Mathematica Case Study of Highly Performing School Districts

Mathematica Case Study of Highly Performing School Districts Board of Education Presentation 9 -14 -20

Who is Mathematica? Mathematica – An International Research Company • “Apply expertise at the intersection of data, methods, policy, and practice……translating big questions into deep insights that weather the toughest tests. ” • “Collaborate closely with our clients to improve programs, refine strategies and enhance understanding…” • “Uses data, surfacing evidence that guides decisions in areas ranging from health, education, child welfare, employment, disability, criminal justice and international development…. . ” • Hired by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation to discover the best systemic practices for increasing student achievement for students of color.

What Question/Need is Mathematica addressing? • With the large range in potential supports available, district and charter leaders might struggle to identify which practices or polices will most effectively set schools and students up for success. Which levers should school districts and charter management organizations use to most effectively improve student achievement?

What Process did Mathematica use to Answer the Question? 1. Examined existing literature/research on the drivers of school district and CMO performance, 2. Conducted a correlational analysis to understand the relationship between growth in student achievement and district/charter policies and practices, 3. Carried out case studies of three districts (MSD Lawrence Township, St. Charles Parish Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools) and one charter managed organization (DSST – Denver School of Science and Technology) that Mathematica identified as high performing.

What was the School Criteria to be included in the Study? • Achievement Growth – “We set thresholds for how well district and charter students performed academically to ensure that only those sites with exceptional performance would be considered for case studies. We also specifically sought out school districts where Black students showed high rates of achievement growth. ” Questions/Discussion • Size – Districts of 5, 000+ students and charter organizations operating at least 10 schools. • Student Population – Districts must reflect more than 30 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch and more than 30 percent Black.

Why did Mathematica Identify these 4 School districts as High-Performing? • Stanford University Education Data Archive – standardized test data of all school districts in the country from 2008 -09 through 2016 -17. High-performing school districts defined as those with average yearly growth greater than 1. 05 grade levels among Black students in both Questions/Discussion math and ELA. • Those districts with the highest average yearly growth were contacted to participate in the case study IF additional locally administered, nationally-normed assessments indicated continued growth for 2017 -18 and 2018 -19. (Star assessments)

Overall Gains of Those Schools Identified for the Case Study from 2008 -09 through 2018 -19 School District Overall Yearly Gains in Math and ELA for all Students Overall Yearly Gains in Math and ELA for Black Students MSD Lawrence Township 1. 11 grade levels 1. 19 grade levels St. Charles Parish Public Schools (New Orleans) 1. 10 grade levels 1. 06 grade levels Chicago Public Schools Questions/Discussion 1. 19 grade levels 1. 15 grade levels DSST Denver School of Science and Technology (Charter) 0. 30 standard deviations in math 0. 22 standard deviations in ELA

Process for Correlational Case Study 1. Identify highest-performing school districts for growth in Black students. 2. Contact the Chief Academic Officer to request district participation. 3. A series of interviews with the Chief Academic Officer, Chief of Programs and Director of Elementary Academics. Questions/Discussion 4. A review of the case study prior to release by the Superintendent of Schools and Chief Academic Officer.

Findings of the Case Study – 3 Key Conclusions • Teacher support and development plays a key role in students’ success: • Mentor Teachers, Team Leads, • Professional Learning Communities, • Commitment to Professional Development. • School Leaders should be viewed and trained as instructional leaders: Questions/Discussion • Instructional leaders view all responsibilities through an instructional lens, • Development of Teacher Leaders • Shared and well-communicated mission, vision and goals are critical: • Strategic Plan, Board goals • Building-level autonomy for implementation

Implications for the Future of MSDLT • Maintain and communicate focused goals with accountability even when faced with competing demands. • Continue investment in teacher development, teacher leaders and talent pipeline. Questions/Discussion • Continue to equip and support principals to serve as instructional leaders. • Continue to increase proficiency rates of primary grades.

Questions? Questions/Discussion