Lorain City Schools District Review Report

Lorain City School District District Review Report

REVIEW CONDUCTED MAY 12-16, 2014

LORAIN CITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT REVIEW REPORT 2

This document was prepared by theOhio Department of Education

Center for Accountability and Continuous ImprovementSeptermber 2, 2014

LORAIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT REVIEW REPORT 3LORAIN CITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT REVIEW REPORT 2

District Review Report Lorain City School District IRN: 044263 Review Conducted May 12-16, 2014

Organization of this Report

Lorain District Review Overview

Lorain District Review Findings

Lorain District Review Recommendations

Appendix A: Review Team, Activities, Schedule, Site Visit

Appendix B: Enrollment, Expenditures, Performance

Appendix C: List of Documents Reviewed

Ohio Department of Education | 25 South Front Street | Columbus, OH 43215614-466-5795 | www.education.ohio.gov

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Lorain City School District Review Overview

PurposeConducted under Ohio law1, district reviews support local school districts in establishing or strengthening a cycle of continuous improvement. Reviews consider carefully the effectiveness of system-wide functions using the Ohio Department of Educations six district standards: leadership and governance; curriculum and instruction; assessment; human resources and professional development; student support; and fiscal management. Reviews identify systems and practices that may be impeding improvement, as well as those most likely to be contributing to positive results.

MethodologyReviews collect evidence for each of the six district standards above. A district review team consisting of independent consultants with expertise in each of the standards review documentation, data and reports for two days before conducting a five-day district visit that includes visits to individual schools. The team conducts interviews and focus group sessions with such stakeholders as board of education members, teachers association representatives, administrators, teachers, parents and students. Team members also observe classroom instructional practice. Subsequent to the onsite review, the team meets for two days to develop findings and recommendations before submitting a draft report to the department of education. District review reports focus primarily on the systems most significant strengths and challenges, with an emphasis on identifying areas for improvement.

Site VisitThe site visit to the Lorain City School District was conducted from May 12, 2014, through May 16, 2014. The site visit included 136.5 hours of interviews and focus groups with approximately 30 stakeholders, including board members, district administrators, school staff and teachers association representatives. The review team conducted five focus groups with elementary, middle and high school teachers, parents and high school students.

A list of review team members, information about review activities and the site visit schedule are in Appendix A. Appendix B provides information about enrollment, expenditures and student performance. Appendix C lists the documents that were reviewed prior to and during the site visit.

District ProfileLorain City School District is located in Lorain County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the July 1, 2013, estimated population was 63,710, representing a -0.6 percent change since the 2010 Census2. At least 81.3 percent of the citys population graduated from high school. The median household income is $34,823, with 29.2 percent of the population living below the poverty line. The median Lorain City School District teacher salary has increased from $63,678 in Fiscal Year 2011 to $65,930 in FY20133. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the April 2014 unemployment rate (not seasonally-adjusted) for Lorain County was 6.7 percent, compared to 5.7 percent (seasonally-adjusted) for Ohio.

Lorain City School District enrollment is on the decline. The district has experienced an 18.6 percent decrease in enrollment between FY 2008-2009 and FY 2012-2013 (See Figure 1 in Appendix B). There have also been shifts in enrollment demographics during this time period. While the percentage of black students remained stable (27.5 to 27.3 percent), the percentage of white students decreased from 30.9 to 26.7 percent (see Figure 2 in Appendix B) and the percentage of gifted students decreased from 8.7 to 6.0 percent. However, the percentages of students that are Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, disabled, or limited English proficient have all increased as can be seen in Figure 3 in Appendix B.

1Ohio Revised Code 3302.1022008 2012 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates3Source: Ohio Department of Education, iLRC.

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From 2010-2011 to 2012-2013, the teaching staff has not only seen increases in the average and median salaries, but also increases in the percentage of core courses taught by highly qualified teachers (97.3 to 100 percent), and the percentage of teachers owning masters or doctorate degrees (71.6 to 75.5 percent) (see Table 1 in Appendix B).

Lorain City School District is comprised of the following 16 schools, three of which are alternative schools (indicated with an asterisk). The district enrollment is shown by school in Table 2 of Appendix B.

1. Admiral King Elementary School2. Credit Recovery Academy*3. Frank Jacinto Elementary4. Garfield Elementary School5. General Johnnie Wilson Middle School6. Hawthorne Elementary School7. Helen Steiner Rice Elementary School8. Larkmoor Elementary School9. Longfellow Middle School10. Lorain High School11. K-12 Digital Alternative School*12. New Beginnings*13. Palm Elementary School14. Stevan Dohanos Elementary School15. Toni Wofford Morrison Elementary School16. Washington Elementary School

Student PerformanceInformation about student performance includes: (1) the differentiated accountability status of the district, including the ranking4; (2) the progress the district and its schools are making toward narrowing proficiency gaps as measured by the gap closure component; (3) English language arts performance and student growth; (4) mathematics performance and student growth; (5) Performance Index performance; (6) annual dropout rates and four- and five-year cohort graduation rates; and (7) suspension/expulsion rates. Data is reported for both district and all schools and student subgroups that have at least three years of sufficient data.

Three-year trend data (or more) are provided when possible, in addition to areas in the district and/or its schools demonstrating potentially meaningful gains or declines over these periods. In both this section and Appendix B, the data reported is the most recent available.

1. The district is High Support Status5 fall 2013A. Lorain City School District is receiving high state support in FY 2014. The district received an F

rating on its 2012-2013 report card.

B. Lorain City School Districts rating has steadily declined since 2010-2011. The districts rating was Continuous Improvement in 2010-2011 and Academic Emergency in 2011-2012. Furthermore, it received grades of F in indicators met, gap closing, and graduation rate, on the 2012-2013 Local Report Card.

2. The district is not sufficiently narrowing proficiency gaps.A. Lorain City School District did not meet the 2013 Annual Measurable Objectives for reading

(83.4 percent) or math (78.5 percent). White and multiracial subgroups did meet the graduation target of 75.9 percent. The district received an overall grade of F in the gap closing component (see Figure 4 in Appendix B).

4Differentiated accountability defines the roles and expectations of the school district and ODE based upon the performance of the local school district.5High Support Status represents the districts performing in the lowest 5% in the state.


B. With the exception of students with Individualized Education Programs, subgroups reading passing rates for 2012-2013 were higher than the previous two years (see Figure 5 in Appendix B). All subgroups showed higher passing rates in reading than math. In addition, the African American and limited English proficient subgroups showed the greatest positive change in math passing rates from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013 (see Figure 6 in Appendix B).

3. The districts English language arts performance and student growth6.A. Lorain City School District met two state indicators for reading in 2012-2013: grades 10 and 11

Ohio Graduation Tests. In addition, the districts reading passing rates at each grade level is lower than the state average (see Figure 7 in Appendix B). However, reading passing rates for grades 3, 4, 7, 8 and 10 are the highest in three years (see Figure 8 in Appendix B).

B. With the exception of grade 6, student growth in reading has met or exceeded the growth standard in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In addition, the three-year average for all grades has met or exceeded the growth standard (see Figure 9 in Appendix B).

C. Value-Added letter grades ranged from A (for gifted and lowest 20 percent) to C (for all students and students with disabilities).

4. The districts mathematics performance and student growth.A. Lorain City School District did not meet any state indicators in math in 2012-2013. Furthermore,

the districts math passing rates for almost all grade levels were lower than similar districts, and all were lower than the state average (see Figure 10 in Appendix B). However, math passing rates for grades 5 and 10 are the highest in three years (see Figure 11 in Appendix B).

B. Student growth in grades 5 through 8 exceeded the growth standard in 2013. However, grade 4 showed below expected growth in math for three consecutive years. Grades 7 and 8 three-year-averages exceeded the growth standard (see Figure 12 in Appendix B).

5. The districts Performance Index7 scoresA. Lorain City School Districts Performance Index score for 2012-2013 was 80.5, which earned the

district a grade of D.

B. The 2012-2013 Performance Index score is the highest in three years (See Figure 13 in Appendix B). In addition, the number of points for advanced scores has steadily increased during this time period.

6. Graduation rates8 and dropout rates9.A. Lorain City School District received a grade of F for the four-year and five-year graduation

cohort rates. Graduation rates also fell below similar districts and the state (see Figure 14 in Appendix B). However, the four-year graduation rate has steadily risen since the 2009-2010 school year (see Figure 15 in Appendix B).

B. Within each school year, the number of dropouts has steadily increased from grade 10 to 12 (See Figure 16 in Appendix B), however, the number of drop-outs at each grade level in 2012-2013 decreased from the previous school year.

6Student growth, or growth standard, represents the minimum amount of progress you should expect students in a district to make in a grade.7The Performance Index score measures the achievement of every student regardless of their level of proficiency. Schools receive points for every level of achievement, with more points being awarded for higher passing scores. Untested students also are included in the calculation and schools and districts receive zero points for them. For the purposes of assigning the letter grades, a Performance Index score of 120 is considered to be a perfect score. Districts and schools will receive one of five letter grades from A through F based on the percentage of total possible points earned.8Graduation rate is the percentage of students that received a regular or honors diploma during or before the end of the school year.9As defined by the U.S. Department of Education, dropout rate represents the percentage of 16- through 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and have not earned a high school credential (either a diploma or an equivalency credential such as a General Educational Development [GED] certificate).


7. The districts rates of in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, expulsions by district and school.

A. Lorain City School Districts disciplinary actions exceed those of the state for All Discipline Types, Expulsions and Out-of-School Suspensions categories (see Figure 17 in Appendix B). Disobedient/disruptive behavior and fighting/violence have been the top two reasons respectively for out-of-school suspensions, as can be seen in the number of occurrences per year (see Table 3 in Appendix B).

B. More than 60 percent of schools showed an increase in out-of-school suspension rates from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. However, two schools have shown a steady decrease in out-of school-suspension rate from 2010-2011 to 2013-2014 (see Table 4 in Appendix B).


Lorain City School District Review FindingsReview Conducted May 12-16, 2014

StrengthsLEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCEBased on interviews with the Lorain City Schools Board of Education, members understood the unsatisfactory student achievement results and are committed to make necessary changes for improvement.

1. The board appointed a new superintendent in 2012 to address issues of poor academic performance and to improve the culture of the district and schools.

A. Employees at all levels talked about a positive difference of night and day between the current superintendents leadership and that of his predecessor.

B. The superintendents knowledge of the history of the school district, (as an alumnus, former educator and administrator) including contract negotiations, has been impactful in his mission to develop trust and improve the culture.

C. The superintendent has focused on the district becoming more data driven, as evidenced by binders of data all administrators collect.

D. The board president stated that the board, superintendent and Academic Distress Commission are in agreement with plans to improve the schools, and that no animosity or competition exists between the two governing bodies.

E. An assistant superintendent for school improvement was hired in January 2013. 2. The district administration, including the superintendent worked with the Academic Distress Commission to develop the Academic Recovery Plan for Lorain City Schools in April 2013. The goal of the Academic Recovery Plan is to address academic issues at both the district and school levels and includes taking short- and long-term actions to improve the districts academic performance.

A. School buildings have been closed, reorganized and reopened to improve teaching and learning and to maximize the effectiveness of the delivery of educational services.

B. Some teachers who were determined to be ineffective were non-renewed to improve teaching and learning during both the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years.

C. Administrators who were determined to be ineffective were moved or resigned to improve building leadership in 2012-2013. Following the 2012-2013 school year, three principals returned to the classroom.

D. Following the 2011-2012 school year central office administration was reorganized (and downsized) to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness and clarity of responsibility.

E. A new program for improving literacy instruction was implemented in 2013-2014, and professional development has been provided for staff.

F. Meeting records indicated that teacher-based teams and building leadership teams are meeting regularly to discuss matters of student performance.

G. Principals speak of a goal of having every student engaged in every class, every day.

H. Student attendance problems are being addressed with truancy programs that reduced absences by 50 percent since the start of the 2012-2013 school year, as seen in attendance data reported to the Ohio Department of Education.

I. Administrative staffs meeting agendas indicate issues of teacher attendance have been addressed, and data supplied to the Academic Distress Commission indicates some improvement.


3. The superintendent has focused on promoting a culture of high expectations and improving the climate and culture in the schools and district.

A. Communication has improved between the central office and building staff and between the building staff and parents, as evidenced in required telephone logs and records of parent interactions.

B. Administrators spoke positively of the superintendents open-door policy and 24-hour response to their emails and phone calls.

C. Parents spoke of their sense that the district wants to do what is best for their children.

D. The board, administration, teachers union and parent groups shared their beliefs that the Ohio Department of Education, the Academic Distress Commission and the District Review Team are important to the improvement of their schools.

4. Based on interviews with the chief of police and the mayor of the City of Lorain, the school district leadership and city government officials have developed a positive and productive partnership, with a shared goal of better serving the students and families of Lorain.

A. The mayor stated that he understands that an effective school system is necessary for the progress of the city, and he is willing to support the efforts of the superintendent and board.

B. The police chief stated that he believes the schools are safe and further shared that he will support the school districts efforts to keep them safe.

C. Crisis planning has been done collaboratively between the district and city services. The written crisis plan is on file at the police department, central office and all school buildings.

D. The mayor and superintendent agreed that metal detectors are not needed in the schools, and their presence might give the impression that our schools are not safe.

E. The Morning Journal, the police department and the schools collaboratively sponsor a Do the Right Thing program to promote positive student behavior and develop a community perception that most students in Lorain are good kids. This program was instituted two years ago and is ongoing.

F. School-based safety officers are trained by the police department.

G. The mayor, police chief and superintendent have worked to align their vision of what the city and school district should be to best serve the students and their families.

H. The mayors self-described fresh perspective ideas and desire to create a new era for the city coincides with districts implementation of the recovery plan. He said no more business as usual in Lorain because people are ready for better days.

IMPACT: The appointment of a new superintendent provides opportunities for new collaborative partnerships that support student achievement, and the chance to change the culture and climate of the district with high expectations for students, teachers and staff in the school district. With the Academic Recovery Plan for Lorain City Schools in place, the district and building goals have been aligned with the plan. Progress is being monitored by the Academic Distress Commission, and revisions will be made as needed.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION1. Based on interviews and a review of curriculum documents, during the 2013-2014 school year the curriculum staff worked to align pacing guides, data notebooks and curriculum guides to Ohios New Learning Standards.

A. During the summer of 2013, curriculum staff members developed pacing guides, timelines and lesson binders to support teachers in the implementation of standards.

B. Lesson binders aligned to the new standards are being used by teachers and will be updated over the summer of 2014 based on teacher input and suggestions.


C. The district has contracted with Northwest Evaluation Association to provide curriculum assessments linked to Ohios New Learning Standards.

D. Instructional coaches, tutors and academic coaches and content area coaches have been hired by the district to support curriculum and instruction efforts.

E. Walk-throughs and instructional rounds are used by principals and curriculum staff to determine the level of change occurring in classroom climate and culture with the use of the new curriculum documents.

F. Classroom teachers are making suggestions in their curriculum lesson binders to suggest possible changes to lessons for the 2014-2015 school year.

2. During onsite visits, it was observed that all buildings have initiatives in place to assist respective staffs in determining ways to impact student learning based on students abilities or needs.

A. Individual One Plans for each building, building leadership teams, teacher-based teams and data rooms are in place and help to guide staff to determine ways to improve student performance.

B. Based on a review of meeting minutes, building leadership teams meet monthly to review the work of the teacher-based teams. The teacher-based teams meet weekly to review student work and plan for next steps to improve instruction using the Ohio Improvement Process 5-Step Process.

C. Observations during building visits showed that many data walls displayed student progress toward meeting intended goals.

D. Instructional coaches and building leadership teams maintained data rooms and binders that show each students progress in reading and math.

IMPACT: By using curriculum resources such as curriculum guides, lesson binders and data notebooks, teachers have materials and information that can inform instructional practice and allow for better monitoring of student performance by teachers. The Ohio Improvement Process 5-Step Process allows building leadership teams and teacher-based teams to have a more in-depth analysis of student data and progress especially in reading and math.

ASSESSMENT1. The district has a comprehensive summative/benchmark assessment system that is being used by schools and teachers to collect and disseminate assessment data.

A. The district has planned and implemented three-times-per-year progress assessments. Northwest Evaluation Associations Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests are administered in grades K-12 in reading, language usage and math, and science in grades 3-8.

B. A brief survey was administered to 14 teachers, principals and instructional coaches in 10 of the school districts 16 buildings by some of the members of the district review team. In those 10 buildings visited by the review team members, there was a consistent structure for the collection, dissemination and analysis of summative, benchmark and screening assessments. All schools had data walls, data rooms and online reporting to chart and analyze their assessment data.

C. Those who were surveyed indicated the district had accomplished or was almost there in providing data to make effective intervention and instruction decisions. Some representative responses from the staff surveys are as follows:

Data folders are a way to be effective. We have Power School, data rooms and data binders in our school. We have online NWEA scores. Our system is district data to coaches and coaches to teachers.


IMPACT: Lorain City School Districts assessment system allows teachers, administrators and board members to answer the question throughout the school year: Did the students master the skills taught from fall to winter and then again from winter to spring? The districts comprehensive assessment system also allows staff to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum, textbooks and programs.

2. Over the past two years the district has expended time and resources for the creation of instructional coaches for reading and math. These coaches have effectively assisted the building leadership teams and teacher-based teams in charting and analyzing data and modeling and developing instruction.

A. When interviewed, a member of the testing team indicated that the instructional coaches have been critical in the successful interpretation, implementation and monitoring of the districts assessment system. Data flows from the state to the district to our coaches and to our teachers was one statement that described the coaches inclusive role in the assessment system.

B. During the review team interviews, six principals expressed appreciation for the role of the instructional coaches in data analysis and instructional modeling. One principal noted, I couldnt do any of the data interpretation that our coach does.

C. When surveyed, instructional coaches were most often identified as the people who share the information with the staff and the people who were responsible for data analysis and data distribution at the building level. Results of a staff survey yielded some representative responses:

Our system is district data to coaches and coaches to teachers. We look for best practices in math or the math coach will model. Coaches organize and distribute data. Teachers are beginning to use it for tiered group

instruction.

IMPACT: Lorain City Schools cadre of instructional coaches is instrumental in developing the skills of teachers through instructional modeling and data interpretation and supporting the assessment and instructional goals of the district. Effective coaches bring a data-driven focus to building leadership teams and teacher-based teams and ensure that both groups focus on three questions: Whats working with our students; What isnt working with the students; and Which students need extra help?

3. It was evident, through interviews and document reviews, that the district has a culture and system for monitoring and using assessment data to make data-driven decisions.

A. Data teams (building leadership teams and teacher-based teams) were assigned in the buildings visited. These data teams consist of groups of teachers, sometimes with administrative participation, that meet on regular schedules to review assessment data.

B. The school buildings visited had data walls that allow student data cards to be moved from high, medium and low folders (green, yellow and red) based on the students most recent assessment results.

C. Ninety-three percent of teachers, principals and coaches surveyed reported using data during their buildings building leadership team and teacher-based team meetings to make data-driven decisions. Some representative responses from the staff surveys included:

NWEA scores are used to tier students. Tier time is embedded in the school day. Reading improvement plans for K-3 students were based on Kindergarten Readiness

Assessments, MAP and OAA scores. This intervention assistance team utilized MAP and OAA data during the IAT process. Math department brings data to all meetings. Data is used at least twice a week to make instruction more effective.


IMPACT: The effective use of assessment data provides the encouragement for district-wide changes in thinking and practices to encourage educators to view student learning through a data lens. Data analysis, data walls and student data cards have all become tools in Lorain City Schools assessment system. Turning data into effective adult actions can benefit all stakeholders.

HUMAN RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT1. The human resources department is building a culture of optimism and stability, despite multiple reductions in force and staffing changes.

A. It was evident through multiple interviews and conversations that the staff supports the superintendent and the new direction of the district. Comments included:

Things are finally coming together. For a while we have only focused on reductions, we are now focusing on stability. The superintendent is definitely making a difference and things are getting better.

B. The human resources department is now fully staffed in an effort to effectively meet the needs and functions of the office, which includes an executive director, associate director, generalist and a coordinator.

The job descriptions reflect the fact that human resources has defined department roles to meet the various and specific needs of the staff of the district.

Through various principal and staff interviews, the staff feels that human resources has improved as it relates to customer service (answering phones, returning messages, addressing concerns and questions in a timely fashion) due to the increase of staff.

C. The human resources staff demonstrated knowledge of the Academic Distress Commissions work and Academic Recovery Plan and spoke positively about the work of the commission. It was evident through interviews that they understood the need and, acknowledged the goals listed in plan. One interviewee stated, I agree with the recommendations and challenges of the department and we are beginning to focus on the goals for our department.

IMPACT: Creating a culture of optimism and stability impacts the outlook and productivity of employees in Lorain City School District as they look to improve current practices. Employees will work to help sustain the operation of the school district.

2. A series of interviews and a review of documents revealed that the human resources department has implemented various initiatives in an effort to address current needs and concerns of the district.

A. An unassigned pool was created to allow teachers to bid on open positions across the district in an effort to encourage more involvement in their current assignments.

B. Professional affiliations and partnerships were expanded in an effort to provide additional resources and opportunities to staff members.

C. The district increased recruiting efforts by actively recruiting at colleges and universities, including historically black colleges/universities and minority recruiting events, and by participating in job fairs and developing partnerships with minority networks to post current vacancies and opportunities.

IMPACT: The innovation of new initiatives develops solutions that meet new needs, unarticulated needs or old needs in new ways, which will provide improvements in the quality of the workforce and infrastructure of the human resources department.

3. Based on multiple interviews and focus groups with board of education members, teachers and administrators, it was clear to the review team that the district has demonstrated urgency in developing and improving the capacity of teachers and leaders.

A. Interviews revealed that the central administration has implemented support and growth opportunities.


Content-specific academic coaches and Race to the Top coaches are embedded in schools to provide day-to-day support on curriculum matters and on other district-driven initiatives such as the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System.

School-based facilitators/coaches have been provided a description of their roles and responsibilities.

Nearly all principals referenced that their supervisors engaged in regular instructional round visits to their schools and provided valuable feedback on areas that should be addressed.

Agendas for monthly principals meetings often include professional growth and learning opportunities for principals on targeted topics relating to district initiatives. Such topics have included inclusive classrooms, website training and school improvement plans.

B. The district has provided a myriad of professional development sessions and courses to encourage teachers to enhance their instructional practices.

Several teachers noted various professional development offerings that were provided during the summer of 2013. District leaders provided a list of course offerings during July and August 2013. Course offerings included opportunities for K-12 educators, use of technology for school office staff and Ohios New Learning Standards implementation.

Principals detailed that they have been engaged in year-long professional learning based on the Thoughtful Classroom approach.

C. At the school level, individual schools have implemented activities to enhance the professional practice of their staffs.

Based on interview responses, all principals are expected to conduct regular classroom walk-throughs. Principals with assistants noted that assistant principals also conduct classroom walk-throughs.

At least one of the schools utilized their weekly staff newsletter to highlight specific instructional practices that teachers should focus on for that week.

Most schools were able to share agendas, minutes and other materials from weekly teacher-based team meetings with a focus on analyzing data and sharing best practices to inform instruction.

IMPACT: The focus on building the capacity of teachers and leaders impacts student achievement. The districts commitment and prioritization of professional learning is a pivotal component for moving the district toward staff effectiveness as the driver of student learning.

4. Documents and interviews show that the district has attempted to effectively rollout and implement the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System.

A. The district developed an Ohio Teacher Evaluation System Implementation Plan that has guided the districts rollout.

During interviews, multiple teachers confirmed that they were provided training on the new evaluation system. Comments included:

The district provided training. Although we are still learning the process, the district did a better job of rolling this out than other things in the past.

Things actually went pretty smooth. The Sept. 17, 2013, district-wide professional development agenda includes an Ohio

Teacher Evaluation System overview and time lines. A calendar existed that outlined the dates and activities of the Student Learning

Objectives Approval and Review Committee. The agendas for monthly principals meetings often included the Ohio Teacher Evaluation

System as a topic.


B. Principals routinely visited classrooms to conduct walk-throughs as a part of the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System observation component within the evaluation process.

Principal supervisors maintained monthly data on the number of walk-throughs that took place in each school.

Multiple teachers commented on the regularity that administrators visit classes compared to previous years:

The principal has been in our classes a lot this year. I thought the feedback has been helpful. It was a little awkward at first, but eventually neither I nor the students really even noticed [the principal.

IMPACT: Lorain City School Districts effort to implement the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System, supported by an implementation plan, provides teachers with an opportunity to positively impact student achievement. It also allows the district to collaboratively work with the teachers association on modifications, enhancements and refinements.

STUDENT SUPPORT1. Through multiple interviews, it was evident that data collection practices that addressed student achievement and progress monitoring were provided to educational leaders and teachers. A formalized meeting process and instructional coaches were in place to identify students or groups of students who require intervention.

A. Educators indicated that access to formative and summative assessments, Ohio Achievement Assessments, Ohio Graduation Tests, Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress, and Ohio Test of English Language Acquisition data were available for monitoring student progress.

The District leadership team, building leadership teams, teacher-based teams, data rooms, data binders, student data cards, Silver and Strongs Thoughtful Classroom, and PowerSchool were used as tools for monitoring individual and subgroup achievement.

Documents showed that the Ohio Improvement Process 5-Step Process Meeting Agenda and Minutes Template was utilized as a data analysis instrument across the district. The district used a common template for recording data and meeting information. Two examples include:

In the Establish Process for Progress Monitoring Section (step 4), a district leadership team member challenged subgroups to develop and identify the Ohio Improvement Process monitoring process for the 2014-2015 school year (walk-throughs, instructional rounds and teacher-based teams were given as monitoring examples).

When asked about student data during a team meeting, one teacher responded that the results showed an increase in vocabulary usage. Also, additional time would be necessary to combine lessons across subjects.

B. The district submitted building leadership team and teacher-based team minutes to the Ohio Department of Educations Office of Education Reform for review. Department personnel recorded that building leadership teams are in place. The department of education offered feedback to improve the effectiveness of the teacher-based team meeting process.

C. The district provided instructional coaches for regular data collection and intervention support. Charts, graphs and student data cards developed by coaches documented student growth

and academic challenges. The information was displayed in the buildings data room. A Tier 1 Intervention Checklist was provided for instructional coaches to use for

acquiring student data. Coaches stated they met with teacher-based teams and provided quarterly updates to

teachers.


Building leaders and teachers reported that teacher-based team meetings were conducted in the data rooms.

The districts central office noted that instructional coaches were hired through an interview process and seniority was not a factor.

IMPACT: As a result of the Lorain City School District establishing a process for collecting and sharing student data, principals, instructional coaches, tutors and teachers have access to standardized student assessment information. The 5-Step Process Meeting Agenda and Minutes Template gave the district a formalized method to facilitate team meetings and analyze district, building and instructional data. The use of instructional coaches supports the data gathering process, information and resources so instructional changes can take place.

2. The district has established practices, including safety plans and procedures.A. A safety compliance officer was hired to enforce district policies and procedures in an effort to

protect school property and ensure safe working educational environments. The safety compliance officer informed principals of the states requirements for

conducting fire, tornado, bomb threat and school safety drills. A record of emergency evacuation drills documenting fire, tornado and school safety

drills were found in the office of the safety compliance officer. Debriefing reports were completed at the end of an incident or practice safety drill by the

Emergency Response Team and submitted to the safety compliance officer. i. Debriefing reports described the event, date, time and how the Emergency Response Team, faculty and students responded to the safety drill.

ii. Statements describing positive responses and areas for improvement for each drill were collected by the safety compliance officer.

A security data sheet was prepared for individual buildings and stored on a district building information program. The data sheet covered building fire extinguisher, AED, first aid and camera locations.

During an interview, two school counselors stated that a safety team was in the school. A safety training matrix outlined required trainings for safety patrol coordinators and

support staff within the district. Some of the yearly trainings included first aid, CPR, reaction to resistance, bullying awareness, threats/de-escalation and diversity.

Safety plans were reviewed during staff and grade-level meetings.

B. Safety officers were assigned to buildings. Safety patrol and crossing guard personnel were assigned to specific buildings. Safety officers logged and documented detailed information after altercations or safety

incidents. Search and seizure or react to resistance logs were completed. Incident reports and review forms were completed. Safety officers were visible in the buildings.

C. Each building has an off-site evacuation and ALICE (Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate) location assignment.

ALICE training was provided for district employees. ALICE training was provided to school staff.

The safety compliance officer stated staff members who missed the training would receive training from an ALICE-certified trainer.

It was reported that ALICE student training will take place in the 2014-2015 school year.

IMPACT: The establishment of district-wide procedures for recording and documenting safety incidents, drills and trainings demonstrates the districts commitment to preparedness and an effort to address school-related crises and emergencies.


FISCAL MANAGEMENT1. Lorain City School District prepares and files with the Ohio Department of Education its five-year financial forecast in October and May of each fiscal year. A review of the forecasts for August 2013, October 2013 and May 2014 and discussions with the chief financial officer revealed the following:

A. Appropriations provide the basis of the expenditure projections in October and are updated for known changes in May. In addition, there was a special update completed in August 2013 reflecting the 2014 fiscal year final appropriations and known changes at that time. This updated forecast provided information to the board and bargaining teams as to the most current financial status of the district, assuming passage of the annual appropriation resolution.

B. Notes to the forecast are clear, very detailed, reasonable and contain a summary section which provides a quick update of changes in the newest version of the forecast. The notes also provide detailed assumption explanations of revenue by source and expenditures by level.

C. A PowerPoint presentation detailing impact and changes is presented to the board when the forecast is being considered or reviewed.

D. The district uses the five-year financial forecast as the financial planning tool of the district. The board and administration consider the forecast when making financial decisions.

IMPACT: The districts financial forecast provides an understandable and reasonably current financial plan that the board and administration can use as a guide when making decisions that impact district finances. Its use provides better decision making and leads to better strategic planning, both of which are bound to positively impact student learning through more strategic use of resources.

2. Finance operations provide sufficient internal control and checks and balances, which help ensure the accuracy of financial information and budgetary control as evidenced by:

A. The districts last annual financial audit, which was clean with no citations, findings or internal control concerns;

B. The districts accounting software system, which ensures that sufficient appropriations/budgets are available before purchase orders are created in the accounting system; and

C. The chief financial officer reviewing every purchase order to ensure the appropriateness of the purchase.

IMPACT: Good internal control and accounting procedures help produce accurate financial reports, which lead to better financial operations and decision making.

3. A review of the boards April monthly financial reports revealed the following reports are produced: a monthly summary of revenues and expenditures by forecast levels for General Fund; a summary of revenue and expenditure data by fund activity; a comparison of appropriations/budget to available resources; an amended certificate of resources by fund level; an appropriation recap sheet by fund level; a detailed revenue report by fund; a check register; a purchase order register; a bank reconciliation; and a transfer and advance summary.

IMPACT: The fiscal information provided to the board and stakeholders is clear and understandable. The level of detail provided in the report will assist the board and administration in operations, oversight and strategic planning.

4. A review of the districts capital plan and interviews with the district personnel revealed that the district is following the capital plan, which was revised in 2012. The capital plan includes preventive maintenance and expected life cycles for the structure and equipment contained in each building. Visits to the buildings revealed that they were clean, safe, well lit and conducive to student learning.


IMPACT: Proper preventive maintenance will help ensure that equipment and structures reach and possibly extend beyond expected life spans. This helps protect the districts most expensive investment and should help control costs in the long term.

Challenges and Areas for GrowthIt is important to note that district review reports prioritize identifying challenges and areas for growth in order to promote a cycle of continuous improvement; the report deliberately describes the districts challenges and concerns in greater detail than the strengths identified during the review.

LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE1. Based on interviews with principals and central office staff, the concept of shared leadership as recommended in the Academic Recovery Plan is not being fully implemented.

A. According to interviews with central office administrators and building principals, teacher employment and placement decisions are made at the central office level with limited input from principals.

Principals stated that they have difficulty building their teams and bringing in the kind of teachers they need without having more input in the process.

Principals also stated that they often meet new teachers assigned to their schools for the first time on the opening day of school.

The negotiated agreement with the union, according to the principals interviewed, stipulates that an unassigned pool of teachers be established and used for filling vacancies and is often counterproductive to effective team building. A list of teachers in the unassigned pool is distributed to union members and administrators before staffing decisions are made.

Interviews with the teachers union representatives indicated that while some progress has been made, perceived issues with shared leadership still remain. It was said that the state lied to us about the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System. You cant tell someone how to do something, then evaluate them negatively when they do it. It was also shared that teachers resist change because the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System is making everybody the same; and they believe its just the next new thing and move on. It was also emphatically stated that: kids are getting burned out on tests. Another comment made was that administrators too often take the parents side instead of supporting teachers.

For district leadership, scheduling and accessibility problems arise from the principals union contract, which stipulates that a substitute principal must be in place when principals are absent due to illness, meetings and professional development. There are seven unions with which the administration must negotiate.

Agendas and minutes of meetings indicate that principals meet with the superintendent monthly in a large group setting of approximately 40 people, which they shared is not conducive to open exchange of ideas.

Some principals stated in interviews that other monthly meetings with the middle and high school senior directors and the elementary executive director separate principals and do not allow for enough K-12 collaboration.

During the district review team visit, principals commented that they were seldom included in planned leadership meetings, and some shared that they felt they were left out of this review process.

The mayor was among interviewees that stated they agree with many community members who believe the district is top heavy with too many central office staff.

Some principals and teachers discussed a communication disconnect between the central office and the schools.

Some principals spoke of needing more autonomy to successfully be the instructional leaders of their schools.


Principals have little input in their budgets, which are totally developed at the central office. Principals control only a small discretionary fund of about $3,000, which they said often has to be used to buy copier paper, for example.

Assistant principals are shared among schools, usually spending no more than two days a week at any one school.

B. According to interviews with principals and central office administrators, professional

development planning is done mainly at the district level without input from principals or teachers.

Principals stated that professional development topics are not always aligned with building goals and initiatives.

It was stated that professional development is responsible for too many days of teachers out of classrooms for less than productive training.

It was also stated that the district studies the next new thing, then moves on without any follow-up.

A principal stated that for seven years, we have not done anything different in professional development.

The teachers negotiated agreement states that staff meetings can last only 30 minutes per week and no professional development activities are permitted.

After school professional development requires that teachers be paid for their time according to the contract.

2. The Lorain City Schools are faced with a challenge of recruiting, hiring and retaining excellent teachers to a district with a perceived reputation of failure. Documents supplied by the human resources department and data reported to the Ohio Department of Education indicate the following:

A. There is no evidence of a district process for the orientation of new staff.

B. There is no evidence of existing district policy for the inclusion of principals and teachers in hiring process.

C. Personnel records indicate 80 percent of the teaching staff has 18 years or more experience. Personnel records further indicate that possible teacher retirements due to changes in State Teachers Retirement System benefits have created a potential window of opportunity for bringing in new, capable staff members willing to accept new concepts of research-based and collaborative educational practices.

D. While interviewing the school board members, one member commented, cultural change must be apparent in appointments. It was a stated belief that hiring more diverse candidates would have a real impact.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION1. While the Academic District Commission and Lorain City School District administration has placed significant emphasis upon improving instructional strategies and practices, staff interviews and focus group comments revealed that the district lacks sufficient evidence of a focused instructional framework plan that shows the connection between curriculum, instruction and assessment.

A. When asked about assessments, one principal commented that, it is a coin flip on what will be assessed.

B. Principals and teachers shared concerns that there are too many programs in the district. It is hard to keep track of all of them and how to use them. Some of the programs include Accelerated Reader, EnVision Math, Prentice Hall Reading Program, Wonderworks Reading Program, Wilson Foundations Reading Program, Study Island and are in use at some level at this time in the district.

Teachers, instructional coaches and principals expressed that there is a need for staff to be trained in all the programs offered by the district.


One teacher shared that she has to remember at least eight different passwords for all the programs she works with during the school day.

Another teacher stated things [the curriculum programs] are thrown on a wall to see what will stick.

One teacher noted that there were so many programs in the district that there is no time to implement them all with fidelity.

C. Teachers, coaches and principals in all focus groups commented on the lack of reliable assessments.

It was mentioned by classroom teachers and instructional coaches that the Northwest Evaluation Association assessment tool only matched Ohios New Learning Standards and was not a match to the Ohio-mandated assessments.

The district assessment writing teams were not trained in writing grade-level appropriate assessments that could give a reliable assessment of students knowledge.

Staff members noted that short-cycle assessments were too long and there are too many benchmarks to be covered on a single assessment.

Staff members further commented that teachers were expected to grade short-cycle assessments without any training or criteria to use to complete the work and without compensation.

It was shared that because of school closings and other commitments required of the Northwest Evaluation Association, quarterly assessments did not take place.

2. While the Academic District Commission and Lorain City School District administration has placed significant emphasis upon improving instructional strategies and practices, based on a review of curricular documents and interviews, the district does not have a focused, systemic professional plan in place that includes trainings to support instruction and model best practice.

A. An instructional coach expressed, I am not sure how much of my day should be in the classroom and how much should be looking at data.

B. Coaches also noted that often there is too much time between building visits to impact staff instruction efforts.

C. Teachers and administrators shared a desire to complete a professional development needs assessment survey because the district has a Professional Development Committee, however, the committee does not provide input for professional development offerings in the district.

D. Professional development is viewed as being fragmented and not well planned.

3. Although the district has sought to improve communication with parents and the community, through various interviews with parents, students, teachers and administrators, it was evident that the district lacks a clear communication network that connects the school district to all parents in the community.

A. Parents shared stories of teachers attitudes toward them and their children: During a parent focus group, one parent talked of students being called derogatory

names. Another parent shared, there is no teacher follow through on call backs. [There is] a lack of instructional materials for students to take home, and [there are] low

expectations for students.

B. The parents spoke of the need for a better system of communication between the district and parents.

Parents voiced concern over the location of the new high school and the overcrowded conditions at the present high school. They viewed the new high school location as an example of the district not listening to the community opinions and favoring one part of town over the other.


Union leadership noted that only 20 percent of families have computer access and that this makes it difficult for their membership to make contact with parents and families. When discussing the lack of technology at home, one parent commented, I cant give my child something I dont have.

A principal stated that the district needs to find ways to communicate with the large Hispanic community now living in the district.

An English language tutor noted the lack of bilingual text books and classroom materials available for bilingual students. She felt this made it hard for parents to assist students with their school work or communicate with the school staff.

IMPACT: The lack of a focused professional development plan that provides training for all staff members; the absence of an instructional framework that shows the connection between what is being taught, how it is being taught and how it is assessed; and no formal district communication plan that connects to the community causes the district curriculum efforts to appear fragmented and are without critical parent and community support.

ASSESSMENT1. Although the development of common short-cycle assessments was identified as a goal for 2013-2014 based on multiple staff interviews and teacher-based team minutes, the district has not balanced its assessment system by developing common short-cycle assessments. These short-cycle assessments, intended to be administered to students on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, were a district priority goal for the 2013-2014 school year.

A. When asked if the district had in place an accurate and balanced (summative and formative) set of assessments, 75 percent of those surveyed said the district was just getting started. Some representative responses from the staff surveys:

Began short-cycle testing for first grading period, but then stopped. Started to realign some benchmark tests, but stopped mid-year. This (short-cycle issue) is confusing and always changing. Too many summative, not enough formative.

B. The majority of building leadership team and teacher-based team minutes collected as well as the ten data rooms visited focused primarily on summative MAP results.

C. Although there were some examples of exit tickets or quizzes during the onsite visits, the staff in all 10 of the buildings reported that district items developed for common short-cycle assessments during the summer were not adopted or being used by teams.

IMPACT: The summative assessments that make up most of the districts assessment system are important but they do not represent the full power of assessment. Without an assessment system that includes common short-cycle assessments, the districts improvement process is incomplete and the effectiveness of its building leadership teams and teacher-based teams is diminished. Well-designed short-cycle assessments need to be an integral part of the districts assessment system.

2. The district has not established a culture that is data-driven and focused on student achievement.A. Fifty percent of surveyed staff across seven different buildings reported feeling disorganized

and overwhelmed by data as opposed to organized and data-focused. Some representative responses from the staff surveys:

District-wide testing seems to be unorganized and random at times. Too much standardized testing. Lots of data this yearteachers need more PD on how it should be used I feel we only care about data. I feel we are testing and testing until we are going nuts. We are getting started with data binders, but not every school is on the same page. Some

teachers will use it, and others do not. It needs to be district-wide.


B. The staff reported being uncomfortable with aspects of the districts assessment system. Some staff members felt there was too much testing while others reported inconsistent

use of district tools, such as the data binders. There was no evidence of a coordinated protocol and training around the assessments in use. During an interview of instructional coaches, it was reported that some teachers do

not participate in that buildings teacher-based team meetings. Some teachers sit at these meetings and dont participate. Some dont always come.

IMPACT: The absence of a data-driven culture impedes the effective and efficient implementation of the assessment system.

3. While assessment and the use of data has improved over the past two years, according to the district review teams survey results from 10 of the 16 buildings, the district does not effectively allocate, modify or terminate resources based on review of student assessment data.

A. When asked if the district started, changed or stopped resources (people or funds) following the review of test data, 77 percent of surveyed staff across seven different buildings responded, we are just getting started. Some representative responses from the staff surveys:

Resources seem sketchy or here then gone. District starts, changes or stops resources based primarily on funding. We dont have this control at the building level.

B. During the review team interviews, three elementary teachers expressed frustration over large class sizes at first and second grade, not having access to the buildings instructional coach and not being allowed to participate in the winter MAP test session despite second grade reading data that was the lowest in their building. Some responses included:

Since we are not an OAA grade we dont get the same sort of resources, but we are the grades that teach these kids how to read.

We never get field trips and they allow our class size to be huge.

IMPACT: Assigning and adjusting resources without the use of student assessment data could result in effective programs and services being terminated, while ineffective programs are maintained.

4. The district does not show sufficient evidence of enrichment and remedial services that effectively engages all levels of learning.

A. Teachers at the primary grades expressed a concern that enrichment and remedial services were not readily available and were being focused at grades 3-6.

B. During the parent interview, parents expressed concern that many top students had left the district because of program cuts and an emphasis on remediation. Most of the instructional focus is for babies needing intervention.

C. At the high school a similar concern was shared by students. Some representative responses from the student focus group included:

There was no musical this year. I had to go to the board of education and fight to get varsity cheerleading put back in. They [administration] are telling us that one of the top math classes is going to be

dropped for something easier.

D. Forty-four percent of teachers, principals and instructional coaches felt the district was getting started with enrichment and remedial services. Some representative responses from the staff surveys included:

Enrichment: we have enrichment time every day, but each group of students is only seen once-a-week.


Most of the instructional focus is for babies needing intervention. [Teachers] need help. We have daily tiered instruction in reading to address all levels. Lack of staff resources

limits the math tiered instruction. Wish there was math intervention for some kids that just dont get it.

IMPACT: Failure to address the needs and potential of its diverse student population prevents the district from delivering a comprehensive educational program.

5. The role of the instructional coaches is not well defined or understood.A. At an elementary school interview, the principal told review team members that the buildings

coach did not know how to prepare Excel spreadsheets. Disappointment was expressed by a principal who did not have any input on the coachs selection. The comment was, I didnt get to select her. I wasnt involved and think there are skills the coach needs in our building that she does not have.

B. At another elementary building, three primary grade teachers told a pair of review members that they did not have access to the instructional coach, but she was often used by the building principal to distribute building supplies and perform other non-academic duties.

C. During an interview with instructional coaches, two coaches expressed concern over the lack of clear and shared expectations for coaches across the district. All of the coaches indicated that regularly scheduled district-wide coaches meetings would be helpful. Some representative responses from the staff surveys included:

Are we supposed to work with the teacher-based team and building leadership team or are we supposed to model instruction?

Im not even sure what the coaches in the other buildings are doing.

IMPACT: The roles and contributions of instructional coaches are diminished without specific written responsibilities that are clearly communicated to the district staff.

6. Based on multiple interviews and document reviews, including the district report cards, the annual achievement goals created by the Academic Distress Commission were not met for 2013-2014.

A. The district was not able to increase the percent of students proficient in mathematics by 11 percent per year and in reading by 10 percent per year in each subgroup as measured by the Ohio Achievement Assessments and the Ohio Graduation Tests using the 2011-2012 Local Report Card results as the baseline measure.

B. The district was not able to raise the district Performance Index score by 3.5 percent per year using the 2011-2012 district Local Report Card results as the baseline year, however, the Performance Index increased from 78.7 to 80.5.

C. The district was not able to increase four-year graduation rate by 13 percent per year using the 2011-2012 Local Report Card results as the baseline measure, although the graduation rate did increase from 64.8 percent to 69.2 percent.

D. The district was not able to increase the percent of students reading at the proficient or higher level on the third grade reading Ohio Achievement Assessments by 15 percent per year using the 2011-2012 Local Report Card as the baseline year, but Ohio Achievement Assessment reading levels increased by 4 percent.

IMPACT: Failure to set realistic and attainable goals diminishes the accomplishments of students and staff in student achievement.


HUMAN RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT1. While the efficiency of the restructured human resources department was identified as a strength, the human resources department lacks sufficient evidence of a focused vision and organization of a strategic plan.

A. The current human resources plan is generalized and does not reflect direct alignment with districts vision nor the Academic Recovery Plan. The mentioned goals are not specific or measurable and are not shown to be data driven. The plan does not show time lines/forecasting of expected deliverables and with limited evidence of strategic methods to support established goals.

B. Based on multiple interviews and conversations with the staff, the human resources team does not meet regularly to communicate or share updates on departmental initiatives, current assignments or issues. It was evident through conversations that staff members were unsure of the status of current efforts and seem to only have knowledge of their specific daily responsibilities. Comments included:

We sit so close together, we dont really need them [meetings]. Im not sure about that, you may have to askshe handles that.

2. While the human resources department was restructured over the past two years, the department has limited evidence of a structured system of operations to include formalized policies, procedures, protocols or practices as it relates to the operations of the office and approaches to recruiting, hiring or selecting staff.

A. There is limited evidence of a formalized process for job approvals, job description development or vacancy postings. Many postings listed online were missing job descriptions and other pertinent information.

B. Through multiple interviews, it was evident that there is no standardized method to interviewing, screening or ultimately selecting candidates. Comments included:

There have been multiple approaches to interviews: personal one-on-one interviews, interview panels, presentations, demonstrations and various other ways a candidate is evaluated. It (the method) is not based on position or any other specified criteria or situation.

It (the method) depends on the position and situation. The superintendent also has the power to appoint, without an employee going through a selection process

C. It was shared that an orientation process for new employees does not exist. Instead, new employees receive a folder that includes the district calendar, leave forms, phone system instructions and credit union brochures.

D. Principals lack autonomy and input in the selection process of teachers. Statements from principals included:

I have never had the opportunity to interview or select teachers for my building. Sometimes they [new employees] start without me knowing they were hired. I have not been asked for my input in connection with hiring or selecting any teacher.

E. There is limited evidence of an employee exit process when employees are separated from the district (i.e. retirement, termination, resignation, layoffs). Comments through interviews included:

There is an exit form that building administrators are instructed to use when a staff member departs, however, they are not filed in the employees personnel file. It stays at the building level, along with any district property (i.e. keys, badge, cell phone, pager, etc.).

IMPACT: The absence of a focused vision accompanied by a strategic plan can perpetuate a culture of low expectations and lack of cohesiveness among the staff, the board and the community of the Lorain City School District. Because there is no formalized system of operations to include standard policies, procedures and protocols, there is ambiguity as to how daily functions are managed and measured for accuracy and effectiveness.


3. While professional development has improved over the past two years, during the districts review there was limited evidence provided that the district has a comprehensive strategic professional development plan that provides clarity and focus toward the districts needs as outlined in Priority Two and Priority Three of the districts 2013 Academic Recovery Plan.

A. Multiple teachers shared that they did not see a clear focus or cohesiveness to the many professional development activities. Specific comments included:

Too much of the training is one shot. We got lots of training on lots of things, but we rarely were able to really implement

what we had been trained on. Each training or course is actually pretty good, there is just no clear connection on

where we are going. In our building, it did not appear that anyonenot even the principal really knew what

was going on with all of this PD.

B. There was no evidence provided that confirmed the districts professional development committee was a functioning body.

C. Based on several discussions with the elementary and secondary directors, it appears there is no connection of professional learning between elementary and secondary personnel or schools.

IMPACT: Without a cohesive, in-depth strategic professional development plan that firmly identifies district priorities, the one-time trainings do not impact teaching and learning.

STUDENT SUPPORT1. While an improvement in communication has been identified, according to interviews and focus groups, Lorain City School District does not have comprehensive and consistent communication with its stakeholders.

A. During the focus group discussion, parents shared frustrations with the lack of returned calls when they had concerns about their children. Some examples shared were:

A parent indicated that he took off work to conference with a teacher in regards to a classroom discipline problem. According to the parent, neither the teacher nor the principal were available to address his concern and he never received any follow-up correspondence.

During a parent focus group meeting, several parents stated that same problem of teachers not attending parent conferences and not calling parents back.

B. According to interviewees and focus group participants, the district does not provide adequate communication methods to reach parents of English language learners.

One concern expressed was the missed opportunities for the district to interact with parents of diverse groups and hold meetings in their own neighborhoods. Specifically, a focus group member suggested that parent conferences for Hispanic families could be held at a central location.

A document review showed limited evidence of translated brochures, letters or other communication to represent other languages of the student body.

A bilingual Web page was constructed in isolation and posted to include written and audio classroom content.

C. According to a participant, the district did not offer a method to inform parents on what programs were available for students during the summer months.

D. The school district website is not maintained to provide current, comprehensive and consistent information.

Current school and district information, such as the Code of Conduct and the Student Handbook, is published in print, however, it is not uploaded to the district website in a timely manner.


All schools, except the Lorain Digital Academy, listed the 2010-2011 code of conduct as a resource on the districts official website. A 2013-2014 student code of conduct was emailed to the district review team.

Garfield, Hawthorne and Larkmoor elementary schools posted student handbooks between the years of 2011-2013 on their websites, as compared to the 2013-2014 handbooks that were emailed to the review team prior to the onsite district review. Frank Jacinto and Admiral King elementary schools, as well as New Beginnings Academy did not post a student handbook on their websites; however, a 2013-2014 student handbooks was submitted to the review team. Helen Steiner Rice, Washington and Palm elementary schools also posted outdated student handbooks and did not submit current student handbooks for review. Stevan Dohanos and Toni Morrison elementary schools and General Johnnie Wilson Middle School did not post student handbooks on the district website nor were copies of current handbooks emailed to the team for review.

There are inconsistencies with maintenance of website content and what is permissible content to post.

It was stated in an interview that building principals are responsible for providing data-related content, such as student honor roll recognition and perfect attendance (shown on the district website), while the website is managed by the central office. No information was shared on where the responsibility lies for updating website content.

A district website with teacher email addresses and PowerSchool was accessible, however, only some teachers names were listed under the line, Teacher Web Pages. Additionally, the link did not provide any instructional information.

IMPACT: The absence of a communication plan prevents consistent dissemination of information to all stakeholders. The lack of school personnel follow-up to parental concerns prohibits collaboration and engagement.

2. While the climate has improved under the new leadership team, statements from interviewees and focus group participants reveal that the environment and climate within Lorain City School District does not contribute to a positive learning environment to the extent that is necessary to facilitate significant growth in student learning.

A. Student behavior was cited as a classroom management issue by focus group members and staff interviewees. A group of high school teachers acknowledged that some students do not behave, it is hard to get students to work and students slept through lessons.

It was stated by an interviewee that additional professional development for working with difficult students is needed.

An interviewee mentioned that Race to the Top coaches assist with student discipline although it is not their primary responsibility.

B. In a 2013 Lorain High School Student Voices Survey, when asked what things got in the way of their learning, students cited other students and their behaviors. Some responses included:

Rude students are the worst. Ignorant students, laziness and uniforms. Obnoxious and rude students who dont really care about education.

C. In the same Voices Survey, students also cited teachers behaviors as barriers to their learning. Some responses included:

Teachers that do not know how to control their class. Monotone teachers with boring lessons. Sometimes the attitude of how the teacher feels. When teachers yell a lot. Big classes, kids who talk over the teacher and teachers dont even care.


3. While outside partnerships have been created, according to staff members, there is a lack of evidence to show the impact of outside partnerships.

A. During an interview, it was stated that the early identification of students non-academic needs is missing.

B. It was noted that the ninth grade students did not have a safety net for meeting students social needs. An interviewee stated that some teachers did not understand the population they served and placed more responsibilities on ninth grade students.

C. An interviewee asserted that relationships between school staff and organization personnel have not been established to foster sustainable partnerships with social services. District teachers were cited as a missing link in the students socialization process and limited evidence of educating teachers and staff on the awareness of programs for kids was presented.

D. There was insufficient data presented during the site visit that shows which programs or partnerships are working and which programs or partnerships are not meeting the district or student needs.

IMPACT: The low occurrence of appropriate classroom management skills impedes learning and delays the districts goal of establishing positive learning environments and a culture of high expectations. The disconnection between outside partnerships and school personnel reduces program effectiveness.

FISCAL MANAGEMENT1. A review of the Lorain City School Districts budget documents and presentation showed that district goals and objectives to be achieved by the budget were not visibly or verbally stated. Additionally, input from building-level staff and administration were not made available. While the budget documents and presentation are fairly thorough, they do not include district goals and objectives to be achieved by the budget, detailed budgets of buildings nor input from building-level staff and administration.

IMPACT: The boards budget presentation documents, as provided, lack stated goals and objectives, which prevents the measurement of achievement or opportunities for improvement. Without building-level participation and the lack of building-level budgeting details, the budget may not be as precise as possible to achieve the districts goals and objectives. This is particularly true when changes begin to be made in expenditure patterns.

2. Per the districts October 2013 financial forecast, the district expects to receive $92 million in revenue. Per the districts May 9, 2014, state funding report, the district will pay out approximately $24.4 million to other schools for student tuition. The tuition expected to be paid out represents approximately 26.5 percent of the districts revenue. The districts response to the loss of students has created inefficiencies in the delivery of services. In order to reduce costs, the district has reorganized, closed buildings and reduced program offerings for students. And according to one board member, the loss of these programs has increased the number of students seeking an education somewhere other than Lorain City School District.

IMPACT: The reduction in enrollment removes the opportunity for efficiencies in operations and the delivery of services.

3. According to the districts 2013 Cupp report, slightly more than 80 percent of the districts certificated staff has more than 10 years of services compared to 61 percent for comparable districts and 59 percent for the state average. Given the changes in the State Teachers Retirement System retirement requirements, time lines and benefits, it is expected that a larger than normal number of certificated staff is going to retire in the next couple of years. Nothing was mentioned about the anticipated retirements, increased costs for severance or savings from hiring less experienced staff in the districts five-year financial forecast.


IMPACT: Given the districts limited resources, not knowing an approximation of numbers and timing of retirements hinders definitive financial and operational planning.

4. Preventive maintenance costs are being expensed from the districts Fund 34 District Building Maintenance Fund, which is required by the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission to be established to account for the required one-half mill annual funding from the district and account for expenditures of Fund 34 activity. Currently there is approximately $2 million in the fund.

IMPACT: There is a risk that the preventive maintenance costs will deplete the account to the point that there will be insufficient funds to replace equipment when it reaches the end of its expected life span.


Lorain City School District Review Recommendations

LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE1. Establish distributive leadership structures at the district-, building- and teacher-levels that foster collaboration, trust and communication through the Ohio Improvement Process of teacher-based teams, building leadership teams, and a district leadership team to enable staff to implement instructional best practices that will enhance student learning.

A. Give teachers more input into areas that directly impact their professional work, such as professional development, utilization of resources and staffing.

B. Create a district Professional Development Committee to allow input from all levels of employees to implement instructional and social support best practices to support a socio-economically and ethnically/racially diverse student population.

BENEFIT: District planning for professional development would be more aligned with building goals and individual needs and interests. Staff would be more invested in professional development initiatives if they have some input in the planning.

2. Provide autonomy for principals to become instructional leaders in their buildings. A. Accept the input of principals in the hiring process for new teachers within the parameters of

the human resources plan.

B. Allow principals to provide more input in the budgeting process for their schools, to allocate funds in alignment with building needs.

BENEFIT: Autonomy would allow principals to be involved in daily operations, such as hiring practices and budgeting. Schools could more easily develop an improved culture that fosters collaboration, trust and communication, as recommended in the Academic Recovery Plan.

3. Develop an effective plan for recruiting, hiring and training effective new teachers and retaining current staff.

A. Develop a human resourcesplan with goals for the increase the percentage of minority teachers and administrators and with proven strategies to proactively seek qualified new teachers with diverse backgrounds for teaching vacancies.

B. Meet with the teachers union to discuss prohibitive contract stipulations that are counterproductive to building an effective teaching staff at each school.

BENEFIT: The employment of proactive steps to collaborate and fill teaching vacancies can enhance the schools teaching staffs with teachers who understand current education initiatives, such as Ohios New Learning Standards, the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System. CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION1. Enlist the curriculum department to develop an instructional framework that connects the curriculum guides, lesson binders, data notebooks and assessments, instructional best practices and professional development.

A. Provide the staff with visuals or charts that can be used for information on new curriculum programs and how all initiatives connect to improve instruction.

B. Create an instructional framework and make it available to all district and building staff members to use to make connections between what programs they are teaching, how and when students will be assessed and how to properly use assessment data.

C. Employ content specialist/academic monitors, reporting directly to the Academic Distress Commission, to assist in monitoring and support best practice instructional practices.

D. Develop strategies and practices to enable the state support team staff to provide input to the Academic Distress Commission.


BENEFIT: An instructional framework that is based upon best practices proven to be successful with a diverse population of students would provide all district staff with a clear understanding on how district programs and assessments are connected and how they work together to impact instruction.

2. Work with the curriculum staff, teachers, principals and instructional coaches to create a specific list of roles and responsibilities for all the coaches in the district. Schedule regular monthly meetings for instructional coaches to provide district updates and gather feedback from the building teachers and administrators.

BENEFIT: The creation of specific roles and responsibilities for instructional coaches would allow clear communication between building staffs and the curriculum department. It also would clarify the roles of the instructional coaches as an extension of the curriculum departments within the buildings.

3. Survey all district staff regarding their individual and collective professional development needs.A. Develop a yearly professional development plan based upon the needs identified in the survey.

B. Update and share the yearly professional development plan and calendar with staff regularly.

C. Work with state support team staff to bring state-sponsored trainings to the district to help address professional development related to differentiated instruction, positive behavioral intervention strategies and response to intervention.

D. Refer to the