More than just numbers: An important update on Integrated Application reviews
The promises of the Student Success Act and the aims to Align for Student Success are about engaging community, strengthening systems, advancing equity, and supporting well-rounded education. In the month of March, ODE received 223 submissions responsive to the Integrated Guidance. Submissions covered every eligible grantee for the six programs that have been operationally linked together serving 100% of Oregon’s public school students.
As of today, ODE staff have completed joint reviews and assessments of 79% of those submissions. Additionally, 132 application reviews have moved through the Quality Assurance and Learning Panels with another 36 scheduled to move through panels next week. We have also begun to negotiate and co-develop Longitudinal Performance Growth Targets (LPGTs). Those targets will be embedded in SIA grant agreements and go back to school boards for final approval when ready.
First and foremost, we’ve consistently tried to communicate that we treat each submission in the same ways teachers treat student work. We cheer on success and look for strengths. We identify what needs attention. We maintain a high standard. We work to remedy any gaps - by re-teaching or providing additional support on what needs attention. We avoid any shame or big story on the gaps. And we reflect on our own processes as we work to move ahead.
These processes are bigger than numbers. They’ve taken substantial operational efforts in school districts and communities as well as at ODE. While I’ll avoid saying too much to care for the integrity of the review process, I will say there is deeply evident sincerity and good faith in the vast majority of applications and this is reflected in some of the sentiments from the Quality Assurance and Learning Panels:
- “Oregon has districts with as few as 4 people. I learned that some students travel over 75 miles to school! Forest fires can be a primary cause of houselessness to these communities, and these very small and rural communities are given a voice in both the application and the review of the applications. I feel better about the process of the ODE portion of the review of various IG applications and trust their process more.”
- “QALPs are a great mechanism for transparency and accountability.”
-
“[I learned how . . . ] Districts embraced the IG process and sought after solutions to their individualized problems or weaknesses in their school system.”
- “I learned a lot about several districts and the challenges that they face to educate their students.’’
As the results of the reviews and panels come back to school districts, eligible charter schools, YCEPs, and JDEPs, I wanted to take a moment to elevate what the results of the review process means and the role of ODE and ESDs in the steps as we move forward.
I hope you’ll make sense of what you hear back from the review in these ways:
-
The application meets requirements - Congratulations! It is a significant accomplishment to move through the full range of requirements from all six programs, even as they are operationally aligned. You move directly to the co-development process to finalize LPGTs and the performance framework that will be embedded in SIA grant agreements.
-
The application meets with small changes - This is also a significant accomplishment! There are a few things in your submission that need attention and remedy but they are of the type that we can follow-up, get documentation, and/or clarify things as we keep moving forward. You also move directly to the co-development process to finalize LPGTs and the performance framework that will be embedded in grant agreements and you’ll need to work with your application manager to submit some follow-up information to complete the process. The majority of applications are anticipated to be in this review status.
-
The application needs significant changes to meet requirements - We’ve got you. You’ve got this. Don’t panic or get discouraged. Keep your focus on students, educators, and your community. Your ESD Liaison, EII Regional Support Team, and CTE Regional Coordinators are here for you. An application could receive this determination for different reasons:
- A really strong application and effort can find its way into this review status based on larger budget questions or allowable use follow-up.
- There may not be enough documentation provided for the team to have been able to be clear and certain on your meeting core requirements.
- Sometimes, the review indicates the need for a bigger and possibly more challenging conversation to understand what work was or wasn’t done - to see and sort through how to support the work to meet the robust requirements called for in these programs through statute and rule.
As we lay out what needs attention, our team at ODE will begin to pivot from legal review towards a focus on remedy and support. Our team is very clear about the big efforts and commitments of this process, and the responsibility we share to create meaningful learning conditions with and for Oregon’s students and educators. As the state continues to have conversations about what accountability means and what is happening in K-12 schools - you’ve sustained real and significant efforts to improve Oregon’s educational system even as we identify the places where we have more work to do. Every bit of it matters.
Let’s keep going,
Scott
P.S. We’ll share a shorter targeted communication in a few hours as we’ve recently learned of a Smartsheet software glitch that led to several automated messages to resend. From what we know, pings went to 60 districts and their ESDs and the message will only go to those who may have got a confusing repeated update this morning. #workinprogress
|
