Executive Summary and Profile Vision

Indicators Rubric: Please indicate the degree to which the noted practices/processes are in place in the school system. The responses to the rubric should help the school system identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement as well as guide and inform the school system’s responses to the focus questions.
Definitions of Indicators Rubric
Not Evident Little or no evidence exists

Emerging Evidence indicates early or preliminary stages of implementation of practice

Operational Evidence indicates practices and procedures are actively implemented

Highly Functional Evidence indicates practices and procedures are fully integrated and effectively and consistently implemented

INDICATORS In fulfillment of this standard, the system:		Not Evident	Emerging	Operational	Highly Functional
4.1	Establishes and implements a comprehensive assessment system, aligned with the system’s expectations for student learning, that yields information which is reliable, valid, and bias free				X
4.2	Ensures that student assessment data are used to make decisions for continuous improvement of teaching and learning				X
4.3	Conducts a systematic analysis of instructional and organizational effectiveness, including support systems, and uses the results to improve student and system performance			X
4.4	Provides a system of communication which uses a variety of methods to report student performance and system effectiveness to all stakeholders				X
4.5	Uses comparison and trend data from comparable school systems to evaluate student performance and system effectiveness			X
4.6	Demonstrates verifiable growth in student performance that is supported by multiple sources of evidence				X
4.7	Maintains a secure, accurate, and complete student record system in accordance with state and federal regulations				X

Focus Questions

1. 
   How is the assessment system currently used throughout the school system and its schools to guide analysis of changes in student performance?
   

In Tuscaloosa County, our faculties, our administrators, our board members, parents, and all stakeholders realize that being committed to raising achievement levels must be about raising the expectations of achievement in all students throughout the system. Across the system, teachers and administrators are implementing Continuous Improvement Plans that utilize on-going assessments to monitor and enhance student progress.

State summative assessments used for defining action plans for continuous improvement include:

• 
  Alabama High School Graduation Examination (AHSGE)
  
• 
  Stanford Achievement Test (SAT 10)
  
• 
  Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT)
  
• 
  Alabama Science Assessment (ASA)
  
• 
  Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing (ADAW)
  
• 
  Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
  
• 
  Alabama Alternate Assessment (AAA)
  
• 
  Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs)
  

In addition to the state assessments, our school system has taken a proactive approach to make sure all students graduate and are adequately prepared to enter college or the workforce. Standards-based instruction is provided in all classrooms and formative grade-level assessments are administered to monitor student mastery of required content. The following formative assessments and other instructional tools are used throughout the school year to make daily instructional decisions:

• 
  STI Math Assessments (K-8)
  
• 
  Harcourt Reading Assessments (K-5)
  
• 
  IXL Math
  
• 
  Career Cruising
  
• 
  ACT’s EPAS system (EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT) and USA Test Prep
  
• 
  Running Records
  
• 
  Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) progress monitoring
  
• 
  STAR
  
• 
  New Century
  

STI Math Assessments, Harcourt Reading Assessments, EXPLORE and PLAN are used to measure student progress and to determine areas of weakness. Based on the results from these assessments, we realign curriculum and instructional strategies when needed. Teachers use formative assessments to measure the extent to which students have learned curriculum standards during the school year. The results from the formative assessments guide the instruction in whole group, small group, and intervention lessons. Faculty members help the students see where they are and where they need to be. These assessments provide a longitudinal approach to educational and career planning, assessment, teacher support and evaluation. The same constructs are measured at different time points, allowing for meaningful comparisons over time.

Other indicators and evaluative tools used to guide analysis of changes in student performance include the following:

• 
  ALSDE school report cards
  
• 
  Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports
  
• 
  Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
  
• 
  Response to Instruction Plans
  

• 
  Progress reports
  
• 
  Report cards
  
• 
  STI course rosters
  
• 
  Graduation rate
  
• 
  Continuous Improvement Plan Reflections and Projections
  
• 
  Lighthouse surveys
  
• 
  Free/reduced lunch information
  
• 
  PRIDE surveys
  
• 
  Attendance reports
  
• 
  Student Incident Report (SIR)
  
• 
  Educate Alabama
  
• 
  Technology Impact Survey
  
• 
  Teacher attendance reports
  
• 
  Parent involvement
  
• 
  Informal assessments
  
• 
  Previous PEPE profile
  

2. 
   What are you doing to ensure that assessment results are timely, relevant, and communicated in a way that can be used by the system, its schools, and stakeholders to aid the performance of individual students?
   

The Tuscaloosa County School System uses a variety of communication methods to report student performance to all stakeholders. The following informational sources are used to ensure results are communicated in a timely and relevant manner:

• 
  STI Home
  
• 
  Elementary weekly folders
  
• 
  Elementary weekly newsletters
  
• 
  Progress reports
  
• 
  Student report cards
  
• 
  AHSGE, SAT 10, ARMT, ASA, and ADAW results are sent home shortly after the school receives them from ALSDE
  
• 
  ALSDE report card
  
• 
  Tuscaloosa County School System website
  
• 
  Individual school websites
  
• 
  Parent conferences
  
• 
  Newspaper articles in The Tuscaloosa News and The Northport Gazette
  
• 
  Annual reports on all state-required tests to Board members
  
• 
  The Public Relations department works will all media outlets to continuously report assessment results in a consistent and timely manner
  

The school system utilizes the following procedures to ensure the data results are analyzed and communicated in a way that enhances student performance. When accountability reports are received at the beginning of each school year, the central office administrators analyze the system and individual school data, prepare a press release, and provide packets of information for principals, school board members, and directors of instruction. Test data is analyzed across grade levels and is tracked longitudinally for three to five years. The central office team meets to study disaggregated data posted on the Accountability Reporting System page of the Alabama State Department of Education Website for the system and local schools. The central office team meets with each school principal and guidance counselor to review their test results. At the local school level, principals and guidance counselors share system, school, and individual student assessment results at regularly scheduled faculty meetings. The superintendent also shares test results at the annual State of the Schools meeting.

School faculty and staff then examine the data in more detail in departmental, grade level, across grade level, continuous improvement team, vertical team, and cluster meetings. Data is charted longitudinally and vertically. Faculty and staff examine specific student results to determine the effectiveness of current programs, and to guide in course planning and individual student remediation. Individual student test results are interpreted by faculty members and used to develop classroom instructional plans as well as individual student intervention plans. These plans are monitored regularly by the teacher and the principal to determine their effectiveness and the next steps. Principals and continuous improvement teams conduct walkthroughs and provide feedback to ensure that efforts are being made by the faculty and staff to impact student learning. Teams utilize the specific action steps when developing Continuous Improvement Plans and Action Plans at both the district and local school levels.
Student test results and parent reports are distributed and interpreted individually in a timely manner. The principals encourage teachers to discuss student test results at student and parent conferences. Parents also receive progress reports and report cards which keep them informed about student test scores. On a daily basis parents can monitor students’ grades by using STI Home.

Our school system provides a calendar of test dates in the various publications such as the Student/Parent Information Guide, Tuscaloosa County School System website (tcss.net) and on local school websites. The website also provides a link to the Alabama State Department of Education (alsde.edu). Schools’ Continuous Improvement Plans are posted on individual school websites.

3. 
   How are data used to understand and improve overall effectiveness of the school system and its schools?
   

The Tuscaloosa County School System gathers, analyzes, and evaluates data to help the system and individual schools better understand student achievement. Based on data analysis and individual student needs, Continuous Improvement Plans (CIP) are developed each year by principals, teachers, staff, parents, and other stakeholders. The plans are detailed with a summary of strengths and weaknesses. Each school writes a detailed plan outlining programs and practices that will be implemented during the year. It also contains a timeline of when the plan should be monitored. Throughout the school year the central office staff conducts walk-throughs at the local school to ensure continuous improvement. Local school principals and teachers also conduct walkthroughs to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan.

The most effective use of assessment information is used at the local school. Teachers and staff review individual student performance, class performance, and grade performance. Schools use data from multiple sources to determine student and program effectiveness. SAT 10, ARMT, ASA, ADAW, ACCESS and AHSGE results are used to identify areas of strength and weakness within the curriculum. Student assessment data is reviewed to determine individual student progress over time. The overall goal is for each student to be proficient in all content standards.
Meetings are held to examine and evaluate data collected during the school year. Assessments are used to identify areas of concern for the class and individual students. The data reviewed is used to assist in identifying students in need of more intensive instruction. An item analysis is used to develop class and individualized student remediation plans. Teachers collaborate to develop a plan of action for the class and individual students.

The following remediation and intervention efforts are provided to improve overall student performance:

• 
  Small intervention groups
  
• 
  Intensive intervention groups
  
• 
  Credit Recovery
  
• 
  Response to Instruction Process
  
• 
  Differentiated Instruction
  
• 
  
  

The following resources are provided to improve overall student performance:

• 
  Curriculum Maps and Pacing Guides
  
• 
  ARMT Item Specifications
  
• 
  Teacher Made Tests
  
• 
  STI math assessments
  
• 
  Harcourt reading assessments
  
• 
  AHSGE remediation
  
• 
  Credit Recovery
  
• 
  USA Test Prep
  
• 
  Reading Coaches at all elementary schools
  
• 
  Professional Development
  

Leadership Teams utilize standardized test results to analyze overall effectiveness of the school. Each school develops a Continuous Improvement Plan based on student data.

4. 
   How are staff members across the system and its schools trained to understand and use data to impact teaching and learning in the classroom?
   

At the annual summer administrative retreat, the district assessment coordinators conduct an orientation session on how to interpret and analyze data received on all assessments. Using information obtained at the annual accountability meeting, the assessment coordinators provide an overview of Alabama’s accountability system to familiarize participants with the vocabulary and requirements of the state accountability system. Topics of discussion include Adequate Yearly Progress goals (participation rate, proficiency rate, additional academic indicators) and disaggregation of data. Instruction includes modeling on how to interpret longitudinal data. Examples of reports, graphs, and charts from previous years are provided for principals to use when training teachers on how to analyze data for the current school year. The principals go through the process of how to use these results to write the Continuous Improvement Plan.

The central office staff train principals, assistant principals, counselors, reading coaches, department chairs, and other teacher leaders to interpret and analyze test results. Conducting data meetings and walkthroughs, modeling professional conversations, preparing item analyses, and providing feedback to teachers are included in professional development sessions. The central office provided training to all elementary and middle schools from STI math coaches on how to interpret standardized test and how to identify gaps in the curriculum. They reviewed data from the last 3 years. Keeping in mind that the ultimate goal is continuous improvement, the central office staff assists schools in developing an action plan based on the identified areas of need.
Overall Assessment
Highly Functional: The school system use a comprehensive assessment system based on clearly defined performance measures that yield valid and reliable results, including multiple measures of individual student achievement that assess higher order thinking skills and are of adequate technical quality. The assessment system is used to assess student performance on expectations for student learning, evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction, design and improve instructional strategies and practices, and determine interventions to improve and enhance student performance. The assessment system yields timely and accurate information that is meaningful and useful to system/school leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders in understanding student performance, system and school effectiveness, and the results of improvement efforts for individual students and groups and subgroups of students.

Standard 5

Resource & Support Systems
STANDARD: The system has the resources and services necessary to support its vision and purpose and to ensure achievement for all students.
Impact Statement: A system is successful in meeting this standard when it has sufficient human, material, and fiscal resources to implement a curriculum that enables students to achieve expectations for student learning, meets special needs, and complies with applicable regulations. The system employs and allocates staff well-qualified for their assignments. The system provides ongoing learning opportunities for all staff to improve their effectiveness. The system ensures compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations.
Indicators Rubric: Please indicate the degree to which the noted practices/processes are in place in the school system. The responses to the rubric should help the school system identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement as well as guide and inform the school system’s responses to the focus questions.
Indicators Evidence: For each Indicator, click the (Add Evidence) link to provide examples of evidence that support the rubric response.
Definitions of Rubric
Not Evident Little or no evidence exists

Emerging Evidence indicates early or preliminary stages of implementation of practice

Operational Evidence indicates practices and procedures are actively implemented

Highly Functional Evidence indicates practices and procedures are fully integrated and effectively and consistently implemented

INDICATORS In fulfillment of this standard, the system:		Not Evident	Emerging	Operational	Highly Functional
	Human Resources
5.1	Establishes and implements processes to recruit, employ, retain, and mentor qualified professional and support staff to fulfill assigned roles and responsibilities				X
5.2	Establishes and implements a process to assign professional and support staff based on system needs and staff qualifications as may be required by federal and state law and regulations (i.e., professional preparation, ability, knowledge, and experience)			X
5.3	Establishes and implements a process to design, evaluate, and improve professional development and ensures participation by all faculty and staff			X
5.4	Ensures that staff are sufficient in number to meet the vision and purpose of the school system and to meet federal and state law and regulations, if applicable			X
	Financial Resources
5.5	Engages in long-range budgetary planning and annually budgets sufficient resources to support its educational programs and to implement its plans for improvement			X
5.6	Ensures that all financial transactions are safeguarded through proper budgetary procedures and audited accounting measures				X
	Physical Resources
5.7	Maintains sites, facilities, services, and equipment to provide a safe, orderly, and healthy environment			X