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Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continuous Improvement May 2016 Rerformance. Equity. Improvement. Presented to: Tom Torlakson State Superintendent of Public Instruction _____..______, California Department of Education May2016

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Page 1: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

Preparing All Students for College Career Life and Leadership

in The 21st Century

Superintendents Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continuous Improvement

May 2016

Rerformance Equity Improvement

Presented to

Tom Torlakson State Superintendent of Public Instruction ___________

California Department of Education May2016

PUBLISHING INFORMATION

PreparingA ll Students for College Career Life andLe adershipi n The 21st Century was developed by the Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onAccountability and Continuous Improvement Itw as published by theDepartment of Education 1430 NS treet Sacramento CA9 5814 It wasdistributedu nder the provisions of the Library DistributionA ct and Government Code Section 11096

copy2 016 by the California Department of EducationAll rights reserved

NOTICE

The guidance inPr eparingA ll Students for College Career Life and Leadershipi n The 21st Century is not binding on local educationalagencies or other entities Except for the statutes regulations and courtdecisions thata re referenced herein the documenti s exemplary andcompliance with it is not mandatory (See Education Code Section 333085)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

MESSAGE FROMT ASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Dear Superintendent Torlakson

With great pleasure and satisfaction we submit to you thea ttached report from your advisoryAccountability and Continuous Improvement Task Force

This document represents the consensus thinking of the 30 exceptional men and women who participatedin this effort Their work included five in-personm eetings as well as numerous webinars conferencec allsand document reviews

While no small task the Task Forcersquos hardw ork has resultedi n as trongs et of recommendations towardan Accountability and Continuous Improvement System that better serves our students and our state

As you read these recommendations we hope that you will see a reconfirmation of the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquothaty ou the Governor and the State Board of Education as well as stakeholders throughoutth e state havebeens o successfully implementingi n recent years We alsot hink you will see new breakthrough thinkingin relation to accountability continuous improvement and the support systems that will be necessary forCalifornians tom ake progress together in these areas

The great diversity of the task force was its strength ndash its members represented the full spectrum ofo urstate including businessesadministratorsteachersparentsschool board membersstudents researchers philanthropy institutionso f highere ducation and others

This is a consensus document and we know that each member oft he task force would have written at leastsome part of this differently hadt hey done it ont heir own Nevertheless throughm uchdi scussiona nddebate we submit toy ou a report that is not watereddow nan d reflects the critical and creative thinkingof the Task Force Thank youf or bringing together this outstanding team and for providing the great supportsystemst hat made thisw ork possible

We know that the submission of this report is not an end point but a new beginning We are keenly awareof the difficult work aheadt op ut together andi mplement as ystem ofa ccountability and continuousimprovement that truly supports our students and those who serve them The fact however that as a TaskForce we were ready willing and able to roll up our sleevesa nd confront difficult questionst ogetherg ivesus great confidence for the future

Thank youf or the opportunity to co-chair this outstanding effort We stand ready to help as you worktogether with the Governor the State Board of Education the Legislature and mosti mportantlyCaliforniarsquos students andf amilies to realize the promise ofa n accountability and continuous improvementsystem that isro oted in performance equity andi mprovement

We know that we speak for the entire Task Force in expressing our thanks for the opportunity to beinvolved in thisw ork at thish istoric moment Please let usk now how we can continue to be of assistance

Sincerely

Eric Heins President California Teachers Association

Wes Smith Executive Director Association of California School Administrators

Page 1 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table of Contents

MESSAGE FROMT ASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS 1

1 EXECUTIVES UMMARY 3 THE PROPOSEDN EW ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSI MPROVEMENT SYSTEM A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION5 SUMMARY DESCRIPTIONS COMPONENTS OF THE NEW ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM 6

2 FOUNDATION 7 VISION7 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 8 THE CALIFORNIA WAY USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS TO GUIDE IMPROVEMENT 8

3 ACCOUNTABILITYF RAMEWORK 9 DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY 10

10DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

EQUITY PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT 11 INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 12

4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20 DEFINITION OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20 BUILDING THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM 20 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM 24

5 IMPLEMENTING THE NEW SYSTEM TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENT AND COMMUNICATE ABOUT EQUITY AND PERFORMANCE 25ROLES 25 USING A DASHBOARD FOR TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO INFORM IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS 28 RECOGNITION 30 PLANNING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATION INTEGRATION AND SIMPLIFICATION 32

6 CONCLUSION34

7 APPENDICES 35 A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEPI N A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM 35 B STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM PLANNING 40 C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASKF ORCE ONA CCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 41

Page 2 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 EXECUTIVESU MMARY

This report presents the work and recommendations of California Superintendent of Public InstructionTom Torlaksonrsquos Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continuous Improvement1

The Task Force was convenedat ac ritical moment for public education in our state California hasst artedon ap athwayt owards the creation of ab etter system for our students one that rests on af oundation ofstudent success relieso n highs tandards more equitablyd istributes resources (through the Local ControlFundingFor mula)and trusts locale ducators and communities to design the educationals tructures andsupportst hat ourst udentsn eed to reach their fullp otential (through the Local Control and AccountabilityPlans)This emerging ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo builds on ac ollaborative approach to positive education change

The Task Forcersquos work was guidedb yt he CaliforniaD epartment of Educationrsquos strategic plan ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 which lays out the mission guiding principles and right drivers that shapedthe direction of the accountability and continuous improvement system proposed here2 3 Simultaneous to the work of the Task Force Californiarsquos State Board of Education has been engaged in development of LocalControl Funding Formula evaluation rubrics4 California now has the opportunity tode velop a system ofaccountabilityan d continuous improvement that aligns with and extends the provisions outlined in thefederalE very Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to support a world-class education for everys tudent in theGolden State

Building on this great potential for alignment and positive changethe task forcersquosre commendationsc an be summarized in three words performance equity and improvement

Our new system should build uponst udentsrsquo and educatorsrsquo own intrinsic motivation and proventechniques of management andor ganizational development that clearlyde fine success support itsrealization and provideh igh-profile recognitionwh en success occurs California is committedt ou tilizingmultiple measures to highlight our performance in relation to the full spectrum of outcomes we care about for our students and schoolsThe Task Force strongly recommends that these be presented in an easy-to-use dashboard format They should range from a positive school climate in which students report feelingengaged and respected to mastery of the statersquos robust academic content standards

We are equally committed to supporting and cultivating a system-wide culture of continuous improvement in order to advance and achieve these outcomes thatr elies on multiple measures top rovidethe information necessary to engage in improvement efforts This culture of continuous improvement mustinfuse all parts oft he system including continuous improvement for the system itself throughevaluativeme chanisms that allow us to learn froml ocal experience and revisit the indicators toolsandsystemso f support we use toe nsure theyar e workingas intended To this point the Task Force proposesongoinge valuation of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and making coursecorrections and updates as needed to better serve Californiarsquos students ands takeholders The recommendationsp resented in thisre port should not be considered an end point but rathera beginningpoint for continuous improvement

Finallyboth improvement and performance must have ad eliberate focus on supporting equity of access opportunityand outcomes for allo fC aliforniarsquos diverse students Historically in California andth e nation

1 The Accountability and Continuous Improvement TaskF orce was co-chaired by EricH eins California TeachersA ssociation andWes Smith Association of California School Administrators SeeA ppendixC f or af ull membership roster 2 CaliforniaD epartment of Education Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 Retrieved on December 20 2015 from httpwwwcdecagoveoinbpdocumentsyr15bp0720pdf 3 Fullan M (2011) Choosing the Wrong Drivers for Whole System Reform Centre for Strategic Education Retrieved on December 18 2015 from httpwwwmichaelfullancamedia13501655630pdf 4 Seet heSt ateB oardof Education websitef or extensivedoc umentation on this processhttpwwwcdecagovbeagagindexaspSee also page 24 of this report

Page 3 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

the public education system has not equitably supported all student groups it is our duty to make thehistoric shifts to build a system that recognizes our past shortcomings shines light on areas where morework is needed to rectify the achievementequity gapand provides support and recognition forimprovement

The Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should rely on a holisticpicture of how schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are doing in regard to both performance andequity The statersquos system should simultaneously look at the ways in which performance and equity areimproving in order to fully realize the outcomes that we seek

Performance Equity Improvement

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

Performance Improvement Equity

The following pages of the Executive Summary provide a graphic overview of the key features of theproposed systemrsquos implementation and integration of the performance equity and improvement themes

Page 4 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

ThisgraphicpresentsthecorefeaturesoftheproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemThefullreportuses

thisasaroadmapwitheachcomponenthighlightedseparatelytoexplaineachfeatureofthesystem-thefollowingpageprovidesa

summarydescriptionofeachfeature

Page 5 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions Indicators demonstrating that schools and districts provide the supports and resources that will allow students to

take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school

School and District Whole Child Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which all children are healthy safe engaged

supported challenged and valued

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which students achieve meaningful learning outcomes including the acquisition

of the knowledge language and lifelong learning skills needed to succeed in todayrsquos

world as outlined by the California standards

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

THEPROPOSEDNEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEMAGRAPHIC

REPRESENTATION

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 6 of 41

SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONSCOMPONENTSOFTHENEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEM

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding PrinciplesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

COE

s

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

School and District IndicatorsCalifornia seeks to develop a system that incorporates multiple measures to present a holistic picture of performance equity and improvement for schools LEAs and the state The new system rooted in and part of LCFF and LCAP will examine schooldistrict learning conditions to understand if the system is providing equitable resources and opportunities for all students It will also examine academic and non-academic outcome indicators to understand student performance and it will disaggregate these indicators by student groups as a measure of equity The new system will examine the rate of improvement across these indicators as a means of highlighting and building on successful practices and identifying where additional improvement support is needed

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

California recognizes that its accountability framework is only helpful to the extent that it is integrally tied to a system of continuous improvement and support By looking at measures of performance equity and improvement with regard to both whole child and academic indicators schools and districts will be able to self-identify their strengths areas where support is needed and where support is available within the greater ecosystem of peer learning This will allow for a system of differentiated improvement supports at three levels that recognizes success and shares promising and successful practices between LEAs throughout the state

RolesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must include clearly defined roles for federal state and local stakeholders Each level of the system should be held responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning and development for every child

Policy Makers Policy makers at the state and federal level should establish policies and standards that support continuous improvement set clear expectations for outcomes and improvement provide adequate resources support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and foster innovation

Stakeholders and Communities One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders From advocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropy parent groups community voices business organizations early learning and care and beyond this coalition of supportive stakeholders will be instrumental in the successful communication about transition to and implementation of this new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

The CDE CCEE and COEs The State Superintendent of Public InstructionCDE the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and county superintendentsoffices of education (COEs)mdashmust work collaboratively to provide coordinated support for school accountability and continuous improvement Additionally the State Superintendent must take action if a school or district is unable to improve over time

Schools and Districts Schools and districts are at the center of Californiarsquos system They must engage students parents and caregivers educators and other stakeholders in school and district-level planning and support to ensure that all students are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn and contribute They must implement instructional improvement strategies and marshal the financial and professional capital required to implement these strategies and improve student outcomes

FoundationAs a state we seek to realize our vision to provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood and prepare students to live work and thrive in a multicultural multilingual and highly connected world We pursue rigorous learning and achievement in every classroom and every school

We will embrace the California Way which rests on the belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when given the proper supports and provides local schools and districts with the leeway and flexibility to deploy resources so they can improve

To do this Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System willbull Demonstrate a commitment to equitybull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole childbull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capitalbull Recognize that improvement and learning are continuousbull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communitiesbull Rely on reciprocity and subsidiaritybull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholdersbull Identify and recognize districts schools and classr ooms that can serve as models and those that need support The proposed system builds on State Board of Education guiding principles

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 2: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

PUBLISHING INFORMATION

PreparingA ll Students for College Career Life andLe adershipi n The 21st Century was developed by the Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onAccountability and Continuous Improvement Itw as published by theDepartment of Education 1430 NS treet Sacramento CA9 5814 It wasdistributedu nder the provisions of the Library DistributionA ct and Government Code Section 11096

copy2 016 by the California Department of EducationAll rights reserved

NOTICE

The guidance inPr eparingA ll Students for College Career Life and Leadershipi n The 21st Century is not binding on local educationalagencies or other entities Except for the statutes regulations and courtdecisions thata re referenced herein the documenti s exemplary andcompliance with it is not mandatory (See Education Code Section 333085)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

MESSAGE FROMT ASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Dear Superintendent Torlakson

With great pleasure and satisfaction we submit to you thea ttached report from your advisoryAccountability and Continuous Improvement Task Force

This document represents the consensus thinking of the 30 exceptional men and women who participatedin this effort Their work included five in-personm eetings as well as numerous webinars conferencec allsand document reviews

While no small task the Task Forcersquos hardw ork has resultedi n as trongs et of recommendations towardan Accountability and Continuous Improvement System that better serves our students and our state

As you read these recommendations we hope that you will see a reconfirmation of the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquothaty ou the Governor and the State Board of Education as well as stakeholders throughoutth e state havebeens o successfully implementingi n recent years We alsot hink you will see new breakthrough thinkingin relation to accountability continuous improvement and the support systems that will be necessary forCalifornians tom ake progress together in these areas

The great diversity of the task force was its strength ndash its members represented the full spectrum ofo urstate including businessesadministratorsteachersparentsschool board membersstudents researchers philanthropy institutionso f highere ducation and others

This is a consensus document and we know that each member oft he task force would have written at leastsome part of this differently hadt hey done it ont heir own Nevertheless throughm uchdi scussiona nddebate we submit toy ou a report that is not watereddow nan d reflects the critical and creative thinkingof the Task Force Thank youf or bringing together this outstanding team and for providing the great supportsystemst hat made thisw ork possible

We know that the submission of this report is not an end point but a new beginning We are keenly awareof the difficult work aheadt op ut together andi mplement as ystem ofa ccountability and continuousimprovement that truly supports our students and those who serve them The fact however that as a TaskForce we were ready willing and able to roll up our sleevesa nd confront difficult questionst ogetherg ivesus great confidence for the future

Thank youf or the opportunity to co-chair this outstanding effort We stand ready to help as you worktogether with the Governor the State Board of Education the Legislature and mosti mportantlyCaliforniarsquos students andf amilies to realize the promise ofa n accountability and continuous improvementsystem that isro oted in performance equity andi mprovement

We know that we speak for the entire Task Force in expressing our thanks for the opportunity to beinvolved in thisw ork at thish istoric moment Please let usk now how we can continue to be of assistance

Sincerely

Eric Heins President California Teachers Association

Wes Smith Executive Director Association of California School Administrators

Page 1 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table of Contents

MESSAGE FROMT ASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS 1

1 EXECUTIVES UMMARY 3 THE PROPOSEDN EW ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSI MPROVEMENT SYSTEM A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION5 SUMMARY DESCRIPTIONS COMPONENTS OF THE NEW ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM 6

2 FOUNDATION 7 VISION7 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 8 THE CALIFORNIA WAY USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS TO GUIDE IMPROVEMENT 8

3 ACCOUNTABILITYF RAMEWORK 9 DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY 10

10DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

EQUITY PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT 11 INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 12

4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20 DEFINITION OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20 BUILDING THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM 20 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM 24

5 IMPLEMENTING THE NEW SYSTEM TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENT AND COMMUNICATE ABOUT EQUITY AND PERFORMANCE 25ROLES 25 USING A DASHBOARD FOR TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO INFORM IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS 28 RECOGNITION 30 PLANNING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATION INTEGRATION AND SIMPLIFICATION 32

6 CONCLUSION34

7 APPENDICES 35 A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEPI N A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM 35 B STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM PLANNING 40 C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASKF ORCE ONA CCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 41

Page 2 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 EXECUTIVESU MMARY

This report presents the work and recommendations of California Superintendent of Public InstructionTom Torlaksonrsquos Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continuous Improvement1

The Task Force was convenedat ac ritical moment for public education in our state California hasst artedon ap athwayt owards the creation of ab etter system for our students one that rests on af oundation ofstudent success relieso n highs tandards more equitablyd istributes resources (through the Local ControlFundingFor mula)and trusts locale ducators and communities to design the educationals tructures andsupportst hat ourst udentsn eed to reach their fullp otential (through the Local Control and AccountabilityPlans)This emerging ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo builds on ac ollaborative approach to positive education change

The Task Forcersquos work was guidedb yt he CaliforniaD epartment of Educationrsquos strategic plan ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 which lays out the mission guiding principles and right drivers that shapedthe direction of the accountability and continuous improvement system proposed here2 3 Simultaneous to the work of the Task Force Californiarsquos State Board of Education has been engaged in development of LocalControl Funding Formula evaluation rubrics4 California now has the opportunity tode velop a system ofaccountabilityan d continuous improvement that aligns with and extends the provisions outlined in thefederalE very Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to support a world-class education for everys tudent in theGolden State

Building on this great potential for alignment and positive changethe task forcersquosre commendationsc an be summarized in three words performance equity and improvement

Our new system should build uponst udentsrsquo and educatorsrsquo own intrinsic motivation and proventechniques of management andor ganizational development that clearlyde fine success support itsrealization and provideh igh-profile recognitionwh en success occurs California is committedt ou tilizingmultiple measures to highlight our performance in relation to the full spectrum of outcomes we care about for our students and schoolsThe Task Force strongly recommends that these be presented in an easy-to-use dashboard format They should range from a positive school climate in which students report feelingengaged and respected to mastery of the statersquos robust academic content standards

We are equally committed to supporting and cultivating a system-wide culture of continuous improvement in order to advance and achieve these outcomes thatr elies on multiple measures top rovidethe information necessary to engage in improvement efforts This culture of continuous improvement mustinfuse all parts oft he system including continuous improvement for the system itself throughevaluativeme chanisms that allow us to learn froml ocal experience and revisit the indicators toolsandsystemso f support we use toe nsure theyar e workingas intended To this point the Task Force proposesongoinge valuation of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and making coursecorrections and updates as needed to better serve Californiarsquos students ands takeholders The recommendationsp resented in thisre port should not be considered an end point but rathera beginningpoint for continuous improvement

Finallyboth improvement and performance must have ad eliberate focus on supporting equity of access opportunityand outcomes for allo fC aliforniarsquos diverse students Historically in California andth e nation

1 The Accountability and Continuous Improvement TaskF orce was co-chaired by EricH eins California TeachersA ssociation andWes Smith Association of California School Administrators SeeA ppendixC f or af ull membership roster 2 CaliforniaD epartment of Education Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 Retrieved on December 20 2015 from httpwwwcdecagoveoinbpdocumentsyr15bp0720pdf 3 Fullan M (2011) Choosing the Wrong Drivers for Whole System Reform Centre for Strategic Education Retrieved on December 18 2015 from httpwwwmichaelfullancamedia13501655630pdf 4 Seet heSt ateB oardof Education websitef or extensivedoc umentation on this processhttpwwwcdecagovbeagagindexaspSee also page 24 of this report

Page 3 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

the public education system has not equitably supported all student groups it is our duty to make thehistoric shifts to build a system that recognizes our past shortcomings shines light on areas where morework is needed to rectify the achievementequity gapand provides support and recognition forimprovement

The Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should rely on a holisticpicture of how schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are doing in regard to both performance andequity The statersquos system should simultaneously look at the ways in which performance and equity areimproving in order to fully realize the outcomes that we seek

Performance Equity Improvement

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

Performance Improvement Equity

The following pages of the Executive Summary provide a graphic overview of the key features of theproposed systemrsquos implementation and integration of the performance equity and improvement themes

Page 4 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

ThisgraphicpresentsthecorefeaturesoftheproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemThefullreportuses

thisasaroadmapwitheachcomponenthighlightedseparatelytoexplaineachfeatureofthesystem-thefollowingpageprovidesa

summarydescriptionofeachfeature

Page 5 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions Indicators demonstrating that schools and districts provide the supports and resources that will allow students to

take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school

School and District Whole Child Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which all children are healthy safe engaged

supported challenged and valued

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which students achieve meaningful learning outcomes including the acquisition

of the knowledge language and lifelong learning skills needed to succeed in todayrsquos

world as outlined by the California standards

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

THEPROPOSEDNEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEMAGRAPHIC

REPRESENTATION

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 6 of 41

SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONSCOMPONENTSOFTHENEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEM

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding PrinciplesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

COE

s

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

School and District IndicatorsCalifornia seeks to develop a system that incorporates multiple measures to present a holistic picture of performance equity and improvement for schools LEAs and the state The new system rooted in and part of LCFF and LCAP will examine schooldistrict learning conditions to understand if the system is providing equitable resources and opportunities for all students It will also examine academic and non-academic outcome indicators to understand student performance and it will disaggregate these indicators by student groups as a measure of equity The new system will examine the rate of improvement across these indicators as a means of highlighting and building on successful practices and identifying where additional improvement support is needed

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

California recognizes that its accountability framework is only helpful to the extent that it is integrally tied to a system of continuous improvement and support By looking at measures of performance equity and improvement with regard to both whole child and academic indicators schools and districts will be able to self-identify their strengths areas where support is needed and where support is available within the greater ecosystem of peer learning This will allow for a system of differentiated improvement supports at three levels that recognizes success and shares promising and successful practices between LEAs throughout the state

RolesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must include clearly defined roles for federal state and local stakeholders Each level of the system should be held responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning and development for every child

Policy Makers Policy makers at the state and federal level should establish policies and standards that support continuous improvement set clear expectations for outcomes and improvement provide adequate resources support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and foster innovation

Stakeholders and Communities One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders From advocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropy parent groups community voices business organizations early learning and care and beyond this coalition of supportive stakeholders will be instrumental in the successful communication about transition to and implementation of this new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

The CDE CCEE and COEs The State Superintendent of Public InstructionCDE the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and county superintendentsoffices of education (COEs)mdashmust work collaboratively to provide coordinated support for school accountability and continuous improvement Additionally the State Superintendent must take action if a school or district is unable to improve over time

Schools and Districts Schools and districts are at the center of Californiarsquos system They must engage students parents and caregivers educators and other stakeholders in school and district-level planning and support to ensure that all students are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn and contribute They must implement instructional improvement strategies and marshal the financial and professional capital required to implement these strategies and improve student outcomes

FoundationAs a state we seek to realize our vision to provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood and prepare students to live work and thrive in a multicultural multilingual and highly connected world We pursue rigorous learning and achievement in every classroom and every school

We will embrace the California Way which rests on the belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when given the proper supports and provides local schools and districts with the leeway and flexibility to deploy resources so they can improve

To do this Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System willbull Demonstrate a commitment to equitybull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole childbull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capitalbull Recognize that improvement and learning are continuousbull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communitiesbull Rely on reciprocity and subsidiaritybull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholdersbull Identify and recognize districts schools and classr ooms that can serve as models and those that need support The proposed system builds on State Board of Education guiding principles

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 3: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

MESSAGE FROMT ASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Dear Superintendent Torlakson

With great pleasure and satisfaction we submit to you thea ttached report from your advisoryAccountability and Continuous Improvement Task Force

This document represents the consensus thinking of the 30 exceptional men and women who participatedin this effort Their work included five in-personm eetings as well as numerous webinars conferencec allsand document reviews

While no small task the Task Forcersquos hardw ork has resultedi n as trongs et of recommendations towardan Accountability and Continuous Improvement System that better serves our students and our state

As you read these recommendations we hope that you will see a reconfirmation of the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquothaty ou the Governor and the State Board of Education as well as stakeholders throughoutth e state havebeens o successfully implementingi n recent years We alsot hink you will see new breakthrough thinkingin relation to accountability continuous improvement and the support systems that will be necessary forCalifornians tom ake progress together in these areas

The great diversity of the task force was its strength ndash its members represented the full spectrum ofo urstate including businessesadministratorsteachersparentsschool board membersstudents researchers philanthropy institutionso f highere ducation and others

This is a consensus document and we know that each member oft he task force would have written at leastsome part of this differently hadt hey done it ont heir own Nevertheless throughm uchdi scussiona nddebate we submit toy ou a report that is not watereddow nan d reflects the critical and creative thinkingof the Task Force Thank youf or bringing together this outstanding team and for providing the great supportsystemst hat made thisw ork possible

We know that the submission of this report is not an end point but a new beginning We are keenly awareof the difficult work aheadt op ut together andi mplement as ystem ofa ccountability and continuousimprovement that truly supports our students and those who serve them The fact however that as a TaskForce we were ready willing and able to roll up our sleevesa nd confront difficult questionst ogetherg ivesus great confidence for the future

Thank youf or the opportunity to co-chair this outstanding effort We stand ready to help as you worktogether with the Governor the State Board of Education the Legislature and mosti mportantlyCaliforniarsquos students andf amilies to realize the promise ofa n accountability and continuous improvementsystem that isro oted in performance equity andi mprovement

We know that we speak for the entire Task Force in expressing our thanks for the opportunity to beinvolved in thisw ork at thish istoric moment Please let usk now how we can continue to be of assistance

Sincerely

Eric Heins President California Teachers Association

Wes Smith Executive Director Association of California School Administrators

Page 1 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table of Contents

MESSAGE FROMT ASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS 1

1 EXECUTIVES UMMARY 3 THE PROPOSEDN EW ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSI MPROVEMENT SYSTEM A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION5 SUMMARY DESCRIPTIONS COMPONENTS OF THE NEW ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM 6

2 FOUNDATION 7 VISION7 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 8 THE CALIFORNIA WAY USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS TO GUIDE IMPROVEMENT 8

3 ACCOUNTABILITYF RAMEWORK 9 DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY 10

10DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

EQUITY PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT 11 INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 12

4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20 DEFINITION OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20 BUILDING THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM 20 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM 24

5 IMPLEMENTING THE NEW SYSTEM TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENT AND COMMUNICATE ABOUT EQUITY AND PERFORMANCE 25ROLES 25 USING A DASHBOARD FOR TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO INFORM IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS 28 RECOGNITION 30 PLANNING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATION INTEGRATION AND SIMPLIFICATION 32

6 CONCLUSION34

7 APPENDICES 35 A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEPI N A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM 35 B STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM PLANNING 40 C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASKF ORCE ONA CCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 41

Page 2 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 EXECUTIVESU MMARY

This report presents the work and recommendations of California Superintendent of Public InstructionTom Torlaksonrsquos Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continuous Improvement1

The Task Force was convenedat ac ritical moment for public education in our state California hasst artedon ap athwayt owards the creation of ab etter system for our students one that rests on af oundation ofstudent success relieso n highs tandards more equitablyd istributes resources (through the Local ControlFundingFor mula)and trusts locale ducators and communities to design the educationals tructures andsupportst hat ourst udentsn eed to reach their fullp otential (through the Local Control and AccountabilityPlans)This emerging ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo builds on ac ollaborative approach to positive education change

The Task Forcersquos work was guidedb yt he CaliforniaD epartment of Educationrsquos strategic plan ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 which lays out the mission guiding principles and right drivers that shapedthe direction of the accountability and continuous improvement system proposed here2 3 Simultaneous to the work of the Task Force Californiarsquos State Board of Education has been engaged in development of LocalControl Funding Formula evaluation rubrics4 California now has the opportunity tode velop a system ofaccountabilityan d continuous improvement that aligns with and extends the provisions outlined in thefederalE very Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to support a world-class education for everys tudent in theGolden State

Building on this great potential for alignment and positive changethe task forcersquosre commendationsc an be summarized in three words performance equity and improvement

Our new system should build uponst udentsrsquo and educatorsrsquo own intrinsic motivation and proventechniques of management andor ganizational development that clearlyde fine success support itsrealization and provideh igh-profile recognitionwh en success occurs California is committedt ou tilizingmultiple measures to highlight our performance in relation to the full spectrum of outcomes we care about for our students and schoolsThe Task Force strongly recommends that these be presented in an easy-to-use dashboard format They should range from a positive school climate in which students report feelingengaged and respected to mastery of the statersquos robust academic content standards

We are equally committed to supporting and cultivating a system-wide culture of continuous improvement in order to advance and achieve these outcomes thatr elies on multiple measures top rovidethe information necessary to engage in improvement efforts This culture of continuous improvement mustinfuse all parts oft he system including continuous improvement for the system itself throughevaluativeme chanisms that allow us to learn froml ocal experience and revisit the indicators toolsandsystemso f support we use toe nsure theyar e workingas intended To this point the Task Force proposesongoinge valuation of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and making coursecorrections and updates as needed to better serve Californiarsquos students ands takeholders The recommendationsp resented in thisre port should not be considered an end point but rathera beginningpoint for continuous improvement

Finallyboth improvement and performance must have ad eliberate focus on supporting equity of access opportunityand outcomes for allo fC aliforniarsquos diverse students Historically in California andth e nation

1 The Accountability and Continuous Improvement TaskF orce was co-chaired by EricH eins California TeachersA ssociation andWes Smith Association of California School Administrators SeeA ppendixC f or af ull membership roster 2 CaliforniaD epartment of Education Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 Retrieved on December 20 2015 from httpwwwcdecagoveoinbpdocumentsyr15bp0720pdf 3 Fullan M (2011) Choosing the Wrong Drivers for Whole System Reform Centre for Strategic Education Retrieved on December 18 2015 from httpwwwmichaelfullancamedia13501655630pdf 4 Seet heSt ateB oardof Education websitef or extensivedoc umentation on this processhttpwwwcdecagovbeagagindexaspSee also page 24 of this report

Page 3 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

the public education system has not equitably supported all student groups it is our duty to make thehistoric shifts to build a system that recognizes our past shortcomings shines light on areas where morework is needed to rectify the achievementequity gapand provides support and recognition forimprovement

The Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should rely on a holisticpicture of how schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are doing in regard to both performance andequity The statersquos system should simultaneously look at the ways in which performance and equity areimproving in order to fully realize the outcomes that we seek

Performance Equity Improvement

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

Performance Improvement Equity

The following pages of the Executive Summary provide a graphic overview of the key features of theproposed systemrsquos implementation and integration of the performance equity and improvement themes

Page 4 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

ThisgraphicpresentsthecorefeaturesoftheproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemThefullreportuses

thisasaroadmapwitheachcomponenthighlightedseparatelytoexplaineachfeatureofthesystem-thefollowingpageprovidesa

summarydescriptionofeachfeature

Page 5 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions Indicators demonstrating that schools and districts provide the supports and resources that will allow students to

take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school

School and District Whole Child Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which all children are healthy safe engaged

supported challenged and valued

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which students achieve meaningful learning outcomes including the acquisition

of the knowledge language and lifelong learning skills needed to succeed in todayrsquos

world as outlined by the California standards

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

THEPROPOSEDNEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEMAGRAPHIC

REPRESENTATION

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 6 of 41

SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONSCOMPONENTSOFTHENEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEM

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding PrinciplesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

COE

s

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

School and District IndicatorsCalifornia seeks to develop a system that incorporates multiple measures to present a holistic picture of performance equity and improvement for schools LEAs and the state The new system rooted in and part of LCFF and LCAP will examine schooldistrict learning conditions to understand if the system is providing equitable resources and opportunities for all students It will also examine academic and non-academic outcome indicators to understand student performance and it will disaggregate these indicators by student groups as a measure of equity The new system will examine the rate of improvement across these indicators as a means of highlighting and building on successful practices and identifying where additional improvement support is needed

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

California recognizes that its accountability framework is only helpful to the extent that it is integrally tied to a system of continuous improvement and support By looking at measures of performance equity and improvement with regard to both whole child and academic indicators schools and districts will be able to self-identify their strengths areas where support is needed and where support is available within the greater ecosystem of peer learning This will allow for a system of differentiated improvement supports at three levels that recognizes success and shares promising and successful practices between LEAs throughout the state

RolesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must include clearly defined roles for federal state and local stakeholders Each level of the system should be held responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning and development for every child

Policy Makers Policy makers at the state and federal level should establish policies and standards that support continuous improvement set clear expectations for outcomes and improvement provide adequate resources support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and foster innovation

Stakeholders and Communities One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders From advocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropy parent groups community voices business organizations early learning and care and beyond this coalition of supportive stakeholders will be instrumental in the successful communication about transition to and implementation of this new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

The CDE CCEE and COEs The State Superintendent of Public InstructionCDE the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and county superintendentsoffices of education (COEs)mdashmust work collaboratively to provide coordinated support for school accountability and continuous improvement Additionally the State Superintendent must take action if a school or district is unable to improve over time

Schools and Districts Schools and districts are at the center of Californiarsquos system They must engage students parents and caregivers educators and other stakeholders in school and district-level planning and support to ensure that all students are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn and contribute They must implement instructional improvement strategies and marshal the financial and professional capital required to implement these strategies and improve student outcomes

FoundationAs a state we seek to realize our vision to provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood and prepare students to live work and thrive in a multicultural multilingual and highly connected world We pursue rigorous learning and achievement in every classroom and every school

We will embrace the California Way which rests on the belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when given the proper supports and provides local schools and districts with the leeway and flexibility to deploy resources so they can improve

To do this Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System willbull Demonstrate a commitment to equitybull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole childbull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capitalbull Recognize that improvement and learning are continuousbull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communitiesbull Rely on reciprocity and subsidiaritybull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholdersbull Identify and recognize districts schools and classr ooms that can serve as models and those that need support The proposed system builds on State Board of Education guiding principles

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 4: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table of Contents

MESSAGE FROMT ASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS 1

1 EXECUTIVES UMMARY 3 THE PROPOSEDN EW ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSI MPROVEMENT SYSTEM A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION5 SUMMARY DESCRIPTIONS COMPONENTS OF THE NEW ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM 6

2 FOUNDATION 7 VISION7 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 8 THE CALIFORNIA WAY USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS TO GUIDE IMPROVEMENT 8

3 ACCOUNTABILITYF RAMEWORK 9 DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY 10

10DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

EQUITY PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT 11 INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 12

4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20 DEFINITION OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20 BUILDING THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM 20 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM 24

5 IMPLEMENTING THE NEW SYSTEM TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENT AND COMMUNICATE ABOUT EQUITY AND PERFORMANCE 25ROLES 25 USING A DASHBOARD FOR TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO INFORM IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS 28 RECOGNITION 30 PLANNING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATION INTEGRATION AND SIMPLIFICATION 32

6 CONCLUSION34

7 APPENDICES 35 A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEPI N A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM 35 B STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM PLANNING 40 C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASKF ORCE ONA CCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 41

Page 2 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 EXECUTIVESU MMARY

This report presents the work and recommendations of California Superintendent of Public InstructionTom Torlaksonrsquos Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continuous Improvement1

The Task Force was convenedat ac ritical moment for public education in our state California hasst artedon ap athwayt owards the creation of ab etter system for our students one that rests on af oundation ofstudent success relieso n highs tandards more equitablyd istributes resources (through the Local ControlFundingFor mula)and trusts locale ducators and communities to design the educationals tructures andsupportst hat ourst udentsn eed to reach their fullp otential (through the Local Control and AccountabilityPlans)This emerging ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo builds on ac ollaborative approach to positive education change

The Task Forcersquos work was guidedb yt he CaliforniaD epartment of Educationrsquos strategic plan ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 which lays out the mission guiding principles and right drivers that shapedthe direction of the accountability and continuous improvement system proposed here2 3 Simultaneous to the work of the Task Force Californiarsquos State Board of Education has been engaged in development of LocalControl Funding Formula evaluation rubrics4 California now has the opportunity tode velop a system ofaccountabilityan d continuous improvement that aligns with and extends the provisions outlined in thefederalE very Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to support a world-class education for everys tudent in theGolden State

Building on this great potential for alignment and positive changethe task forcersquosre commendationsc an be summarized in three words performance equity and improvement

Our new system should build uponst udentsrsquo and educatorsrsquo own intrinsic motivation and proventechniques of management andor ganizational development that clearlyde fine success support itsrealization and provideh igh-profile recognitionwh en success occurs California is committedt ou tilizingmultiple measures to highlight our performance in relation to the full spectrum of outcomes we care about for our students and schoolsThe Task Force strongly recommends that these be presented in an easy-to-use dashboard format They should range from a positive school climate in which students report feelingengaged and respected to mastery of the statersquos robust academic content standards

We are equally committed to supporting and cultivating a system-wide culture of continuous improvement in order to advance and achieve these outcomes thatr elies on multiple measures top rovidethe information necessary to engage in improvement efforts This culture of continuous improvement mustinfuse all parts oft he system including continuous improvement for the system itself throughevaluativeme chanisms that allow us to learn froml ocal experience and revisit the indicators toolsandsystemso f support we use toe nsure theyar e workingas intended To this point the Task Force proposesongoinge valuation of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and making coursecorrections and updates as needed to better serve Californiarsquos students ands takeholders The recommendationsp resented in thisre port should not be considered an end point but rathera beginningpoint for continuous improvement

Finallyboth improvement and performance must have ad eliberate focus on supporting equity of access opportunityand outcomes for allo fC aliforniarsquos diverse students Historically in California andth e nation

1 The Accountability and Continuous Improvement TaskF orce was co-chaired by EricH eins California TeachersA ssociation andWes Smith Association of California School Administrators SeeA ppendixC f or af ull membership roster 2 CaliforniaD epartment of Education Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 Retrieved on December 20 2015 from httpwwwcdecagoveoinbpdocumentsyr15bp0720pdf 3 Fullan M (2011) Choosing the Wrong Drivers for Whole System Reform Centre for Strategic Education Retrieved on December 18 2015 from httpwwwmichaelfullancamedia13501655630pdf 4 Seet heSt ateB oardof Education websitef or extensivedoc umentation on this processhttpwwwcdecagovbeagagindexaspSee also page 24 of this report

Page 3 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

the public education system has not equitably supported all student groups it is our duty to make thehistoric shifts to build a system that recognizes our past shortcomings shines light on areas where morework is needed to rectify the achievementequity gapand provides support and recognition forimprovement

The Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should rely on a holisticpicture of how schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are doing in regard to both performance andequity The statersquos system should simultaneously look at the ways in which performance and equity areimproving in order to fully realize the outcomes that we seek

Performance Equity Improvement

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

Performance Improvement Equity

The following pages of the Executive Summary provide a graphic overview of the key features of theproposed systemrsquos implementation and integration of the performance equity and improvement themes

Page 4 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

ThisgraphicpresentsthecorefeaturesoftheproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemThefullreportuses

thisasaroadmapwitheachcomponenthighlightedseparatelytoexplaineachfeatureofthesystem-thefollowingpageprovidesa

summarydescriptionofeachfeature

Page 5 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions Indicators demonstrating that schools and districts provide the supports and resources that will allow students to

take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school

School and District Whole Child Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which all children are healthy safe engaged

supported challenged and valued

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which students achieve meaningful learning outcomes including the acquisition

of the knowledge language and lifelong learning skills needed to succeed in todayrsquos

world as outlined by the California standards

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

THEPROPOSEDNEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEMAGRAPHIC

REPRESENTATION

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 6 of 41

SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONSCOMPONENTSOFTHENEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEM

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding PrinciplesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

COE

s

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

School and District IndicatorsCalifornia seeks to develop a system that incorporates multiple measures to present a holistic picture of performance equity and improvement for schools LEAs and the state The new system rooted in and part of LCFF and LCAP will examine schooldistrict learning conditions to understand if the system is providing equitable resources and opportunities for all students It will also examine academic and non-academic outcome indicators to understand student performance and it will disaggregate these indicators by student groups as a measure of equity The new system will examine the rate of improvement across these indicators as a means of highlighting and building on successful practices and identifying where additional improvement support is needed

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

California recognizes that its accountability framework is only helpful to the extent that it is integrally tied to a system of continuous improvement and support By looking at measures of performance equity and improvement with regard to both whole child and academic indicators schools and districts will be able to self-identify their strengths areas where support is needed and where support is available within the greater ecosystem of peer learning This will allow for a system of differentiated improvement supports at three levels that recognizes success and shares promising and successful practices between LEAs throughout the state

RolesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must include clearly defined roles for federal state and local stakeholders Each level of the system should be held responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning and development for every child

Policy Makers Policy makers at the state and federal level should establish policies and standards that support continuous improvement set clear expectations for outcomes and improvement provide adequate resources support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and foster innovation

Stakeholders and Communities One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders From advocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropy parent groups community voices business organizations early learning and care and beyond this coalition of supportive stakeholders will be instrumental in the successful communication about transition to and implementation of this new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

The CDE CCEE and COEs The State Superintendent of Public InstructionCDE the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and county superintendentsoffices of education (COEs)mdashmust work collaboratively to provide coordinated support for school accountability and continuous improvement Additionally the State Superintendent must take action if a school or district is unable to improve over time

Schools and Districts Schools and districts are at the center of Californiarsquos system They must engage students parents and caregivers educators and other stakeholders in school and district-level planning and support to ensure that all students are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn and contribute They must implement instructional improvement strategies and marshal the financial and professional capital required to implement these strategies and improve student outcomes

FoundationAs a state we seek to realize our vision to provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood and prepare students to live work and thrive in a multicultural multilingual and highly connected world We pursue rigorous learning and achievement in every classroom and every school

We will embrace the California Way which rests on the belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when given the proper supports and provides local schools and districts with the leeway and flexibility to deploy resources so they can improve

To do this Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System willbull Demonstrate a commitment to equitybull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole childbull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capitalbull Recognize that improvement and learning are continuousbull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communitiesbull Rely on reciprocity and subsidiaritybull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholdersbull Identify and recognize districts schools and classr ooms that can serve as models and those that need support The proposed system builds on State Board of Education guiding principles

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 5: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 EXECUTIVESU MMARY

This report presents the work and recommendations of California Superintendent of Public InstructionTom Torlaksonrsquos Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continuous Improvement1

The Task Force was convenedat ac ritical moment for public education in our state California hasst artedon ap athwayt owards the creation of ab etter system for our students one that rests on af oundation ofstudent success relieso n highs tandards more equitablyd istributes resources (through the Local ControlFundingFor mula)and trusts locale ducators and communities to design the educationals tructures andsupportst hat ourst udentsn eed to reach their fullp otential (through the Local Control and AccountabilityPlans)This emerging ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo builds on ac ollaborative approach to positive education change

The Task Forcersquos work was guidedb yt he CaliforniaD epartment of Educationrsquos strategic plan ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 which lays out the mission guiding principles and right drivers that shapedthe direction of the accountability and continuous improvement system proposed here2 3 Simultaneous to the work of the Task Force Californiarsquos State Board of Education has been engaged in development of LocalControl Funding Formula evaluation rubrics4 California now has the opportunity tode velop a system ofaccountabilityan d continuous improvement that aligns with and extends the provisions outlined in thefederalE very Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to support a world-class education for everys tudent in theGolden State

Building on this great potential for alignment and positive changethe task forcersquosre commendationsc an be summarized in three words performance equity and improvement

Our new system should build uponst udentsrsquo and educatorsrsquo own intrinsic motivation and proventechniques of management andor ganizational development that clearlyde fine success support itsrealization and provideh igh-profile recognitionwh en success occurs California is committedt ou tilizingmultiple measures to highlight our performance in relation to the full spectrum of outcomes we care about for our students and schoolsThe Task Force strongly recommends that these be presented in an easy-to-use dashboard format They should range from a positive school climate in which students report feelingengaged and respected to mastery of the statersquos robust academic content standards

We are equally committed to supporting and cultivating a system-wide culture of continuous improvement in order to advance and achieve these outcomes thatr elies on multiple measures top rovidethe information necessary to engage in improvement efforts This culture of continuous improvement mustinfuse all parts oft he system including continuous improvement for the system itself throughevaluativeme chanisms that allow us to learn froml ocal experience and revisit the indicators toolsandsystemso f support we use toe nsure theyar e workingas intended To this point the Task Force proposesongoinge valuation of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and making coursecorrections and updates as needed to better serve Californiarsquos students ands takeholders The recommendationsp resented in thisre port should not be considered an end point but rathera beginningpoint for continuous improvement

Finallyboth improvement and performance must have ad eliberate focus on supporting equity of access opportunityand outcomes for allo fC aliforniarsquos diverse students Historically in California andth e nation

1 The Accountability and Continuous Improvement TaskF orce was co-chaired by EricH eins California TeachersA ssociation andWes Smith Association of California School Administrators SeeA ppendixC f or af ull membership roster 2 CaliforniaD epartment of Education Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 Retrieved on December 20 2015 from httpwwwcdecagoveoinbpdocumentsyr15bp0720pdf 3 Fullan M (2011) Choosing the Wrong Drivers for Whole System Reform Centre for Strategic Education Retrieved on December 18 2015 from httpwwwmichaelfullancamedia13501655630pdf 4 Seet heSt ateB oardof Education websitef or extensivedoc umentation on this processhttpwwwcdecagovbeagagindexaspSee also page 24 of this report

Page 3 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

the public education system has not equitably supported all student groups it is our duty to make thehistoric shifts to build a system that recognizes our past shortcomings shines light on areas where morework is needed to rectify the achievementequity gapand provides support and recognition forimprovement

The Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should rely on a holisticpicture of how schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are doing in regard to both performance andequity The statersquos system should simultaneously look at the ways in which performance and equity areimproving in order to fully realize the outcomes that we seek

Performance Equity Improvement

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

Performance Improvement Equity

The following pages of the Executive Summary provide a graphic overview of the key features of theproposed systemrsquos implementation and integration of the performance equity and improvement themes

Page 4 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

ThisgraphicpresentsthecorefeaturesoftheproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemThefullreportuses

thisasaroadmapwitheachcomponenthighlightedseparatelytoexplaineachfeatureofthesystem-thefollowingpageprovidesa

summarydescriptionofeachfeature

Page 5 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions Indicators demonstrating that schools and districts provide the supports and resources that will allow students to

take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school

School and District Whole Child Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which all children are healthy safe engaged

supported challenged and valued

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which students achieve meaningful learning outcomes including the acquisition

of the knowledge language and lifelong learning skills needed to succeed in todayrsquos

world as outlined by the California standards

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

THEPROPOSEDNEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEMAGRAPHIC

REPRESENTATION

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 6 of 41

SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONSCOMPONENTSOFTHENEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEM

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding PrinciplesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

COE

s

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

School and District IndicatorsCalifornia seeks to develop a system that incorporates multiple measures to present a holistic picture of performance equity and improvement for schools LEAs and the state The new system rooted in and part of LCFF and LCAP will examine schooldistrict learning conditions to understand if the system is providing equitable resources and opportunities for all students It will also examine academic and non-academic outcome indicators to understand student performance and it will disaggregate these indicators by student groups as a measure of equity The new system will examine the rate of improvement across these indicators as a means of highlighting and building on successful practices and identifying where additional improvement support is needed

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

California recognizes that its accountability framework is only helpful to the extent that it is integrally tied to a system of continuous improvement and support By looking at measures of performance equity and improvement with regard to both whole child and academic indicators schools and districts will be able to self-identify their strengths areas where support is needed and where support is available within the greater ecosystem of peer learning This will allow for a system of differentiated improvement supports at three levels that recognizes success and shares promising and successful practices between LEAs throughout the state

RolesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must include clearly defined roles for federal state and local stakeholders Each level of the system should be held responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning and development for every child

Policy Makers Policy makers at the state and federal level should establish policies and standards that support continuous improvement set clear expectations for outcomes and improvement provide adequate resources support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and foster innovation

Stakeholders and Communities One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders From advocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropy parent groups community voices business organizations early learning and care and beyond this coalition of supportive stakeholders will be instrumental in the successful communication about transition to and implementation of this new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

The CDE CCEE and COEs The State Superintendent of Public InstructionCDE the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and county superintendentsoffices of education (COEs)mdashmust work collaboratively to provide coordinated support for school accountability and continuous improvement Additionally the State Superintendent must take action if a school or district is unable to improve over time

Schools and Districts Schools and districts are at the center of Californiarsquos system They must engage students parents and caregivers educators and other stakeholders in school and district-level planning and support to ensure that all students are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn and contribute They must implement instructional improvement strategies and marshal the financial and professional capital required to implement these strategies and improve student outcomes

FoundationAs a state we seek to realize our vision to provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood and prepare students to live work and thrive in a multicultural multilingual and highly connected world We pursue rigorous learning and achievement in every classroom and every school

We will embrace the California Way which rests on the belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when given the proper supports and provides local schools and districts with the leeway and flexibility to deploy resources so they can improve

To do this Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System willbull Demonstrate a commitment to equitybull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole childbull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capitalbull Recognize that improvement and learning are continuousbull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communitiesbull Rely on reciprocity and subsidiaritybull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholdersbull Identify and recognize districts schools and classr ooms that can serve as models and those that need support The proposed system builds on State Board of Education guiding principles

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 6: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

the public education system has not equitably supported all student groups it is our duty to make thehistoric shifts to build a system that recognizes our past shortcomings shines light on areas where morework is needed to rectify the achievementequity gapand provides support and recognition forimprovement

The Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should rely on a holisticpicture of how schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are doing in regard to both performance andequity The statersquos system should simultaneously look at the ways in which performance and equity areimproving in order to fully realize the outcomes that we seek

Performance Equity Improvement

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

Performance Improvement Equity

The following pages of the Executive Summary provide a graphic overview of the key features of theproposed systemrsquos implementation and integration of the performance equity and improvement themes

Page 4 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

ThisgraphicpresentsthecorefeaturesoftheproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemThefullreportuses

thisasaroadmapwitheachcomponenthighlightedseparatelytoexplaineachfeatureofthesystem-thefollowingpageprovidesa

summarydescriptionofeachfeature

Page 5 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions Indicators demonstrating that schools and districts provide the supports and resources that will allow students to

take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school

School and District Whole Child Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which all children are healthy safe engaged

supported challenged and valued

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which students achieve meaningful learning outcomes including the acquisition

of the knowledge language and lifelong learning skills needed to succeed in todayrsquos

world as outlined by the California standards

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

THEPROPOSEDNEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEMAGRAPHIC

REPRESENTATION

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 6 of 41

SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONSCOMPONENTSOFTHENEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEM

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding PrinciplesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

COE

s

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

School and District IndicatorsCalifornia seeks to develop a system that incorporates multiple measures to present a holistic picture of performance equity and improvement for schools LEAs and the state The new system rooted in and part of LCFF and LCAP will examine schooldistrict learning conditions to understand if the system is providing equitable resources and opportunities for all students It will also examine academic and non-academic outcome indicators to understand student performance and it will disaggregate these indicators by student groups as a measure of equity The new system will examine the rate of improvement across these indicators as a means of highlighting and building on successful practices and identifying where additional improvement support is needed

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

California recognizes that its accountability framework is only helpful to the extent that it is integrally tied to a system of continuous improvement and support By looking at measures of performance equity and improvement with regard to both whole child and academic indicators schools and districts will be able to self-identify their strengths areas where support is needed and where support is available within the greater ecosystem of peer learning This will allow for a system of differentiated improvement supports at three levels that recognizes success and shares promising and successful practices between LEAs throughout the state

RolesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must include clearly defined roles for federal state and local stakeholders Each level of the system should be held responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning and development for every child

Policy Makers Policy makers at the state and federal level should establish policies and standards that support continuous improvement set clear expectations for outcomes and improvement provide adequate resources support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and foster innovation

Stakeholders and Communities One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders From advocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropy parent groups community voices business organizations early learning and care and beyond this coalition of supportive stakeholders will be instrumental in the successful communication about transition to and implementation of this new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

The CDE CCEE and COEs The State Superintendent of Public InstructionCDE the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and county superintendentsoffices of education (COEs)mdashmust work collaboratively to provide coordinated support for school accountability and continuous improvement Additionally the State Superintendent must take action if a school or district is unable to improve over time

Schools and Districts Schools and districts are at the center of Californiarsquos system They must engage students parents and caregivers educators and other stakeholders in school and district-level planning and support to ensure that all students are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn and contribute They must implement instructional improvement strategies and marshal the financial and professional capital required to implement these strategies and improve student outcomes

FoundationAs a state we seek to realize our vision to provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood and prepare students to live work and thrive in a multicultural multilingual and highly connected world We pursue rigorous learning and achievement in every classroom and every school

We will embrace the California Way which rests on the belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when given the proper supports and provides local schools and districts with the leeway and flexibility to deploy resources so they can improve

To do this Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System willbull Demonstrate a commitment to equitybull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole childbull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capitalbull Recognize that improvement and learning are continuousbull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communitiesbull Rely on reciprocity and subsidiaritybull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholdersbull Identify and recognize districts schools and classr ooms that can serve as models and those that need support The proposed system builds on State Board of Education guiding principles

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 7: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

ThisgraphicpresentsthecorefeaturesoftheproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemThefullreportuses

thisasaroadmapwitheachcomponenthighlightedseparatelytoexplaineachfeatureofthesystem-thefollowingpageprovidesa

summarydescriptionofeachfeature

Page 5 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions Indicators demonstrating that schools and districts provide the supports and resources that will allow students to

take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school

School and District Whole Child Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which all children are healthy safe engaged

supported challenged and valued

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes Indicators demonstrating the

extent to which students achieve meaningful learning outcomes including the acquisition

of the knowledge language and lifelong learning skills needed to succeed in todayrsquos

world as outlined by the California standards

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

Cycle of Continuous

Improvem

ent

THEPROPOSEDNEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEMAGRAPHIC

REPRESENTATION

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 6 of 41

SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONSCOMPONENTSOFTHENEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEM

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding PrinciplesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

COE

s

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

School and District IndicatorsCalifornia seeks to develop a system that incorporates multiple measures to present a holistic picture of performance equity and improvement for schools LEAs and the state The new system rooted in and part of LCFF and LCAP will examine schooldistrict learning conditions to understand if the system is providing equitable resources and opportunities for all students It will also examine academic and non-academic outcome indicators to understand student performance and it will disaggregate these indicators by student groups as a measure of equity The new system will examine the rate of improvement across these indicators as a means of highlighting and building on successful practices and identifying where additional improvement support is needed

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

California recognizes that its accountability framework is only helpful to the extent that it is integrally tied to a system of continuous improvement and support By looking at measures of performance equity and improvement with regard to both whole child and academic indicators schools and districts will be able to self-identify their strengths areas where support is needed and where support is available within the greater ecosystem of peer learning This will allow for a system of differentiated improvement supports at three levels that recognizes success and shares promising and successful practices between LEAs throughout the state

RolesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must include clearly defined roles for federal state and local stakeholders Each level of the system should be held responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning and development for every child

Policy Makers Policy makers at the state and federal level should establish policies and standards that support continuous improvement set clear expectations for outcomes and improvement provide adequate resources support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and foster innovation

Stakeholders and Communities One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders From advocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropy parent groups community voices business organizations early learning and care and beyond this coalition of supportive stakeholders will be instrumental in the successful communication about transition to and implementation of this new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

The CDE CCEE and COEs The State Superintendent of Public InstructionCDE the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and county superintendentsoffices of education (COEs)mdashmust work collaboratively to provide coordinated support for school accountability and continuous improvement Additionally the State Superintendent must take action if a school or district is unable to improve over time

Schools and Districts Schools and districts are at the center of Californiarsquos system They must engage students parents and caregivers educators and other stakeholders in school and district-level planning and support to ensure that all students are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn and contribute They must implement instructional improvement strategies and marshal the financial and professional capital required to implement these strategies and improve student outcomes

FoundationAs a state we seek to realize our vision to provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood and prepare students to live work and thrive in a multicultural multilingual and highly connected world We pursue rigorous learning and achievement in every classroom and every school

We will embrace the California Way which rests on the belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when given the proper supports and provides local schools and districts with the leeway and flexibility to deploy resources so they can improve

To do this Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System willbull Demonstrate a commitment to equitybull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole childbull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capitalbull Recognize that improvement and learning are continuousbull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communitiesbull Rely on reciprocity and subsidiaritybull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholdersbull Identify and recognize districts schools and classr ooms that can serve as models and those that need support The proposed system builds on State Board of Education guiding principles

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 8: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 6 of 41

SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONSCOMPONENTSOFTHENEWACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSYSTEM

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding PrinciplesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

COE

s

CCEE

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

dagger dagger

dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

ROLES

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous

Improvement

School and District IndicatorsCalifornia seeks to develop a system that incorporates multiple measures to present a holistic picture of performance equity and improvement for schools LEAs and the state The new system rooted in and part of LCFF and LCAP will examine schooldistrict learning conditions to understand if the system is providing equitable resources and opportunities for all students It will also examine academic and non-academic outcome indicators to understand student performance and it will disaggregate these indicators by student groups as a measure of equity The new system will examine the rate of improvement across these indicators as a means of highlighting and building on successful practices and identifying where additional improvement support is needed

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

California recognizes that its accountability framework is only helpful to the extent that it is integrally tied to a system of continuous improvement and support By looking at measures of performance equity and improvement with regard to both whole child and academic indicators schools and districts will be able to self-identify their strengths areas where support is needed and where support is available within the greater ecosystem of peer learning This will allow for a system of differentiated improvement supports at three levels that recognizes success and shares promising and successful practices between LEAs throughout the state

RolesCaliforniarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must include clearly defined roles for federal state and local stakeholders Each level of the system should be held responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning and development for every child

Policy Makers Policy makers at the state and federal level should establish policies and standards that support continuous improvement set clear expectations for outcomes and improvement provide adequate resources support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and foster innovation

Stakeholders and Communities One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders From advocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropy parent groups community voices business organizations early learning and care and beyond this coalition of supportive stakeholders will be instrumental in the successful communication about transition to and implementation of this new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

The CDE CCEE and COEs The State Superintendent of Public InstructionCDE the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and county superintendentsoffices of education (COEs)mdashmust work collaboratively to provide coordinated support for school accountability and continuous improvement Additionally the State Superintendent must take action if a school or district is unable to improve over time

Schools and Districts Schools and districts are at the center of Californiarsquos system They must engage students parents and caregivers educators and other stakeholders in school and district-level planning and support to ensure that all students are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn and contribute They must implement instructional improvement strategies and marshal the financial and professional capital required to implement these strategies and improve student outcomes

FoundationAs a state we seek to realize our vision to provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthood and prepare students to live work and thrive in a multicultural multilingual and highly connected world We pursue rigorous learning and achievement in every classroom and every school

We will embrace the California Way which rests on the belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when given the proper supports and provides local schools and districts with the leeway and flexibility to deploy resources so they can improve

To do this Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System willbull Demonstrate a commitment to equitybull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole childbull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capitalbull Recognize that improvement and learning are continuousbull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communitiesbull Rely on reciprocity and subsidiaritybull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholdersbull Identify and recognize districts schools and classr ooms that can serve as models and those that need support The proposed system builds on State Board of Education guiding principles

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 9: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

2 FOUNDATION

The proposed Accountability and ContinuousImprovementS ystem restso n a foundation ofa common vision guidingp rinciples and a shared commitment to the ldquoCalifornia Wayrdquo The Task Force believes this foundation and the more detailed recommendationsth at follow are aligned with and in some cases anextension of the work being undertaken by the CaliforniaSt ate Board of Education (SBE) involving the development ofL CFF EvaluationRubricsThis foundation will also supportplanning workto be undertakenf or the ESSAstate plan

VISION

In the same way thata classroom teacher startse ach school yearw ith a vision of what successw ill look like forh isherst udents we began ourd esign processb y working on a shared vision Asa state we seek to provide a world-class education fora ll students from earlych ildhood to adulthood and prepare students toli vew orka nd thrive in am ulticulturalm ultilinguala nd highly connected world5 The statersquosA ccountability and Continuous Improvement System should help provide local educators and communities with the information and tools they need to engage in a processo f continuousi mprovement where collaborative planning implementation and analysis leads toon going adjustments tos uccessfullyaddress the diverse needs of all students Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should

bull Demonstrate a commitment to equity by ensuring that all student groups are visible in accountabilityan d improvement efforts and settinggoal s for closinggap s The system should provide clarity ong aps ina chievement opportunity and access betweenst udent groups andprovide tools to eliminate these gaps 6

bull Emphasize the importance of educating the whole child by using indicators from multiple domains The system should include holistic and developmentally appropriate metrics to monitor progress towards preparing all students for college career life and leadershipi nt he 21st century

bull Focus on building collaboration engagement and professional capital to ensure that educators have supports they need to improve student learning

bull Recognize that improvement andl earning are continuous and emphasize feedback loops with a focus on continuous improvement and quality throughout every levelo ft he system

bull Value the knowledge and expertise of educators and communities by relying on accountability and improvement plans that are locally driven and state supported

bull Rely on subsidiarity and reciprocal accountabilityholding every level of the system responsible for the contributions it must make to support learning for every child7

5 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 6 The term ldquostudent grouprdquo refers to the student subgroups that are included inL ocal Control and Accountability Plans includingsocioeconomically disadvantaged students English learners studentsw ith disabilities andfo ster youthdisaggregated by race and ethnicity7 According to the Oxford English Dictionary ldquosubsidiarityrdquo represents the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiaryfunction performing only those tasks that cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or localle vel

Page 7 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 10: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Embrace students parents and families as critical stakeholders in the accountability system bull Identify and recognize districts schools and classrooms that can serve as models for those

thatn eed supportto create an environment where we can learn from each other collaborate and improve together

GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

The shared visiono utlined above provides afo undation for developing the proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement System while the following guiding principles from the SBE offer af ramework for making decisions about the system8

1 Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts schools and county offices of educationPromote a broad understanding of the specific goals that need to be met at each level of the educational system 9

2 Foster equityCreate support structuresincluding technical assistance for districts and schoolsto promote success for all students regardless of background primary language or socioeconomic status

3 Provide useful informationt hat helps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of education and policymakers makei mportant decisionsAssist and engage parentseducators and policymakers through regular communicationa nd transparent timely reporting of data so they can take action appropriate to their roles

4 Build capacity and increase support for districts schools and county offices Seek tob uild capacity at all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningp ractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

5 Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measuresfor state and local priorities Focus on ongoing improvement of student outcomes including college- and career-readiness using multiple measures that reflect both status and growth

6 Promote system-wide integration and innovation Purposely ande ffectively integrate each accountabilitys ystem component includinggr oups and technologies creatinga c oherent effective and efficient support structure for districts charter schools and county offices of education10

The Task Force developed the following additional guiding principles 7 Align to the extentp ossible local state and federal accountabilityan d continuous improvement

systemst o create one single integrateds ystem for use by schoolsdi stricts county offices of education and the State of CaliforniaLead with Californiarsquos commitment to subsidiarity and the strengthening of local assets and capacities11 and

8 Encourage labor-management collaboration in districts schools and county offices of education asan underlyingf oundationf or effective implementationo f the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System12

THECALIFORNIAWAY USINGTHERIGHTDRIVERSTOGUIDEIMPROVEMENT

ldquoThe California Way rests ont he belief that educators want to excel trusts them to improve when givent he proper supports and provides local schools and districts witht he leeway and flexibility to deploy resources sot hey can improve The CaliforniaW ay engages students parents and communities as part of ac ollaborative decision-making process about how to fund and implement these

8 SeeA ppendixB for the complete State Board of Educationrsquos Guiding Principles for Accountability System Planning 9 Throughout this document the term ldquoschoolsrdquo is used to refer to all public schools in California including charter schools 10 See httpwwwcdecagovbepnnryr15sberel01asp 11 SeeSec tion 5 for recommendations for alignment ofa ccountability and continuous improvement plans 12 Information on the California Labor-Management Initiativec an bef ounda t wwwcdefoundationorglmi

Page 8 of 41

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 11: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

lued (School and District Whole Child Outcomes)

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

improvement efforts and provides supplemental resources to ensure that Californiarsquos English learners foster youth and students inp overty have the learnings upports they needrdquo13

As notede ducationr esearcher anda dvisor Michael Fullan explains ldquoThe key to system-wide success is tosituate the energy of educatorsa nd studentsa st he central driving force Thism eansa ligningt he goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participantsrdquo14 In order to create an effective and sustainable system of accountability and continuous improvement thatb uilds on the collaborative approachde scribedb ybo th Fullan andth e California Wayactors at all levels of the proposed system must focus on the ldquorightd riversrdquowhich ldquofoster motivation of teachers and students engage educators and students in continuousimprovement improve team work and affect all teachers and studentsrdquo15 The right drivers identified in A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 20 include

bull Investing in and building educator professional capital bull Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations bull Supporting effective pedagogy bull Developing systemicso lutions to create a coherent and positive education system16

Moving away from a compliance-driven system towards a system that emphasizes the right drivers will require a significant cultural shift in how many education stakeholders define accountability17 Together with the guiding principles these right drivers serve as a litmus test for future accountability and continuous improvement policies and practices

3 ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

Building upon the foundation describeda bovethe proposedAc countability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem relieso n a set of multiple measures to examinep erformance equity and improvement These should be presentedthrough user-friendly dashboards18 Examining these multiple measures will

bull Demonstrate the extentto which schoolsa nd districts provide thesupportsa nd resourcest hat will allow studentst o take advantage ofeducational opportunities and succeed in school (Equitable LearningConditions)

bull Highlight whole child development by examining indicators thats how the extent to which all children areh ealthy safe engaged supported challenged and va

13 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 14 Fullan M (2011) 15 Ibid 16 Blueprint 20 Planning Team (2015) 17 Appendix A highlights the ways inw hicht hese drivers couldb e appliedac ross the K-12and E arly LearningSy stem tos upportarticulation andal ignment 18 The dashboard approach will allow the presentationo f multiple kinds of data and assessments to support multiple ways ofmonitoring and improving just as adr iver uses many different gauges windows andm irrors

Page 9 of 41

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

Cycleof Continuous

Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District

dagger

Academic Outcomes

Aggregated dagger Disaggregated Aggregated dagger Disaggregated

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 12: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Illustrate the extentto which students achieve meaningful learningou tcomes includingt he acquisition of the knowledge language and lifelongl earnings kills needed tos ucceed (School and District AcademicO utcomes)

bull Reveal disparities by disaggregating student outcomes by student groups and examining learning conditions through the lens of equity

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

The Superintendentrsquos Advisory Task Force onA ccountability and Continuous Improvement offers the definitionof accountability belowThis shared definition allowed the Task Force toi dentifyt he primary purposes of ana ccountability system and consider how these purposes could be achieved through a system thate mphasizes both performanceequityand improvement This definitionfo cuses on intrinsicmotivation the right drivers and reciprocal accountabilityac ross all levels of the system

Accountability is a shared responsibility to 1) Provide studentsw ith the learning experiencesa nd supportst hey need to achieve meaningful outcomesand 2) Effectively collaborate and share information amongte achers and classified staffschoolsstudentsparents and caregiversadministratorsdistrictscommunities county offices of education and the state to ensure thatever yp art of thes ystem has thecapacity tools and resources necessary to provide these learning experiences and support Implementing this two-pronged definitiono f accountability leads to increasing levels ofs upport for improvements at alllevels oft he system Our California Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon

bull Shared responsibility to support learning for every child bull Comprehensively measuring performance equity improvement and how well the system is

meeting its goalsincluding linking results to the tiered system of support and intervention19

bull Considering all the factors that affect performance and outcomes in order toi dentify share andpromote best and promising practices and change courseso f action thata re nota chieving our desired outcomes

bull Clearly communicating expectations and processes at all levels bull Reporting the results of selected measures to all partners in education and in the communityand bull Taking what we know and have learned from careful assessments and using thati nformation by

working together to channel support and resourcesto make improvements where they are needed

DEFINITIONS PERFORMANCE EQUITY WHOLE CHILD

Similarly to build commonund erstanding and support for the Task Forcersquos proposed Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemthe task force recommendst he following definitions

Performanceth e extentto which schools districts and the state supports tudents to achieve meaningful outcomes ABl ueprint for Great Schools Version 20 recommendst hat meaningful learning should support the acquisition of the knowledge language lifelongl earnings kills and dispositions that students need to succeed the ability to apply complex knowledge to solve problems collaborate communicate inquire learn independently and build relationships and the capacity to be resilient and resourceful20

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible supports and resources needed to take advantage of educational opportunities and succeed in school at the same level as other students

19 For more information see pages1 5-19 for proposed indicators and pages 22-23 for the tiered system ofs upport andintervention 20 Blueprint 20 PlanningT eam (2015)

Page 10 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 13: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Whole ChildAn approach to learning that ensures thatever yc hild is healthy safe engaged supported challenged and valued21

EQUITYPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System should create a holisticp icture of how well the schoolsLEAsand the state are realizingC aliforniarsquos vision of success for all students To do this the Task Force recommends ab alanced set of academic and non-academic indicators that illustratestudent performance and equitablel earning conditionsand improvement in both (see Figure 1) The Task Force recognizes that it is important tou tilize a whole child approach and noti ncentivize the wrongdrivers Inc onsidering rates andt argets the Task Force advises an emphasis on continuous sustainable improvements rooted in the ongoing development ofp rofessional capital This balanceds et ofa cademic and non-academic indicators should be depicted in easy-to-read dashboard formats(se e p 30)

Performance Academic and non-academic achievement

Performance Improvement Rate of improvement of performance

Equity Improvement Rate of improvement of equity

Equity Gaps in opportunities (learning conditions) and performance across student groups

Figure 1

PERFORMANCE

The performancem easurei llustrates the state of student outcomesa t a point in time across ar ange of academic and non-academic areas22 It uses multiple indicators to depict the current level of performanceThe performance measure shows the extent to which a district or school is meeting outcomes for studentsat both an aggregated and disaggregated (byst udent group)le vel23

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The performance improvement or change measure denotes the level of improvement based on changesover time tot he indicators includedi n the performance measure It should be provided in aggregated anddisaggregated( by student group)f orms The Task Forcersquos proposed new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem places significant value on improvementThe value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase studenta nd system outcomes and the opportunity thatimprovement provides for shared learning across the system The performance improvement measure servesmu ltiple purposes providing opportunitiest o

21 Adapted from ASCD See httpwwwascdorgwhole-childaspx 22 There are a number of possible approaches to achieve thisSome possible examples include am odel used in Alberta Canada while another might be a quadrant-based scatter plot such as the model developed by ChildrenN ow 23 Iti s criticalto consider indicators thatr eliably predictth e longer-term studento utcomes we seekfo r example indicators in theearlygr ades should predict graduation rates whilei ndicators in thes econdarygr ades should predict collegea nd careerpreparedness etc

Page 11 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 14: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

1 Highlight and recognize those districts and schools makingc oncerted and successful efforts toimprove

2 Identify districts and schools that need support to address challenges and needsand 3 Identify promising practices in aggregate or byst udent groupthat could be applied by other

LEAs ands chools across the system

EQUITY The equityme asure shedsl ight on disparitiesi n opportunitiesa nd outcomesa crossst udent groups Equity should be examined through indicators of equitablel earning conditions and byd isaggregatingp erformance measures by student groups Californiarsquos public education system is entrustedt op rovide high-quality educational opportunities for all of its students A robust accountability system identifiesb arriers that limit access toa r igorous and nurturinge ducational experience for all students especially those requiring special education foster youth homeless youth those from low-income families English learnersand vulnerable racial and ethnic groupsThe Accountability and Continuous Improvement System should help identify supportsne ededt o eradicate those barriers maintaina ndm easure progress towards clear goals and hold schools districts and educators accountable for closingac hievement gaps and advancinga r ange of culturally responsive and linguistically supportive opportunities toe nsure success in school and acquisition of the skills necessaryt ob e college careerand life ready

EQUITY IMPROVEMENT Similar tot he performance improvement or change measure equity improvement illustrates the level of improvement on equityin dicators This measure looks at the rate of improvementof equitable learning conditions thatc apture the level of equity in a school or districta nd the rate atw hich performance gaps across student groupsa re closingstaying the sameor growing Improving equity of access andopportunityan dc losingac hievement gaps are critical toi mprovingou tcomes for all students Additionallylooking at the rate ofi mprovement on equityi ndicators provides aw ayt oi dentifyan d act on promisingpractices for improving student equity

INDICATORS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

The Task Force recommends as eries of indicator sets for differentu ses and at different levels of the system These various sets of indicators should be depicted inv isually attractive and easy-to-use dashboards that will allowt he system to

bull Ensure that the state and system as a whole are continuously improving bull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvement acrosst he state with regard to

student learning and achievement bull Collect additional diagnostic information to support continuous improvement efforts and bull Provide LEAs with the flexibility to identify indicators of interest

LEVELSO FI NDICATORS

To build a system that fully supports and values performance equity andi mprovementCalifornia should utilize appropriate indicator sets for each level of accountability and continuous improvement 24

This work should build upon the state priorities articulated by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)

24 ldquoAn indicator provides evidence that certain conditionse xist orce rtain resultsh ave or have not been achieved Indicatorse nabledecision-makers to assess progress towards the achievement of intended outputs outcomes goals and objectivesrdquo (HarvardFamilyR esearchP roject) Horsch K (1997) Indicators definition andu se in ar esults-based accountability system Retrieved onApril 14 2016 from httpwwwhfrporgpublications-resourcesbrowse-our-publicationsindicators-definition-and-use-in-a-results-based-accountability-system

Page 12 of 41

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 15: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

Table 1 Levels of Indicators Indicator Set Definition and Use State-Required These indicators should be used for both state and federal (ESSA)

purposes should be applicable and relevant statewide and should be utilized by California to gauge the success of federal and state-level accountability and continuous improvement supports for LEAs and schools

State-Reported These indicators should be vetted and reported by the state and available for use in the statersquos Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System for LEAs and schoolsThese indicators should complement the state-required indicator set by providing a moreholistic picture of performance equity and improvement

State-Supported Locally-Reported These indicators should provide additional diagnostic and evaluation information and should be available for voluntary local use that is

supported with tools provided by the state allowing schools and LEAs to evaluate learning opportunities more deeplyThey should be locally-reported and used for diagnostic and improvement purposes in the context of state and local accountability and continuous improvement systems

Locally Generated and Reported These indicators should be identified and vetted locally and used for additional information for LCAP design impl ementation and eval uation

State System These indicators should be identified by the state to use in evaluatingits work supporting the statewide system these indicators should be

used to drive the continuous improvement of the statersquos systems of support

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

and ongoingw ork tod evelop the LCFFe valuation rubrics The proposed indicators include locally determinedi ndicators includedi nLoc al Control andA ccountability Plans anda lsoi nclude state-determinedi ndicators that alignw ithE SSA requirements As summarized by Table 1 and Figure 2 below targeted indicator sets should be developed and provided for specific system levels and accountability and continuous improvement purposes

As illustrated by Figure 2these indicator sets form ac omprehensive package that focuses on supporting and drivingl ocal accountabilityan d continuous improvement They should be depicted and reported in easy-to-use dashboard formats

Page 13 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 16: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

State System Indicators

Local Accountability

and Continuous

Improvement

State Required Indicators

State ReportedIndicators

LocallyGenerated

Indicators (LCAP)

State SupportedIndicators

State System Indicators

Figure 2Integrated Indicator Sets

Tables 2-6 provide possible specific indicators with associated comments for each indicator set describedabove Taken together these tables illustrate an integration path utilizing Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) evaluation rubrics as central drivers of one coherent and comprehensive system that incorporates the federal accountability requirements

STATE AND LOCAL INDICATORS FOR LEAS AND SCHOOLS

The tables below contain the proposed indicators for each level of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Each set of indicators including those that are state-required and state-reported includes both academic and whole child indicators that should be used to measure performance equity and improvement This balance of academic and non-academic indicators will provide a more holistic depiction of the extent to which all students are prepared for college career life and leadership in the 21st centuryIndicators in Table 2 are explicitly linked to ESSA Requirements while the indicators in Tables 3-5 are linked to desired outcomes

Page 14 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 17: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

Academic achievement as measured profi ciency on annua l assessments

by CASSP English languagearts and mathematics scores in grad es 3- 8 inclusiveplus grade 11

To be measured by scale scores reflecting both status and student growthover time Scale SBAC scores would be broken down into diff erent subjects(ie math and English) and reported by grade span (ie grades 3-5 6-8 11)

Hig h schoo l graduation rates 4-year Graduation rates plus an extended rate (5 - andor 6-year rate)

At high school including rates (wit h a t leas t equa l work with student s wit h

a 5-or 6-year graduation rate weight ) creat es incentives for challenges

as well as 4-yearschool s t o keep

Progress in ach ieving Englis h language proficiency as defined by the State within a State-determined timeline f or all English Learners

English Learner (EL ) progress on state English Proficiency Assessment

The State LCFF identifies pro ress toward English proficiency andreclassification ratesEL pro ress

ggg

using scale scores on an EL profici encymeasure i s bett er for trackin th e progress o f al l students ensuring

attention to the ful l range of EL student s and their needs ndash from th ose wh oare newcomers to th ose who are b ecoming an d h ave b ecome lsquoproficient rsquo

Progress of ELs could be measured by a composite or by multiple i ndicatorsfor Englis h Learner progress ie including long-time English learners

and or reclassification ratesThe Task Force recommends creating a new data marker of ldquoEnglishLearner re-designat edrdquo for reclassified ELs as a means of capturing a fullerpicture of student performance

For public elementary schools andsecondary schools that are not highschools in the Statemdash(I) a measure of student growth if determined appropriate by the State or (II) another valid and reliable statewide academicindicat or tha t all ows for meaningfu ldifferentiation in school performance

Growth measure27 The Task F orce encourages the SBE and model s f or inclusion in th e syst em This and growth across other indicators

CDE to should

research potential incl ude both SBAC

growthscores

25 Every Student Succeeds Act 201526 From LCFFSt ate Priorities augmentedt om eet federal requirements27 The task force is not putting forth a specific way to measure growth but recommends that that State Board ofE ducation continue to research growth measure methodologies

Page 15 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 18: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 2 State-Required Indicators

ESSA Requirement25 Recommended California Indicators26 Explanatory Notes

Whole Child Outcomes

No t less than one indicator o f schoo lquality or student success that allowsfor meaningful differentiation in school

performance is valid reliable comparable and statewide and mayinclud e measures of studen tengagement educat or engagementstudent access to and completion ofadvanced coursework postsecondaryreadi ness school climate and safety and any other indicator other Statechooses tha t meets the requirements ofthis clause

bull

bull

bull

bull

Suspensi ons expulsion rat es Statewide schoolclimate surveyChronicabsenteeism College amp careerreadiness indicat or

Suspension and expulsion data are currently available and chronicabsenteeism soon will be Both are local measures of student access andengagemen t that help predict school achievement and high schoolgraduation The Task Force recommend s that suspension expulsion ratesbe utilized in conjunction wit h and tied to authentic programmatic workthat builds positive school climate such as alternative discipline orrestorative justice approaches

A statewide school climate survey of students parents and teachers couldinclud e quest ions on course breadth and access parenta l involvementbasic services safety and social-emotional supports teaching andadministrati ve supports and access to appropriate counseling servicesnurses and school psy gcholo i sts

A non-test-based indicator of coll ege and career readi ness should measurethe extent to which students complete courses and ro ramsp g (c p om letion o fA- G hig qu yh- alit CTE qu se ences and i p )nternshi s that ppsu ort coll ge e andcareer readiness and the development o f 21st yCentur skills such as

28 collaboration communicati pon roblem-solvi gn and creativity This couldbe reviewed in conjunction with other academic indicators as a means forholistically measuri ng the skills and abilities students need to be college andcareer ready

28 The Task Force recognizes that there is not currently a state-adopted tool that measures 21st Century skills like collaboration communication problem solving and creativityThese are qualities that can be evaluated through performance assessments The Task Force recommends that the State Board of Education pilot and study performanceassessments that can measure these competencies as they relate to college and career readiness

Page 16 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 19: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 3 State-Reported Indicators Outcome Area Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Academic Outcomes

College career li fe readi ness indicat ors

and

bull

bull

bull bull

Students completing A-G approved CTE sequence or both Students meeting college standardon AP IB dual credit courseworkPhysical fitness Science assessment resultsonce each in grad es 3-5 6- 8 10-12 for a tota l of three times

If completion o f A- G approved CTE sequences or AB IB dual credi tcoursewor k are not included in t he state required college and career readiness indicator they could be included here

Physical fitness data are already collected by the state

As science assessments develop they could be considered by the SBE in future as a potential add ition t o the require d indicators

the

Whole Child Outcomes

StudentTeacherand ParentCaregiver

Engagement

bull

bull

Attendance

Student teacher andparentcaregiver surveysmeasuring schoo l climat e

for

If attendance and school climate surveys are not in included n the state-required set o f indicat ors they could be included here

School climate surveys could include a core set of questions used across thestate with additional locally determined questions for local use TheCaliforni a Healthy Kids Survey i s an available tool for measuring school climateand measures el ements such as access to resources and programsfeelings of safety and interaction wit h caring adults

Equitable Learning Conditions

Opportunities t o learn

bull

bull bull bull

Teacher and administrator qualificationsSchool facilities qualityAccess to curriculum material s Access to full curriculum

These are required under the Williams Case andor LCAP

Page 17 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 20: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 4 State-Supported Locally-Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

As part of i ts eff ort to support l ocal continuous improvement efforts the state could develop and calibrate a library of tools and measures for voluntary use by bull Locally selected developmentally

State provid es tool s LEAs and schools Several of these may be available at t he time of system launchculturally and linguistically30 for sch ools or (launch library) while oth ers wil l requi re further time and resource investmentappropriate observational

31districts to choose (developmental library) kindergarten readiness and use at thei r s29 assessment CA has access to the Innovation Lab Network Performance Assessment Resource optionpotentially bull Classroom embedded authentic Bank that provides performance assessment tasks rubrics scoring protocols andin collaborat ion perf ormance assessments student work linked to CCSS and NGSS standards These can be made available towit h oth er part ners bull Social-emotional learning schools possibly as par t of the SBAC Digita l Libraryand networks indicat ors stAssessments of social-emotional learning might also be used to measure 21

bull Parent Engagement Century skill s such as collaborati on communication problem-solvingandcreativity and should be further studied by the SBE

Table 5 Locally Designed and Reported Indicators Recommended California Indicators Explanatory Notes

Locally determined indicat ors

bull

bull

Other LCAP indicators es32 local prioriti

Oth er locally designed

for state and

indicators

Districts are not expected to all ocate resources equally to indicat ors bu t t o selec t strat egic goal s an d mak e resource associate d with those

each of the allocat ions

LCAP

29 These are individually administered and open-ended Theys hould beu sed as information for teachers and schools to ensuret heir youngest students arer eceiving the culturallylinguistically andde velopmentallyap propriate supports theyn eed Multiple validatedk indergarten readiness support tools exist andm ay in the short-term be suitable forinclusion in the tool libraryA ppendix A provides a series of recommendations andco nsiderationsr egarding early learning in the Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystemincluding as et of questions pertaining to the use of Kindergarten Readiness Assessments30 The ldquolaunch libraryrdquo could include school climate surveys fors tudents parents and caregiversand teachers (egCalifornia Healthy Kids Survey)tools for measuring implementation ofthe California Standards(C CSS NGSS etc)i ncluding instructional materials practices training etc and toolsfo r measuring indicators ofa rich fullc urriculum thatm ighti nclude art music PE science social studies31 The ldquodevelopment libraryrdquo could include KindergartenR eadiness support tools (Early educationK-12al ignment) Early literacy assessment tools High school graduation systems( Digital portfolio capstone project community service assessment) andSoc ial-Emotional Learning tools32 Californiarsquos emergingac countabilityf rameworki s groundedw ithin ab roader system of continuous improvement andsu pport forL EAsa nd schools By analyzing performance andp erformance improvement on multiple indicators andp resenting thati nformation in user-friendly formats the LCFF evaluation rubrics willa ssist LEAs and schools in self-identifying their strengths and weaknesses where support isn eededa nd who is able to provide it

Page 18 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 21: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

STATE SYSTEM INDICATORS

Table 6 Proposed State System Indicators

State Priority Key Indicator Performance Equity Improvement

Success for students withhigher needs in the stateas a whole on each of theSuccess for state as a Annual state gains rate of gap closurestate-required and state-Pupi l Achievement Aggregated Schoo l and whole on th e state-reported indicat ors Rate o f gai ns for students wit h high erand Engagement Distric t Indicators required and state-

needs reported indicat ors

Perf andoppor

ormancetunity gap closure

Awards for schools and Annual state gainsrate of gap closureNumber of schools

Pupi l Achievement LEAs serving high Rate o f gai ns ( number receiving awards)Californi a Awards applying forreceivingand Engagement numbers of higher-needs for sch ools serving high numb ers ofawards

students higher-needs students

Promulgation o fexemplars andomisingbestpr

practices and brokering Effecti veness of supportsof these and other to schools and districtsresources including especially those serving

Support for LCAP Support Systems Growth in service and capacity (360ordmtechnical assistance to high numb ers of st udentsDevelopmen t and Indicators (CDE CCEE revi ews)

districts wit h higher needsImplementation COEs)

Effecti veness of supports to schools and districts Equity and adequacy ofespecially those serving resource distributionhigh numb ers ofstudents wit h high erneeds

Page 19 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

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Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 22: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

Page 20 of 41

WhiletheindicatorsandtoolsproposedbytheTaskForceformeasuringperformanceequityand

improvementatalllevelsofthesystemarenotperfectwehopetoidentifywhatindicatorsandtoolsare

workingovertimeanddevelopandrefinethesetoolsandmeasuressothattheymoreaccuratelyreflectthe

performanceequityandimprovementofthesystemAdditionallytheTaskForcerecommendsthatthe

stateengageinongoingformalevaluationworktomeasuretheefficacyofsupportsidentifybestand

promisingpracticesandinformcontinuousimprovementofthesystemTheonlywaytoensurethat

schoolsanddistrictsarecontinuouslyimprovingistoestablishacontinuousimprovementframeforthe

systemitselfwemustcommittoreflectiveandongoingassessmentofhowwellthesystemisworkingand

tomakingcoursecorrectionsandupdatesasneededtobetterserveCaliforniarsquosstudentsandstakeholders

4 CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTCaliforniarecognizesthattheaccountability

frameworkdescribedaboveisonlyhelpfulto

theextentthatitisintegrallytiedtoasystem

ofcontinuousimprovementandsupport

alignedwiththeCaliforniaWayandtheldquoright

driversrdquodescribedinSection233Continuous

improvementisthekeytoensuringthat

Californiarsquoseducationsystemrealizesitsvision

forallstudents34

DEFINITIONOFCONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT

TheTaskForceoffersthefollowingdefinition

ofcontinuousimprovement

ContinuousImprovementAcontinuouslyimprovingeducationsystemisonethatlearns

fromexperiencebycarefullymeasuringthe

effectivenessofdifferentpoliciesandpracticessupportingtheintrinsicmotivationofeducatorsand

stakeholderssharingbestandpromisingpracticescultivatingacultureofreflectionandlearning

encouraginginnovationandmakingchangesbasedonlearning35

BUILDINGTHECONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTSUPPORTSYSTEM

Bylookingatmeasuresofperformanceequityandimprovementillustratedthrougheasy-to-usepublic

dashboardsLEAswillbeabletoself-identifytheirstrengthsandweaknesseswheresupportisneeded

andwhoisabletoprovideit36Thiswillallowforthedevelopmentofasystemofdifferentiated

improvementsupportsthatrecognizessuccessandsharesbestandpromisingpracticesamongallLEAsin

thestateTheSuperintendentofPublicInstruction(SSPI)CaliforniaofEducation(CDE)theCalifornia

CollaborativeforEducationalExcellence(CCEE)andcountysuperintendentsshouldalsousethese

measurestoidentifyandreferLEAsandschoolsforfocusedandintensiveimprovementsupportas

33Blueprint20PlanningTeam(2015)

34Continuousimprovementlikereciprocalaccountabilityissomethingthateachlevelofthesystemisresponsiblefor

35AdaptedfromLoebSandPlankD(2008)LearningWhatWorksContinuousImprovementinCaliforniarsquosEducationSystemPolicyBrief08-4RetrievedonMarch162016fromhttpcepastanfordedusitesdefaultfilesLearning20Briefpdf

36Forexampleselectingoneindicatorinthedashboardmightleadtoapagewithmoredetailthatcouldincludeavarietyof

resourcesforimprovement(informationalresourcesbestpracticesinformationonhowtoself-refertoCCEEalistofTA

providersandoralistoflocaldistrictsorschoolsthathaveachievedsignificantimprovementinthatindicator)

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right Drivers

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Scho

ols

and

Dist

ricts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

ROLES

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

U

S E

D

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 23: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

described The Task Force recognizes thats ignificantc apacity building mustta ke place ata ll levelsof the system and especiallyf or countyof fices of education in order to take on the provision of tieredsu port summarized below To be effective work at the county office level should include teacherre

Just as modern health systems em hasize well-being and preventiono f illness inC aliforniarsquosAccountability and Continuous Im

utilized Table 7 below describes the proposed levels of support for schools and districts

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

below37

p

presentatives

THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT ALL FOCUSED INTENSIVE

p

provement System the overarching priority should be given tosupporting improvement for allacross multiple dimensions and through an ecosystem of supportIn thoseinstances when general support efforts do not yield results focused and intensive supports should be

38

Table 7 Tiered Support System Tier Type of Support

Improvement

Shared LearningLEAs

and for All

The indicat ors should help recognize successidentify the strengths of LEAs andschools and therefore should serve as a means to identify (and self-identify )whic h LEAs and schools are well-positioned to share their successful practiceswit h others throug h formal and informal improvemen t effort s across school s and

39 LEAs The SSPICDE CCEE and county offices of education should also developtools and supports that will be available to all LEAs and schools (LCAP planningsupports vetted best practi ces etc)

Focused Im rovement

Supp

p

ort

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboardindicat ors to identify schools and LEAs in need of focuse d intervention and th e

areas in which improvemen t support s are needed

of

IntensiveImprovement Support

The SSPICDE CCEE and county offi ces of education should use the dashboard ofdicat ors to identify LEAs and schools that need more comprehensive andin

int ensive support s to make major improvements in performance andor growthResults on selected measures should not only help to identify where intensivesupports are needed but what other similar LEAs might be best positioned toprovide them

37 Differentiated levels of support could be used across LEAs and schools based on need similar to the ldquoResponse To Interventionrdquomodel which provides varying levels and intensities of support and intervention based on student needs

38 Table 7 describes the tiers and types of supportinterventiona vailable from state-levele ntities The Task Force recognizes thecritical rolest hat will be played by multiple kindso f stakeholdersi n the full ecosystem of support including researchers nonprofitorganizations institutions of higher education philanthropy coalitions etc39 Examples of formal and informal improvement efforts include statewide and regional LCFFLCAP Conferences LCAP SupportTeamsCalifornia Labor Management Initiative events etc

Page 21 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 24: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

USING EACHS ET OF INDICATORS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 8 shows how each indicator set should beu tilized to inform and prompt continuous improvement supports appropriatef or each level anddimensionof the systemand Table 9 provides ano utline of initial continuous improvement activities

Table 8 Proposed Indicators by Set and Continuous Improvement Use

Indicator Set Primary Continuous Improvement Supporter

(Working in collaboration with school board members teachers classified staff other school staff local bargaini ng units parents and caregiversand students)

principals administrators

State-Required Californi a Department of Education (CDE) California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)

State-Reported CDE CCEE County Offices of Education (COEs)

State-SupportedLocally-Reported

CDE CCEE COEs

Locally Designed and Reported COEs District s

State System State Board of Education (SBE)Legislat ure

Tiers How elevate equity What

All Build statewide systems of supports and capacity to

promote continuous improvement across all

schools and districts

Providing a full system of supports can help connect the statersquosAccountabilit y an d Continuous Improvement System more fully toresources for evidence-basedimprovemen t an d can hel p add ress achievement gaps across the state includ ing with in schools across schools and across district s

School and district systems for annua l planning for continuous improvement bull Integrate data analyses and school diagnostic quality reviews to helpdetermine root causes and identify resource an d capacity issues

bull Support the developmentinclusion of evidence-based school qualityreview processes as part o f the LCAP process andor through reform of the accreditation systems

bull Developmen t of supportive and integrative planning t ools (LCAP LEA Plan SPSA SSIP ndash see Section 5)

Table 9 Key Elements of Californiarsquos Continuous Improvement System of Support

Page 22 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 25: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Table 9 Key Elements of Ca

Tiers

liforniarsquos Continuous Improvement S

How elevate equity

ystem of Support

What

District and school recognition systems

County office support for district planning and implementation (andcapacity building for COEs to effectively provide this support)

Best practice identification and implementation support

Statewide online resource exchange systems

Professional learning community and peer networking support systems(including Labor-Management Collaboration)

Capacity building for data management utilization and integration

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Voluntary district technical assistance (TA) and supports

Focused Identify schools in which student groups consistently demonstrate need for focused support and improvement

Focused supports for schools withconsistently underperformingstudent groups should providethese schools with the necessarysupports to elevate erformanceand close gaps in op

pportunity and

achievement

Identification of focused support providers

County office technical assistance

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Referrals to LEASchool TA and supports

Intensive Ensure significant sustained evidence-based interventions in priority LEAs and schools

Focusing on both the highest-needschools and highest-need studentgroups can directly affect equity byclosing gaps in opportunity andachievement

Identify a group of highest-need districts and schools for intensivesupport and improvement

Identification of intensive support providers

Mandatory LEAschool TA and supports that build LEAschool capacity tosustain improvement over time

Shared findings from researchdevelopmentvetting of professionallearning and support systems

Page 23 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 26: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY ANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT SYSTEM

Itw ill be critical to build in checkpoints for revisiting the indicators and supports ystems outlined in this reportto ensure not only thatth e state isusing the appropriate measures and methods to supports uccess in performance and equitybut also to determine the extentto which the state issupporting those in need of assistance andorc apacity building The indicators inTa ble 6 are as tartingp oint for measuringh ow the system isperforming and improving The LCFF evaluationr ubricscurrently under development by the SBE should be af oundational tool for this systemThe prototype LCFFe valuation rubrics focus on outcome andi mprovement as dual dimensions of performance withan emphasis on equitythrough student group performance40 The LCFF evaluation rubrics prototype design includes the following three components

1 A dataan alysist ool that displaysL EA- and school-levelp erformance (outcome and improvement) on state-leveli ndicatorsdisaggregatedt ot he student group level andt hat supports the display of local data

2 Statements of model practices that describe research-supported practices relevant to various indicators and 3 References or links to external practice guides digital resource libraries and other resources aligned to the statements of model

practice andor specific indicators

The LCFF evaluationr ubrics could be utilized to support and build district and school capacity by analyzing and displaying at the LEA studentgroup and school site levels state-available dataw ithin the LCFFp riorities and alsoal lowing LEAs top opulate some locallyhe lddat ai ntoa multiple measures dashboardAdditionally the rubrics will support LEAsa nd schoolsi n using the performance data to identify strengths andareas for improvement in their current practices and services relative to the statementso f model practicesa nd in connecting LEAs to additionalsupport resources41 The CCEE working with its collaborative partners should take the lead in creating a framework for determining whether thesystem is driving performance equity and improvement

40 httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item02doc (Terminology) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item03doc (Architecture) httpwwwcdecagovbepnimdocumentsmemo-sbe-feb16item04doc (Graduation Rate Analysis)41 This could include more detailed practice guides or resources libraries information on how to self-referto CCEE a listo f TA providers andora listo f local districtso rs choolsthat have achieved significant improvement in that area

Page 24 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 27: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASKFORCEONACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

5 IMPLEMENTINGTHENEWSYSTEMTODRIVEIMPROVEMENTAND

TheTaskForceunderstandsthatthesuccessofthisproposednewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemdependsonthequalityofitsimplementationandoffersrecommendationsforthefollowingkeyimplementationareas

bull RoleswithinthenewAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystembull Toolsfortransparencyandcommunicationbull Processesforrecognizingsuccessandimprovementandbull Alignedandsimplifiedplansforaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovement

ROLES

CaliforniarsquosAccountabilityandContinuousImprovementSystemmustincludeclearlydefinedrolesforlocalregionalstateandfederalstakeholdersRelationshipsbetweeneachoftheseactorsshouldbuildontheconceptsofreciprocityandsubsidiaritysothateachlevelofthesystemisheldresponsibleforthecontributionsitmustmaketosupportlearninganddevelopmentforeverychildThisrequiresanecosystemofengagedactorsthatmovesawayfromthetraditionaltop-downroleofthefederalandstateeducationalagenciesStrongcollaborativelabor-managementrelationshipswithineachlevelofthesystemcreatetheessentialconditionsforsuccessAdditionallyitwillbecriticaltoincreasecapacityatalllevelsofthesystemtofulfilltherolesandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelow

State and Federal Policy Context

Stakeholders and Communities

Improvement and Shared Learning for All Districts and Schools

Focused Improvement Support

Intensive Improvement Support

School and District Indicators Conditions and Outcomes for Equity ( ) and

Performance ( )

Equitable Learning Conditions

School and District Whole Child Outcomes

School and District Academic Outcomes

DisaggregatedAggregated DisaggregatedAggregateddagger dagger

Improvement Indicators Improvement Indicators

dagger

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Cycle of Continuous Improvem

ent

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Guiding Principles

Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System Vision

The California Way and the Right DriversSc

hool

s an

d D

istric

ts

CDE

CO

Es

CCEE

Stak

ehol

ders

and

Com

mun

ities

SBE

Leg

islat

ure

US

ED

ROLES

REGIONALANDLOCAL

Schoolsshould

bull Ensurethatallstudentsareprovidedwithmeaningfulopportunitiestolearnbull Managespendingandhiringappropriatelyandmakeinstructionaldecisionsbull Implementinstructionalimprovementstrategiesandmarshalthefinancialandprofessionalcapital

requiredtoimplementthesestrategiesandimprovestudentoutcomesbull Engagestudentsparentsandcaregiverseducatorsandotherstakeholdersinschool-level

planningandsupportandbull Fostercollaborationbetweenlaborandmanagementtoimprovecapacityforproblemsolving

communicationandimplementationofnewinitiatives

Schoolboardsanddistrictsshould

bull Providestrongleadershipforthedevelopmentandimplementationofeffectivelocalaccountabilityandcontinuousimprovementplans

Page 25 of 41

COMMUNICATEABOUTEQUITYANDPERFORMANCE

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 28: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

bull Help schools find ther esources and support theyn eed to improve( including supplementaryservicesp rovided by health and social servicesage ncies)

bull Allocate resources from local state and federal sourcesbull Improve the individual and collective capacities of teachers classified staff and school leadersbull Engage relevant stakeholders to help make informed decisions on behalf of eachc ommunityrsquos

linguistic cultural and academic contextbull Work with local and count early learning systems to increase access to and quality of

developmentally culturallyy andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities tob uilda

strong foundationf or later success from the earliest possible momentbull Work to eliminate access opportunity and achievement gapsbull Enhance collaborative relationships betweenl abor and management ino rder to improve decision-

making processes and ultimately improve student learningbull Adopt policies that can influence equity efforts student achievement and resource allocationand bull Encourage school board members to seek professional development that strengthens their

knowledge ands kills aroundt he various aspects of their governancer esponsibilities including forexample collectiveb argaining student achievement LCAPs etc

County offices ofe ducation should

bull Become experts in the process of continuous improvement and support their school districts inimplementing proven strategies to improves tudent success ndash build and strengthenl ocal andregional professional learning communitiesa nd networks

bull Su port the development and implementation of effective local accountability and continuousimpprovement plans

bull Provide consistent technical assistance to districts in need of more focused and intensiveimprovement support

bull Provide feedback to the state on what is and is not working as a means to continuously improvethe system itself

bull Support districts toco llaborate in local and county early learning systems to support systemalignment articulation shared learning and qualityi mprovement efforts and increase access tohighqu ality and developmentally culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learningop ortunities and

bull Suppport labor-management collaboration as part of the continuous improvement process

STATE

The success of Californiarsquos Accountability and Continuous Improvement System will of necessity hingeupont he ability of diverse stakeholders at allle vels oft he system to collaborate effectively It is and willb eac hallengingan d ongoingt ask tom ake the shift ton ew ways of holdinge ach other accountable andsupporting system-wide improvement

To address system-wide needs there are many support efforts and activities taking place in Californiasupported by a variety of entitiesi ncluding state associations nonprofits institutions ofhi gher educationand philanthropy However the state has ap rimaryr esponsibilityt oc oordinate these efforts understandhow they are collectively addressing implementationne eds across the state identify gaps int he systems ofsupport and ensure the development of resourcesa nd supportsm ost needed in the field

The state also works to ensure that all districts schools and students are beings erved and supportedespeciallyt hosei n our most struggling communities Thes tatem ust ber esponsiblef or clear and consistentcommunication about all elements of the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System includingkey milestones tools andr esources opportunities for collaborationa nds haredl earning best andpromising practices and innovative ideas

Page 26 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 29: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary entities that represent ldquothe staterdquo ndash the State Superintendento f Public Instruction (SPI)CDEthe State Board of Education (SBE)the County Superintendentsand the California Collaborative forEducational Excellence (CCEE) ndash must be in alignment in their messages to the field and work in a deeplycollaborative wa to avoid duplication of effortavoid confusing or conflicting messagesand enable astrong and highl

yy leveraged coordinated approach to supporting implementation of the Accountability and

Continuous Improvement System

The SBE will provide policy direction for this work The CDE County Offices of Educationand the CCEEwill be primarily responsible for state-leveli mplementationStrong and effective collaborative tiesbetweent hese three fundamental statewide players will be essential for success as will their ability toeffectivelyd raw in other local regional and statewideen tities

The state must ensure that the Accountability and Continuous Improvement System is true to its name byintentionally reviewing how the system itselfis working and finding ways to continuously improve thesystem to betterse rve all of itsst akeholders Thiswi ll require communication and outreach acrossa lllevels oft he system and creating a growth mindset among the statersquos primary entities

Additionally the state should

bull Provide adequate ande quitable funding andr esourcesbull Establish meaningful policies and standardsbull Set clear expectations for performance equity and improvementbull Intervene if a school or district fails tos how improvement across multiple student groupsi nt hree

42out of four consecutive yearsbull Utilize the California School Recognition Program to highlight and promote achievement and

improvement in academic performance and programs and policies that support the physical socialand emotional health needs of students

bull Establish and develop an ecosystem of peer learning and support by recognizing and identif inareas n w c schools and LEAs are excelling and can provide support to others and identif

yyingg

areas iin w

hhiichh they require assistance

bull Support the elimination of gaps in access achievement and opportunityb etween student groupsthrough establishing key accountability indicators providing resources and professional learningand eliminatingp ractices and policies that allow disparities top ersist

bull Support LEAs in collaboratingac ross the K-12a ndE arly Learning Systems tos upport increasedaccess toan d qualityi mprovement efforts for high quality and developmentally culturally andlinguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

bull Facilitate shared learning across multiple domains and platforms by providing professionaldevelopment investing in data systems and making essential data available

bull Build the capacity of schools districts county offices of education and state agencies to engage incontinuous improvement in partnership with technical assistance providers institutions of highereducation and philanthropic foundations

bull Establish the conditions for and support effective labor-management collaborationbull Support an accessible online resource exchange of tools andr esources tob e sharedac ross systems

thati ncludes standardized surveys reporting tools data and vetted promising practicesbull Work together to foster and support continuous improvement in the performance of districts and bull Cultivate andpr actice continuous improvement at the state levelt hrough ongoing assessment to

ensuret hes ystem makes progress towards the desired results and commits to making coursecorrections as needed

42 CaliforniaD epartment of Education (2016) Local Control Funding Formula OverviewRetrieved on March 14 2016 fromhttpwwwcdecagovfgaalclcffoverviewasp

Page 27 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 30: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

FEDERAL

The federal government and especially the United States Department ofE ducation should bull Ensure transparency of results across states and their districts and schools including inpa rticular

the outcomes of students who are poor from minority populations or have special needsbull Su ort the development of interstate professional learning communities and networksbull Su

pppport investment in high-quality state longitudinal data systems

bull Provide adequate funding andr esourcesbull Support the elimination of opportunity and achievement gaps and bull Foster innovation43

CALIFORNIArsquoS STAKEHOLDERSA ND COMMUNITIES

One of Californiarsquos greatest assets is its large base of supportive and committed stakeholders This baseincludes an array ofg roups and individuals who care about the success ofo ur public schools Rangingf romadvocates professional organizations unions institutions of higher education philanthropic organizationsparent groups students community voicesbusiness organizationsand beyondThese individuals andtheir organizations believeever yC alifornia student should havea ccess to an excellent education Thiscoalition of supportive stakeholders contributes to the success of Californiarsquos education system writ largebut will also be instrumental int he successful communicationa bout transition to and implementation ofCaliforniarsquos new Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement System These actors will also play a key rolein the development ofl ocal solutions for improving student learning Itw ill be importantth atth eAccountability and Continuous Improvement System is transparent and approachable allowingal lstakeholderg roupsto engagei n thes ystem

USINGADASHBOARDFORTRANSPARENTACCOUNTABILITY ANDTOIN FORMIMPROVEMENTEFFORTS

As indicated by our guidingp rinciples the system hasa n obligation to provide useful information thathelps parents and caregiversdistrictsschoolscounty offices of educationand policymakers makeimportant decisionsThis information also serves as a tool to supportd eeper inquiry into root causes andareas for capacityb uilding as am eans of continuous improvementTo achieve this the Task Forcerecommendsa dashboard approach providing easy-to-understand reports inr elationt o both outcomesand improvement

To provide informationa nd track progress where applicablethe data for each school or district should bereported by each individual indicator These results canbe translated into descriptions of performancestatus( eg veryh igh high intermediate low or veryl ow) as well as improvement (eg improvedsignificantly improved maintained declined ord eclined significantly) This will allow the public as wellas local county state and federala gencies to see how schools and districts are progressing

There are a number of ways that the multiple measures of the system can be displayed The SBE and CDEshould consider the models included below

Like the reportings ystem in Alberta Canada( see Figure 3 below) this dashboard approach canbe used toguide planningan d improvement decisions Further diagnosis and assistance can be focused on the areas ofneedr epresentedby these indicators

43 Darling-Hammond L and Hill PT (2015) Accountability and the Federal Role A Third Way on ESEA Stanford Center forOpportunity Policy in Education and Center on Reinventing Public Education University of Washington Bothell Retrieved onDecember 20 2015 from httpfilesericedgovfulltextED556473pdf

Page 28 of 41

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 31: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

Figure 3

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

One way to recognize school and district successes and needs for support and intervention is byu singa scatterplot that reflectsp erformance and improvement simultaneously as in Figure 4 on the following page Each circle represents a separate school or district with the size of the circle reflecting enrollmentthe location on the scatterplotr epresents performance on the x-axis and improvement on the y-axis

This information presented int his way allows for schools or districts to see themselves inr elationt oothers andi n relation toa s tandard This data canb e further disaggregatedb y student grouppermitting aschool ord istrict to see performance and improvement in relation to how they have served a particularstudent population In the lowerl eft hand quadrant schoolso rd istrictst hat are both low-performing and not improving couldbe identifiedf or intensive interventiona nds upport The color-coding in Figure 4below indicates regionso f the graph that correspond to a rating of Excellent (blue) Good (green) Emerging (yellow) Issue (orange) or Concern (red) These regions of the graph varyb ased on the individual indicator being examined There may be bothb aseline standards andp erformance targets for ani ndicatorand its improvement thats hould inform these regions Int he example below baseline standards are 75 for the indicator and 0 for indicator improvement and performance targets are 90 for the indicator and 2for indicator improvement

Page 29 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 32: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

10060 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Y A

xis

Impr

ovem

ent i

n In

dica

tor X

Indicator X (Performance)

Figure 4

X Axis

Ac ritical point is that schools and districts in a continuous improvement cyclec an identifyan y areas in which they wantto improve and ideally access state resources and reach outto schoolsdistricts thathave experienceds uccess in those areas to help them improve Californiarsquos system would produce this datafor identified indicators such as graduation ratesa ssessments ofE LA math English learner proficiency gains student completion of college and career readyc urriculum attendance and chronic absenteeismsuspensionsa nd expulsions The data could help schoolsa nd districts identify areas for focus identifyothers makings tronggai ns andal low the state tor ecognize ands tudys uccessful efforts tos hare new knowledge witho thers

RECOGNITION

As outlined in the Task Forcersquos vision for the proposedn ew Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSystem the new system must identify andr ecognize districts schools andc lassrooms that can serve as models and those that need supportto create an environment in which we can learn from each othercollaborate and improvet ogether As such it is critical to recognizerewardand highlight success in eachof the areas that matter most performance equity andi mprovement

The California School Recognitionpr ogram has long beena part of recognizing excellence inpubl iceducation across California Formerlyen titled California Distinguished Schools and now known as Gold

Page 30 of 41

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 33: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

Table 10 California Performance Equity and Improvement Recognition

Recognition (Sample Award Names for Criteria

illustrative purposes )

Summit eer Award for Elevation Gain Outstanding perf ormance improvemen t

The Mt Whitney Award Outstanding perf ormance

The Mt Muir Award Outstanding equity

Exceptiona l service and support to other LEAs The Mt Shast a Award

schools

Outstanding improvemen t in eliminating achievemen tThe Mt Baldy Award

gaps across student groups

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Ribbon Schools it has relied on the statersquos accountability system to determine schools thata re eligible forrecognition

Previously CaliforniaD istinguished Schools used am inimum API toq ualifyan d each year schools submitted applicationsa fterm eeting the threshold Since the suspension of the API CDE hasc reated GoldRibbon Schools to recognize excellence in academic achievement as well as exemplary programs in thearts nutrition and physical fitness Schools submit applications that are scored based on ar ubric Those thata re successful on the scoring rubric receive a site visitb y county representatives for verification andares ubsequentlyr ecognized in Mayo f each year

The proposed new system offers a chance to holistically integrate the recognitionpr ogram into theldquoCalifornia Wayrdquondash with its focus on performance and continuous improvement In order to be effective afullr edesign oft he recognition program must be based on aligned with and part oft he new Accountabilityand Continuous Improvement System

The School Recognition Program must reflect ourn ew systemrsquosc ommitment to equity and the whole childKnowing that schoolsw orking towardsg oalsw ill not alwaysre ach the highest outcome levelsi mmediatelyschoolssh ould be recognized forb oth outcomesa nd improvement Especially in the early yearso fimprovement schools and districts shouldb e recognizedf or improvements in targeted priorities and used as models for others even though theym ayn ot have fullyar rived at all of the highesto utcome levels Inthis recognition system emphasis should be placed onlo cals olutions thata ddress targeted priorities inlocalc ontexts

Different levels of recognition should result from a variety of factorsi ncluding sharing of best practices For example schools that havet heh ighest levels of performancein all indicators and across all groups of students would receive theh ighest award and would ber ecognized not just for performanceb ut for equitya mong student group populations Schools that make significant gains where needed would also be eligiblef or recognition even if theyh aveyet to meet a specific performance threshold Schools would also be eligible for recognitioni ns pecific areas of accountability or areas of unique importance to student successt hat are not included in the accountability system but are known to contribute to improvedacademic outcomes

The new School Recognition Program should alsoe xpand on the measures included in the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement System and mays erveas proof of concept for locally-developedm easures or other indicators being exploredas the system itself undergoes a continuous improvement process (eg additional indicators of school climate and culture health and physical fitnessfamily engagement and other measures of commitment to the whole child)

Page 31 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 34: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

By explicitly including the California School Recognition Program in thedevelopment of the new Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systemwe will make progress towards an aligned and coherent systemt hat bothidentifies areas ofn eed and recognizes areas ofe xcellence The proposedrecognitionso utlined by Table 10 needno t be mutually exclusive mdash as choolor district might receive multiple awards at the same time Recognized schoolscould be awarded a benchmark award modeled on the USGS benchmarks sothato thers mightu se their achievementa s a bearing for their own growth

PLANNINGFORACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT ndash UNIFICATIONINTEGRATIONAND SIMPLIFICATION

California has made great strides in providing local stakeholders witht he autonomy they needt om akedecisions onhow best to support theirst udentsand trusting them to do itTodayschoolsLEAsand theCalifornia Department of Education are confrontedb y multiple overlapping ands ometimes conflictingplanning requirements which are oftend irected at the same students educators and schools The creationof Californiarsquos new Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System andt he recent adoption at thefederalle velo ft he Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provide California with the opportunity to realizeone of its guidingp rinciples promote system-wide integration and innovationThis will be done byunifying integrating and simplifying these systems to achieve greater efficiency and focus andauthenticallyen gaging multiple constituencies In addition while progress has been made implementingthe Local Control Funding Formula and the associated Local Control and Accountability Plan significantwork remains to be done to create better planning tools and greater capacity to develop and implementstrong plans

TODAY

Currently both at the state and local levels there are avar ietyof planningp rocesses addressingb oth stateand federal priorities that are onlyoc casionallyi ntegrated or alignedFigure 5 illustrates the mostprominent of these current planning elements althought here are additional requireds tate andf ederalans While all of these plans serve important purposes they are oftend eveloped ini solationf rom each

other Witht he implementation of LCFF the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) as chool-levelpl

plan is oftenv iewed as a compliance exercise and not as a vibrant school-levelp lanning activity Thedevelopment of the Local EducationA gency Plan( LEAP) is requiredu nder federal law (ESSA) for districtsbut covers many of the same domainspriorities as thes tateo f Californiarsquos required LCAP ESSA alsorequiresst atest o develop ESSA State Plans California is currently in the initial stages of beginning workon this plan which will also be framed by the statersquos ongoing work implementing the Local Control FundingFormula The SPI and CDE have been implementing a school recognition program California GoldR ibbonSchools as an interim method for recognizings chool success until Californiarsquos new Accountability andContinuous Improvement System is fully adopted The Gold Ribbon Schools program requires a separateapplicationproposal from schools

Page 32 of 41

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 35: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LCFF Evaluation

Rubrics (Under Development)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan (To Be Developed)

California School Recognition Program

Figure 5

THEF UTUREI NTEGRATIONP ATHWAY

The continued implementation oft he Local Control Funding Formula the passage of ESSAand the creationof an ew Accountability and Continuous Improvement System provide the opportunity to alignma jor stateand federal processeswith a primary emphasis on key locala nd state agency plans required under federallawThe objective should be to create ana ligned planning process at the local level producing the Local Control Accountability andCon tinuous Improvement Plan (which includes the currentS ingle Plan forStudent Achievement Local Control and AccountabilityP lan and Local Educational Agency Plan) At theschool level thissh ould allow for greater participation and engagement in relevant planningp rocesses andto ensure thatth ese planning rocesses are aligned and dialogicFor the statethe objective should be tocreate and implement a state

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (SACIP)

Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

Local Control Accountability Plan

(LCAP) Local Education

Agency Plan (LEAP)

ESSA State Plan California School

RecognitionProgram

Local Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan (LACIP)

LACIP Evaluation

Rubrics

Figure 6

44 These planna mes and acronyms are placeholders

Page 33 of 41

pplan the State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan designed to

support local efforts and integrate the ESSA State Plan and the California School Recognition Program (seeFigure 6)44

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 36: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

Local and State Evaluation and Continuous

Improvement Rubrics

Local Control Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Plan (LACIP)

State Accountability and Continuous Improvement Plan

(SACIP)

Figure 7

SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSA DVISORY TASK FORCEO N ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL PLAN INTEGRATION

Development of these new andi ntegratedp lans should be inspired and guided by evaluationa ndcontinuous improvement rubrics and the local regional and state support systems (see Figure 7b elow)

6 CONCLUSION

In this report the Superi t d trsquos Advi T k Force on Account bilit d C ti I tn en en sory as a y an on nuous mprovemenhas put forth an ambitious and innovative design for Californiarsquos new Accountability and ContinuousImprovement System The proposed new system is a significant departure from the traditional ways thestate hast hought about accountability in the past and builds upon the significant work alreadyu ndertakenby the State Board of Education The Task Force recognizes that it will take time for Californiarsquos diverseeducation stakeholders to both trusta nd embrace this new way of doing business Nevertheless it iscritical for us as a state to make these important shifts and to begin implementing a system of reciprocalaccountability Together and individually it is our shared responsibilityt o provides tudents with thelearning experiences and supports they need to achieve meaningfulo utcomes

Shiftingt ot his new system will require time meaningful learning and course corrections toe nsureeffectivei mplementation TheT ask Force recognizes that as as tate we are not readyt oi mplement allaspects of this proposed new system from the outset For example the Task Force understands that datai snot currently being collectedt o support eacho f the identifiedi ndicators inth is report and thatc urrentcontinuous improvement systems are not sufficiently resourced for all of the work identified Now is thetime however to take meaningful ste s in the direction of what we knowwi ll work and away from whathas failedu s andou r children in the

ppast

The Task Force sincerelyhop es that the Superintendent in partnership witht he State Boardof Educationand the Legislature carefullyc onsiders the purpose and intent of the new Accountabilityan d ContinuousImprovementS ystem as laid out in this report and commits tot he shared learningan d state-levelcontinuous improvement efforts required to make this new system a success The Task Force memberslook forward to providing continued support and serving as thought partners as the Superintendent StateBoard and Legislature consider these recommendations

Page 34 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 37: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

7 APPENDICES

AEARLYLEARNINGTHE FIRSTSTEPINA CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVINGSYSTEM

Brain science indicates that 90 of brain development takes place between birth and age 5 making early learning a criticalcomponent of Californiarsquos education system

A childrsquos earlyyear s arec ritical for his or her development as the majority of a childrsquos brainde velopmentoccurs before age five45 Inequalities in familiesrsquo financial and non-financial resources contribute toachievement gaps that manifest early in a childrsquos life impacting the child through elementary school andbeyond46 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate early learning opportunities engagechildren during a critical period of development and make a significant difference in later academicachievement47

In seeking to develop a continuously improving education system thath olds itself accountable for thesuccesso fa llit s students California must consider the criticalim portance ofe arly learning Learningbegins the moment a child is born Locallyar ticulated pathways linking district andc ounty early learning systems with their TK-12c ounterparts can ensure students get the best possible start building the foundation for lifelong learning andc ollege andc areer success

PERFORMANCE INVESTING INA STRONG FOUNDATION

Beyond building a strong foundation for learning investing in the early learning system yields the highestrate of return of any educational investment48 High-quality culturally andl inguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities support children in developing the physical and motor skills social and emotionalaptitudes language number sense and cognitive abilities to be active and engaged learners when theyenter kindergarten or transitional kindergartenIn factstudents that are ldquoready for schoolrdquo are 10 timesmore likely to meet the expectations of California state standards by 3rd grade than those who are lessready when they start school49 Children reading at grade-level at 3rd grade are more likely to complete highschool pre ared forc ollege career and civic life50 Additionallyearly math skills have the greatestpredictive

ppower on later academic success51 Finallyevidence suggests that more than half of the

achievement gap found in later school years is already present at kindergarten entry52 This has hugeimplications for childrenrsquos chances to succeed and for Californiarsquos education system

EQUITY ENSURINGA CCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CULTURALLY ANDL INGUISTICALLYAPPROPRIATE EARLY LEARNINGO PPORTUNITIES

45 Executive Office of the President of the United States (2014) The Economics of Early Childhood InvestmentsRetrieved on April14 2016from httpswwwwhitehousegovsitesdefaultfilesdocsearly_childhood_rep46 Ibid47 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015) Transforming the Workforce Birth Through Age 8 A Unifying Foundation48 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016) Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpswwwcommonsensemediaorgsitesdefaultfilesuploadskids_actioncsm_rightstartcommission_final_single-pages_opdf49 Mobilio L (2009) ldquoUnderstandingamp ImprovingSc hool Readiness in Silicon Valleyrdquo presentation AppliedSu rveyR esearchRetrieved on September 2013 from httpwwwappliedsurveyresearchorgstoragedatabaseresearch-presentationsreadykidstoreadyschoolsUnderstandingSRinSiliconValley-ASRpresentation2009pdf50 Annie E Casey Foundation (2010) Early Warning Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwaecforgmresourcedocAECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010pdf51 Duncan G J Dowsett C J Claessens A Magnuson K Huston A C Klebanov P amp Sexton H (2007) School readiness andlater achievement Developmental psychology 43(6) 142852 Stedron J M amp Berger A (2010) NCSL technical report State approaches to school readiness assessment In National Conference of State Legislatures Retrieved on April 14 2016 fromhttpwwwncslorgdocumentsEducKindergartenAssessmentpdf

Page 35 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 38: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

This report defines equity as follows

Equity Educational equity exists where students particularly from vulnerable student groups are guaranteed the supports and resources needed tot ake advantage of educational opportunities andsucceed in school at the same level aso therst udents

Though early learning is vital for a childrsquos development California faces significant unmet needs53 The statersquosh igh proportion of immigrantsm eanst hat many children in California face barrierst o accessb asedon limitedE nglishp roficiency More than 75 percent of children under age five are children of color andthe majority of the statersquos child population is Latino54 High-quality early learning disproportionatelybenefits childrenw ith significant barriers both int he short- and long-term yetth ese are also the children least likely to have access to these programs Participating ine arly learning programs creates positive impacts for low-income minority children through adulthood includingd ecreased chances ofp articipating in Special Education or repeating a grade higher likelihood ofc ompleting high school improved healthoutcomes and lower chance of being charged with a crime55

IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTING INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT THROUGH THEACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS YSTEM

California will be better equippedt oa chieve its desiredou tcomes for students schoolsand communities ifchildren enter school with the skills and abilities necessary for success As part of a whole-child cradle tocareer continuum the statersquos new Accountability and Continuous ImprovementS ystem should provide the mechanisms and supportsf orl ocal districtst o collaborate and partnerw ith early learning systemst oachieve the following

bull Develop a shared vision of high-quality and culturally linguisticallyand developmentallyappropriate earlyl earningop portunities and supports56

bull Build the communication and information-sharing mechanismsf orsy stem articulation tos upportsmooth transitionsf orc hildren and theirf amilies

bull Collaboratively define the assessments measures andor indicators ofe ffectivedevelopmentallyappropriate student learning environments from preschool throughpr imary grades and

bull Implement ana ligned approach to support student learning and development

USING THE RIGHT DRIVERS PERFORMANCE EQUITY ANDI MPROVEMENTF OR CALIFORNIArsquoS YOUNGESTS TUDENTS

The CDErsquos mission includes supporting the statersquos youngest learners it states

California will provide a world-class education for all students from early childhood to adulthoodThe Department of Educations erves our state by innovating and collaborating with educatorsschools parents and community partners Together asa team we prepare studentst o live workand thrive in am ulticultural multilingual and highlyc onnected world

To achieve this mission the state is committed to using the ldquoright driversrdquo to supportc ontinuous improvement in the statersquos education system The following recommendations suggest a pathway foru sing these drivers to supporta lignmenta cross local districts and early learning systems

53 American Institutes for Research (2016) Unmet Need for Preschool Services in California Statewide and Local AnalysisRetrievedon April 14 2016from httpwwwairorgsitesdefaultfilesdownloadsreportUnmet-Need-for-Preschool-Services-California-Analysis-March-2016pdf54 Right Start Commission Report Rebuilding the California Dream (2016)55 RANDC orporation (2005) The Economics of Investingi nU niversal Preschool Educationi nC alifornia Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwrandorgcontentdamrandpubsmonographs2005RAND_MG349pdf56 The Task Force wants tob e veryc lear that earlyl earningp rograms must meet the developmental needs of youngc hildren andshould focuso n play-based opportunities to learna nd build intrinsic curiosity

Page 36 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 39: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Investing in andbuilding educator professional

capital

A recent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Report notedldquoThe science of child development and early learning clearly indicates that the work of lead educators for young children of all ages requires the same high level of sophisticated knowledge and competencies related to child development content knowledge and educational practicesrdquo57 This is true from preschool through primary grades and transcends early learning and TK-12 system boundaries

As recommended in Blueprint 20California must ldquoElevate public opinion about the education profession (including the early childhood education and bilingual workforce) as a respected anddesirable career pathwayrdquo At the state level this could be supported by ensuring that teachers responsible for early learning have the necessary training and competencies to offerdevelopmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate learning experiences

Emphasizing collaborative efforts based on shared aspirations and expectations

Through collaboration local districts and earlylearning systems should develop a shared vision ofhigh-quality culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports as a means to identify gaps and opportunities and ensure that all students have access to the early learning opportunities that build a strong foundation for future success

Through this collaborative effort localities may find opportunitiesto braid and blend funding sources identify in-kind resources that could support expanded opportunities for young students and work together to develop a locally driven plan for ensuring all eligible students in a district have access to high-quality culturallyand linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities and supports Collaboratively the state and localities should also support advocating for increased funding to support these earlylearning opportunities This can potentially be achieved through the LCAP development process through F5 IMPACT systemmapping processes and Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS) efforts or through efforts supported by Local Planning Councils

57 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2015)

Page 37 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 40: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN A CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

The Right Drivers Importance Opportunities for cross-system application

Supporting effective pedagogy

Early learning from preschool through third grademust be developmentally culturally and linguistically appropriate to support Californiarsquos young children as they develop foundational social-emotional literacy and numeracy skillsEvidence suggests that the quality of the adult-child interaction in early learning settings has a major impact on student outcomes58

As recommended in Blueprint 20 California must ldquoimprove pre-service professional learning and develop in-service professional learning opportunities for early childhood educatorsrdquo TheAccountability and Continuous Improvement System should support districts to offer professional learning opportunities to educators teaching young childrenDistricts should also ensure that the professional development opportunities they offer support teachers and classified staff to gain the developmental culturaland linguistic competencies necessary to support the great diversity of Californiarsquos young learners

Developing systemic solutionsto create a coherent

and positiveeducation system

Local articulation of early learning and TK-12 systems will provide students with the early learningfoundations they need to be successful and thrive

To accomplish this California should implement the followingrecommendations from the California Comprehensive Early Learning Plan59

bull Implementation of Californiarsquos early learning standards should be built into the statersquos continuous quality improvement mechanisms

bull Learning standards should be aligned across years and systems bull Schools should be equipped to address the full range of child needs including skills development and executive function

bull Prekindergartentransitional kindergartenand kindergartenprofessionals should participate in collaborative professional development to learn best practices and engage each other to support learning

bull Elementary school principals should participate in training on the role of early learning

58 US Department of Health and Human Services (2011) Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) A Review of the Literature Retrieved on April 14 2016from httpwwwacfhhsgovsitesdefaultfilesoprequality_caregiverpdf 59 Governorrsquos State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (2013) California Comprehensive Early Learning PlanRetrieved on September 2013from httpwwwcdecagovspcdcedocumentscompearlylearningplan2013pdf

Page 38 of 41

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 41: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

APPENDIX A EARLY LEARNING THE FIRST STEP IN AC ONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING SYSTEM

CONSIDERING INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE EQUITY AND IMPROVEMENT

Californiarsquos Accountabilityan dCon tinuous Improvement System is basedon three equallyi mportantpillars erformance equity andi mprovement These pillars are critical to examining the extent to whichwe are

pproviding our youngest students with the early learning experiences they deserve The State Board

of Education the CDE and local districts and their partners should reflect upon the followingconsiderations when identifying indicators and continuous improvement activities in each of these areas

PERFORMANCE

bull What tools are currently being used to assess kindergarten readiness language acquisition healthydevelopment andot hera reaso f interest such asf amily involvement andorsm ooth transitionst okindergarten and transitional kindergarten

bull e these tools valid reliableand developmentally appropriate bull

ArAre assessments offered in a studentrsquos native language to demonstrate outcomes for Dual LanguageLearners

bull What is the potential desired use of a kindergarten readiness assessment (population-levelinformation gathering or student-level data to inform instruction)

EQUITY

bull Do all children who are eligible for early learning opportunities as identified by local state andorfederale ligibility requirements have access to these opportunities

bull Does access to high qualitydevelopmentallyculturallyand linguistically appropriate earlylearning opportunities differ by subgroups within the local population

bull e Dual Language Learners appropriately supported in early learning opportunities bull

ArAre families of all races and socio-economic levels empowered with the information they need tomake early learning decisions on behalf of their children

IMPROVEMENT

bull What is the level of quality of the early learning opportunities within a communitydistrict bull Is a district participating in local QRIS efforts bull What pedagogical and professional learnings upports are offered tol ocal earlyl earning

professionals bull To what extent is there collaboration among the systems that offer early learning opportunities to

students within a community bull How much funding is allocated to provide highqu ality and developmentally culturally and

linguistically appropriate early learning opportunities

CONCLUSION

Ali nment of the early learning and TK-12s ystems is essential to addressing the whole child (cognitivelingguistic social-emotional and physical development) and to closing achievement gaps Thes tatersquos

Accountability and Continuous Improvement System must support districts in their local decisions to alignsystemst o provide a more seamless developmentally appropriate continuum of early learningexperiencesThis should be coupled with meaningful progress at the state level to more systematicallybridge the systems responsible for educating our youngest learners

Page 39 of 41

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 42: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

APPENDIX B STATE BOARD OFE DUCATION GUIDINGPR INCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEPLANNI

MNG

BSTATEBOARD OF EDUCATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITYSYSTEMPLANNING

Articulate the statersquos expectations for districts charter schools and county offices of education

bull Promote a broadunde rstanding of the specific goals that needt o be met at eachl evel of theeducational system

Foster equity

bull Create support structures including technical assistance for districts ands chools top romotesuccessfo r alls tudents regardless ofb ackground rimary language or socioeconomic status

bull Continue to disaggregate data by student subgroupp for both reporting and accountability purposes

Provide useful informationt hat helps parents districts charter schools county officeso f education and policymakers make important decisions

bull Assist and engage parents educators and policyma ers through regular communication andtransparent timely reporting of data so they can ta

kke action appropriate to their roles

Build capacity and increase support for districts charter schools and county offices

bull Seek tob uild capacityat all levels byr einforcingt he importance of sound teachingan d learningpractices and providing necessary support to helps chools reach their goals

bull Create multiple ways toc elebrate district ands chool success basedon state identifieda ndl ocallydesignatedm etrics Intervene inp ersistently underperforming districts tob uildc apacity along acontinuum of increasing support and attention through state and regional mechanisms of supportEnsure thatth ere are services and skills necessary to meetth e needs of the students and familiesthey serve

Encourage continuous improvement focused on student-level outcomes using multiple measures for state and local priorities

bull Focus on ongoingi mprovement of student outcomes includingc ollege- and career-readiness usingmultiple measures that reflect both status and growth This means in part making determinationsbased ons ome versiono f the following twof oundational questions

o How well is this schooldistrict performing o Is the schooldistrict improving

bull Tie accountability determinations to multiple measures of student progress based ont he statepriorities integrating data from various forms of assessmentsome of which will be locallydetermined Balance validity andr eliability demands witht he ability toc learly ands imply explainresultst o stakeholders including the use of a multiple measuresd ashboard

Promote system-wide integration and innovation

bull Purposely ande ffectively integrate eacha ccountability system component including groups andtechnologies creating a coherent effective and efficients upports tructure for districts charterschoolsa nd county officeso f education

bull Recognizing that there is a new context for accountability in the state the coming years will providenew insights at all levels of the educational system To that end it is important to encouragecontinued learning innovation and improvements related to the accountability system as a wholecore elements of the system and the impact of the system on individual schools and districts

Page 40 of 41

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 43: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

APPENDIX C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoS ADVISORYTA SK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITY ANDC ONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT

C SUPERINTENDENTrsquoSADVISORYTASK FORCE ON ACCOUNTABILITYANDCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRS

Eric Heins California Teachers AssociationWes Smith Association of California School Administrators

TASK FORCEM EMBERS

Jorge Aguilar University of California MercedShawn Ahdout California Association of Student CouncilsEric Andrew Campbell Union School District California Association of African American Superintendentsand AdministratorsVernonB illy California School Boards AssociationPeter Birdsall California County Superintendents Educational Services AssociationShannan Brown San Juan Teachers Associationrolina Cardenas California State University Office of the ChancellorCa

Carl Cohn California Collaborative for Educational ExcellenceLinda Darling-Hammond Stanford University Learning Policy InstituteCristina de Jesus Green Dot Public Schools CaliforniaAdam Ebrahim Fresno County Office of EducationMike Hanson Fresno Unified School DistrictJudi Larsen The California EndowmentBrian Lee California Fight Crime Invest in Kids Council for a StrongA mericaCamille Maben First 5 CaliforniaShelly Masur Californians Dedicated to Education FoundationLaurie Olsen SobratoE arlyA cademic Language InitiativeMartha Penry California School Employees AssociationDavid Plank Policy Analysis for California EducationGina Plate California Advisory Commission on Special Education California Charter Schools AssociationMorgan Polikoff University of Southern California Rossier School of EducationDavid Rattray Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce UNITE-LARyan Ruelas Anaheim High School Anaheim City School BoardSherry Skelly Griffith California State Parent Teacher AssociationSuzan Solomo Newhall School DistrictSamantha Tra

nn Children Now

David Verdugo California Association of Latino Superintendents and AdministratorsKenn Young Riverside County Office of Education

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks toal l others whop articipated on the task force and contributed to the developmento f thisreport including staff from the California Department of Education State Board of Education as well asdesignatedr epresentatives that participatedon b ehalf of taskf orce members

Generous financial support was provided by the California Education Policy Fund

Coordination facilitation andw riting support was funded by the Californians Dedicated to EducationFoundation andp rovidedb yG PG

Page 41 of 41

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices
Page 44: Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and ......Preparing All Students for College, Career, Life, and Leadership in The 21st Century Superintendent's Advisory Task Force

California Department of Education1430 N Street

Sacramento CA 95814

  • Publishing Information
  • Message from Task Force Co-Chairs
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 Executive Summary
  • 2 Foundation
  • 3 Accountability Framework
  • 7 Appendices