Report on Progress - August 2013

  • Bradley v Pinellas County Schools
    Memoranda of Understanding
    Report on Progress – August 2013

    To date, three Memoranda of Understandings (MOU) in the area of Quality of Education have been negotiated and approved by the plaintiffs and School Board. The MOUs in place to date include: Student Achievement, Student Discipline and Assignment to Programs and Classes.

    Each MOU includes provision for semiannual meetings (March and August) of both parties to provide data updates and review progress toward aspirational goals and means and methods set forth in the memoranda. This report and supporting data includes the following elements referenced in the MOU.


    Student Achievement


    • Evidence of School Improvement Plans including data on black student achievement relative to white and other students in general, strategies and interventions to improve black student achievement, and school-based individuals responsible for implementation
    • Equitable allocation of resources
    • Data to support the above using district data systems


    Student Discipline (Behavior)


    • Evidence of School Improvement Plans including data on black student discipline relative to white and other students in general, behavioral strategies and interventions to improve student behavior and school-based individuals responsible for implementation
    • Evidence of schoolwide behavior plans to include positive behavioral supports and professional
    development in the implementation of the plan through the use of data for identifying the underlying causes of negative behavior through problem solving (PS/RtI:B)
    • Data to support the above using district data systems


    Assignment to Programs and Classes


    • Evidence of School Improvement Plans including data relative to assignment of students by race to exceptional education programs, accelerated classes, district application programs, AVID, and/or gifted programs, means and methods to achieve continuous improvement and school- based staff responsible for implementation.
    • Data related to black student participation in exceptional education programs, accelerated
    classes, magnet/application programs, AVID, and gifted services.


    Quality of Education – Student Achievement


    FCAT Results


    The disaggregated student achievement data for 1999 -2011 is reported by the Florida Department of Education in the annual Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports for the district and individual schools and can be accessed at http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/default.asp. The state replaced the AYP reports with The Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) report in 2012. Additionally, the PCS Assessment, Accountability, and Research Department has prepared two reports showing FCAT achievement levels by race/ethnicity.

    Supporting Data

    • 2013 School Grades and Student Performance
       o 2013-PCS 8 Cell Data.pdf
       o 2013 Annual Measurable Objectives
       o 2013 School Grade FCAT Achievement Level Data by Race/Ethnicity - Math
       o 2013 School Grade FCAT Achievement Level Data by Race/Ethnicity - Reading

    Graduation Rate

    Official Graduation Rate data becomes available from the FDOE in November each year and will be included in the February/March Bradley MOU Report.


    New U.S. Department of Education regulations require each state to calculate a four-year adjusted cohort rate, which includes standard diplomas but excludes GEDs, both regular and adult, and special diplomas. Another difference in the new rate is that adult education transfers will count as non- graduates, rather than simply a transfer out of the cohort. This new rate is referred to as the Federal Graduation Rate and the U.S. Department of Education is adopting this calculation method in an effort to streamline graduation rate calculations to acquire uniform, accurate, and comparable rates across all states. States began calculating the new graduation rate in 2010-11, and states were required to implement the federal graduation rate in determining School grades beginning in 2011-12. District and school level federal graduation rate data disaggregated by race and gender is now available for the
    2011-12 school year and is provided below. Graduation Rate reports for 2012-13 are scheduled to be
    published in Late November or Early December 2013.

    Supporting Data

    Federal Graduation Rate:

    • 2011-12 PCS Graduation Rate
    • 2011-12 PCS Graduation Rate-Ethnic Group
    • 2011-12 PCS Graduation Rate-District Level Breakdown

    College Readiness Scores
    SAT and ACT scores become available from the College Board and ACT in September and will be included in the February/March Bradley MOU Report.


    Supporting Data
    • ACT Trends 2012.pdf
    • SAT Trends 2012.pdf


    Advanced Placement (AP) Exams


    The district Student Data file is provided by the College Board in mid-July each year and requires some additional formatting and analysis by Pinellas County Schools, which is presently complete.
    In summary, the number of Advanced Placement exams taken decreased for all subgroups in 2013 in comparison to 2012. In 2013, 458 black students took one or more AP exam, down from 500 in 2012, a decrease of 8.4%. These 458 students took 684 exams in 2013, down from 752 exams in 2012, a decrease of 68 exams. The percentage of black students earning AP exam scores of 3 showed a significant increase from 14% in 2012 to 21.2% in 2013.
    In addition to providing the Advanced Placement data that we have traditionally provided at this time of year, as we see the slight decline in the students accessing AP, it is important to reflect upon the number of students who are accessing Dual Enrollment (DE) courses. DE and AP are both ways in which students can earn college credit while still in high school, and therefore are considered equally rigorous and accelerated. The number of DE courses taken in 2012-13 increased to 2035, up from 1718 in 2012, an 18.5% increase. The number of DE courses taken by black students increased to 189 from 134 during that same period, a 41.0% increase.
     
    Files attached include:
    • 5 Year AP Exam All High Schools
    • Longitudinal AP Exam Report
    • Longitudinal DE Report


    School Improvement Plan (SIP)

    As the MOU requires, each school is to include data on black student achievement relative to white and other students in general, strategies and interventions to improve black student achievement and school-based individuals responsible for implementation. This requirement is communicated annually to all school principals during annual SIP technical assistance. Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, SIP technical assistance and monitoring is coordinated through the district Assessment, Accountability, and Research (AAR) Department.


    The 2013 FDOE template used by all Pinellas schools has been designed to support the inclusion of data disaggregated by race for reading, math, writing and graduation rate.


    The District and State supported schools by providing all schools with their individual school data pre-populated into the state School Improvement Plan template and available in district software sites Decision Ed and MoodleLMS. All School Improvement Plans are to have either a goal and/or the segmented data monitoring the goal by Black student group to measure the results of the goal to monitor the academic achievement of Black students.


    Each goal has a measure and specific strategies assigned to the goal. In addition to the School Improvement Plan measures and strategies, schools have developed an action plan. The action plan allows schools to identify and continuously monitor the specific action steps used in the 2012-13 school year to implement the strategies included in the School Improvement Plan.

    Goal Measure of Current Status (current level) Measure of Goal (expected level) Strategy to Acthe Goal Process Used to Determine Effectiveness of Strategy

    There will be an increase in black students achievement

    Reading and Math proficiency on FCAT

    Learning Gains for black students

    		100% of black students will make Learning Gains

    Differentiated Instruction

    Professional Development includes equity and cultural responsiveness

    Content materials are differentiated by student interests, cultural background, prior knowledge of content, and skill level. Content materials are appropriately scaffolded to meet the needs of diverse learners.

    There will be an increase in black students engagement

    		Referral; In- School and Out- of-School Suspensions Decrease the number and percent of black students receiving referrals and In- School and Out- of-School Suspensions

     

    Positive behavior supports are put in place in the form of an effective school wide behavior plan

    Expectations are clearly and positively defined. Behavioral expectations are taught and reviewed with all students and staff.

    Appropriate behaviors are acknowledged. Behavioral errors are proactively corrected. A database for keeping records and making decisions is established. Data-based monitoring and adaptations to the plan are regularly conducted.
    Goal

    Measures of Current Status (current level)

    Measures of Goal (expected level)

    Strategies to Achieve the Goal

    Process Used to Determine Effectiveness of Strategy

    There will be an increase in the percent of black students enrolled in rigorous advanced coursework

    There will be an increase in the performance of black students in rigorous advanced coursework

    Number and percent of black students enrolled in Honors, Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement Courses

    		 Increase number and percent of black students enrolled in Honors, Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement Courses. Increase passing rate of black students in Honors, Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement Courses

    Differentiated Instruction

    Professional Development includes equity and cultural responsiveness

    		Models, examples and questions are appropriately scaffolded to meet the needs of diverse learners. Teachers provide small group instruction to target specific learning needs. These small groups are flexible and change with the content, project and assessments. Students are provided opportunities to demonstrate or express knowledge and understanding in different ways, which includes varying degrees of difficulty
    There will be an increase in black students graduation rate Graduation rate of black students (pending release of state graduation rates) Increase graduation rate of black students

    Differentiated Instruction Implement

    High-Yield Instructional Strategies

    		Student readiness for learning occurs by connecting instructional objectives and goals to students’ background knowledge, interests, personal goals, etc. Explicit Instruction, Modeled Instruction, Guided Practice with teacher support and feedback, Guided Practice with peer support and feedback, and Independent Practice occur.

    Support on developing a complete School Improvement and Action Plan was provided to all school based leadership during the spring. All schools attended at least one session.
    Ongoing monitoring and support of the implementation of School Improvement Plans and the Action Plans are overseen by the Area Superintendents. F and D schools have additional monitoring and support from the state Regional Executive Team.

    Individual 2013-14 school SIPs are due October 15, 2013 and will be available on the www.fldoe.org website after the deadline.

    Like previous years, school improvement plans were reviewed by peers. This required each school improvement plan to be reviewed by another school based administrator. The review included a peer review checklist which required each plan to have goals and objectives for the continuous improvement of Black students in the areas of reading, writing, math, science, graduation, relative rate of discipline, and enrollment in advanced courses.
    In addition to the peer review checklist, two professional development trainings were provided
    to school based administrators on how to analyze the data and develop their school improvement plans. This included the reading, writing, math, science, graduation rates, discipline, and enrollment in advanced coursework objectives for Black students.

    Supporting Data
    • PCS Executive Summary SIP Template
    • The Boca Ciega High School Executive Summary
    • SIP Peer Review Checklist
    • School Improvement Plan Rubric
    • 2013 SIP Schedule with Review Dates
    • 2013 School Improvement Process


    Equitable Allocation of Resources

    Through a variety of local, state, and federal funding sources such as Title I, schools with large populations of black students receive additional human and financial resources.

    Resources are allocated to provide differentiated funding for schools identified as Priority (F grade), Focus (D grade), elementary schools identified in the lowest 100 in the state based on FCAT reading performance and schools receiving School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds. In 2012-13 elementary schools identified in the lowest 100 in reading are required to extend the school day by one hour to provide additional instruction in reading. These schools are identified in the tiered support document included in this support. The $2,285,000 Cohort II SIG for Fairmount Park, Lakewood, and Woodlawn elementary schools is entering year 3.

    Supporting Data
    • Tiered Support for L100 Schools
    • School Budget Sample
    • 2014 District Budget


    Quality of Education – Student Discipline (Behavior)


    Suspension Report
    The indicator of discipline required as a goal in the FDOE School Improvement Plan template is suspensions, both out-of-school and in-school suspensions. Pinellas County Schools’ Assessment, Accountability, and Research (AAR) Department has developed yearly suspension reports since 2006. A supplemental suspension report is compiled to specifically compare black and non-black students. These reports are based on historically archived data on a date certain for each report. The main report includes changes from the previous year and these reports are the most consistent and reliable suspension data available. All the suspension reports are posted on the district AAR website and the links to all of the current and past year reports can be found with the supporting data below.


    The 2012-13 Main Out-of-School Suspension Report indicates that the total number of black student suspensions increased by 269, from 9,056 in 2012 to 9,325 in 2013. The total number of unique individual black students suspended increased by 158, from 3,934 in 2012 to 4,092 in 2013. This report also disaggregates suspensions by race by grade levels. Additional reports for individual schools detailing total black student suspensions and individual black students suspended are also included below. All suspension reports can be found on the PCS Research and Accountability web page at the link below.


    Supporting Data
    • 2012-13 Main Out of School Suspension Report
    • 2012-13 Total Number of Suspensions - Black vs. Non-Black
    • 2012-13 Individual Suspensions – Black vs. Non-Black
    • Suspension Reports Web Page – PCS Research & Accountability


    Discipline Trends
    During Bradley mediation, a graphical report of Discipline Trends including suspension and arrest data from the Educational Data Solutions (EDS) system has been shared in recent years. This report was designed by the Directors of School Operations (a position that no longer exists in Pinellas County Schools) and has been compiled by staff in the Technology Information Services (TIS) office. This report is included for consistency with previous Bradley MOU Reports. Data in the two reports may vary slightly as the TIS graphical report is developed from dynamic data pulled on a specific day and not the same “date certain” used for the Research and Accountability Suspension Reports.


    Based on the August 26, 2013 TIS graphical Discipline Trends Report, the total number of in- school suspensions for black students declined by 1,452, from 20,807 to in 2012 to 19,418 in 2013. The total number of out-of-school suspensions increased from by 265 from 9,128 in 2012 to 9,393 in 2013. Disaggregated black and non-black data is provided for the district and individual schools. The data provided includes suspensions, arrests, most common incidents resulting in suspensions and the number of days suspended by incident type. The number of black student arrests for campus related incidents declined by 10, from 429 in 2012 to 419 in 2013.


    Supporting Data
    • Discipline 2013 8-26-13
     
     
    Disciplinary Reassignments and Expulsions


    The Area Superintendent Offices have developed summary reports related to reassignments and expulsions. Disaggregated data by race is included for the past five years. The total number of student reassignments declined by 76 students, from 481 in 2012 to 405 in 2013. The total number of black students reassigned declined by 13 students, from 218 in 2012 to 205 in 2013. The total number of student expulsions increased by 3 from 20 in 2012 to 23 in 2013. The total number of black student expulsions increased by 4, from 7 in 2012 to 11 in 2013.


    Supporting Data
    • 2012-13 Reassignment Summary
    • 2012-13 Expulsion Summary
    • Reassignment Five-year Comparison


    School Improvement Plans


    As required by the MOU, each school is to include data on black student discipline relative to white and other students in general, behavioral strategies and interventions to improve student behavior and school-based individuals responsible for implementation.


    Supporting Data
    Information on the Bradley MOU SIP goal requirements and the 2013-14 SIP Template can be found above in the Student Achievement section of this report.


    Schoolwide Behavior Plans and Response to Intervention: Behavior (RtI:B) Implementation


    Pinellas County Schools has developed a district wide Tier 1 positive behavioral support plan that aligns to Problem Solving Response to Intervention. In 2010 all School Based Leadership Teams (SBLT) participated in training to build capacity to implement a School wide behavior plan that positively supports all students. The schools developed an action plan and designated an RtI: Behavior Facilitator. In September of each year, all schools submit a School-wide Behavior Pan to their Area Superintendent. The School-wide Behavior Plan template is included below as supporting data. Plans were due to the Area Superintendents by August 14, 2013.

    The school-based RtI: Behavior Facilitators attend training to gain extensive knowledge on how to implement the plan with fidelity. These trainings are provided by the district-wide RtI: Behavior Coordinators. During these sessions, schools are taught how to progress monitor and review data to ensure fidelity of implementation. Data is obtained by all schools on the PBS Implementation Checklist (PIC) and the Benchmarks of Quality (BOQ). These results are shared with all stake holders.

    The PBS Implementation Checklist (PIC) is completed by each school in October and February to assess each SBLT’s PBS implementation level and is reported in the February/March Bradley MOU Report.

    The Benchmarks of Quality (BOQ) assesses the development and implementation of school - wide RtI: Behavior. The BOQ Lists 53 Benchmarks of Quality in school-wide RtI: Behavior programs within 10 critical elements. This document is completed by school teams at the end of each school year to identify areas of strength and weakness. The BOQ is used by the district to guide technical assistance and training, identify model schools and evaluate outcomes related to level of implementation. Schools reaching the 70% level overall or for individual critical elements are considered to be implementing with fidelity.

    Included below is a summary of the Benchmarks of Quality assessment used to monitor implementation of PS/RtI: B including the specific benchmarks assessed in each of the ten critical elements. Also included are graphs of aggregating the BOQ responses across all participating schools in the district, and graphs for schools by level/type.

    The data included in the 2011-2012 report displays the data from two years of school- wide implementation. This year the Florida Positive Behavior Support Project has eliminated the baseline score from 2009-2010. If schools have implemented PBS for more than two years the graphs will reflect three years of implementation data. The FLPBS Project recommends determining fidelity by comparing years of full implementation without baseline data.

    The data indicates that across all schools the total average score has increased from 70% in 2010-11 to 73% in 2011-12 and 76% in 2012-13. The district wide 76% average score indicates that on average, schools are implementing PS/RtI: B with fidelity. BOQ graphs for each participating school are also included.


    Supporting Data
    • 2013-14 School Wide Behavior Plan Template
    • BOQ Critical Elements Description
    • 2010-13 BOQ Chart All Schools
    • 2010-13 BOQ Chart Elementary Schools
    • 2010-13 BOQ Chart Middle Schools
    • 2010-13 BOQ Chart High Schools
    • 2010-13 BOQ Charts by Individual School


    Quality of Education – Programs and Classes


    School Improvement Plans
    Each school is to include data relative to assignment of students by race to exceptional education programs, accelerated classes, countywide programs, AVID, and/or gifted programs, means and methods to achieve continuous improvement and school-based staff responsible for implementation. Individual schools selected the type of courses or programs to address in their SIP based on the programs and courses offered at the school. Some schools may have addressed magnet or fundamental programs, while others addressed accelerated course participation or students assigned to exceptional student education programs.


    Supporting Data
    Information on the Bradley MOU SIP goal requirements and the 2012-13 SIP Template can be found above in the Student Achievement section of this report.


    Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Classes (including EBD and Gifted)

    2012-13 District ESE participation data is compiled in February of each school year after the start of the second semester and will be included in the February/March Bradley MOU Report.

    Supporting Data
    • Bradley ESE Enrollment Trends 2013
    • School Gifted count by Ethnicity


    Accelerated Classes

    Enrollment of students in accelerated classes is compiled in February of each school year after the start of the second semester and will be included in the February/March Bradley MOU Report. These courses include middle school advanced, middle school honors, Algebra I in middle school, high school honors, high school dual enrollment and high school Advanced Placement (AP).


    Supporting Data
    • Black Enrollment Gaps - Bradley Data 2012-13
    • Bradley Multi-Year Rigorous Course Enrollment All Middle and High Schools 2012-
    13
    • Bradley 2012-13 Summary MS HS Duplicated Course Enrollment.xlsx
    • Bradley 2012-13 Summary MS HS Unduplicated Course Enrollment.xlsx


    District Application Programs (DAP) (Magnets, Fundamentals, Career Academies)


    A category for tracking enrollment and dismissal in these programs is included in the
    Portal student information system to provide more precise data by application program.

    The application and acceptance period for district application programs was conducted in January and February of 2013 and parents have the ability to make late applications during the remainder of the school year, summer, and into the next school year. A proximity preference is included in the School Board Policy for the application program process to give students living nearest to schools with some of these programs, located in predominantly black neighborhoods a priority for open seats. The proximity preference is applied after the feeder patterns, sibling and/or professional courtesy preferences already in existence have been applied.

    For the 2012-13 school year, students exiting from magnet and fundamental programs were tracked within the Portal system in the application programs exit reason data element. This provides a mechanism to monitor students exiting from these programs by race and dismissal reason. Data for the total number of dismissals in the student information system by reason for exit is provided for the past two years. Given that this is a relatively new data element in the student information system, the dismissal and reason may not always be entered at the school of dismissal. This makes year to year comparisons difficult at this time. We are working to insure the staff inputting this data receives proper training so the data is recorded with fidelity. In 2012-2013, the Student Information System was programmed to prompt dismissal data entry for exit date and exit reason prior to completing the withdrawal process in an effort to increase the reliability of this reporting.

    Based on data from the district application process for the 2013-14 school year, 25% of all applications were made by black students, 20% of invitations were offered to black students, and 20% of all acceptances were black students.

    Supporting Data
    • 2013-14 Program applications, invitations, and acceptances by ethnicity
    • 2012-13 DAP Exit Data

    Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)

    The AVID program included 35 secondary schools in 2012-2013, the 16 traditional high schools and 19 traditional middle schools. Five elementary schools were also added in
    2012-2013.

    Enrollment of students in AVID classes is compiled in February of each school year after the start of the second semester and will be included in the February/March Bradley MOU Report.

    Supporting Data
    • Longitudinal AVID Enrollment Summary 2012-13
    • AVID breakdown 2012-13