Innovation Zone Staff Recommendations - BoardDocs€¦ · GUIDING DOCUMENTS FOR A ZONE WITH A GOVERNANCE INNOVATION 11 An Individual School Innovation Plan defines the strategic plan

Innovation Zone Staff Recommendations

DPS Board of EducationJune 2018

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STRATEGY #3 Flexibility

OBJECTIVES

SHARE the context in which innovation zones take shape.

PROVIDE information related to zones with a governance innovation, as a follow-up to our May conversation.

HEAR from our applicants and have an opportunity to ask questions.

DEFINE the authorizing processes used to develop tonight’s recommendations and DELIVER the staff recommendations to the Board regarding:▪ Formation of the Northeast Denver Innovation Zone▪ Entry of Valdez into the Luminary Learning Network,

an existing innovation zone

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DENVER PLAN 2020 STRATEGY

STRATEGY #3 FLEXIBILITY:

▪ Empower schools through flexible, school-based decision-making, including the use of resources.

▪ Expand high-quality school choices in all communities through differentiated supports for existing schools, new school strategies, turnaround efforts and strong accountability systems.

▪ Provide schools with opportunities to innovate and create environments that best meet the academic and social/emotional needs of their students, including expansion of personalized learning environments.

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FLEXIBILITY AS “SCHOOL-BASED DECISION-MAKING” WITHIN THE DPS FAMILY OF SCHOOLS

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Direct-Run Schools

• Access to SBB

• Selection of use for most funds directed through Tiered Support Framework (TSF), as applicable

• Curriculum

• Assessments

• PD

Innovation Schools

• All flexibilities available to direct-run schools

• Option to budget on actuals

• Other areas available under the Innovation Schools Act, i.e. Human Resource waivers

Innovation Management Organizations

• All flexibilities available to direct-run and innovation schools

• Access to SBB+

• Ability to pool resources across school sites

• Use of executive principal

Innovation Zones

• All flexibilities available to direct-run and innovation schools and IMOs

• Innovations in organization of schools, i.e. support and oversight structures

Charter Schools

• All flexibilities available to other schools

• Access to per-pupil, with buy-backs of charter and SPED fees

• Other areas available under the Charter Schools Act

Earned through application & renewal processesUniversal


WHAT IS AN INNOVATION ZONE?Innovation Zone Policy Context

▪ The Innovation Schools Act of 2008 defines an innovation zone as “a group of schools of a school district that share common interests.”

▪ Zones afford leaders and teachers in innovation schools the opportunity to design and sustain a shared learning community specifically tailored to the needs of their students, and the adults who serve them. Zones are educator-designed learning communities.

▪ Teachers, administators and community members must demonstrate support the formation of a zone -- for teachers, the threshold is votes of at least 50% in cases where new waivers are being sought only to State statute or Board policy.

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ZONES AS EDUCATOR-DESIGNED LEARNING COMMUNITIES

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Central Support & Oversight

Team

Networks

Schools

Schools

Zone

Support & Oversight

Team


WHY INNOVATION ZONES?Potential Benefits

Leader and Teacher

Empowerment

Shared Learning

Diversity of Options

Tailored Support

Structures

Focus on Flexibility

Community Ownership

Economies of Scale

Innovation Zones are created collaboratively with leaders, teachers and communities. Benefits of an innovation zone include:

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OBJECTIVES






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WHAT IS AN INNOVATION ZONE?Innovation Zone Policy Context in DPS

The Innovation Schools Act of 2008 specifically encourages, but does not require, innovations in governance. For this reason, DPS currently offers two pathways for schools seeking to form zones:

1. Zones with a governance innovation – Schools may form a zone that is supported and overseen by a third-party non-profit organization. These nonprofits are formed as supporting nonprofit organizations, what is called a 509(a) in the tax code. The nonprofits exist only to support the schools in the zone.

2. Zones without a governance innovation – Schools may form a zone that is supported and overseen within the DPS network structure.

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REPORTING STRUCTURESZONES WITH A GOVERNANCE INNOVATION

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DISTRICT NETWORKS

Board of Education

Superintendent

Deputy Superintendent

Assistant Superintendent

Instructional Superintendent’s Network

Schools Schools Schools

ZONES WITH GOVERNANCE

INNOVATION

Board of Education

Superintendent

Nonprofit Organization

Executive Director

Schools Schools Schools


GUIDING DOCUMENTS FOR A ZONEWITH A GOVERNANCE INNOVATION

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An Individual School Innovation Plan defines the strategic plan for each school in the zone.

The Innovation Zone Plan defines how the schools with work together toward their common interests and defines key responsibilities for each party within the zone, including the schools, the zone’s nonprofit and its executive director.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) defines how the District and the zone’s nonprofit will work with one another. It represents a set of agreements between the DPS Board of Education and the board of the nonprofit organization.


SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIESZONES WITH A GOVERNANCE INNOVATION

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The individual schools are responsible for improving outcomes, developing and sustaining a healthy and inclusive culture for students and staff, evaluating school staff, and participating in zone activities, in alignment with their individual innovation plans and the zone plan.

The Zone’s executive director is responsible for day-to-day operations of the zone, executing with excellence the zone’s support and oversight system and structures, evaluating school leaders, and maintaining the health of the nonprofit organization, in alignment with the zone plan.

The Zone’s nonprofit board is responsible for championing the mission and vision of the zone and its schools, monitoring progress against the zone plan and individual school plans, evaluating the Executive Director, ensuring the health of the nonprofit organization, and aligning resources to support zone schools and ensure organizational sustainability.

The Superintendent or his delegate is responsible for ensuring ongoing monitoring, including oversight of human resource functions, required practices and non-waivable policies of the DPS Board of Education, authorizing functions, and actualizing other terms of the MOU on behalf of the DPS Board of Education.

The DPS Board of Education is responsible for authorizing decisions related to zones and for holding the nonprofit and the Superintendent accountable for executional excellence related to zone plans and the terms of the MOU.


AREAS OF ONGOING MONITORING

SHARED MONITORING ACROSS ALL DISTRICT SCHOOLS

● English Language Acquisition

● Special Education

● SchoolChoice and enrollment practices

● Human Resource issues

● State/Federal mandated reporting and requirements

● Financial reporting

● Family complaints and grievances

Policies that are non-waivable for innovation schools, i.e. Discipline Policy

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Note: The new MOU template also affords the District the opportunity to request

documentation in other areas that may be of interest to the DPS Board, such as programming

related to culturally responsive education.


A NOTE ON FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITYStudent-Based Budgeting Plus (SBB+)

SBB+ is a funding model that gives innovation school leaders in

Innovation Zones and Innovation Management Organizations the

opportunity to opt into or opt out of a discreet set of District services,

beyond Universal Flexibilities, and receive the associated funds to use on

related or other services to help them more fully meet their vision and

mission.

Innovation zones with a governance innovation, for example, do not

pay into the Elementary or Secondary Education divisions for services

provided by an Instructional Superintendent, as the zone’s executive

director fulfills that function for zone schools.

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OBJECTIVES






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TONIGHT’S APPLICANTS

Near Northeast Innovation Zone

Four schools – Northfield High School, McAuliffe at Manual, McAuliffe International, and SwigertInternational -- are seeking to form a new innovation zone with a governance innovation, focused on the common interests of the IB model and vertical alignment.

Luminary Learning Network

Valdez Elementary is seeking entry into the Luminary Learning Network, an existing zone with a governance innovation, focused on common interests related to school empowerment.

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OBJECTIVES






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New Zone

Authorizing Process

and Recommendation

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INNOVATION ZONE AUTHORIZATION PROCESSHow are new zones authorized?

Board Policy ADE (“Innovation in Education”) requires that schools seeking to form zones develop a written application: “An innovation plan or plan for creating an innovation school zone submitted to DPS should meet all applicable statutory requirements … ”

1. Description of results the schools can achieve working together, rather than alone

2. Advantages the zone can attain through economies of scale

3. Demonstrations of support from teachers, administrators, and the community

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INNOVATION ZONE AUTHORIZATION PROCESSHow are new zones authorized?

In DPS, zone plans also must articulate:

▪ A root-cause analysis based in data and a description of how the formation of a zone will help accelerate student growth and achievement

▪ Specific shared strategies or program elements related to teaching, leadership, the education program and/or culture that afford opportunities for shared learning and/or the benefit of economies of scale

▪ A clearly articulated theory of action that defines decision-making rights and accountability between the schools, zone, and District leadership in a cohesive manner aligned with the vision of the zone

▪ A clear strategy for supporting, cultivating and retaining strong leadership

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INNOVATION ZONE AUTHORIZING PROCESS

The new zone application asks applicants to define how they will work together in

each area of the School Quality Framework (SQF).

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Indicators of future

outcomes

How are new zones authorized?


WHAT INFORMS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION?

Innovation Zone recommendations are made based upon a body of evidence in alignment with State Statute and DPS Board Policy.

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Evidence Sources Evidence Collection Methods

Application Documents and Budget

● Application reviewers evaluate all applications using a publically available rubric grounded in the School Quality Framework

Teacher, CSC, and Administrator Evidence

● Each school must provide a final plan including all waivers to teachers two weeks or more prior to the staff vote

● Each school’s teaching staff must vote on the final plan; votes are administered in-person through a secret ballot to approve the plan and waivers

● CSC and administrators must also submit evidence of support for the plan via a sign-on letter

*To create an innovation zone, schools must receive Innovation status first.

GOAL #1 Great Schools in Every Neighborhood

NORTHEAST DENVER INNOVATION ZONE

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Schools within the Zone

McAuliffe International SchoolMcAuliffe Manual Middle SchoolNorthfield High School Swigert International School

Zone Mission The Northeast Denver Innovation Zone will empower innovation schools in Northeast

Denver to collectively leverage flexibilities, resources, and human capital in order to

deliver an excellent education to students in schools that are committed to

inclusivity.

Common Interests

International Baccalaureate (IB) model; vertical alignment

Leadership or Founding Team

Zone Leader: Zone Executive Director, TBDZone Founding Nonprofit Board: Brian Weber, Brenda Bautsch Dickhoner, Stephan Pfeifer, Michelle Culver, Darrell B. Watson, Chris Herndon

Zone Type Zone with a governance innovation



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Recommendation

APPROVE the Northeast Denver Innovation Zone plan brought forward by McAuliffe

International, McAuliffe Manual, Northfield High School, and Swigert International for

a three-year term, becoming operational in August 2018.

Strengths: The plan demonstrates a very strong set of common interests and theory of action,

with a focus on the IB model, vertical alignment and equity. The founding board for the zone’s

nonprofit possesses needed skills and attributes, including connections to the communities being

served. The plan also embeds numerous mechanisms for stakeholders to participate in the

ongoing life of the zone.

Concerns: Given the need for authorization to take place, the Executive Director is not yet hired,

although the zone board has identified final candidates. Two leaders within the zone are

married, which does not violate DPS’s conflict of interest policy as there is no supervisory

relationship between the two. And, the zone’s board and executive director should be mindful of

the possible tension as zone schools make collaborative decisions as described in the plan.

Zone Entry

Authorizing Process

and Recommendation

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ABOUT THE LUMINARY LEARNING NETWORK (LLN)

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Existing Schools within Luminary Learning Network (LLN)

Ashley Elementary Cole Arts and Sciences (CASA)Denver Green School (DGS)Creativity Challenge Community (C3)

School Seeking Entry

Valdez Elementary, a blue, ECE-5 innovation school, which “commits to equity through Dual Language Immersion and culturally relevant, individualized education for all learners.”

Zone Mission LLN will accelerate innovative approaches to ensure all kids succeed in Denver.

Through an Innovation Zone, the LLN brings together a diverse group of schools

that are committed to providing unique and exciting learning environments for

students while empowering teachers and leaders to design and run excellent

schools.

Common Interests

Common interests include school empowerment, a focus on equity, distributive

leadership, and continuous improvement, and support from a lean service center

Leadership or Founding Team

Zone Leader: Jessica Roberts Zone Board: Savinay Chandrasekhar, Frank Coyne, Jen Jackson, Janet Lopez, Mary Seawell, Jen Walmer, Superintendent's Appointee - Denver Public Schools, President's Appointee - DPS Board of Education, Community Member -TBD

Zone Type Zone with a governance innovation


LLN ENTRY PROCESS: CONTEXT

The Luminary Learning Network (LLN) is a currently operational innovation zone in DPS. Its MOU with the District runs through June 30, 2019, and the zone will go through a renewal process in the 2018-19 school year.

▪ Per the MOU between DPS and the LLN, the LLN can seek to add additional schools on an annual basis.

▪ Both the LLN and DPS conduct a review of applicants seeking to join the LLN.

▪ The DPS Board of Education votes on whether or not a school should gain entry into the LLN.

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WHAT INFORMS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION?

Zone entry recommendations are based in State statute, Board policy and the MOU with the LLN.

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Evidence Sources Evidence Collection Methods

LLN Pre-Screening Per the MOU, the LLN first evaluated Valdez’s readiness to join the zone. Only

innovation schools that meet their readiness criteria are put forward to the

District for potential admission to the zone. The LLN evaluated readiness

utilizing an application, site visit, and feedback from key stakeholders, including

teachers and the school’s Instructional Superintendent.

District Application Documents and Budget

The District’s application also assesses an individual school’s readiness, in

addition to the overall zone capacity. It further requires the school to articulate

its interests in accessing zone systems, structures and practices in each area

of the School Quality Framework.

Teacher, CSC, and Administrator Evidence

● Schools seeking entry must provide a final plan including all waivers to teachers two weeks or more prior to the staff vote

● Each school’s teaching staff must vote on the final plan; votes are administered in-person through a secret ballot to approve the plan and waivers

● CSC and administrators must also submit evidence of support for the plan via a sign-on letter


VALDEZ ENTRY INTO LUMINARY LEARNING NETWORK

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Recommendation

APPROVE the entry of Valdez into the Luminary Learning Network beginning in

August 2018.

Strengths: As a blue innovation school, through the LLN-pre-screening and DPS data review,

Valdez demonstrated effective use of innovation status to date and readiness to join the LLN.

Through the District application, Valdez demonstrates a clear understanding of zone

structures, systems and practices and defines its interest in accessing them. Based on

performance outcomes of a majority of its schools to date, as defined in the zone plan, LLN

has demonstrated readiness to serve an additional school.

Concerns: The MOU between LLN and DPS states that a DPS staff representative and a DPS

Board of Education member will serve on the LLN board of directors. Those seats on the LLN

board are vacant, based on DPS decisions. This matter must be addressed when the LLN

undergoes its renewal as a zone in 2018-2019 to ensure continued alignment.


PORTFOLIO’S NEXT STEPS

REFINE systems and structures to onboard the new innovation zone and to ensure effective operationalization of DPS’s ongoing monitoring functions defined in the MOU.

LAY THE GROUNDWORK to form the Innovation Council, consistent with the NDIZ plan and to foster stronger learning between zones, innovation schools and the District.

EXAMINE and ALIGN SBB+ and Board Policy ADE (“Innovation in Education”), given recent learnings from the development of the District Transparency Guidebook and in partnership with the Innovation Council.

ACT ON feedback received from the DPS Board of Education tonight.

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Appendices

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Summary of Quality Findings:

Leadership: ● The plan clearly articulates the successful track records of the school level leaders that will allow them to be

successful in this context. The plan does not identify an executive director, however, the plan indicates the board will involve school principals, staff and parents in the process of hiring a zone executive director (ED).

● The plan articulates systems and structures for school leader recruitment, hiring and retention with a focus on growing leaders from within the network and will create a defined leadership development pathway as it relates to leader succession planning.

Teaching:● The plan describes how the network will support shared learning for teachers across the network, which includes

shared professional development and a Teachers Observing Other Teachers protocol. The intentional K-12 vertical alignment and alignment with the IB model will further facilitate the opportunity for shared learning. The plan indicates an interest to have shared staff between schools.

● The plan articulates systems and structures for teacher hiring and retention including a focus on hiring mission-aligned staff. The zone will continue to use DPS HR services for hiring and onboarding staff and employ additional recruitment strategies led by the zone representatives. School leaders will have autonomy over talent decisions outlined in each of their Innovation School plans.

Education Program: ● Instructional priorities for the zone will be determined with the school level instructional leadership teams through

analysis of school-level priorities that align with the zone vision and theory of action. The zone will assess progress on the priorities annually.

● Biannual site reviews will support the oversight of educational programming at the schools to ensure fidelity of implementation of each school’s innovation plan.

● The application incorporates elements of culturally responsive education when describing the zone’s priority to close opportunity gaps for students of color by improving academic achievement and fostering a culture of equity.

● The zone has a overarching goal to move schools one full performance band on the District’s School Performance Framework (e.g.. from “Green” to “Blue”) within the first three years of operation.



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School Culture:● Parent participation in decision-making at the network level will occur through each school’s Collaborative School

Committee, as well as non-voting representation on the nonprofit Board. Each CSC will receive the additional responsibility of providing input into zone level decisions that are meant to be made collaboratively.

● The zone will continue to partner with the District’s Office of Family and Community Engagement for family and student complaints.

● The plan provides evidence that the network will ensure school compliance with the District discipline policy; the application affirms it will monitor discipline statistics for disproportionality, should it arise, but does not include plans.

Governance and Finance:● The plan proposes a zone with a governance innovation and includes articles of incorporation for a 501(c)3 nonprofit

organization to provide support and oversight to the zone. The nonprofit will be overseen initially by a board of directors who will then hire the executive director. The board will hold a memorandum of understanding with the DPS Board of Education outlining expectations for the zone.

● The plan describes the experiences and skills identified board members will bring to the organization. The current board has the needed skills and expertise to provide effective oversight of the network and schools in alignment with the theory of action.

● Additionally, parent, student, and staff voices will be represented on the Board through school representatives who will be non-voting members of the Board. Each school will have one non-voting representative on the Board. The application does not identify the process for selecting those non-voting members.

● The plan describes how the board will provide academic oversight of both the network and schools, structures for reporting and associated interventions when expectations are not met. The board will review a quarterly data dashboard to monitor academic oversight.

● The zone intends to use an SBB+ funding model and will seek to maximize resources at the school level. The zone will opt out of the Instructional Superintendent and support partner roles. The plan includes funders who will support the zone in the initial launch phase and letters of support from both organizations. The plan describes how the board will provide financial and operational oversight of both the network and schools. The plan provided a preliminary estimate of zone costs and revenue in a budget, which balances.



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Statutory Criteria: Body of Evidence

Common Interests: ● The plan identifies common interests and elements across the schools in the zone including a shared geographic and

neighborhood location, International Baccalaureate model, and commitment to equity. The plan clearly articulates a common theory of action focused on vertical alignment, shared resources and human capital, and budget efficiencies. The plan is coherent and aligned with the zone’s theory of action throughout.

Integrated Innovations:● These schools are forming a zone to have flexibility in multiple areas including: hiring an executive director to oversee

the schools; pursuing innovative teaching practices; sharing professional development across schools; vertically aligning the K-12 curriculum; sharing of assessments; intentionally sharing data as students matriculate; seeking network-specific instructional priorities; creating a continuous improvement group across schools; receiving twice annual site reviews; and establishing a nonprofit governing board to support the network-level leader, oversee the budget, and ensure the vision of the zone is implemented.

Economies of Scale● The plan describes areas where zone formation is expected to create economies of scale and where the zone could

potentially provide pooled services. The zone will have a lean central team to support schools. The plan lists shared services that will be provided to the schools such as coaching and evaluation of leaders conducted by the executive director, pooling of professional development resources, shared curricula, and shared staff and resources for co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities.

Support from Administrators, Teachers and School Accountability Committees (CSCs or their equivalents)● The plan demonstrates that staff, administrators, and communities at each school have consented to inclusion in the

zone. The plan development involved input from key stakeholders at each one of the schools beginning in January 2018 through March 2018.

McAuliffe International Teachers: 51 of 75; 68%CSC: 6 of 7; 86%

Admin: 4 of 4; 100%

McAuliffe Manual Teachers: 11 of 19; 58%CSC: 8 of 8; 100%Admin:4 of 4; 100%

Northfield HSTechers: 27 of 39; 69%CSC: 6 of 8; 75%Admin: 2 of 2; 100%

Swigert International Teachers: 30 of 37; 81%CSC: 10 of 11; 90%Admin: 3 of 3; 100%


VALDEZ ENTRY TO LUMINARY LEARNING NETWORK

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Leadership:

● The application demonstrates a clear understanding of the additional roles and responsibilities for the Valdez school

leaders within the zone. Valdez leaders will be expected to provide clear and efficient goals, values, systems and

structures, decision-making, along regarding opting in and out of District services and how resources will be utilized.

Valdez’s distributive leadership model will ensure the school is ready to assume the additional responsibilities.

● The application describes how the leadership succession strategy in place across the Zone will be applied at the

newly proposed school. The LLN plans to develop a leadership pipeline at each school to ensure in times of transition

that the school can continue to function at the highest possible level.

Teaching:● The application notes the zone’s continued structure of the Teacher Council to encourage collaboration and mutual

improvement in teaching across Zone schools. ● The application states how structures for teaching, including coaching, PD and evaluation will be aligned with the

school’s innovation school plan and UIP.

Education Program:

● The application does not note any changes to education program noted in the most recent Valdez Innovation plan.

● The application does descrives opportunities for collaboration in the education program, including between C3 and Valdez in regards to the EL curriculum.

● The application clarifies that the goal for schools that are not yet “Meet Expectations” is to increase by one performance band, “Distinguished” schools, like Valdez, will maintain that rating, schools that “Meet Expectations” above 70% will maintain that rating, and schools that “Meet Expectations” below 70% will increase this percentage over three years.

http://portfolio.dpsk12.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Valdez-School-Innovation-Plan-2016.pdf



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School Culture:

● The application describes how staff members, families, and students will continue to be involved in Zone decision-

making on an ongoing basis through the LLN’s Family Council structure. Similar to other schools in the zone, Valdez

families will be invited to participate on the Family Council.

● The application describes support from the four existing LLN schools for the zone expansion. The existing schools are

looking forward to partnering with and learning from Valdez in the areas of native language instruction, distributive

leadership and effective school systems and structures.

Governance and Finance:

● The application describes governance structures that will ensure voices of all stakeholders across the Zone and within

Zone schools are considered and given opportunities to weigh in on decisions, including composition, decision-making

rights, and meeting structures. Valdez will continue the structure of the school’s CSC/SLT structure with minor

changes to the principal selection process to reflect the zone structure.

● The application describes how the governance structures will provide effective oversight to Valdez, similar to

oversight structures of current LLN schools with a focus on fiscal responsibility and accountability (school reviews,

leader evaluations, review of academic data).

● The application describes governance structures that comply with state and local requirements, in terms of

composition and responsibilities.

● The school will access SBB+ selections, in alignment with other schools in the zone.



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Statutory Criteria: Body of Evidence

Common Interests: ● The application clearly describes the common interests shared by all schools in the Innovation Zone and how this

will promote student achievement, both in the overall zone and the school seeking to join the zone. Common interests include a commitment to equity and closing achievement gaps, the use of distributive leadership models, and specific shared practices such as the use of the EL curriculum for grades 3-5 at Valdez and C3 and teacher collaboration.

Integrated Innovations:● The application describes why the school feels that joining the Innovation Zone would be beneficial to them,

including the economies of scale, mission alignment areas, and shared learning opportunities. Rationale for joining the zone is focused on increasing capacity and ability to serve bilingual students, access for teachers to collaborate with other grade level and content peers through the LLN Teacher Council, and sharing of curriculum resources at specific grade levels with other schools in the zone.

Economies of Scale

● The zone anticipates the following economies of scale: (1) having a lean service center will result in more resources

for shared services such as professional development, leadership coaching, data analysis and other administrative

supports, and (2) remaining interconnected with the district will allow the zone to continue to leverage economies

of scale for services that are less unique to zone schools.

Support from Administrators, Teachers and School Accountability Committees (CSCs or their equivalents)● The plan development involved input from key stakeholders at each one of the schools beginning in February 2018

through March 2018.The plan demonstrates that staff, administrators, and communities the school have consented to inclusion in the zone.

- Teachers: 20 of 32; 62.5%- CSC: 9 of 9; 100%- Admin: 2 of 2; 100%


VALDEZ ENTRY INTO LUMINARY LEARNIN NETWORKPerformance-Based Readiness of LLN

As specified in the LLN zone plan, DPS measures LLN progress and readiness based on performance outcomes. The zone is charged with moving each of its schools up a performance band on the SPF, moving its green schools to 70% or more of available points, and maintaining blue status for schools inn cases where schools are blue. To date, LLN has met these performance targets for three of its four existing schools.

Note: LLN learnings thus far were presented to the DPS Board of Education on May 14, 2018. The LLN also provided a written update to the DPS Board of Education in January 22, 2018.

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https://www.boarddocs.com/co/dpsk12/Board.nsf/files/AYS6YS78C191/$file/BOE_05142018_vf.pdf

https://www.boarddocs.com/co/dpsk12/Board.nsf/files/AV9RQT6BA728/$file/LLN_Update_012218.pdf


INNOVATION ZONE TIMELINEAuthorization Process Steps

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Innovation Management Organization Timeline

New Innovation Zone Timeline

Application Materials Released January 25, 2018 January 25, 2018

Letters of Intent Due February 15, 2018 February 15, 2018

Application Due April 4, 2018 April 20, 2018

Application Review Process April 4 - May 2, 2018 April 20-May 18, 2018

Plan Provided to Staff for Review May 2, 2018 May 2, 2018

Staff Vote Window (Varies) May 15 - May 30, 2018 May 15 - May 30, 2018

MOU Negotiation May 17 - June 15, 2018 During Year 0 (2018-19)

Applicant Presentations to BOE June 11, 2018 June 11, 2018

DPS Staff Recommendation June 11, 2018 June 11, 2018

DPS Board Vote June 14, 2018 June 14, 2018

Zone Becomes Operational August 2018 August 2019


WHO REVIEWED THESE APPLICATIONS?

Thank you to our application

reviewers from:

▪ Finance

▪ Human Resources

▪ Instructional Leadership, i.e.

ELA, Secondary Education

▪ Legal

▪ Portfolio Management Team

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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

ELEMENTS IN CURRENT DRAFT FOR NEAR NORTHEAST INNOVATION ZONE

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Key elements of the MOU between DPS and NDIZ include:

• Defining employment relationships

• District responsibility for zone oversight and accountability

• Financial relationship between District, zone, and schools

• Requirements for Zone schools related to ELA, SPED, GT, staff evaluation, accountability, enrollment, and constituent services

• Structures for learning and collaboration

• Provisions for schools entering or exiting the zone

• Process for waivers from District policy

• Termination provisions

GOAL #2 A Foundation for Success in School

DPS CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

▪ The draft MOU with Near Northeast Innovation Zone states that “All district employees shall be covered by the DPS policy regarding conflict of interest.”

▪ The DPS Conflict of Interest policy (Board Policy GBEA) only addresses supervisory relationships and does not prohibit immediate family from sharing a supervisor.

- “To avoid a conflict of interest, the district prohibits an employee from exercising supervisory, appointment or dismissal authority, or disciplinary action over a member of the employee's immediate family. For purposes of this policy, an employee's "immediate family" means his or her spouse, partner in a civil union, children, siblings, parents, and in-laws (mother, father, brother, sister, daughter and son).”

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