Turn Around Schools

Connecticut receives 3 out of 4 points for transforming failing schools. In 2012, Connecticut enacted legislation to create an accountability system for transforming the state’s lowest-performing districts and schools. The state has oversight over the thirty lowest performing districts, called the Alliance Districts, and greater intervention authority over low-performing schools within those districts that join the Commissioner’s Network. The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) strives to turn around schools within the Commissioner’s Network by partnering with school and district leaders to develop turnaround plans that address deficiencies and improve student achievement.88 These schools are also provided with flexibility measures to promote innovation and intensive interventions designed to boost student achievement. Leadership is granted greater authority over staffing and scheduling, and is enabled to pursue partnerships with external organizations that have a record of school improvement.89 In the 2012-2013 academic year, there were four schools in the Commissioner’s Network. This year, the Commissioner’s Network is engaged in 16 schools and has the authority to provide comprehensive turnaround strategies in 21 schools.90 If this program is successful, it should be expanded over time.

Over the past few years, Connecticut has also become increasingly prepared to approve charter and other innovative school models, often in partnership with external organizations that demonstrate a record of effective improvement.91 The 2013-2015 biennium budget provided funding for four more state charter schools and five more local charter schools. Despite a drop in revenues in 2014, the most recent budget continued to make charters a priority, providing funding for a new local charter school92 and three more state charter schools.93 Although this is a good start, we would like to see a further increase in the number of charter, magnet, and other innovative school models in the state.

6(a) TRANSFORM FAILING SCHOOLS THROUGH RESTRUCTURING, INNOVATION, AND COMPETITION RUBRIC

Connecticut receives 3 out of 4 points for building a framework to transform failing schools. In 2012, Connecticut developed a multi-tiered framework for accountability and intervention. Connecticut’s waiver from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA waiver) describes differentiated school-level interventions based upon student growth factors.94 Legislation also established five categories of schools based upon performance factors and provided for consequences and state actions associated with these levels.95

The adopted FY 2015 budget provides $450,000 for competitive grants to the lowest-performing school districts to fund the creation or expansion of wraparound services to support students.96 However, these funds are insufficient to perform a comprehensive analysis of wraparound services.

6(b) BUILD A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR TRANSFORMING FAILING SCHOOLS RUBRIC

Connecticut receives 2 out of 5 points for providing necessary leadership at the state level. At the end of 2012, the Connecticut State Board of Education (CSBE) appointed leadership to a reorganized School Turnaround Office, which intervenes in the low-performing districts through the Alliance District program and the Commissioner’s Network.97 Although the position of Chief Turnaround Officer is currently vacant,98 the office and its authorities remain in place.

In order to improve its capacity, the School Turnaround Office should be granted discretion over hiring decisions within the department, as well as the authority to create partnerships to increase capacity, innovation, and financial support for turnaround.

Finally, as the School Turnaround Office enters its third year of existence, we strongly recommend that the Commissioner conduct a review of its progress to ensure that the application of funding and turnaround plans have resulted in improved student performance. Alliance Districts and Commissioner’s Network Schools that fail to implement their turnaround plans should receive useful feedback, and face the potential loss of continued funding.

6(c) PROVIDE NEW LEADERSHIP AT THE STATE LEVEL RUBRIC

Connecticut receives 2 out of 4 points for maximizing instructional time. The Alliance Districts and Commissioner’s Network Schools receive funding that can be used for interventions such as extended day programming, if they are components of their turnaround plans. Additionally, the CSDE has brought the Time for Innovation Matters in Education (TIME) Collaborative into five Alliance District communities to develop expanded learning time models and provide more critical learning time in 12 low-performing schools.99

In 2012, the CSBE passed a resolution to consistently define truancy and provide parents with guidance in order to increase levels of attendance.100 In 2013, the CSDE reported that it was continuing to support districts in their efforts to collect data in order to reduce chronic absenteeism, and that it was incorporating data on absenteeism into the Public Information System.101

However, the Commissioner of Education and/or CSBE should also use their authorities to extend the school day and school year, particularly in the lowest-performing schools and districts.

6(d) MAXIMIZE LEARNING TIME THROUGH IN-SCHOOL AND EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES RUBRIC