once a preliminary analysis of the school system is completed after the legislation passes.

All of this work will require dedication and the sustained commitment of many partners, including educators, parents, students, taxpayers, and civic and community members. To succeed, we must enhance what has worked well before – projects and programs with proven, measurable results – and let go of projects and programs that do not increase student achievement in measurable ways. With limited financial resources, we must focus our investments on programs proven to work.

Fundamental Ingredients to Success

While success will ultimately depend on the prioritizing and effective execution of dozens of smart strategies, there are some
overarching approaches that will ground all that we do.

Human Capital

As in almost any enterprise, the best-designed plan is only as good as the people who carry it out, assess their progress, and are willing and able to change course to improve outcomes. Effective teachers in every classroom and effective principals in every school are critical to our academic success. School-based support staff and central administrators alike must have the skill and will to attain challenging goals. Attaining our goals, therefore, relies heavily on recruiting effective personnel at every level, and building their capacity through meaningful professional development. Without this talent mindset, we will flounder.

World-Class Service

In order to effectively make this Plan a reality, DCPS must transform its organizational culture to one that is truly service-oriented. This will require a new way of thinking throughout the entire organization, top to bottom. In short, DCPS must be responsive to its stakeholders, which include students, parents, community members and employees. This transformation will only occur if the mindset of every person working for DCPS becomes truly service-oriented. As that transformation occurs, DCPS must foster it with better resources, processes and training.

Freedom and Flexibility with Accountability

The school system's core business—teaching and learning—must be managed by the central office with some flexibility. This flexibility must balance accountability with empowerment according to the needs and performance of individual schools or particular classrooms. The structure of central office support itself must also be decentralized in order to be more responsive to the needs of principals, their schools and the public.

Data Driven Decision Making

School systems rely on data to accurately assess student learning and make informed decisions to continually promote student achievement. To ensure that school data is properly utilized in DCPS, the Chancellor will institute an accountability system referred to as SchoolStat. A detailed description of SchoolStat is included in the Appendix.

First One Hundred Days and Beyond

Our approach during the first 100 days will be two-tracked. We will immediately begin a targeted assessment of the current
situation, focusing on areas we know to be of major concern. This initial assessment will include a budget scrub to get a clear picture of where funds are currently allocated and available. It will also pay particular attention to the human resources
department, given that department’s critical role in fueling every other initiative. While a comprehensive assessment of the status quo will take some time, we will not wait until it is complete to get to work on a number of key priorities.

In the section that follows, we have outlined the top level priorities we will act on during the first 100 days, along with a number of other goals that will be addressed in the first 12-24 months.

Note: Special education and facilities are addressed specifically in a separate document.

Goal I: Ensure Challenging Curriculum and Instruction for All Students

Strategy 1: Refine the K-8 comprehensive reading model (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 2: Refine the K-8 comprehensive mathematics model (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 3: Accelerate intensive intervention strategies lowest performing high schools (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 4: Begin reform initiatives targeted at middle schools. (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 5: Expand access to more rigorous courses at the high school level. (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 6: Pilot extended learning programs through a competitive grant program (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 7: Communicate student performance data to parents and students regularly and in a consistent manner. (New initiative)

Strategy 8: Expand Career and Technical Education (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 9: Expand foreign-language instruction at all grade levels (New initiative)

Strategy 10: Expand opportunities for talented and gifted students (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 11: Address the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Goal II: Teachers and Principals Will Deliver High Quality Instruction to Every Student

Strategy 1: Develop a talent pipeline for teachers, teacher leaders, and principals (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 2: Improve teacher working conditions. (New initiative)

Strategy 3: Refine professional development for improved instruction (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 4: Recognize and reward high-performing staff with individual and school wide compensation initiatives.

Strategy 5: Ensure equitable staffing for every school. (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Goal III: Safe and Orderly Schools

Strategy 1: Ensure student discipline policies are enforced consistently throughout school district. (New initiative)

Strategy 2: Reorganize and expand alternative education programs. (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 3: Train teachers and principals on best ways to handle student behavior issues. (New initiative)

Strategy 4: Strengthen relationships with community partners.

Strategy 5: Continue/expand the work of the Truancy Taskforce (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Goal IV: Develop a Strong System of Accountability Balanced with School Level Autonomy

Strategy 1: Develop a district-wide SchoolStat accountability system. (New initiative)

Strategy 2: Establish data infrastructure and research partnerships that allow effective analysis. (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 3: Shift resources and decision-making to the schools, and away from the central administration. (Expands initiative
articulated in Master Education Plan)

Goal V: Ensure World-Class Service

Strategy 1: Conduct a comprehensive service audit and service improvement program. (New initiative)

Strategy 2: Develop service standards. (New initiative)

Strategy 3: Provide service training and communication on customer service initiatives. (New initiative)

Strategy 4: Strengthen employee communications. (New initiative)

Strategy 5: Assess business operations. (New initiative)

Goal VI: Build on Our Community's Assets

Strategy 1: Develop ombudsman program. (New initiative)

Strategy 2: Redesign and restructure Web site. (New initiative)

Strategy 3: Improve communication and collaboration with parents and stakeholders. (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 4: Expand public engagement. (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 5: Strengthen community partnerships and volunteers. (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 6: Increase Principal Accountability for Parent and Community Outreach (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

Strategy 7: Host regular media briefings. (New initiative)

Strategy 8: Partner with EOM’s Office of Parent & Community Involvement to launch Parent Academy. (New initiative)

Strategy 9: Strengthen Local School Restructuring Teams (LSRTs). (Expands initiative articulated in Master Education Plan)

DCPS Goals 2010/11¹

Following are the high level Measures of Success to which we will hold ourselves accountable. The Chancellor would propose targets for each measure.

Student Achievement Outcomes

• Percentage of students performing at or above proficiency in reading in grades three through eight (BASELINE: 35% at or
  above proficiency in reading in 2006. (DC CAS)).
• Percentage of students performing at or above proficiency in mathematics in grades three through eight (BASELINE: 26% at or above proficiency in mathematics in 2006. (DC CAS)).
• Percentage of students performing at or above proficiency on writing assessment in grades four and eight. (BASELINE: 11% of DCPS 4th graders at or above proficiency in writing; the NAEP national average was 27%. 10% of DCPS 8th graders at or above proficiency in writing; NAEP national average of 30%. (NCES, 2002 Trial Urban District Assessment))
• Narrowing of disparity based on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status on all academic measures.
  BASELINE:
  Reading: 91% of white students tested at or above proficiency in reading, more than 3 times the rate of black students (29%) and 2.25 times the rate of Hispanic students (40%). (2006 DC CAS)
  Mathematics: 80% of white students tested at or above proficiency in mathematics, 4 times the rate of black students (20%) and 2.6 times the rate of Hispanic students (31%).
• Percentage of students graduating within 5 years (BASELINE: 43% of entering 9th graders graduate within 5 years. (October 2006 DTN)) (Baseline data on this measure are not particularly reliable.)
• Percentage of Advanced Placement exams receiving a score of 3 or higher (BASELINE: DCPS 28%; national average 58%. (College Board, 2006))
• Increase in average score on the SAT, accompanied by increase in percentage of students who take the test will also increase. (BASELINE: 1204 out of 2400. (2006)
• Percentage of students will meet or exceed the national average on the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading, mathematics and science.
• Student performance data will be communicated to parents and students on a regular basis and in a consistent manner.

Instructional Staff

• Percentage of effective teaching staff. Effectiveness will be measured by fair and rigorous evaluations, including objective student outcome measures and research-based assessment of instructional practice. Target will be set after a district-wide teacher accountability system has been proposed, evaluated, and adopted.
• Percentage of teaching positions filled on first day of school, and at intervals throughout the year.
• Percentage of key instructional support positions filled at predetermined points during the year. This includes, but is not limited to, math and literacy coaches, and new teacher mentors.

Conditions for Effective Teaching and Learning

• Percentage of “certified” classrooms. Standards will be defined for the “certification” of classroom readiness (necessary instructional materials and supplies). Data to be reported in such a way as to reveal any systematic differences between groups of schools (grade level, poverty level, performance level, etc.)
• Percentage of schools meeting DCPS standards for technology (Baseline standards to be determined.).
• Percentage of schools meeting standards for co-curricular activities. Minimum standards will be developed for co-curricular activities at all levels. (Co-curricular activities are extensions of the core curriculum and provide an opportunity for students to use critical thinking skills learned in the classroom outside of the traditional classroom setting. Examples include chess, Math Olympiad, National Academic League, Debate, Science Olympiad, Odyssey of the Mind, and Model UN.) Once minimum standards are set, the baseline percentage of all schools meeting the DCPS standard of co-curricular activities will be set and tracked moving forward.
• Percentage of schools receiving the top rating(s) on the DCPS SchoolStat Accountability System; (see Appendix 1).

Safe and Orderly Schools

• Percentage of students indicating they feel safe at school. (Survey and baseline data to be completed by end of first year of mayoral control.)
• Percentage of parents indicating they believe schools are safe. (Survey and baseline data to be completed by end of first year of mayoral control.)
• Percentage of schools scoring at or above 90 percent on an annual safe school audit. (Audit and baseline data to be completed by end of first year of mayoral control.)
• Change in the number of state-reportable incidents of inappropriate behavior per 1,000 students.

World Class Service

• Percentage of employees, parents and community members who agree DCPS provides timely, accurate and responsive service on annual satisfaction surveys and polls.

Strong Parent and Community Connections

• Percentage of DCPS parents agreeing that DCPS is doing a good job and is headed in the right direction.
• Percentage of community members agreeing that DCPS is doing a good job and is headed in the right direction.

APPENDIX 1: DCPS SchoolStat Accountability System

Overview

In order to exercise consistent oversight and ensure that the academic and positive youth development goals of DCPS are attainable by every DCPS student, the Chancellor (in partnership with the Executive Office of the Mayor & the Office of the City Administrator) will institute and maintain a district wide school accountability system known as SchoolStat. SchoolStat will be rigorous, fair, difficult to manipulate, easy to understand and describe, and designed with the purpose of holding all schools and their staffs accountable for meeting academic and positive youth development goals and success in meeting other operational performance goals.

The SchoolStat Summary Performance Measure shall be concise and simple so that it may be easily understood by the general public. (SchoolStat will also be used to track short-term tactical performance measures at the school and department level that may not be factored into the SchoolStat Summary Performance Measure.) The Chancellor, working with the Executive Office of the Mayor & the Office of the City Administrator, will establish SchoolStat standards, and schools and their staffs will be rated on how well they meet those standards, as indicated by their performance on a variety of measures.

The Chancellor will be charged with developing and implementing an accountability system consisting of three key components, described in further detail below:

• School performance classification system
• Program of rewards and sanctions
• Communications plan

1. School Performance Classification System

The school performance classification system shall be a reliable measure of how students at each DCPS school perform against appropriate benchmark academic standards and how each school meets other performance and operational goals. The classification system must also measure each school’s progress towards meeting all standards. The ratings within the classification system will be based on a combination of numerous criteria.

2. Rewards and Sanctions

Schools and staffs that achieve high levels in the classification system shall be recognized and rewarded. Rewards may include teacher and staff bonuses, pay-for-performance, salary differentiation, increased site-level freedom, and flexibility in certain aspects of the instructional program and school operations. Schools, principals, and teachers that do not achieve a rating deemed to be acceptable shall be sanctioned in a variety of ways, which may include loss of site-level freedom and flexibility in their job duties that may have been earned previously. There must also be a process to provide guidance and assistance to schools that do not achieve an acceptable rating, including directions for developing and implementing plans for addressing the areas for which the ratings are not acceptable.

3. Communications Plan

An effective communications plan shall inform and educate employees, students, parents, and the community about the accountability system and provide assurance to the Executive Office of the Mayor that the school performance classification system criteria are widely disseminated throughout the district and the community.

Timeline for Development

The Executive Office of the Mayor intends for the SchoolStat Accountability System to be fully operational for the 2008-2009 school year. For the first year following the enactment of the District of Columbia Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007, the Chancellor will report to the Executive Office of the Mayor on a quarterly basis regarding the progress in developing the school performance classification system and in accomplishing the other tasks necessary for the successful implementation of the SchoolStat Accountability System. Upon completion, the Chancellor shall present the finalized school performance classification system to the Executive Office of the Mayor.

Timeline for EOM Oversight

The SchoolStat Accountability System shall be piloted during the 2007-2008 school year. At the end of that school year, the Chancellor shall report to the EOM regarding each school’s performance according to the classification system. No rewards or sanctions shall be imposed. Beginning with data from the 2008-2009 school year and on an annual basis thereafter, the Chancellor shall report to the EOM regarding each school’s performance according to the classification system, the awarding of any rewards or imposition of sanctions, and the status of district and school plans for addressing the areas for which the ratings are not acceptable. 

After the SchoolStat Accountability System has been operational for two full school years, the Chancellor will provide the EOM with an evaluation of whether or not the accountability system is contributing to increased levels of student achievement throughout DCPS. In any event, after the EOM has been presented with no more than five years of school performance reports, the EOM will evaluate the effectiveness of the system and whether it should be continued in its current format or modified. If the EOM decides to continue the accountability system, in its current or modified format, it will also establish a timeline for further evaluations of the program’s effectiveness.

SchoolStat Data Dashboard

In order to help DCPS attain and maintain excellence in all key areas, the EOM with support from the Office of the City Administrator and in consultation with the Chancellor, will establish a SchoolStat “data dashboard” that is aligned with the EOM’s management oversight responsibilities and the SchoolStat Accountability System. The data dashboard will consist of a limited number of indicators selected by the EOM (analogous to the dials on a car dashboard) for which data are gathered and analyzed by DCPS staff, under the direction of the Chancellor, and presented on a regular basis to the EOM and the public.

Although the EOM will track DCPS’ performance in many ways throughout the year, the data dashboard will enable the EOM and the public to monitor key indicators of system performance, including but not limited to student achievement, finance, operations, and parent, student, and teacher satisfaction. The indicators will enable the EOM and public to see, at a glance, whether current improvement efforts are on track and to respond appropriately when problems arise. The indicators will enable DCPS to effectively and clearly communicate its priorities and progress to the public.

The data dashboard will do the following:

• Provide a concise, but comprehensive summary of district performance, including baseline data, targets and results,
• Present data clearly and in an easily understood manner,
• Communicate the EOM’s priorities to the community, and
• Contain regularly updated information based on regular management reports and management oversight workshops.

The data dashboard will be reviewed and updated at least annually. The Chancellor will ensure that the data dashboard is widely disseminated throughout the school district and the District of Columbia community.

1 DCPS Goals 2010/11 go through the end of the second full fiscal year that the schools are under Mayoral control. If the necessary legislation transferring control to the Mayor is approved by Congress prior to the start of FY2008 (October 1, 2007) then the goals here will go through the end of FY2009 (which ends September 30, 2010). If the necessary legislation is approved after the start of FY2008, then these goals will go through the end of FY2010 (which ends September 30, 2011).