LM Sept. 2018

LeadershipMatters September 2018

Where to Start With Quality Framework

Still Time to Register... 2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Sept. 26–28

Q&A With State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith

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COVER STORY The Quality Framework of Illinois is important for superintendents to learn. Not just because it will be required under ESSA, but because the Framework focuses your district on researched-based standards aimed at improving student outcomes. Read about the steps Kildeer Countryside CCSD #96 took to implement the Framework.

Making a Difference, Part II: How 5 More Schools Are Using EBM Funds to Help Students

Evidence-Based Funding: Instrument for Strategic Leadership Join Us for the IASA Annual

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Conference Sept. 26–28 IASA Calendar of Events Videos from the Districts News In Brief

15 Q&A With State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith, Annual Conference Keynote Speaker 20 IASA to Kickoff Women In Leadership Series Sept. 26

Volume 6, Issue 8 September 2018 LeadershipMatters 18189 Mary Schaefer Director of Communications and Marketing mschaefer@iasaedu.org Jason Nevel Assistant Director of Communications jnevel@iasaedu.org

2648 Beechler Court Springfield, IL 62703-7305 217.753.2213 800 Woodfield Road, Ste. F109 Schaumburg, IL 60173-4717 847.466.5075

1200 West Main Street Marion, IL 62959-1138 618.364.0501

Marjorie Gladish Graphic Designer mgladish@iasaedu.org

Scan here with your phone’s QR code reader to get the IASA APP— Don’t have a QR reader? Go to or and search for IllinoisASA.

www.iasaedu.org

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JoinUsat the IASAAnnual ConferenceonSept. 26-28 Message From the Executive Director

Dr. Brent Clark September is planning and strategy setting time for IASA. Each week during the month of September, committees have been gathering to review activities from the past year and develop strategy for the new fiscal year. Those committees include: the Governmental Relations and Advocacy Committee, Professional Development Committee, Region Presidents and the Membership and Communications Committee. As well, the IASA Board of Directors will meet on September 25 ahead of the IASA Annual Conference. I certainly appreciate all IASA members who take time out of their busy schedule to participate in committee meetings throughout the year. Our committee members truly provide relevant insight and make sure IASA is headed in the right direction. Through your efforts and essential vision, we remain committed to providing all members with the benefits needed to be successful school leaders. To learn more about our achievements and planning process, I invite you to attend the IASA Annual Meeting at the IASA Annual Conference on Wednesday, September 26, at 4 p.m. You will hear my state-of-the-association report and Treasurer’s report by IASA Treasurer Dr. Victor Zimmerman. Dr. Rick Rigsby, an award winning journalist and author of “Lessons of a Third Grade Dropout” will follow as the keynote opening general session speaker. Our annual meeting is the official kick-off to the 54th IASA Annual Conference in Springfield, September 26–28. Don’t miss the opportunity to enhance your own strategies for success and network with more than 400 superintendents who are pre-registered and committed to attending this year’s conference. We have an impressive line-up including our closing general session speakers: legendary UCLA softball coach Sue Enquist and Illinois State School Superintendent Tony Smith plus a multitude of breakout sessions sure to empower you with great ideas. We will also hold an Ask the IASA Staff session on Thursday afternoon. Another special program at this year’s conference, IASA Women in Leadership kicks off September 26 at 1 p.m. Read more in this issue about the important work the planning committee has done to develop this program for IASA female

superintendents. Female superintendents will also not want to miss the IASA Super-Region Lunch Meetings , October 1 in Glen Ellyn, October 4 in Springfield and October 22 in Mt. Vernon. This is just one example of how IASA continues to deliver unique programs and professional development initiatives for a cross-sector of all our members. In addition, we are finishing up on delivering the ESSA/ECRA dashboard academies/workshops in all 21 regions over the past two months. We are excited to see the dashboards and district stories come to life and look forward to sharing the impressive work being done by various districts through a new ECRA-sponsored website to be unveiled soon. For those attending the conference, we want to remind you that ECRA will be available during the conference from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, September 27 to answer any questions you may have regarding the new dashboard. This is a great opportunity for you to receive personalized support, get your questions answered and receive guidance on creating your district dashboard. Labor Day traditionally begins the closing stretch for the November 6 election. You almost can’t miss being bombarded by campaign messages in this fall season. As we enter the final days of the campaign, be prepared for a more attack strategy as both gubernatorial candidates campaign for the state’s highest office. This year’s Illinois governor’s race is set to be the costliest in U.S. history. After the election, we will face the fall veto session in November. With more lame duck legislators than ever before, we have to keep a watchful eye out for controversial issues to pass. Watch your email for details about the new IASA sponsored Future Green Energy Consortium that will launch shortly. This brand-new, one-of-a-kind renewable electric power solution program is designed to save school districts money on their electric supply costs. This is a joint initiative of IASA, Illinois Association of School Boards and the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. I look forward to seeing you next week at the IASA conference!

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Framework ... cont’d.

Dr. Lori James-Gross, superintendent of Unity Point CCSD #140, co-authored this article with Schmidt. But first, here’s some background on the Quality Framework.

in order to gather all of the evidence needed to determine the first steps. We believed it would be very difficult for a team comprised only of school-based people to deeply and accurately self-assess particular indicators, let alone determine current levels of performance. For example, indicators in Standard IV, Governance, Management and Operations, frequently refer to work that the superintendent and board of education do together or collaborate on. An exemplary level of performance on Indicator C of Standard IV states that “evidence suggests that the school board and superintendent frequently work together and communicate frequently to monitor the implementation of a systematic continuous improvement process.” Artifacts and evidence gathered to help determine current reality were items that building level leaders and participants may, or more likely may not, be aware of or have access to depending on the culture and size of the school district. Some examples of artifacts provided in this particular process included a Board of Education Benchmarking presentation, a student growth report, the district goal setting and monitoring process from the Board to teacher teams and students, and the annual State of the District Report. District-level input and participation was critical in order to access, understand and provide these items. Participants were identified for each Standard before moving on to the next step. Step2: CreateaMeetingSchedule The next step was to prepare a meeting schedule by Standard, including inviting to each meeting those who were pertinent to the Standard being examined. For example, the Assistant Superintendent for Business Services may need to be present when examining Standard IV (Governance, Management, and Operations) but not when focusing on Standard I (Continuous Improvement). Two meetings were scheduled for each standard and standards were combined for some meetings if the participants were the same. The two rounds of meetings were scheduled four weeks apart given the timeframe of the pilot. One final meeting that included the entire group was then scheduled in order to finalize and summarize our work. Step3: IdentifyEvidence The Quality Framework was downloaded into Google Docs and a column was added to the document at the far-right hand side. This column was titled “Evidence/Data.” (see Figure 1) The first meeting focused on two standards that included the same participants. Participants first examined the “Purpose Setting Questions” to gain clarity on what the standard was

Also, check out this resource from ISBE . What is theQualityFramework?

The Framework, along with its associated rubric, was developed by the Illinois Balanced Accountability Model committee, who recognized that the most critical purpose of educational systems is to continuously drive and create improvement so that ALL learners can succeed. The Framework provides schools across Illinois with a common language for school improvement. The components and associated rubric allow school leaders to focus on best practices that will have a positive impact on their school environments. It includes seven standards, along with purpose-setting questions and indicators, to determine if schools are meeting benchmarks. The indicators are: I Continuous Improvement

II Culture and Climate III Shared Leadership IV Governance, Management and Operations V Educator and Employee Quality VI Family and Community Engagement VII Student and Learning Development

Simply put, the Quality Framework is a student-improvement plan that school districts can use to effectively develop a systems approach to monitoring, measuring and improving the changing conditions that impact student performance.

By Julie Schmidt Superintendent, Kildeer Countryside CCSD #96 and Dr. Lori James-Gross Superintendent of Unity Point CCSD #140 During the 2017–18 school year, Kildeer Countryside CCSD #96 implemented the Quality Framework. Here’s a step-by- step account look at how Kildeer launched this initiative. Step1: IdentifyParticipants We began our process by examining each Standard and Indicator to determine who needed to be around the table

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QualityFrameworkfor IllinoisSchoolDistricts FIGURE1 Standard I Continuous Improvement: In successful districts and schools, there is a collective commitment to collaboratively identify, plan, implement, monitor, evaluate and communicate the changes necessary to continuously improve student learning. Purpose-setting questions: 1. How do we embody collaborative problem solving? 2. How do we effectively plan for continuous improvement? 3. What evidence do we have supporting a continuous improvement model in our district? 4. How do we analyze student learning to determine our plan? Indicator Level of Performance Evidence/Data There is a District Leadership Team established: Yes No If no district Leadership Team has been established please move to Indicator B.

Indicator A: The district leadership team establishes a coherent and collaborative approach for improving student performance based on the established vision/goals and implements a comprehensive district continuous improvement process Ineffective Emerging Accomplished Exemplary

Indicator A: Focused and Coherent Direction

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team is established in documentation but does not meet/ has not yet met Evidence suggests district Leadership Team does not use a process

Evidence suggests Leadership Team meets on an inconsistent basis

Evidence suggests Leadership Team meets consistently

Evidence suggests Leadership Team regularly meets at scheduled times

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team inconsistently uses processes systematically to achieve goals Evidence suggests district Leadership Team inconsistently uses data

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team consistently uses systematic processes to achieve goals Evidence suggests district Leadership Team consistently uses data to identify strengths and areas of improvement

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team almost always uses systematic

processes to achieve goals

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team does not use data

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team almost always uses multiple data sets including student data to identify strengths Evidence suggests district Leadership Team includes multiple and representative stakeholders and areas of improvement

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team includes few members with similar roles

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team includes membership that is not representative

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team includes many stakeholders

focusing on and asking for. We then read each indicator and began to identify policies, procedures, practices, artifacts, evidence and data that existed that would help us to determine our current level of performance. As we identified evidence that was aligned, members around the table took ownership for collecting different artifacts to be provided prior to the second meeting.

Members were cognizant of providing evidence or data that already existed and committed to not creating anything new at this point in the process. Step4: EvidenceAnalysisandSelf-Assessment When the group reconvened by standard, all pieces of evidence were listed in the right-hand column, linked where continued...

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Framework ... cont’d.

appropriate then scanned in and included in a Google folder organized by Standard. (see Figure 2) As the team examined each piece of evidence by indicator, they worked to come to consensus on a self-assessment rating (Ineffective, Emerging, Accomplished, Exemplary). By the end of the meeting, the self-assessment for the Standard was complete based on the evidence that was produced. Step5: SummaryMeeting Once the examination of evidence and self-assessment had occurred for each Standard, the entire team reconvened in order to draft a summary paragraph describing our work for context. This was done as a part of the pilot work for our own purposes. The completion of the Quality Framework does not require this step, but we found it helpful in summarizing our thoughts. An example is below. Standard III Shared Leadership: In successful districts and schools, leaders create and sustain organizational direction, expectations and a system that promotes excellence, efficiency and leadership from within. District #96 provides a rich and ongoing professional development plan that includes job embedded learning during the school day, early release days, professional development half days and institute days. The Illinois 5Essentials results indicate that students and staff members perceive the learning and working environment in a positive light. As evidenced by the links in the document, the district has a well thought out and strategic professional development plan with opportunities for feedback each year for all levels of staff, including certified teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, instructional coaches and related services personnel. Opportunities for professional development also exist outside the school day and school year as staff members are offered district sponsored and facilitated summer learning opportunities and workshops.

District #96 also has a strong focus on results-oriented decision making. The district goal process referenced in the rubric requires teachers to look at student data with a balcony view. This goal-setting process allows teachers to hone their focus in on the students who need it the most. However, as evidenced by the links on the rubric, teachers have a structure to examine student data throughout the year in order to drive instruction. In order to more effectively examine student data, District #96 affords teachers collaborative scoring opportunities multiple times a year. The processes ensure that student data is used within the schools on a daily basis to monitor student progress and develop instructional practice. The students of District #96 are also brought into the equation through the goal-setting process and Principal Advisory Committee. Through the goal-setting process students set goals around their own achievement and monitor their own progress throughout the year. The Principal Advisory Committee allows students a voice in the non- academic aspects of their schools like culture and climate. Furthermore, the student values activity linked to the rubric details the process by which students were able to declare what they stood for and what their values are as a larger student body. These opportunities give students a voice and role outside of the traditional passive role of student and instead make them active participants with their own education and school culture. Step6: Useof Results inGoal Setting After completing the process, we discussed how this information would influence our district goal setting for the upcoming school year. We identified two particular areas that we wanted to focus on. The first was Standard 3: Shared Leadership under Indicator D: Student Leadership. We found that we were able to produce a plethora of evidence around administrative and teacher leadership and district and school level teams. When

Youcanalso listentoanewIASAPodcastwithDr. TadEverett, superintendentof SterlingCUSD#5, aboutwhathe learned frompilotingtheQualityFramework inhisdistrict.

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QualityFrameworkfor IllinoisSchoolDistricts Standard I Continuous Improvement: In successful districts and schools, there is a collective commitment to collaboratively identify, plan, implement, monitor, evaluate and communicate the changes necessary to continuously improve student learning. Purpose-setting questions: 1. How do we embody collaborative problem solving? 2. How do we effectively plan for continuous improvement? 3. What evidence do we have supporting a continuous improvement model in our district? 4. How do we analyze student learning to determine our plan? Indicator Level of Performance Evidence/Data There is a District Leadership Team established: Yes No If no district Leadership Team has been established please move to Indicator B. FIGURE2

Indicator A: The district leadership team establishes a coherent and collaborative approach for improving student performance based on the established vision/goals and implements a comprehensive district continuous improvement process Ineffective Emerging Accomplished Exemplary

• See schedule of collaborative structures in folder • Ad Council meets every other week for 1/2 day • Cabinet meets every Monday • Al & MS principal job alike meets every other week •School-based leadership teams meet every week Goal Process: 2017–2018 goals doc-Illinois 5 Essentials data • Local parent satisfaction and survey document in binder • PARCC • NWEA MAP • Aimsweb • Locally-created formative and summative assessment

Indicator A: Focused and Coherent Direction

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team is established in documentation but does not meet/ has not yet met Evidence suggests district Leadership Team does not use a process

Evidence suggests Leadership Team meets on an inconsistent basis

Evidence suggests Leadership Team meets consistently

Evidence suggests Leadership Team regularly meets at scheduled times

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team inconsistently uses processes systematically to achieve goals Evidence suggests district Leadership Team inconsistently uses data

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team consistently uses systematic processes to achieve goals Evidence suggests district Leadership Team consistently uses data to identify strengths and areas of improvement

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team almost always uses systematic

processes to achieve goals

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team does not use data

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team almost always uses multiple data sets including student data to identify strengths Evidence suggests district Leadership Team includes multiple and representative stakeholders and areas of improvement

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team includes few members with similar roles

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team includes membership that is not representative

Evidence suggests district Leadership Team includes many stakeholders

it came to student leadership, however, we were only able to produce evidence of a handful of formal club and athletic examples. What informal day-to-day leadership opportunities were we providing “virtually all” of our students grades K-8?

Why could we not articulate those opportunities and find evidence of them? Thus, when we began our multi-layered goal-setting process we dug in to this. The result was the adoption of a goal stating, “We will increase student

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continued...

Framework ... cont’d.

FIGURE3

Indicator B: The school culture supports educators in practicing effective and responsive instruction to meet the needs of the whole child and promotes the celebration of district, school and student improvement Ineffective Emerging Accomplished Exemplary Evidence suggests school culture Evidence suggests school culture lmost

Team data analysis process

Indicator B: High Expectations for All

Evidence suggests school culture inconsistently supports evidence- based instruction to meet the needs of the whole child Evidence suggests school culture inconsistently supports instruction to responsively meet multiple cultural, learning and linguistic needs Evidence suggests school culture inconsistently promotes meaningful celebrationsof district, school and student improvement

Evidence suggests school culture consistently supports evidence-based instruction to meet the needs of the whole child Evidence suggests school culture consistently supports instruction to responsively meet multiple cultural, learning and linguistic needs Evidence suggests school culture consistently promotes meaningful celebrationsof district, school and student improvement

SEL Committee Rubric/Framework working docs

does not support evidence-based instruction to meet the needs of the whole child Evidence suggests school culture does not support instruction to responsively meet multiple cultural, learning and linguistic needs Evidence suggests school culture does not promote meaningful

always supports evidence-based instruction to meet the needs of the whole child Evidence suggests school culture almost always supports instruction to responsively meet multiple cultural, learning and linguistic needs Evidence suggests school culture almost always promotes meaningful celebrationsof district, school and student improvement

District pacing guides include language expectations for ELL/CLDs (Elem LA Example in binder) Professional learning presentations (Katie link in)

celebrationsof district, school and student improvement

leadership opportunities at both the elementary and middle school levels by the end of the 2018–2019 school year.” School teams are creating the metrics and action steps to do so both formally and informally, in and out of the classroom. The second area of focus was Standard 6: Family and Community Engagement. Specifically, we acknowledged that communication tools were not being used consistently nor do they always take into account the diversity of our population. Thus, we committed to exploring and piloting new and more innovative ways to have dialogue with our community that include face-to-face, print and digital options at the classroom, school and district levels. While these are the two specific areas reflected in our Board of Education adopted goals, insight that we gleaned from

engaging in the process and having conversations about our current reality will impact our work related to all of the quality indicators. Conclusion In summary, we are at a crossroads regarding how we will choose to move forward in the way that we articulate and implement the new Balanced Accountability Model. We will continue to strongly advocate that we, as educational leaders, own the narrative around the Quality Framework supporting school improvement that is meaningful to each of our respective communities.

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Evidence-BasedFunding: Instrument for Strategic Leadership

By Gary Tipsord, Superintendent, LeRoy CUSD #2 You may have heard IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark say, “The only significance of $6,119 as a foundation level is that it is between $6,118 and $6,120.” The number carried no educational significance. Through the course of the Vision 20/20 process, we set to change that model. A core objective evolved, one that was specifically related to the delivery of instruction and opportunity for our students. The Evidence-Based Funding Model, passed last August, pivots around an Adequacy Target—a unique target that is driven by the specific students that a district has a responsibility to serve and by the economic factors associated with their geographic location in the state, rather than an arbitrary number like $6,119. More specifically, this funding solution is about each of us rather than all of us. That distinction truly is critical to communicating a narrative and making leadership decisions. Now that the EBM model is our reality, it’s necessary for us as superintendents to use it to establish a framework for the next 10 years. So, what I want to do is challenge each of you to embrace the comprehensive capacity of this model to tell your story, to develop a plan for the future and to take on dissent. We now possess an instrument for those types of strategic conversations that are data and mathematically driven, rather than ideologically driven. While opinions do and will continue to exist, and remain relevant, EBF as an instrument of leadership allows us to return to the relative data and frame the dialogue around numbers that carry significance. Here are some critical questions where the model becomes more an instrument than just a spreadsheet. 1. Now that we know what our Adequacy Target is, is that target sufficient to meet the demand of the public that we are responsible to serve? What will our district look like in 10 years if the state invests according to the design? 2. How do our staffing and services compare to the research-based design for the students we serve? Are we overstaffed, and is there intentionality to that staffing?

Are we understaffed, and do we have deficits in learning because of the staffing structure? Is either the excess or deficit in staffing meaningful to the demand of our community? Is there a relationship between this gap analysis and our student achievement data? 3. What does shared responsibility look like for our district? Once fully implemented, what is the anticipated responsibility for the community? How can we rightly design our tax rate? If we do, what is the impact to the demand for programming core to our community values? These are just three themes that come to the surface for nearly every district in the state in some form or another. Our ability to create narrative around educational initiatives and resource management is limitless within the context of the funding model. We have a powerful tool with which to both make decisions and have conversations. In some cases, we can find answers in the model; but in every case, we can find information around which to have critical conversations. Regardless of where your district lies in relative access to resources, the model will allow you to create a strategic narrative for the next decade. With ESSA and the recent demand to establish and communicate an appropriate spending plan related to new funding and accountability, it is important to begin to leverage this model as a means of transparent communication and analysis of resource allocation. We have two steps related to funding going forward: 1. Communicate how new funding is being utilized to enrich the experience of our students. 2. Determine if resource allocation to specific buildings and programs is having an impact on student outcomes. Finally, if you have specific questions related to School- Based Accounting, you are encouraged to watch the IASBO video: https://vimeo.com/259219503. And, if you have specific questions related to the EBF Spending Plan, email: EBFspendingplan@isbe.net.

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2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Sept. 26–28, 2018 —Springfield, IL

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Friday, Sept. 28—9:30am CLOSING GENERAL SESSION Keynote Speaker

Q&Awith State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith ON ESSA, EBM AND MORE By Jason Nevel IASA Assistant Director of Communications

aren’t. It’s not as much as it used to be about competition. Now with evidenced-based funding, everyone is interconnected. The last piece on my mind is something that doesn’t take a lot of money but matters a whole bunch. How we talk to and talk about our kids and families. IASA: What is the No. 1 mission ISBE is attempting to accomplish with its ESSA plan? Dr. Smith: It’s really about coordinated services and supports for every community so that all of our kids are meeting the board goals. We have a series of goals that include: • All kindergartners are assessed for readiness. • Ninety percent or more of third-grade students are reading at or above grade level. • Ninety percent or more of fifth-grade students meet or exceed expectations in math or science. • Ninety percent or more of ninth-grade students are on track to graduate with their cohort. • Ninety percent or more of students graduate from high school ready for college and career.

Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith will be one of the featured speakers during the closing session of the IASA Annual Conference. His speech is titled, “What our new funding and supports mean for strengthening every school community in Illinois.” IASA spoke with Smith about his planned remarks for the conference, ESSA implementation, the teacher shortage, Early Childhood Block Grant, state assessments and the new ISBE Superintendent’s Hotline. Below is an edited and condensed version of that conversation. IASA: What will be the focus of your speech at IASA Annual Conference September 26–28 in Springfield? Dr. Smith: This year in particular, I will talk about the work we’re doing with (ESSA) implementation. We’ve been doing pretty remarkable planning work. There’s been significant change in terms of policy environment and now we are really shifting into implementation. I’m going to focus on what does it mean to be working in new and different ways. I also plan to talk about how the new funding system has given us a new way to look at where resources are and where they

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continued...

IASA: What were the main takeaways from ISBE’s yearlong study into the teacher shortage? Dr. Smith: The most important thing is that we hear you. People in schools have been saying there is a real need to be addressing the shortage of teachers. This report took into consideration the entire range. Recruitment, retention, the pipeline, preparation, diversity and any other piece was considered. The board reviewed the report and will talk about recommendations. They’re considering those and will come back. It’s open for public comment right now. If anybody has comments, please get those in by October 2. (Comments can be emailed to teachillinois@isbe.net ). IASA: Could the basic skills test be eliminated or cut scores be reduced? Dr. Smith: What I did say recently is that I am hard pressed to find evidence to defend it. If people have been accepted into a program, the acceptance criteria means the person has met some sort of rigorous standard in the first place and completed coursework and demonstrated mastery of content. If there is another exam that has a disparate pass rate and tends to exclude people of color, it seems to me there is something going on with that assessment. Right now, I don’t see a reason to keep it. IASA: Would eliminating the test require legislative approval or could you do it administratively? Dr. Smith: That’s a board activity, so we will have conversations with the board about what they’re going to recommend. IASA: How quickly can things get moving with recommendation in the report? Dr. Smith: The board will consider action in October. I will say there is such a desire to do something, so I would expect some things definitely to happen in the spring session. IASA: What was the thinking behind changing the disbursement with the Early Childhood Block Grant? Dr. Smith: These are five-year cycles, and we just finished the second of two cycles that had the same participants. At the outset of the last five-year cycle there was a commitment to a re-competition that would open up the ability to get funding to the whole state. That hadn’t been possible in the last 10 years. What happened was everyone was eligible to apply and had the same common standards and criteria. Getting the passing

• All students are supported by highly prepared and effective teachers and school leaders • Every school offers a safe and healthy learning environment for all students. • All English learners achieve proficiency in English within five years of their identification as English Learners. IASA: What are your thoughts on striking the right mix of balancing test scores and growth on the ESSA plan? Dr. Smith: The importance of growth and to have it weighted so heavily was critical. If we are honest, kids come in with varying degrees of capacity at each grade level, so our ability to a make commitment to student growth each year was critical. I recognize the work of moving kids up sometimes multiple grade levels is really important and has significant value. There was no way to really account for that. Before we had a binary system where students were proficient, or they weren’t. If you were not proficient, you were a failing school, when in fact, you could be doing remarkable things. Now there’s a different way of talking about it and that is probably the most significant transition. IASA: What is the biggest misconception you’ve heard about the Illinois’ ESSA plan? Dr. Smith: Unless people are really engaged, I still think there is a sense it’s just No Child Left Behind with a new name. So maybe it’s not a misconception but some people still haven’t really understood what we’re doing. When people see the work, they might see it is in fact different. IASA: What are the next steps with ESSA implementation? Dr. Smith: The biggest and most critical piece in all of this is the peer-to-peer network, creating opportunities for practice sharing, positive stories and really shaping the narrative in Illinois about schools, with districts and educators taking responsibility to improve academic and social outcomes for the kids. That is the force of this. I think at the heart of that for us is the IL-Empower work. The core of that is focusing first and foremost on those schools that still have the highest need. There is more autonomy now and using the quality rubric to ask a set of clear-guiding questions and have much more clear language about how to get help in different areas. Overall, we’re just much better and clearer about how we’re going to be talking to each other and targeting support.

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2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Sept. 26–28, 2018 —Springfield, IL

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I would say there’s been good and deep partnership work in the last 3½ years. IASA: Why did you start a new Superintendent’s Hotline? Dr. Smith: It’s just that ability to have that one-on-one relationship to really facilitate deeper responsiveness. Also, there are not a lot of people in the role of superintendent. It was a chance to do some thought partnership. We basically have my leadership team rotate days, and if a superintendent calls, they’re going to get a person. We’ve been getting four or five calls per day. People are using it. IASA: Anything else on your mind? Dr. Smith: The continued growth of the competency-based work in high schools. The more we transition into the idea of moving on when you’re ready and demonstrating learning, rather just having seat time, I think it will be one of the most important things to focus on. That is one of the things I’m most excited about. I think it will help transform what teaching and learning looks like across Illinois.

score determined who was eligible for funding. We had a number of programs that met the standard but we initially didn’t have funding. We were fortunate (Department of Human Services) stepped in and helped close the gap. Every program that got a passing score of 60 or above got funded. The question comes up over and over is why have a competition? I am a firm believer in universal pre-K. I think it’s the best investment we can make. Part of the issue was a promise and commitment that was made before I was in this role. IASA: Have you tried to improve the relationship with superintendents in the field, some of whom may have felt a disconnect with ISBE before? Dr. Smith: As a former district superintendent I have the benefit of knowing when a state agency is working well and has a good partnership and can be receptive and maybe when it’s less than so. In the time I’ve been in this role, I talked about being deeply connected with districts and superintendents in particular and have been pretty aggressive in getting out and traveling and meeting with districts, whether going to a chamber of commerce with superintendents or being in schools with them.

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23 Breakout Sessions: Many breakout sessions will be held during the conference, covering such topics as ESSA, student readiness, school safety, strategic planning, and much more. All sessions will be held on the lower level of the BOS Center and are generously sponsored by NaviGate Prepared. For detailed descriptions, click here .

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018

8–9 a.m. • Be the Change: Rethinking How We Do School in an ESSA and EBFM Environment • Making Evaluation Meaningful: Transforming the Conversation • Advisory, Enrichment and Interventions to Meet SEL Needs • SAT—Growth Models, Data Results and Official SAT Practice in Khan Academy • Achieving Educational Equity at Two Illinois School Districts • New Superintendents’ Roundtable 12:30–1:30 p.m. • Build Confidence in Your Staff and in Your Community through Video Stories • Micro-Credentials: Competency-Based Skill Recognition for Leaders • Student Readiness Plan: Preparing for Life after High School • Strategic Planning: Building a District Improvement Plan through Community Support

• From Insight to Intervention: Leading with Data • Building Trauma-Sensitive Community Schools • Building Trust: Reflections on the First Year 3–4 p.m. • Improving School Safety through Lessons Learned, Prevention Techniques and a Free State Information Sharing Program • Changing the Trajectory of Students’ Lives through Equal Opportunity Schools • Leading Your Community through a Successful Building Referendum • The Digital Domino: How One Initiative Restructured a District • Can Energy Efficieny Programs and Solar = Big Energy Savings for Your District?

Friday, Sept. 28, 2018

8:30–9:30 a.m. • ESSA: The Quality Framework and How to Use it to Improve Your School • Perceptions of Superintendent Stress • Employee Engagement: Turning Data into Action through a Cycle of Continuous Improvement • Refining, Recruiting and Hiring Practices for Equity—One District’s Journey • Business Incubator: “Sharks in the Classroom”

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2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Sept. 26–28, 2018 —Springfield, IL

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More Don’t-Miss Events:

President & CEO of Rick Rigsby Communications, former Texas A&M professor and award-winning journalist: Making an Impact Wednesday, Sept. 26— 4–5:45pm Keynote Speaker Dr. Rick Rigsby OPENING GENERAL SESSION

Thursday, Sept. 27— 9:15–11am Ignite Session SECOND GENERAL SESSION

Fast-paced format including a series of presenters giving 5-minute presentations on a variety of pressing education topics. The Ignite slogan: Enlighten us, but make it quick!

Former UCLA Coach and 11-time National Champion: Competitive Greatness 24/7— Excellence Never Blinks Friday, Sept. 28— 9:30am Keynote Speaker Sue Enquist CLOSING GENERAL SESSION

More at this year’s conference: Early Bird Academies | Ask the IASA Staff | Networking Special Strand for New Superintendents | ‘Super’ 5K Fun Run/Walk Special Women in Leadership Session | Receptions Exhibits | Flu Shots/Screenings

for up-to-date conference info such as registration, block housing, detailed daily schedule, complete listings of all conference events. If you’re not registered and want to attend, CLICK HERE

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IASA to Kick Off “Celebrating Women in Leadership” Series at Annual Conference #IASASuperWomen By Mary Schaefer IASA Director of Communications & Marketing

The IASA “Celebrating Women in Leadership” series will officially kick-off at the IASA Annual Conference this month. On Wednesday Sept. 26th, female superintendents will gather for the first annual meeting of “Celebrating Women in Leadership” as part of the IASA Annual Conference. Dr. Nancy Blair, Professor Emerita of Leadership Studies at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, WI will lead the kick-off session discussing opportunities, challenges and successes that females face in the role of superintendency. And in October, IASA will host Super-Region luncheon meetings in three locations across the state: October 1 in Glen Ellyn , October 4 in Springfield and October 22 in Mt. Vernon . The luncheons are a free event for all female superintendents in Illinois. Registrations are required the Friday before the event. Individuals can register here . Planning for the year-long launch of “Celebrating Women in Leadership” started in February when IASA appointed a special planning committee co-chaired by Dr. Courtney Orzel, superintendent of Lemont-Bromberek CSD #113A and Sara Boucek, IASA Associate Director/Legal Counsel. The planning committee met in February to begin the scheduling of several networking meetings around the state throughout the year to build supports for female superintendents as they share stories of leadership. “Recognizing the unique needs and challenges faced by our female superintendents is the first step in taking action to bringing programs, professional development and support for their work in leading school districts,” said IASA Executive Director Brent Clark. “IASA remains committed to creating opportunities that help support this segment of our membership.” The planning committee’s objective was to examine how to bring women superintendents together for leadership, encouragement and networking opportunities. Many superintendents find the top job can be lonely and seeking out avenues for networking and support can be a challenge. The planning group discussed some of the unique barriers and challenges that females face in the role of being

a superintendent in addition to the fact that females are a minority in superintendent ranks. “Our planning committee came together with big ideas and said, ‘let’s do something about this’ and move forward to create spaces of support for female superintendents. We discussed some of the potential reasons why we are seeing such an underrepresentation of female superintendents. Overall, we want to examine some potential things we can do to grow those numbers,” said Dr. Orzel, co-chair of the Women in Leadership Planning Committee. “From our discussions, we’ve scheduled several official meetings throughout the year for female superintendents to gather to network and explore unique challenges and opportunities. We want to hear from female superintendents in the state on what their needs are, how IASA can serve them better and at the same time we want to celebrate the work that they do.” As part of the kick-off annual conference meeting, individuals in attendance will be given an opportunity to participate in a book study later in the year at the Joint Annual Conference in November in Chicago. The Joint Annual Conference Workshop will be held on Friday, November 16th from 9 a.m.–noon. Dr. Blair will lead a three-hour workshop for female superintendents and host a book study. The various meetings throughout the year will examine ways female superintendents can grow their ranks and encourage more women to enter leadership roles in the field of education. Special thanks to the IASA Women in Leadership Planning Committee: Dr. Kim Boryszewski, Schiller Park SD #81 Dr. Alicia Geddis, Danville CCSD #118 Dr. Lindsey Hall, Mahomet-Seymour CUSD #3 Carrie Hruby, O’Fallon CCSD #90 Dr. Crystal Johnson, Rossville-Alvin CUSD #7 Julie Kraemer, Hutsonville CUSD #1 Dr. Kimako Patterson, Prairie-Hills ESD #144 Dr. Bhavna Sharma-Lewis, Diamond Lake SD #76

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2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Sept. 26–28, 2018 —Springfield, IL

th

Why Attend the Women in Leadership Sessions?

Dr. Crystal Johnson, Superintendent Rossville-Alvin CUSD #7 Years as Superintendent: 8

Dr. Lindsey Hall, Superintendent Mahomet-Seymour CUSD #3 Years as Superintendent: 7

Carrie Hruby, Superintendent O’Fallon CCSD #90 Years as Superintendent: 7

“I am personally looking forward to building more connections with other female superintendents statewide at the

“I am happy to share ideas and appreciate the support IASA is taking to devote time within the annual conference to Women in Leadership, as

“The relationships, networking and building common ground with each other helps us in in our role as superintendent. I am happy to be a part of this initiative to bring

upcoming IASA conference. The number of female superintendents registered for this event speaks to the thirst for other female superintendents to connect with each other and the desire we have to create a platform and opportunity to do that. It is important we support each other and build those relationships. We definitely want to mentor and encourage more females into superintendency. We want to see other females making a move to the superintendency. The biggest challenge faced is learning to strive for balance—at home and career.”

well as to make a concerted effort to encourage and empower women into positions of leadership within IASA as well. These events are a chance to find support and encouragement to network and discover you are experiencing some of the same things as your counterparts. Anyone who attends will discover a fantastic network is out there along with a web of personal support and professional friendships. You will find you will come back refreshed with an enthusiastic perspective if you make that investment in time to be in Springfield in September. There are real pluses to the role of superintendency, and we all need to look to ways to mentor other individuals in their pursuit of being a superintendent.”

women together to grow in our network to connect and collaborate and to be a support system for one another. I know just the simple act of sitting down and talking to one another can really help support one another and make great relationships. It is important for female superintendents to get together at this initial session and start the path and journey together. With this year-long program, along the way we will be looking for feedback to see how we can grow our support systems in the next year as well. We will be identifying resources that are invaluable for us all. We want other female superintendents to feel like they can reach out and ask questions within this networking group. This is one more way for us to embrace the challenge we face as women or mothers.

CELEBRATING Women in Leadership: Don’t miss the IASA Conference Kick-Off Meeting

HOWWE Learn Lead & Live

September 26th from 1–3 p.m at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel.

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CELEBRATING Women in Leadership: HOWWE Learn Lead & Live IASAConferenceKick-OffMeeting Wednesday, September 26th from 1–3pm at Abraham Lincoln Hotel

Join us! On Wednesday, September 26, 2018, we will host our first annual meeting of Celebrating Women in Leadership and invite all women superintendents in Illinois to join us. Dr. Nancy Blair, Professor Emerita of Leadership Studies at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will lead the session as we discuss opportunities, challenges and successes that female leaders face in the role of the superintendency. Participants will receive a book for an upcoming book study to be held at the Joint Annual Conference. This is a free event for all female superintendents in Illinois who are registered for the IASA Annual Conference . IASASuper-Region LunchMeetings In the fall, we’ll host three Super-Region lunch meetings to bring women superintendents together across the state to continue our dialogue surrounding this important topic, as we continue to network, celebrate and share our stories of leadership. Click here to register. This is a free event for all female superintendents in Illinois. Non-IASA female school leaders can attend Luncheon for $25.00. All Luncheons are 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m.

October 1, 2018–Glen Ellyn Reserve 22 Restaurant at The Village Links of Glen Ellyn 485 Winchell Way

October 22, 2018–Mt. Vernon Location to be determined

October 4, 2018–Springfield IASA Office 2648 Beechler Ct.

Questions? Contact Dr. Courtney L.Orzel, Superintendent of Lemont- Bromberek CSD #113A

Joint Annual ConferenceWorkshop: CelebratingWomen in Leadership Friday, November 16, 2018 from 9am-12pm In November, Dr. Blair will lead a 3 hour workshop for female superintendents and host a book study on the text provided at the IASA conference. This workshop will provide a more in-depth opportunity for female leaders across the state to network, celebrate and share their inspiring stories of leadership. This is a free event for all female superintendents in Illinois and participants need to be registered for the Joint Annual Conference to attend.

at 630–243–3189 or corzel@sd113a.org .

Proudly sponsored by:

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