The Cleveland Plan: Four-Year Strategyfor Transforming Cleveland Schools

Your Voice…Your Vision

A Vision for our schools, our city...

“…to ensure every child in Cleveland attends a high quality school and that every neighborhood has a multitude of great schools from which families can choose.”

— Mayor Frank G. Jackson

Moving Forward Together to Transform Cleveland’s Schools

How far we’ve come…

The Cleveland Plan Goals

The District made a commitment to the

community that it will hold itself

accountable to specific measurable

goals for the performance of the school

system and for the progress of students.

The recently approved levy spans a

period of four years and gives the

community an opportunity to measure

the District’s success.

Becoming a Portfolio District means…

Families will have more options and better school choices across the city The days of a single school model are over. Parents and students can choose schools that fits each child’s needs and interests.

School will have more autonomy Instead of the Central Office making all decisions, building staff, parents and community partners will have greater say in how their schools operate, how their staff is placed and how funds are used.

Funding for all schools will be pupil-based Parents can expect to see their tax dollars move where students need it most and directed to schools that need the most support to increase achievement.

CMSDS will employ a Talent-Seeking Strategy Instead of past staffing practices that put contract rules before student needs, CMSD will find, hire and keep the best teachers and leaders for our schools, and rid CMSD schools of underperforming staff.

Increased sources of support for our schools Besides local, state and federal dollars, CMSD will benefit from the support of our Foundation, Higher Ed and Business partners and a Transformation Alliance that will ensure only quality schools operate in Cleveland.

Accountability based on performance based on data

Increased community engagement Families & citizens will help guide their investments and can hold CMSD accountable for results.

Cleveland’s Portfolio Schools Strategy

The Cleveland Plan – 5 Strategic Actions

1. Create and support quality schools

2. Build capacity of quality teachers and leaders

3. Design effective curriculum, assessment, and instruction

4. Serve as effective resource stewards

5. Create demand for our schools

The Cleveland Plan – Strategic Actions

Families will have access to high-performing school choices in every neighborhood, solid data that helps them make the best choice for their child and options for choosing a school that meets the personalized needs of their child, by:

• Transforming the lowest performing schools into high performing options

•Supporting mid-performing and high-performing schools to maintain progress

•Opening new school models to have quality choices across the city

•Developing a reference to enable families to compare schools and make wise choices for their children

•Transferring decision-making to schools to give them autonomy to make the best decisions for the particular needs of their students

•Move to weighted student funding, so that District funds are wisely directed to provided needed additional support for students with greater needs

(See Table 1 on pp. 12-14 for Timeline)

Creating and Supporting Quality Schools means:

The Cleveland Plan – Strategic Actions

Building Capacity of Quality Teachers and Leaders means:

Ensuring that students are served by high-quality teachers, staff and school leaders , by:

•Implementing a new system for improving staffing and workforce policies and procedures

• Developing multiple ways for staff and parents to measure and track student growth and progress

• Implementing new teacher, staff and principal evaluation systems to ensure quality instruction and support for all students in all schools

• Enhancing systems to improve staff performance and increase student growth

• Actively seeking the best talent to work in CMSD schools

• Employing a differentiated compensation system to reward staff with proven results

(See Table 2 on pp. 15-17 for Timeline)

The Cleveland Plan – Strategic Actions

Designing Effective Curriculum, Assessment & Instruction means:Making sure that student instruction, testing and academic tools are top notch, by:

•Implementing the Common Core curriculum, adopted nation-wide and in top-performing nations, to ensure students can compete in a global economy.

• Ensuring data is used and analyzed to improve results

• Designing means to improve instruction according to student needs

• Expanding social and emotional learning

• Expanding early childhood opportunities

• Providing support for students with disabilities and English language learners

• Expanding career and workforce experiences for students

• Improving central office systems to provide needed support for schools

. (See Table 3 on pp. 19-21 for Timeline)

The Cleveland Plan – Strategic ActionsServing as Effective Resource Stewards means:

Putting the district’s money, staff, facilities, technology, and academic tools to their best use, by:

• Implementing a modernized system for hiring, developing, evaluating, andretaining high-quality teachers, leaders and staff that produce desired results

• Redesigning District budget processes to increase efficiency

• Improving processes for gathering and analyzing data to improve practices

• Identifying and soliciting investments in CMSD schools

• Ensuring entire district operates in a cycle of “continuous improvement”

•Ensuring quality management and upkeep of District facilities

• Planning ahead for technology needs to ensure students have access to 21st

century tools

• Partnering with high quality charter schools to ensure parents have quality choices in all neighborhoods

• Developing partnerships to support the academic program

(See Table 4 on pp. 23-25 for Timeline)

The Cleveland Plan – Strategic Actions

Creating Demand for Our Schools means:Students, parents, partners, citizens and families that move to Cleveland will be confident that all of Cleveland’s public schools are high-quality learning centers, where students feel welcome and safe and where students and families are well-served by a caring and dedicated staff with student success their highest priority, by:

• Increasing community outreach and engagement activities

• Improving student enrollment and student assignment practices

• Improving school safety and enforcing school discipline

• Increasing parent involvement and engagement

• Developing a communications and marketing strategy

• Developing and implementing a formal District customer service program

(See Table 5 on pp. 26-27 for Timeline)