The Colorado Department of Education

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Differentiated Training for Unified Improvement Planning


This series of trainings for Unified Improvement Planning is designed for those districts and schools that are required to submit a Unified Improvement Plan by January 17 for a state level review to meet state and/or federal accountability expectations. 

The sessions have been differentiated into four types:

  1. School Level Support for Schools assigned a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan under state accountability
    Read more   |   Register NOW

  2. District Level Support for Districts with schools assigned a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan Under State Accountability
    Read more   |   Register NOW

  3. District Level Support for Districts Accredited with Turnaround or Priority Improvement plans under state accountability or identified for improvement under ESEA, including Titles I, IIA and/or III
    Read more   |   Register NOW

  4. Using the Unified Improvement Plan for Title I Requirements (Webinar Only)
    Read more   |   No registration required.

Training details (i.e., descriptions, locations, dates, and times) are included below for these four types of training.  Please note that CDE will provide a separate series of training opportunities for districts preparing Performance and Improvement Plans at a later date.

Materials from Unified Improvement Planning Support Sessions


Training Option 1:
School Level Support for Schools Assigned a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan Under State Accountability

Timeframe:

Two one day sessions (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) with time between the sessions for school-level teams to work on their improvement plans.  School-level teams should plan to attend both sessions.

Locations:

  • Pueblo – November 1 and November 15
  • Metro North – November 3 and December 2
  • Glenwood Springs – November 9 and  December 1
  • La Junta – November 17 and December 13
  • Metro South – December 6 and December 17

Audience:

Schools assigned a Turnaround or Priority Improvement plan under State accountability.  Title I requirements – especially for those schools also identified for Improvement, Corrective Action or Restructuring under Title I – will be woven into the trainings.  

Format:

Work session for school-based teams, with support provided as teams revise existing draft plans to meet state and federal accountability expectations. Day 1 will focus on Section 3 of the UIP, including identifying priority needs and engaging in root causes analysis.  Day 2 will focus on Section 4 of the UIP, including establishing annual targets, interim measures, major improvement strategies and implementation benchmarks.

Prerequisites:

  1. View SPF online tutorial http://www.schoolview.org/PerformanceFrameworks.asp
  2. Attendance at Spring 2010 Tour or materials review for Unified Improvement Planning http://www.schoolview.org/RegionalTraining.asp
  3. Bring Unified Improvement Plan Template with Section I pre-populated with the school’s data.
  4. Know if your school : 1) receives Title I funding 2) If funded, operates a Targeted Assistance or School wide program 3) Is identified for Title I program improvement (School Improvement, Correction, or Restructuring).  If yes, what year?
  5. Know your State accountability plan type assignment (based on the SPF).
  6. Access and bring at least the following State-provided school level data reports posted on SchoolView (www.schoolview.org/SchoolPerformance/ index.asp): (1) School Performance Framework Report (currently posted on CEDAR), (2) Growth Summary Report, (3) AYP Summaries, including detailed reports in reading and math for each subpopulation of students (data is not yet posted on CDE’s website, but districts were sent these data), and (4) Post-Secondary Readiness data.
  7. Bring additional district-provided school performance reports as available.

Outcomes:

Day 1: Section 3 of the UIP

  • Identify at least two priority needs for the school.
  • Determine the tools and strategies you will use to facilitate local planning team identification of additional priority needs.
  • Describe the role of root cause analysis in unified improvement planning and identify the critical steps in root cause analysis.
  • Engage in root cause analysis for one priority need.
  • Determine the tools and strategies you will use to facilitate additional root-cause analysis with the local planning team.

Day 2: Section 4 of Unified Improvement Plan Template

  • Provide and receive feedback about your Data Analysis and Root Cause Identification (Section III) based on Quality Criteria for UIPs.
  • Establish annual targets.
  • Select and describe interim measures.
  • Identify major improvement strategies and action steps that would be appropriate given the schools’ state and federal designation and level of need.
  • Identify major improvement strategies, action steps and associated implementation benchmarks.
  • Establish a calendar for monitoring school/district progress.

> > Register NOW < <

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Training Option 2:
District Level Support for Districts with Schools Assigned a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan Under State Accountability

Timeframe:

One day training, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Locations:

  • Metro – October 25
  • Grand Junction – October 27
  • Pueblo – October 28

Audience:

District teams for districts with schools assigned a Turnaround or Priority Improvement plan under State accountability. Title I school requirements will be woven into the trainings.

Format:

Work session for district teams (up to three individuals). Note this session is intended for district level staff and will cover the district role in supporting schools and reviewing school plans, and will not likely meet specific building needs.

Prerequisites:

  1. View SPF online tutorial http://www.schoolview.org/PerformanceFrameworks.asp
  2. Attendance at Spring 2010 Tour or materials review for Unified Improvement Planning http://www.schoolview.org/RegionalTraining.asp

Outcomes:

  • Providing views of performance data schools need to determine priority needs, annual targets, and root causes.
  • Develop a plan for working with schools to:
    • Complete data analysis (describe significant trends, Identify priority needs, and determine root causes of priority needs);
    • Set annual targets monitored by interim measures;
    • Select improvement strategies and action steps (that are appropriate to the level of need and state/federal accountability designation for each school) monitored using implementation benchmarks; and
    • Meet requirements for schools also identified for Title I Improvement (corrective action or restructuring).
  • Determine the process and tools that will be used in local review of /feedback about school plans.
  • Determine the relationship between district and school-level improvement plans.
  • Provide feedback to CDE about additional support needs.

> > Register NOW < <

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Training Option 3:
District Level Support for Districts Accredited with Turnaround or Priority Improvement plans under state accountability or identified for program improvement or corrective action under NCLB (Title IA, Title IIA and/or Title III)

Timeframe:

One day training, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Locations:

  • Pueblo – November 2
  • Metro – November 8
  • Glenwood Springs – November 10

Audience:

Districts 1) accredited with Priority Improvement or Turnaround plans under State accountability, or 2) identified for improvement or corrective action under Titles IA, IIA and/or III.

Format:

Work session for district level teams of up to three people focused on completing the district-level unified improvement plan to meet state and federal accountability expectations.

Prerequisites:

  1. View SPF online tutorial http://www.schoolview.org/PerformanceFrameworks.asp
  2. Attendance at Spring 2010 Tour or materials review for Unified Improvement Planning http://www.schoolview.org/RegionalTraining.asp

Outcomes:

  • Engage in data analysis to identify at least one priority need for the district.
  • Determine the tools and strategies the district will use to facilitate local planning team identification of additional priority needs.
  • Engage in root cause analysis for one priority need.
  • Determine the tools and strategies the district will use to facilitate additional root-cause analysis with the local planning team.
  • Establish at least one annual target (based on priority need) and identify what interim measure(s) will be used to monitor progress.
  • Determine the tools and strategies the district will use to identify additional annual targets and interim measures.
  • Identify major improvement strategies and action steps that are appropriate to the level of need and state/federal accountability designation for the district.
  • Determine the tools and strategies the district will use to identify major improvement strategies, action steps and associated implementation benchmarks.
  • Establish a calendar for monitoring district progress.
  • Determine the relationship between school and district improvement plans.

> > Register NOW < <

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Training Option 4:
Using the Unified Improvement Plan for Title I Requirements (Webinar Only)

On Friday, October 29, the Office of Federal Program Administration will host a webinar on using the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) with Title I schools on Improvement, Corrective Action, Restructuring and beyond. The webinar will demonstrate how the various requirements associated with these Title I areas can be incorporated into the UIP, so that schools operate from a single plan. The webinar is scheduled for 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Since Title I schools on Improvement, Corrective Action, Restructuring and beyond must use the UIP this year, the webinar will focus on how to ensure that those requirements are being met. However, any Title I school is welcome to participate in this webinar as the first hour will walk through how to use the UIP for Title I program purposes.

The instructions and links for participating in the webinar are below. There is no need to register for this event.

Meeting Name:

Using the Unified Improvement Plan for Title I Requirements

When:

Friday, October 29, 9:00 am – 11:00 a.m.

Dial-In Details:

  • 1-866-601-0566

To Join the Meeting, Visit:

http://connect.cboces.org/r38919514/

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Materials from Unified Improvement Planning Support Sessions

School Level Resources

District Level Resources

Updated Quality Criteria for Unified Improvement Planning

The Quality Criteria for Schools is a useful resource for any school using the Unified Improvement Plan template.  It provides guidance on the elements that would be expected in a quality plan and is consistent with state and federal requirements.  In working with schools as they use the Quality Criteria to help build their Unified Improvement Plan, CDE realized that some further refinements were needed.  Version 1.2 has the following improvements:

In working with schools as they use the Quality Criteria to help build their Unified Improvement Plan, CDE realized that further refinements were needed.  Version 1.2 has the following upgrades:

  • Directions on how to use the tool.
  • More explicit directions for Title I schools on requirements that are unique to Title I.
  • More explicit directions for schools receiving the Turnaround plan assignment under the State accountability system.
  • Clarifying language and added examples.

Updated resources may be found in the Learning Center at: http://www.schoolview.org/UnifiedImprovementPlanning.asp

Questions?
Please contact Erin Loften via phone at 303-866-6642 or via email at loften_e@cde.state.co.us if you have any questions.