RTT-D core educational reform areas (NIA, p. 2): Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy; (b) Building data systems that measure student growth and success and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction; (c) Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; (d) Turning around the Nation’s lowest-achieving schools.

PROCESS:Critical strategies

OUTPUTS: Produced by strategies

RESULTS by Cohort:Short-term (1-2 year)

changes

RESULTS by Cohort:Long term (3-5 year)

organizational changes

SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM CHANGES(5+ years)

ED Inputs: Grant funding, budget, TA, support, monitoring, etc.

Program management to oversee implementation and transformation within school district, and project evaluation.

ED provides continuous TA and support, monitoring and progress reports.

Develop college and career pathways through curriculum and summer programs.

ED ensures high quality grant performance of grantees.

Progress in implementation of an RTTD project plan.

Absolute Priority 1: Personalized Learning Environments designed to significantly improve learning / teaching through personalization of strategies, tools, & supports for students & educators (NIA p. 4).

Competitive Preference Priority – Results, Resource Alignment, and Integrated Services that work to integrate public or private resources in a partnership designed to augment the schools’ resources (NIA p. 4).

Provide equity and opportunity for all students and use data to drive accountability: HISD will strategically use data to track and monitor performance and hold leadership accountable to a set of objective standards, including the reduction of opportunity gaps.

Increase the number of effective and highly effective teachers and principals: HISD will ensure teacher and principals are well-prepared, high-quality leaders and prepared to strongly influence students by improving the quality of instruction district-wide.

Increase the number of students who are college- and career-ready: HISD will develop district-based systems of college and career pathways at the high school level that connect core college preparatory academics and with rigorous technical learning through project-based and work-based learning, all within a small learning community environment.

External Factors/Context: Houston ISD L2 = EARN! Absolute Priority 4: Non-Rural LEAs in non-RTT States: More than 50% of the participating students in non-rural LEAs in states that didn’t receive the RTT phase 1, 2, or 3 award; 86% of school students are eligible for free and reduced lunch; Leadership changes in HISD, TEA, Board, and Executive Leadership (Cabinet); Changes in state/federal legislation; Asset of business /corporate partnerships; Changes in state/local/federal funding; Deficiencies in technological infrastructure; Adverse local economic trends/events

Implement rigorous instruction standards and bring innovation into the classroom through technology and other personalized methods.

Implement the Effective Teachers (ETI) and Effective Principals Initiatives (EPI).

Scale up and reform activities for project sustainability.

Align Project goals and objectives, performance measures, and other metrics with the Board Monitoring System to ensure districtwide data-driven accountability.

Review State & District policies and update District policies to ensure District schools’ flexibility, policies, infrastructure, and autonomy will support project scope, goals and objectives.

Raise the bar through rigorous instructional standards and supports: HISD will stay current on emerging best practices and new innovations in teaching and learning in order to best prepare students to live and work productively in a new economy with new technology.

Promote innovation and continuous improvement.

Scale up and translate into meaningful reform to support district-wide change.

- Higher standards focused on college/career readiness.

- Students empowered to drive their own learning.

- Students have well-rounded 21st century education.

- More students are ready for current industry careers with the capacity to succeed in college.

- Higher student engagement, lower dropout rates, higher graduation rates

- Comprehensive online K-12 curriculum fully aligned to Texas math/literacy standards.

- Access to college-readiness courses at all levels.

- Established industry partnerships.

- Students capable of using technology for collaborative critical inquiry.

- Teachers literate in technology.

- A strong first cohort and scalable model.- Programs offered that are aligned with

labor market and student interest/need.- High-quality methods of instructional

delivery.- Comprehensive career development

programs.

- Strong recruiting/staffing policies and practices.

- Rigorous & fair teacher & principal appraisal systems.

- Safe environment standards.- Robust leadership development.

Goal 5 (end of project):- 60% of all college-going students, 75%

of Hispanic college-going students and 75% of African American college-going students will have attained a postsecondary degree within 6 years.

Goal 4 (end of project):- At least 55% of all parents (from

elementary, middle and high schools combined) will participate in college admissions process info sessions.

- 95% of participants will aspire to pursue college [GPRA].

- 18% increase in participants on track to CCR within 4 years of the project [GPRA].

- 25% of participants on track to CCR post grant [GPRA].

Goal 4: Increase enrollment in post-secondary education (each year). - 4% increase in the number of

students participating in an AP/dual credit course.

- 5% increase in the number of students participating in an Advanced Technical Credit course.

- 6% increase in the % of participating students aspiring to pursue college education [GPRA].

- 2% increase in the % of students graduating who attend college within at least one year of graduation.

Goal 2: Decrease achievement gaps of students (each year).- 5% increase in teachers and

principals rated as effective/highly effective [GPRA].

- Campuses will decrease achievement gap of those meeting state standards by half between lowest and highest achieving special population group.

Goal 2 (end of project):- Campuses will decrease the

achievement gap of those meeting the state standards by half between the lowest achieving ethnic group in the cohort and the highest achieving ethnic group in the district on all math and reading tests taken as measured by the most recent state assessment.

- 90% of teachers will integrate linked learning into classrooms.

- 95% of students will integrate technology into PBL activities.

Goal 3 (end of project):- 5% increase in HS graduation rate -

0.3% increase in avg. daily attendance to reach 96.5%.

- Close opportunity gaps- Assigned Data person in the District

Provide equity and opportunity for all students and use data to drive accountability

Goal 1: Increase student achievement (each year).- 10% Differentiated instructional

strategies.- 95% of teachers in the cohort trained

in differentiated instruction.

Improved program management/ reporting progress towards achievement of goals.

Sustainable structures, practices and policies that will help districts to continue strategies independently.

RACE TO THE TOP—DISTRICT HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

DISTRICT

Goal 3: Increase the rate of high school graduation (each year). - 98% of students will be promoted to

the next grade level [GPRA].

Goal 1 (end of project):- 3% increase in elem. reading/language

arts and math [GPRA].- 2% increase in 8th grade

reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies [GPRA].

- 3% increase in high school Algebra 1, Biology, English 1 [GPRA].

- By the end of the grant period, 75% or more of teachers will use differentiated instruction at least 40% of the time.

ASSUMPTIONS: HISD can prepare all children to enter college and/or careers of their choice; Partners will fulfill their commitments to HISD; HISD is committed to continuing its efforts once funding ends; Cohort model is an effective approach for fulfilling overall program goals; HISD will roll-out a systemic and system-wide project.

INPUTS:Resources that go into the

RTT-D project

Texas state standards as context for academic standards.

Leadership & expertise in the district.

Mechanisms in place for seeking and acting upon community and stakeholder feedback.

PowerUp Initiative 1-1 laptops for all high school students.

$1.89 billion Bond Program to replace & repair 40 schools across the district, including 29 high schools over the next 6-8 years & technology upgrades.

Engage parents and increase their capacity to ensure their children are college and career ready.

Communicate internally and externally the goals, objectives, and progress of the program.

- More engaged families.- Parents become informed teaching

partners.- Parents become advocates and ensure

quality and sustainability in the district.

- Higher accountability of program fidelity.

- Higher engagement of all stakeholders.

Additional parent workshops related to college/career readiness will occur (at least 2 above baseline per high school and per middle school, and at least 1 above baseline per elementary). Baseline – 2012-13

Parents and advocates will be more engaged and empowered to support students in college and career readiness.

Create Secondary Transformation Leadership Team to drive project.

4 annual cohorts of high schools and “feeder” schools with at least 40% free and reduced lunch students.

Goal 5: Increase postsecondary degree attainment (no short term).

Key:• Student• Teachers/Admin• System