Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities: Phase II Findings and Recommendations
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KevinOhlandtStatewide Review of Educational Opportunities: Phase II Findings and Recommendations
Uploaded by
KevinOhlandtStatewide Review of
Educational Opportunities
Phase II Findings and Recommendations
Delaware Department of Education
October 25, 2016
Agenda
Project Background
Project Scope
Key Findings
Areas for Additional Review
Recommendations
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
Project Background
SREO Phase I (2015)
PCG partnered with DDOE/SBE to:
Identify the current specialized educational opportunities available in traditional,
vocational, charter, and magnet schools
Produce a report on statewide educational opportunities with supporting data and
analysis
Develop an interactive statewide geographical map detailing school data and
information
Data showed that students from low income families, students with disabilities,
and students receiving ELL services participate in specialized educational
opportunities at lower rates than their peers.
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
Project Scope
SREO Phase II (2016)
PCG was contracted by DDOE in 2016 to complete the following scope of work:
Best
Practices
What policies and procedures
increase participation of
diverse and at-risk learners in
school choice opportunities?
Gap
Analysis
Are there areas where
additional schooling options or
an adjustment of practice are
needed to meet a growing
number of students or a
shifting demographic profile?
Qualitative Data
Collection
What do stakeholders
perceive as strengths and
areas for improvement in the
current education system?
Recommendations
How can school and programming options be tailored to meet the diverse needs of Delawares
student population?
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
Data Sources
DDOE &
Longitudinal
Data System
Data Collected:
Student demographic data
School enrollment data
School performance data
Statewide enrollment projections
Data Collected:
Definition of school quality
Satisfaction with education options
Sources of information re: school options and
school quality
Factors that impact schooling decisions
Strengths of current DE programming
Areas of programming need in DE
Survey and
Focus Groups
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
Key Findings
Best Practices, Gap Analysis, and Qualitative Data Collection
Investigating the National Landscape
Best Practices Review
National Landscape
Inventory of Promising Practices
Twenty-one states give students the
opportunity to enroll across district lines.
Implementing policies explicitly designed to
foster diversity.
Twenty-two states allow students to enroll in
other schools within the district.
Disseminating information about the
availability of open enrollment to more
disadvantaged families.
Shared Challenges
Policies have led to separation of students by
race and ethnicity across schools/programs.
English learners, students with disabilities,
and socioeconomically disadvantaged
students are not accessing options.
Improving transportation options.
Increasing capacity of high-demand
schools.
Facilitating collaboration across schools.
Parents arent effectively communicated with.
Transportation often serves as a barrier.
High-performing schools and districts are
full.
Schools within and across districts are not
effectively collaborating.
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
Characteristics of a Quality School
Overview of Themes
Student, Staff and Parent Engagement
Responsiveness to Diversity
Students and families are welcome and
encouraged to participate in a nonthreatening manner that fosters true
learning
Students are treated with equity regardless
of race or national origin
School Climate and School Safety
A quality school is a place kids feel they
belong and love coming to every day
College and Career Readiness
Students are adequately prepared for the
rigors of college if they choose to attend, or
the work force if they choose not to go to
college
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
A quality school provides various learning
experiences that meet children's diverse
learning styles
Quality of Teachers and Leaders
Teachers are interested in their own growth
as well as the growth of their children and
embrace learning opportunities
Educational Programs
Provides individualized supports for
students to promote both academic and
social-emotional well-being
School Quality and Choice Patterns
Stakeholder Outreach and Data Review
School Quality
School Academic Performance
80.1% of survey respondents are either
satisfied of very satisfied with their current
schooling experience
Black students, Hispanic students, English
Learners, and students who are low income
are more likely to be enrolled in schools
receiving the lowest academic achievement
ratings in the DSSF
Nearly 90% of survey respondents believe
that access to a quality school is not a given
for all of Delawares students
School Choice Patterns
Low income students and English learners
are less likely than their peers to exercise
school choice
There are five zip codes in which fewer than
half of all students attend their feeder
pattern school all are located in New
Castle County
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
White students are more likely to be
enrolled in schools receiving the highest
academic achievement ratings in the DSSF
Nearly 70% of Wilmington students attend
schools receiving low academic
achievement ratings in the DSSF (1 or 2stars)
Less than 1% of Wilmington students attend
schools receiving 5 stars for academic
achievement in the DSSF
Recommended Areas for
Additional Review
Analyzing the basis of choice decisions
Identifying areas of concern
Identifying existing best practices
Additional Data Collection
English Language Learner Needs
Analysis of High Demand Schools
Low sample size of parents who
identified as English learners
Identify schools in high demand
amongst subgroups of students with
low choice participation rates
School Enrollment Patterns Data
Report
Further outreach needed to determine
perceptions of school quality and
educational opportunities
Further outreach needed to identify
desired programs and current barriers
to access
Collect information on parent outreach
strategy
Collect information on
programs/offerings that draw families
to the school
Identify and replicate best practices
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
11
Additional Analysis
School Level Choice Patterns
District Level Review
Conduct further analysis on schools
with a large percentage of students
choicing in or out
Examine characteristics of
students exercising choice
Review data and school context:
what options exist nearby?
What is the basis of these choice
decisions?
Identify districts with significant
demographic differences between
students who:
Reside in the district
Enroll in the district
Choice into the district
Choice out of the district
Conduct annual review of choice data
to identify best practices and areas of
concern
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
Identify district-specific factors
influencing enrollment patterns
12
Policy Recommendations
Addressing barriers to access
Meeting the needs of diverse learners
Developing school authorization protocol
Recommendations
New School
Approval Process
Communications
and Marketing
Collaboration
Develop a comprehensive set of policies regarding
authorization of new schools
Centralize communications at the state level
Target outreach activities to families who are low
income, non-English speakers and/or who live in the
City of Wilmington
Develop formal and informal networks that encourage
public, charter, and vocational technical schools to share
knowledge and resources
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
14
Recommendations Continued
Admissions
Preferences
Vocational
Technical
Disproportionate
Choicing Out
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
Review and revise admissions preference policies that
may result in marginalized access (either real or
perceived)
Modify recruitment strategies to reflect admissions
preferences
Determine if additional vocational technical programs
are needed at comprehensive high schools
Clarify current admissions and applications processes
for vocational technical schools
Develop clear policies and practices for schools where
an excessive number of students are choosing not to
attend the school
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Recommendations Continued
English Learner
Taskforce
Create a Taskforce to specifically address the
educational needs of English learners
Transportation
Ensure that transportation is not a barrier to school
choice
Statewide Review of Educational Opportunities
16
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