1.
© Education Resource Strategies, Inc., 2017
Avoyelles Parish
School System 20/20 Share-out
July 19, 2017

2.
ERS is a non-profit organization
dedicated to transforming how
urban school systems organize resources
(people, time, and money)
so that every school succeeds
for every student.
1
Our Mission

3.
Who we are: ERS partners with districts across the country to transform
resource use so that every school succeeds for every student
Saint
Paul
Chicago
Cincinnati
Atlanta
Philadelphia New York City
SyracuseRochester
Providence
Baltimore
Prince George’s County, MD
Washington,
D.C.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Duval County
Boston
5 GA
districts
Cleveland
Austin
Albuquerque
Michigan
Tennessee
Waterbury, CT
Aldine
Newark
District work
State work
2015 partners
Recent partners
Knox County
Lake County
Indianapolis
Nashville
Georgia
Santa Fe
New Haven, CT
Tulsa
Palm Bach County
Los Angeles
Oakland
Sacramento
California
Buffalo
6 rural NY
districts
Over 30
TN districts
ERS is also in the process of launching a project with the LADOE
to help address recruiting challenges in rural Louisiana.
4 CT special
projects

4.
Our School System 20/20 Analysis assesses all dimensions of strategic school systems.

5.
The diagnostic is designed to answer key questions
across seven focus areas
Multiple Principles per Area
Key Questions
Metrics
Across Seven Focus Areas
Qualitative Questions Quantitative Questions Principal Survey
Measured in
THREE
Main Ways
System Conditions Practice & Resource Use
4

6.
Avoyelles Parish System 20/20 Objectives
▪ Project Objectives
▪ Provide district leaders with a broad assessment of current performance,
district strategy, and resource use to inform short-term and long-term priorities.
▪ Identify key enabling conditions for sustaining and scaling student
improvement efforts in all schools.
▪ Identify opportunities to reallocate scarce resources to high-priority areas.
▪ What does success look like for today?
▪ Learn from each other as we discuss insights related to project objectives.
▪ Get inspired to act, to do different things going forward!
▪ Clarify what potential actions seem likely to make the biggest difference for
Avoyelles students, teachers, and school leaders.
▪ Set a process for determining next steps and taking action.
5

7.
Avoyelles Parish
Performance Challenge

8.
7
Though ELA proficiency is lower compared to local peers,
Avoyelles has outpaced most in growth over the last three years
Avoyelles Parish
State
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
-3% -2% -1% 0% 1% 2% 3% 4%
%Proficient
Change in Proficiency Rates
Overall ELA Growth & Proficiency
High and growing
Low but growingLow and falling
High but falling
SOURCE: LADOE 2014-16 Performance Data
Performance Challenge

9.
8
However, districtwide math proficiency has been falling
Avoyelles Parish
State
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
-14% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0% 2%
%Proficient
Change in Proficiency Rates
Overall Math: Growth & ProficiencyHigh but falling
Low and falling
High and rising
Low but rising
SOURCE: LADOE 2014-16 Performance Data
Performance Challenge

10.
Avoyelles trails the state and local peer districts in math performance
at each grade level, with gaps widening in the middle grades
9SOURCE: LADOE 2015-16 Performance Data
Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
3 4 5 6 7 8
2015-16MathProficiency
Math Proficiency by Grade
APSB Local Peer Average State
12 pt. gap
19 pt. gap
Performance Challenge

11.
Additionally, there are significant achievement gaps between
sub-groups within the parish
10
40%
63%
31%
60%
ED Non-ED Non-White White
Math Proficiency by Student Type, 2015-16
23% 29%
Source: APSB Student Performance Data 2015-16 % Proficient or Above. ERS Analysis 2017.
Performance Challenge

12.
While most Avoyelles schools have a high concentration of poverty, relative
differences in schoolwide need may still be impacting student performance
11
83%
60%
65%
49%
Lower School-Level Poverty
(<80% ED)
Higher School-Level Poverty
(>80% ED)
ELA Proficiency by School
Poverty Level
Non-ED Students ED Students
4%
75%
42%
56%
34%
Lower School-Level Poverty
(<80% ED)
Higher School-Level Poverty
(>80% ED)
Math Proficiency by School
Poverty Level
Non-ED Students ED Students
14%
Low-income
students in lower
poverty schools out-
perform non-low
income students in
higher-poverty
schools by 14% in
math and 4% in ELA
Source: Avoyelles Student Performance Data - % Proficient or Above on LEAP 2015-16. ERS Analysis 2017.
Performance Challenge

13.
Avoyelles Parish
Financial Context
12

14.
Avoyelles’ enrollment has been steadily falling since 2005
13Source: LADOE Total Revenue & Total Expenditures Per Pupil 2005-2016
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
Avoyelles Parish Enrollment Over Time

15.
Resulting in a decrease of over $5M in revenue since
2010
14Source: LADOE Total Revenue & Total Expenditures Per Pupil 2005-2016
$0
$10,000,000
$20,000,000
$30,000,000
$40,000,000
$50,000,000
$60,000,000
$70,000,000
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Avoyelles Parish Total Revenue Over Time
Total Revenue Projected Revenue
Note: All numbers adjusted for inflation

16.
As a result, Avoyelles has had to cut expenditures, including a
planned 10% reduction in spending in the 2017-18 school year
15
Source: LADOE Total Revenue & Total Expenditures Per Pupil 2005-2016
$0
$10,000,000
$20,000,000
$30,000,000
$40,000,000
$50,000,000
$60,000,000
$70,000,000
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Avoyelles Parish Total Revenue & Expenditures Over Time
Total Revenue Expenditures Projected Revenue Projected Expenditures
Note: All numbers adjusted for inflation
$7.6 $7.1 $8.1 $8.7 $9.0 $9.2 $9.6 $8.9 $10.0 $9.9 $9.7$ pp

17.
And the Avoyelles community is contributing less per pupil and
as a % of K-12 education than most surrounding communities
22%
33%
26% 26%
32% 33% 29% 34%
42% 41%
22% 25%
17%
13%
16% 14%
12% 13%
14% 10%
22%
14%
18%
20%
61%
54% 57% 61% 55% 54% 57% 56%
36%
45%
60% 55%
2015-16 Per-Pupil Revenue by Revenue Source
State
Federal
Local
16
Source: LADOE Per-Pupil Revenue by Source 2015-16; Louisiana Tax Commission 2016 Annual Report; Louisiana Association of Tax Administrators
Low $pp High $pp
$pp $9.6 $9.7 $9.8 $9.9 $10.3 $10.6 $11.2 $11.5 $11.9 $12.3 $12.4 $12.5
School Bd. Sales
Tax Rate
1.75% 1.5% 2.0% 2.0% 1.5% 2.0% 2.0% 3.0% 2.0% 2.0% 3.0% 2.0%
Total Local
Sales Tax Rate
~4.8% ~5.1% ~5.4% 5.0% ~5.0% ~4.2% ~4.8% 4.5% 5.0% 5.0% ~6.5% ~5.0%

18.
Executive Summary

19.
▪ Avoyelles Parish has strong relationships with its principals.
▪ The district provides a high level of support to its principals and
schools, including investing to ensure they have access to
student and teacher data.
▪ Principals have a great deal of flexibility over how they use their
resources in their schools.
▪ Teachers have time in their schedules to collaborate.
▪ The district uses a multi-measure teacher evaluation system
that is tied to some compensation and career decisions.
▪ The district has put high-quality math and ELA curricula in
place through Eureka Math and state-provided ELA Guidebooks,
and teachers receive significant support around
implementing them.
18
Summary of Strengths

20.
▪ Avoyelles struggles to attract highly qualified teacher
candidates. This is exacerbated by low salary levels.
▪ High turnover further strains the shallow hiring pool and results in
a more novice workforce.
▪ Current human capital processes may prevent Avoyelles from
offering differentiated teacher support, including:
▪ Teacher evaluations may be more positive than warranted
▪ Teachers have access to relatively few leadership opportunities
▪ Schools may vary in how well they have created a growth-oriented adult
culture
▪ Resource use in schools is not particularly strategic,
suggesting that principals may not be taking advantage of existing
flexibilities.
▪ The community appears to lack sufficient trust in the school
system to pass a tax levy that would allow for competitive salaries.
19
Summary of Challenges

21.
20
We will explore potential actions Avoyelles can take to address these
challenges, including both steps the district take now as well as longer-term
actions that will require community support
Challenge Actions to Consider
Avoyelles struggles to attract highly qualified
teacher candidates. To improve its competitiveness and better attract high
quality teachers, APSB should invest to improve its
tracking systems and return to the community with a
specific, targeted ask for support.
The community appears to lack sufficient
trust in the school system to pass a tax levy
that would allow for competitive salaries.
High turnover further strains the shallow
hiring pool and results in a more novice
workforce.
To better retain and support its teachers, APSB should
assess root causes of and address novice teacher
attrition, provide more training to principals to improve
teacher evaluation, assess and improve its
professional growth strategy, and create differentiated
teacher roles.
Current human capital processes may
prevent Avoyelles from offering differentiated
teacher support.
Resource use in schools is not particularly
strategic, suggesting that principals may not
be taking advantage of existing flexibilities.
To empower its school leaders to create strategic
school designs that meet the needs of their students
and teachers, APSB should organize to support and
inform priority school decisions and invest to train
principals on how to create strategic designs.

22.
21
Teaching
School System 20/20 Strategic Vision:
A new approach to how we hire, assign, support, pay,
and promote teachers so that strong candidates
become teachers, good teachers develop into great
teachers, great teachers have opportunities to
advance, and all teachers work in teams to deliver the
best instruction to students.

23.
22
Avoyelles’ struggles to recruit teacher candidates
are the most challenging we’ve seen
# of Applicants
per Position
Description
>12 • Many choices for most positions
• Some choices for hard-to-staff positions
6-12 • Many choices for most positions
• Few choices for hard-to-staff positions
3-6 • Some choices for most positions
• Possible shortage of choices for hard-to-staff
positions
2-3 • Few choices for most positions
• Shortage of choices for hard-to-staff positions
<2 • Critical shortage across all positions Avoyelles
FewerMore
#ofHighQualityCandidates
“Our ability to hire is an ongoing challenge. We have a shortage of teachers, and therefore
we end up accepting lesser quality instruction than we normally would.”
What we heard…
Oklahoma
Texas
New York
Districts we’ve
worked with in…
Recruitment & Retention

24.
As a result, Avoyelles must rely on emergency certification
programs and long-term substitutes to fill many of its vacancies…
40
17
14
11
Number of Teacher Hires by Certification
Program
23Source: Avoyelles Parish 2015-16 and 2016-17 Payroll Data; ERS Analysis
Teaching
Standard
Certification
Standard Teaching Certificates
(Levels 1-3, A, B)
Emergency
Certification
Temporary Authority to Teach
Alternative
Certification
Practitioner Teacher Licenses
Long-Term
Substitutes
Long-term substitute teachers
filling teacher vacancies
1 in 3 teachers hired in Avoyelles are either emergency certified or long-term substitutes

25.
24
…and teachers without standard certification tend to be
rated less effective than their peers
1%
9%
50%
17%
41%
50%
42%
49%
42%
Standard Certification Emergency Certification Alternative Certification
Distribution of Teachers by Evaluation Category and Certification Program
Ineffective Effective: Emerging Effective: Proficient Highly Effective
Source: Avoyelles Parish COMPASS Summative Teacher Evaluations, 2015-16; Avoyelles Parish 2015-16 Payroll Data; ERS Analysis
In 2015-16, no emergency certified teachers were rated highly effective, compared to
nearly half of teachers from standard certification programs
N = 189 N = 4 N = 12
Teaching

26.
25
By improving the data by which the district tracks its hiring, Avoyelles can
better identify and communicate opportunities to improve its hiring process
Key Questions Possible Metrics Data Required
How many applicants per
vacancy are we getting overall
and by position, particularly for
hard-to-fill positions? How has
this changed in recent years?
By position type, the ratio of applicants to number of
vacancies, for each of the last three school years
To answer these questions, you
will need...
- Number of applicants over
the last 3 years
- Number of vacancies over
the last 3 years
- District-defined cut-point to
determine a "high-quality“
new hire
- Recruiting and sourcing
activities, preparation
programs tracked to
individual candidates
What is the quality of our
teacher applicant pool? Are we
attracting better applicants this
year than last? How does this
vary by position type?
Overall and by position type, the number of candidates
who are above the chosen "high quality" cut point for
the district's chosen candidate quality metric or index,
for each of the last few years
Which recruiting and sourcing
activities (e.g., student teachers
and TAs, job fairs, visits, etc.)
yielded a high volume of highly
effective new hires?
For each recruiting activity type:
1. The total number of new hires in the past 3-5
years whose recruitment involved that activity
AND whose first year summative effectiveness
score was above the district average
2. The average first-year effectiveness score of the
new hires whose recruitment involved that activity
3. The percent of new hires whose recruitment
involved that activity whose first year
effectiveness score is above the district average
By tracking this data, you
could discover (for
example) that promoted
TA’s tend to be
comparatively more
effective teachers. As a
result, you might focus
more on identifying talent
within your current TA
pool.
Teaching

27.
Avoyelles loses more teachers than its peers, though
attrition rates have been falling since 2014.
29%
26%
24%
14% 14% 13%
18%
16% 15%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
%ofTeachersLeavingDistrict
Year
Teacher Attrition by Year
Avoyelles
State
Local Peer Median
26Source: LADOE 2017 Workforce Report
Teaching
Turnover at this level is unsustainable for any endeavor, particularly one where
employee quality is so critical to outcomes.

28.
Avoyelles’ high attrition exacerbates the shallow
hiring pool…
27
~75 <1-2
# of Vacancies Applicants per Vacancy
~45 2-3
▪ Currently Avoyelles
experiences 24% turnover:
▪ By reducing this to the local peer
district median of 15% turnover:
Teaching
Source: LADOE District Workforce Report 2017

29.
High attrition rates have also left Avoyelles with a
more novice workforce that has higher PD needs
28
13%
26%
18%
26%
20% 23%
28% 26%
24%
8% 26%
25% 35%
19%
18%
16%
38%
26%
33% 25%
22%
30% 23%
18%
14%
33%
12% 16% 15%
17% 19%
19%
11% 7% 11% 8% 8% 11% 12%
20%
District A District B District C District D District E District F District G Avoyelles
Distribution of Teachers by Years of Experience
Years of Exp
25+
16-24
8-15
3-7
0-2
Sources: Avoyelles 1617 Payroll Data; ERS analysis and Comparison Database
Low Attrition High Attrition
In Marksville & Bunkie
High Schools, roughly
1/3 of teachers are
novice
Teaching

30.
29
It also means that many teachers do not reach the stage of their
careers typically associated with peak effectiveness
Teaching

31.
30
…and helps explain why Avoyelles has fewer effective
teachers than the state or its local peers
14%
46%
31%
10%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Ineffective Emerging Proficient Highly Effective
%ofTeacherswithTGSDData
TSGD Evaluation Distribution*
Avoyelles Local Peer Median State
Just 22% of Avoyelles school leaders agree that “there are enough effective teachers
at my school to achieve our student performance goals”
Source: LADOE District Workforce Report 2017
Note: This teacher effectiveness measure only compares Transitional Student Growth Data (TGSD) rather than the summative rating.
Teaching

32.
31
How else does this affect the student experience?
Alex is starting 5th grade this fall. Three of
Alex’s K-5 teachers have been in their first
three years of the profession and still
learning how to teach…
K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Teaching

33.
32
How else does this affect the student experience?
K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
And by the time he starts 5th grade, three of
his teachers have left the school – As a
result, he feels less known by the adults in
the building
Teaching

34.
When we think about how to attract and retain
effective teachers, we consider six key areas
33
WORKING
CONDITIONS
SALARY
BENEFITS
GROWTH
OPPORTUNITIES
REWARDS
Teaching
CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES
Teaching

35.
34
Over half of teachers leaving Avoyelles go on to teach
in Rapides Parish…
SALARY &
BENEFITS
41
5
4
30
Top Districts to Which Departing
Teachers Transferred (2014-2016)
Rapides Parish
Avoyelles Public
Charter School
East Baton
Rouge Parish
Other Districts
(Unknown)
Source: LADOE District Workforce Report 2017
Teaching
$35,410
$45,410
$41,805
$54,825
Min Salary Max Salary
…whose maximum salary is ~20%
higher than that of Avoyelles
Avoyelles Rapides

36.
35
While the district has taken steps to cultivate teacher leaders
through its Aspiring Leaders program, few formal opportunities or
roles exist for teachers
REWARDS &
CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES
Metric # Metric
Less
Strategic
More
Strategic
Teaching
CareerPath&
Compensation
Effective teachers are given differential compensation for
taking on additional responsibilities, more challenging
assignments, and/or teaching in a subject or specialty
where the market commands a higher salary
District compensation structure and career paths provide
opportunities for teachers to pursue multiple leadership
paths
Teaching
▪ Avoyelles offers a stipend of $400 per semester for teachers serving as New
Teacher Mentors. No other stipended teacher leader roles exist (such as
Curriculum or Assessment Specialists, Master Teachers, Collaborative Time
Facilitators, or Data Coaches).
Source: ERS Interviews
Note: See appendix for more examples of teacher leadership roles

37.
36
Avoyelles ensures teachers have access to content-
focused professional growth opportunities
GROWTH
OPPORTUNITIES
▪ The state network team provides training and support 2-3x each
year to help teachers implement Math and ELA curriculum
▪ Separate from their evaluation cycle, teachers are observed and
receive feedback from instructional coaches biweekly; for new
and struggling teachers, observations are even more frequent
▪ Principals and school supervisors also spend significant time
observing teachers and providing feedback on classroom
instruction
“We’re careful to make sure that when we do offer PD, it
is grounded in our curriculum.”
Teaching

38.
But there are still several opportunities to improve
working conditions in Avoyelles
▪ In Avoyelles secondary schools, out-of-school
suspension rates are as high as 35%
▪ More than a third of Avoyelles students are chronically
tardy or absent
▪ Only 1 secondary school offers lower loads for novice
Math teachers than non-novice
▪ With the number of instructional coaches in the district
decreasing from 10 to 5, the number of teachers per
instructional coach will increase to 60
37
WORKING
CONDITIONS
Teaching
Source: Avoyelles Parish 2016-17 Course Schedule Data; Avoyelles Parish 2016-17 Payroll File; Louisiana Department of Education 2015-16 Truancy & Suspension Data; ERS Analysis
Teaching
*Note: In Louisiana, a student is considered truant when s/he is tardy or absent for 5 or more days in a month

39.
38
Though Avoyelles is fully implementing the state’s multi-dimensional
evaluation system, there are still opportunities for principals to norm on
scoring
14%
46%
31%
10%
Ineffective Emerging Proficient Highly Effective
TSGD Distribution
0%
11%
42%
47%
Ineffective Emerging Proficient Highly Effective
Summative Rating Distribution
%ofEvaluatedTeachers
Teaching
Source: Avoyelles Parish 2015-16 COMPASS Evaluation Data; LADOE Workforce Report 2017; ERS Analysis
Just 22% of Avoyelles school leaders agreed that “there are enough effective teachers at my
school to achieve our student performance goals,” yet they rate 89% of their teachers as
proficient or above despite evidence that teachers are not performing at that level.

40.
In Tulsa, principals normed together to achieve a wider distribution, though they
were still reluctant to rate teachers as ineffective…
Source: Tulsa TLE Data, 2013-14; ERS Analysis.
1%
17%
62%
17%
3%
1 2 3 4 5
%ofteachers
Value-Add Score Distribution
0% 1% 1%
15%
6%
9% 8%7% 5%6% 5% 3% 2% 1% 1%
1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8 4.0 4.2 4.4 4.6 4.8 5.0
%ofteachers
Tulsa: Distribution Principal Observations Tulsa has largely achieved a wide
distribution, with only 12% of teachers
receiving ratings of highly effective.
0%
5%
200
206
212
218
224
230
236
242
248
254
260
266
272
278
284
290
296
302
308
314
320
326
332
338
344
350
356
362
368
374
380
386
392
398
%ofteachers
7 C’s Student Survey Rating Distribution
Value-add scores can be used to
corroborate and norm principal evaluations
Tulsa student surveys create more well-
rounded evaluations.
39
Teaching

41.
40
A rigorous evaluation system is essential for district and school leaders to
create working environments that meet teachers’ needs and help them grow
Strategy Use Evaluation Data To…
Recruitment ▪ Assess hiring source quality by tracking evaluation data for
recent hires
Assignment ▪ Identify schools, grade levels and content areas with highest-
need teachers
▪ Match effective teachers to struggling students
▪ Limit the teaching load of struggling teachers
Professional Growth ▪ Ensure all teacher teams include a highly effective teacher
▪ Tie individual professional growth to teachers’ evaluation data
▪ Target districtwide professional growth based on trends across
grade levels or content areas
Career Opportunities ▪ Offer greater salary increases for highly effective teachers
▪ Prioritize leadership roles for highly effective teachers
▪ Limit salary increases and/or manage out consistently
ineffective teachers
Teaching

42.
41
Leadership
School System 20/20 Strategic Vision:
Clear standards for principals and district
administrators, investment in the tools they need to
succeed, and processes to measure their performance
and hold them accountable.
School Support
School System 20/20 Strategic Vision:
Staff and systems that leverage data and technology
to increase efficiency and accountability and identify
best practices.

43.
More Avoyelles Parish principals are likely to recommend working as a
school leader in their district than we’ve ever seen elsewhere
90%
56%
44% 42%
31%
10% 6% 6%
-37%
-55%
Avoyelles District A District B District C District D District E District F District G District H District I
Net Promoter Score
42Source: ERS Principal Survey; ERS Comparative Database; ERS Analysis
Note: Net Promoter Scores are calculated by subtracting the % of respondents labeled ‘detractors’ (those responding 0-6 on likelihood to recommend) from %
of respondents labeled “promoters” (those responding 9-10 on likelihood to recommend)
LeadershipSchool Support
In business, NPS is a great leading indicator of a company’s profitability.

44.
43
…and are highly satisfied with the growth opportunities
and district-provided support they receive
Source: ERS Principal Survey; ERS Comparison Database; ERS Analysis
LeadershipSchool Support
100% 100% 100% 100%
70%
86%
50%
68%
Effective school leaders in my
district are given opportunities to
grow with challenging
assignments.
My current school assignment
provides me the greatest
opportunity to have impact and
grow professionally.
The district provides high-quality
professional development to me
and the other instructional experts
in my school to build capacity to
support rigorous, college- and
career-ready standard-aligned
instruction in our school
The district provides me with the
support and training I need to be
effective.
% of Principals who Agree/Strongly Agree
Avoyelles National Peer Average

45.
44
And through partnership with the Orchard Foundation and the state,
Avoyelles provides high-quality training and opportunities for current and
potential school leaders
Metric
Less
Strategic
More
Strategic
Leadership
ProfessionalGrowth
The district ensures intensive school leadership training
matched to developmental needs throughout a career.
The district strategically identifies potential leaders and
offers professional development and support to create
pathways to leadership.
The district systematically places promising potential
leaders where they can have the greatest impact and
growth.
Source: District interviews; ERS Comparison Database; ERS Analysis
LeadershipSchool Support

46.
School Design
School System 20/20 Strategic Vision:
A reimagined school day with new schedules,
dynamic groupings and targeted instruction.
45
Effective Schools

47.
Expert-led
Collaborative Work
Organize sufficient time for
teaching teams to improve
instruction with content experts
Maximized
Teaching Talent
Attract and retain the best teachers,
ensure all teachers have ongoing
access to growth-oriented feedback,
and design and assign roles and
responsibilities to match skills to
school and student need
Empowering
Curriculum Instruction
and Assessment
Uphold rigorous, college-and-
career-ready standards and use
effective curricula, instructional
strategies, and assessments
to achieve them
Personalized Time
and Attention
Match student grouping, learning
time, technology and program to
individual student needs
Responsive
School Community
Ensure students are deeply known
and more intensive social and
emotional supports are integrated
when necessary
Growth-oriented
Adult Culture
Grow a collaborative culture
where teachers and leaders share
ownership of a common instructional
vision and student learning
Avoyelles can leverage its strong relationships with school leaders to empower
them to create strategic school designs that work for students and teachers
46
Transformational School Leadership
School Design
46

48.
Expert-led
Collaborative Work
Organize sufficient time for
teaching teams to improve
instruction with content experts
Maximized
Teaching Talent
Attract and retain the best teachers,
ensure all teachers have ongoing
access to growth-oriented feedback,
and design and assign roles and
responsibilities to match skills to
school and student need
Empowering
Curriculum Instruction
and Assessment
Uphold rigorous, college-and-
career-ready standards and use
effective curricula, instructional
strategies, and assessments
to achieve them
Personalized Time
and Attention
Match student grouping, learning
time, technology and program to
individual student needs
Responsive
School Community
Ensure students are deeply known
and more intensive social and
emotional supports are integrated
when necessary
Growth-oriented
Adult Culture
Grow a collaborative culture
where teachers and leaders share
ownership of a common instructional
vision and student learning
Avoyelles can leverage its strong relationships with school leaders to empower
them to create strategic school designs that work for students and teachers
47
Transformational School Leadership
In Progress
In Progress
School Design
47

49.
Avoyelles school leaders have budget and program
flexibility to enact strategic design decisions
48
Metric # Metric
Less
Strategic
More
Strategic
SchoolDesign
Flexibility
Schools have flexibility over how they spend their budget,
including class size and staffing ratios, and can trade staff
positions, positions for $, and $ for positions.
Schools have the flexibility to hire teachers whose skills and
expertise match school and student needs.
Schools have the flexibility to vary teacher teams,
assignments, and schedules with data support in order to
provide time for collaboration and match resources to
student needs.
Schools have the flexibility to make schedule changes
without a contract renegotiation or a full faculty vote.
Schools have the flexibility to focus professional
development time and budget in high-priority areas.
School Design
Source: ERS Interviews

50.
49
…and these flexibilities appear widely known by principals
1
2
1
2
6
2
5
7
4
5
2
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
To make changes to my school’s
schedule and staffing
Over professional growth resources
To hire the right teachers
Over a significant portion of my
school’s staffing and budget
Principal Responses
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
I have Flexibility….
% of Principals who Strongly
Agree/Agree
Avoyelles Nat’l Peer Median
78% 46%
78% 68%
100% 56%
100% 71%
School Design
Source: ERS Principal Survey 2017

51.
50
Block scheduling in Avoyelles secondary schools allows innovative use
of student and teacher time, though it comes with inherent trade-offs
Adapted from “Trends and Issues in HS Scheduling,” Dr. Michael Rettig, School Scheduling Associates
TeachersStudents
Fewer Transitions: There are fewer class
transitions, which lead to more daily teaching time
and fewer disruptions.
Narrow Focus: Students can focus on narrowed
set of classes each day and experience fewer
quizzes, tests, and assignments.
Semester Rotation: The semester schedule
provides opportunities to remediate or accelerate
students second semester, based on their first
semester performance.
Lower Loads: Teachers have lower
teaching loads on any given day
Longer Planning Time: There are longer,
uninterrupted blocks of planning time
Instruction Variety: Teachers can utilize a
variety of instruction methods due to longer
blocks of time
School Design
Trade-offs
Lower Utilization Rates: Teachers teach for a smaller percentage of their day due to their
increased planning time. This can cause increased class sizes or will require additional staff to
keep class sizes constant.
Student Absences: Student absences can have a greater effect, since classes now meet fewer
times over the course of a semester; this also means they could be absent and not miss a class.

52.
Despite these enabling conditions for strategic school designs, few schools
appear to be differentiating time and attention based on student need
1
4
2
4
4
3
3
3
4
3
4
3
5
4
4
5
6
3
3
6
4
1
1
1
1
3
2
1
1
1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Centers/stations
Smaller class sizes/loads for high-priority areas
Push in Support
Lower group sizes for below proficient students
Larger class sizes in lower priority areas
Family (team or cohort) model
Small group tutoring
Skill based intervention/enrichment block
Below proficient students are double blocked
Additional time for below proficient students
Principal reported frequency of School Based Practices
Rarely or Never Sometimes Mostly Always
51Source: ERS Principal Survey
TimeIndividualAttention
Personalized Time & AttentionSchool Design

53.
Despite these enabling conditions for strategic school designs, few schools
appear to be differentiating time and attention based on student need
1
4
2
4
4
3
3
3
4
3
4
3
5
4
4
5
6
3
3
6
4
1
1
1
1
3
2
1
1
1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Centers/stations
Smaller class sizes/loads for high-priority areas
Push in Support
Lower group sizes for below proficient students
Larger class sizes in lower priority areas
Family (team or cohort) model
Small group tutoring
Skill based intervention/enrichment block
Below proficient students are double blocked
Additional time for below proficient students
Principal reported frequency of School Based Practices
Rarely or Never Sometimes Mostly Always
52Source: ERS Principal Survey
TimeIndividualAttention
Personalized Time & AttentionSchool Design
While block
scheduling enables
double blocking, few
principals report
using this strategy

54.
53
1239
1208
Avoyelles National Peer Average
Total Annual Student Hours
64% 66%
63%
Avoyelles - Below
Proficient Students
Avoyelles - Proficient
Students
National Peer
Average
74%
% Time in Core Instruction in Secondary Schools
1276
Strategic
Schools
Strategic Schools
Source: Avoyelles course schedule data, ERS Database. ERS Analysis 2017
*Proficiency Status based on Math Performance.
Furthermore, while Avoyelles has a fairly long student year, students
spend a smaller percentage of their time in core academic subjects
Personalized Time & AttentionSchool Design
This difference is
roughly the equivalent
of 3 additional core
academic classes over
a student’s 4-year
career.

55.
One exception is that Avoyelles Schools are providing two additional classes
in the critical subject of math for below-proficient students
55%
28%
Below Proficient Students
% of Below Proficient Students
Receiving Extra Instructional Time
Math ELA
54Source: Avoyelles 2016-17 Course Schedule Data, 2015-16 Student Performance Data, ERS Analysis
Personalized Time & AttentionSchool Design
Over half of Avoyelles
students who are below
proficient in math receive
the equivalent of at least 2
additional classes over a
student’s four-year career.
But our data do not allow
us to examine how much
of that is the result of
students retaking failed
classes.

56.
Teachers in high-priority content areas are not experiencing differentiated
teacher loads to provide sufficient attention to students in those subjects
125 123
100
107
85
100
ELA Math
Teacher Load
9th Grade 7th-12th Grade Avg Strategic Schools
55Source: Avoyelles Parish 2016-17 Course Schedule Data, 2016-15 Student Performance Data, ERS Analysis
Personalized Time & AttentionSchool Design

57.
Teacher collaboration is a key part of effective professional
learning
56
Rigorous, Comprehensive
Curricula and
Assessments
Content-focused,
Expert-led Collaboration
Growth-oriented
Feedback
▪ Highly detailed
▪ Carefully vetted
▪ Designed for teacher adaptation
▪ Continuously improved
▪ Content-focused teams
▪ Access to content experts
▪ Sufficient time
▪ Agendas, protocols and tools
▪ Culture of trust and agency
▪ Personalized attention
▪ Sufficient time for observation
and feedback
▪ Support for experts
…leads to continuous student learning and teacher growth
Source: Igniting the Learning Engine whitepaper from ERS analysis of professional learning systems funded by the Gates Foundation.
Adult Culture, Collaborative Work & Professional GrowthSchool Design

58.
57
While teachers have time in their schedules to collaborate, principals report
mixed practices in the amount of weekly time teachers spend in teams
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
missing <30 minutes 30-60 minutes 60-90 minutes >90 minutes
#ofPrincipals
Principal-Reported Weekly Collaboration Time
ES SS
Principal Reported Avoyelles Nat’l Peer Average
Average minutes per week that teachers meet in shared
content teams
68 min 64 min
Only two
principals
report
best
practice
Source: ERS Principal Survey 2017; ERS Analysis
Adult Culture, Collaborative Work & Professional GrowthSchool Design

59.
Both school and district leaders report that the use of collaborative time and its
supports vary across schools, in part due to a lack of a growth-oriented adult culture
58Source: ERS Principal Survey, Qualitative Interviews, ERS Analysis 2017.
Adult Culture, Collaborative Work & Professional GrowthSchool Design
78%
53%
83%
76%
81%
78%
67%
81%
“Teaching teams use
collaborative planning
time productively, as
evidenced by the use
of clear purposes,
agendas, and
protocols.”
Percent of teams that
have at least one
highly effective
teachers
Percent of teams that
are led by an expert
facilitator
Percent of teachers
that meet weekly in
teams to plan and
adjust content
Principal-Reported Estimates
Avoyelles National Peer Average “The makeup of team varies by
school. Some high schools have done
teams by subject, some haven’t. The
ones that collaborate by subject
area are much more successful.”
“Part of the challenge is the culture;
part of it is the negative idea about
‘missing their time off.’ Teachers
have had negative views of teaming
that were there before our new
superintendent got here.
We haven’t established a culture –
teachers don’t feel like they can lead
other teachers; they don’t have
confidence in themselves.”

60.
59
Avoyelles principals report some strategies to match teachers to subjects and students,
but fewer utilize strategies to differentiate the role based on experience or effectiveness
1
3
1
5
2
3
4
2
2
2
3
4
4
1
1
2
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
new and struggling teachers lower class sizes
new and struggling teachers fewer preps
highly effective teachers to classrooms w/ high need
students
teachers to student groups with which they are most
effective (Giffen model)
highly effective teachers to most critical subjects
Principal reported frequency of School Based Practices
Rarely or Never Sometimes Mostly Always
Assign…
Maximizing Teacher TalentSchool Design
Source: ERS Principal Survey 2017.

61.
Avoyelles has begun to provide critical pieces of data necessary to
inform strategic design decisions
60
Data Type Recommended Frequency & Timing
Provided by
Avoyelles
Student enrollment and demographic data Annually, before next school year
Budget and/or staffing allocations Annually, with time to review, adjust, and submit
State assessment data Annually, before next school year
Formative assessment data 4-6x/year
Unit assessment and/or progress
monitoring data
Every 6-8 weeks
As requested
Teacher effectiveness data Mid-Year and End-of-Year ratings End-of-year
summative
rating only
Teacher and student assignment Annually, before hiring and scheduling is finalized
Student class size Annually, before hiring and scheduling is finalized
Time spent in core subjects Annually, before hiring and scheduling is finalized
Student “on-track” metrics, including
grades, attendance, and behavior data
Live-time
School Design
Source: ERS Interviews

62.
Actions to Consider

63.
62
Summary of Challenges and Actions to Consider
Challenge Actions to Consider
Avoyelles struggles to attract highly qualified
teacher candidates. To improve its competitiveness and better attract high
quality teachers, APSB should invest to improve its
tracking systems and return to the community with a
specific, targeted ask for support.
The community appears to lack sufficient
trust in the school system to pass a tax levy
that would allow for competitive salaries.
High turnover further strains the shallow
hiring pool and results in a more novice
workforce.
To better retain and support its teachers, APSB should
assess root causes of and address novice teacher
attrition, provide more training to principals to improve
teacher evaluation, assess and improve its
professional growth strategy, and create differentiated
teacher roles.
Current human capital processes may
prevent Avoyelles from offering differentiated
teacher support.
Resource use in schools is not particularly
strategic, suggesting that principals may not
be taking advantage of existing flexibilities.
To empower its school leaders to create strategic
school designs that meet the needs of their students
and teachers, APSB should organize to support and
inform priority school decisions and invest to train
principals on how to create strategic designs.

64.
63
Recommendations and key actions to consider
To improve its competitiveness and better attract high-
quality teachers, Avoyelles Parish should consider:
1. Invest to improve applicant information tracking to better
understand strengths and areas of opportunity in the hiring
pipeline and to improve ability to communicate need.
2. Return to the community with a specific, targeted ask for support.
3. Consider participating in the upcoming LADOE pilot program for
post-baccalaureate interns.
Recommendations

65.
64
By improving the data by which the district tracks its hiring, Avoyelles
can better identify and communicate opportunities to improve its
hiring process and track improvement over time
Recommendations Key
Action #1
Key Questions Possible Metrics Data Required
How many applicants per
vacancy are we getting overall
and by position, particularly for
hard-to-fill positions? How has
this changed in recent years?
By position type, the ratio of applicants to number of
vacancies, for each of the last three school years
To answer these questions, you
will need...
- Number of applicants over
the last 3 years
- Number of vacancies over
the last 3 years
- District-defined cut-point to
determine a "high-quality“
new hire
- Recruiting and sourcing
activities, preparation
programs tracked to
individual candidates
What is the quality of our
teacher applicant pool? Are we
attracting better applicants this
year than last? How does this
vary by position type?
Overall and by position type, the number of candidates
who are above the chosen "high quality" cut point for
the district's chosen candidate quality metric or index,
for each of the last few years
Which recruiting and sourcing
activities (e.g., student teachers
and TAs, job fairs, visits, etc.)
yielded a high volume of highly
effective new hires?
For each recruiting activity type:
1. The total number of new hires in the past 3-5
years whose recruitment involved that activity
AND whose first year summative effectiveness
score was above the district average
2. The average first-year effectiveness score of the
new hires whose recruitment involved that activity
3. The percent of new hires whose recruitment
involved that activity whose first year
effectiveness score is above the district average
By tracking this data, you
could discover (for
example) that promoted
TA’s tend to be
comparatively more
effective teachers. As a
result, you might focus
more on identifying talent
within your current TA
pool.

66.
1. Highlight Avoyelles’ strengths and successes, such as increasing
ELA proficiency rates and strong support for principals.
2. Outline Avoyelles’ critical needs and their impact on students,
namely around a shallow hiring pool and high turnover.
3. Illustrate how these needs are not being met, in part due to lower
local tax rates.
4. Identify the actions Avoyelles wants to take and required
resources, such as raising salaries for teachers at various career
points as part of a broader effort to improve the value proposition.
65
Avoyelles should consider returning to the community
with a targeted, specific ask for support
Recommendations Key
Action #2

67.
66
Recommendations and Key Actions to Consider
Recommendation: Avoyelles Parish should organize its
human capital strategy to better retain and support its
teachers.
Key Actions to Consider:
1. Assemble a high-capacity team to improve novice teacher
retention by assessing root causes and implementing and
monitoring targeted intervention.
2. Invest to improve the evaluation of teachers across the system to
inform differentiated growth and leadership opportunities
3. Pursue a connected professional learning strategy that fosters a
growth-oriented adult culture.
4. Determine a districtwide approach to creating differentiated roles
that support teacher development.
Recommendations

68.
67
Assemble a high-capacity team to improve novice teacher retention by
assessing root causes and implementing and monitoring targeted
intervention
Identify root causes
of novice teacher
attrition
Create a specific,
measurable, and
attainable goal
Prioritize set of
interventions aimed
to address these
causes
Assess progress
against root causes,
adjust interventions
E.g., targeted supports, redesigned career pathways,
differentiated working conditions
E.g., Conduct
focus groups,
create exit
surveys
E.g., 10%
improvement in
retention rate by
2018
Recommendations Key
Action #1

69.
To norm on a definition of “effectiveness” across schools, and
use that to drive decisions, Avoyelles should:
▪ Provide additional training and support around the use
of COMPASS to ensure evaluations are normed across
schools.
▪ Explore a broad array of potential uses of effectiveness data
by incorporating data into reports and tools that shed light
on staffing, PD, hiring, and other human capital practices.
68
Recommendations Key
Action #2

70.
Step 1: Assess the district’s current state and norm on a
shared vision for what professional growth and
collaboration will look like in Avoyelles schools.
Step 2: Determine specific initiatives or changes district
and schools need to make to achieve this new vision and
how the district needs to organize to support them.
Step 3: Implement this plan, ensuring teachers and school
leaders have opportunities for feedback and continuous
improvement.
69
Pursue a connected professional learning strategy that
fosters a growth-oriented adult culture
* Note: See Appendix for more resources
Recommendations Key
Action #3

71.
Determine a districtwide approach to creating
differentiated roles that support teacher development
Connect teacher leader roles to existing programs and trainings,
namely the Aspiring Leaders program, to create explicit ways for
teachers to step up and put their training to use.
70
Consider leveraging existing teacher release time in block schedules
and allow teacher leaders to play larger roles in professional
development as the district’s number of instructional coaches
decrease. Teacher leaders could lead collaborative planning time, do
classroom observations, and help review lesson plans.
Identify additional opportunities and roles for novice teachers
to receive additional supports, such as apprentice teacher roles
and an expanded mentorship program, and have exposure to
early leadership opportunities for effective teachers.
Recommendations Key
Action #4

72.
71
Recommendations and Key Actions to Consider
Recommendation: Avoyelles Parish should empower its
school leaders to create strategic school designs that
meet the needs of their students and teachers.
Key Actions to Consider:
1. Assemble a team to align central office structures, processes,
and data to support principals in creating strategic school
designs.
2. Provide training to principals to understand key strategic design
principles and opportunities.
Recommendations

73.
Step 1: Decide which decisions the district needs to
support principals in making
Source: ERS Talent Decision Planner (Adapted)
72
What decisions need to be made,
grouped into the following areas
When decisions
should be made
Recommendations Key
Action #1

74.
Step 2: Determine the right timing and audience for
each of these decisions
73
Decisions
effective staff
make
Guiding
questions
needed to make
each decision
Metrics and
data needed to
answer each
question
…organized into
the optimal data
display to
answer the
question
ERS is supporting TPS with using the Talent Decision Planner…
Recommendations Key
Action #1

75.
Step 3: Create the metrics and reports needed
to support these decisions
Key Questions Example Metrics
Data & Processing
Required
Recruitment
and Hiring
▪ Does the hiring process result
in high-quality teacher hires?
▪ Are new hires becoming more
effective over time?
▪ % of new hires effective/
ineffective by hiring source
▪ New teacher effectiveness
trends
▪ Hiring Sources
▪ # of applicants per
position
▪ # of offers
accepted/rejected
and why
Assignment
▪ Do high-need schools have an
equal or higher concentration
of effective teachers?
▪ Do neediest students have
access to effective teachers?
▪ % highly effective teachers in
highest/lowest poverty schools
▪ % highly effective teachers with
neediest student groups
▪ Student-teacher
linkages across data
sets.
▪ Teacher IDs that link
across data sets
Growth
▪ Does the professional growth
support result in improved
practices for teachers?
▪ Change in same-teacher
ratings
▪ Correlation between supports
and change in teacher ratings
▪ Consistent
measures of teacher
ratings over time
Retention
▪ Does the district retain top
performers at higher rates than
lower performers?
▪ % teachers retained by
effectiveness rating
▪ Retention and
attrition data
74
Recommendations Key
Action #1

76.
Step 4: Align central office supports around key
milestones
Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Summer
Central
Office Data
Supports
Provide
Interim
Data
Report
Provide
school-level
reports on
resource
metrics
Enrollment
Projections
Best Practice
Personalization
Strategies PL
Provide
Interim Data
Report
Provide mid-
year teacher
evaluation
report
Updated
Enrollment
Projections
Strategic
Budgeting
PL
Release
budget data
Anticipated
Teacher
vacancy
Report
Provide
Interim Data
Report
Strategic
Staffing PL
Provide
Interim Data
Report
Provide
end-of-
year
teacher
evaluatio
n report
Provide State
Assessment
Data Report
Principal
Supervisor
Supports
Set goals with
principal based on
data
Review student data and
discuss strategies to
address most urgent needs
Discuss proposed
investments and
necessary resource
trade-offs
Review budget proposal
for alignment to strategy
Review final schedule
and teaching
assignments
Review
teacher needs
and proposed
professional
learning plan
for next year
Principal
Decision
Milestones
Review student data
and identify urgent
student needs
Select
strategies that
address urgent
needs
Identify bell
schedule
that will
support
strategies
Determine
necessary
investments
and
proposed
trade-offs to
enable
strategies
Draft budget
that aligns
to strategies
Finalize
budget
Determine
staffing
assignments
based on
teacher
need/capacity
Identify
vacancy needs
Hire for
vacant
positions
Plan for
implementat
ion of
strategies
Finalize
master
schedule
with
course
requests
Draft
professional
learning plan
for next year
Plan progress
monitoring
structures for
next year
Data & Support Types
Student Performance
& Strategy Design
Budget & Scheduling
Teacher Support &
Assignment
Recommendations
75
Key
Action #1

77.
Over the next year, Avoyelles can begin to incorporate training
for principals centered around the school design process
76
Recommendations
Clarify
the Vision
Assess
the Need
Design
the Strategy
Make it
Work
Implement
& Monitor
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5
Throughout the process, strategic leaders
reflect and revise initial answers and approach each step
with a willingness to make trade-offs.
Key
Action #2

78.
Over the next year, Avoyelles can begin to incorporate training
for principals centered around the school design process
77
Recommendations
Clarify
the Vision
Assess
the Need
Design
the Strategy
Make it
Work
Implement
& Monitor
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5
Throughout the process, strategic leaders
reflect and revise initial answers and approach each step
with a willingness to make trade-offs.
Help principals understand
different design options available
to them, such as small-group
tutoring or targeted and flexible
intervention blocks.
Work with principals to help them
understand how to consider
resource reallocations and
changes to schedules, staff, or
budget to implement their
chosen design essentials.
Encourage principals to define
specific visions for their schools
that are directly connected to
their schools’ most urgent needs.
Key
Action #2

79.
78
In order to pursue these actions, Avoyelles should assemble
working groups who can dedicate necessary time and capacity
Human Capital
Working Group
Principals and
Academics Staff
Tax Campaign Working
Group
Data Team
Superintendent & Cabinet
Recommendations

80.
79
In order to pursue these actions, Avoyelles should assemble
working groups who can dedicate necessary time and capacity
Human Capital
Working Group
Principals and
Academics Staff
Tax Campaign Working
Group
Data Team
Superintendent & Cabinet
Recommendations
The Superintendent &
cabinet will work in concert
with these groups

81.
80
In order to pursue these actions, Avoyelles should assemble
working groups who can dedicate necessary time and capacity
Human Capital
Working Group
Principals and
Academics Staff
Tax Campaign Working
Group
Data Team
Superintendent & Cabinet
Recommendations
A data team will also work
in concert with these
groups to determine what
data the district needs to
pursue these priorities

82.
81
Consider creating a Human Capital working group
that does the following:
Recruiting
• Participate in the Louisiana state pilot for post-baccalaureate teacher internships
• Consider ways to encourage Teaching Assistants to transition to teachers, including
a tuition reimbursement program
• Cultivate relationships with specific universities and their professors. For example,
Avoyelles could negotiate a program where college professors provide PD and support
to student teachers in exchange for a stipend
• Conduct focus groups with members of the local community, such as parents of
students in the district, people who have been recently laid off, career changers, or
recent retirees to understand what would lead them to enter the teaching force – such as
part-time positions – and how to proactively communicate these opportunities to them
Retention
• Convene focus groups to identify challenges of existing teachers to understand and
address root causes of attrition
• Work to improve other aspects of the value proposition beyond salary increases to
address teachers’ concerns directly
• Communicate with teachers and make specific requests that they stay
Recommendations

83.
82
Principals and Academics staff could work together
to do the following:
Create a school culture of continuous learning and growth
• Provide targeted training and opportunities to norm for principals to enable better
differentiation of teachers through the evaluation process. Together, the district and
principals need to define what high-quality instruction looks like and how to identify it in
the classroom. This could include watching videos of successful instruction or doing
group observations.
• Collectively define what successful teacher collaboration and adult culture should
look like in Avoyelles. Team members could watch videos, read case studies, or even
observe other schools as part of this process. This includes determining what elements
will be district-defined or up to schools’ discretion
• After aligning on a vision for collaboration and adult culture, the team should define an
approach for how to achieve that vision. The district may need to pursue additional
training for teachers to get them bought into the vision or even working with technical
assistance providers.
Recommendations

84.
83
Principals and Academics staff could work together
to do the following:
Strategic School Design
• Ensure district enabling conditions needed for strategic school designs. This means
aligning district office structures, processes, and data to help principals in this work.
Together, school and district leaders need to define the key decisions principals must
make and when and what supports they need to do so. This may involve redesigning
school funding systems, budget and planning processes and timelines, central supports,
and union agreements to enable the practices of strategic school design.
• Create a series of trainings for principals on the school design process. This
training should align to district milestones as well as cover topics such as
• Defining a specific school vision
• Exploring and ultimately deciding on different design options, such as double
blocking or an intervention block
• How to implement chosen design options, in terms of staffing and scheduling
• Engage schools in support and training for strategic school design, with deep support
for a cohort of up to 5 of the neediest schools or principals. This deep cohort
support could be done in partnership with ERS through the state School Design grant.
Recommendations

85.
84
Consider assembling a tax campaign working group
Recommendations
Community support for Recruiting and Retention
• Assemble a team of district leaders, including communications staff, to support
board members in crafting a request for specific, targeted support
• This request should use data to highlight the district’s strengths, outline its
challenges and their impact on students, and make a case for what the district
needs to address these challenges
• The team should also work to identify and mobilize the most likely proponents of
the increase, including parents of Avoyelles students and to identify and address
concerns of potential opponents

86.
85
Consider assembling a data team that does the
following:
Recruiting, Retention, & Strategic School Design
• Create a multi-year data plan, particularly with respect to human capital and school-
design metrics, starting with recruiting and retention indicators
• Assign a team with clear objectives and authority
• Conduct inventory of data the district currently provides
• Use a tool such as ERS’ Talent Decision Planner to identify highest priority metrics
and reports. The team will need to define the key questions the district seeks to answer
and outline what it will take to answer them.
• For retention, the district may want to know more information about who is leaving
the district. To answer this question, district leaders will need to be able to match
employees across multiple years of HR data to easily identify who has left, as well
as be able to match employees across other data sources, such as evaluations.
• Create a list of the changes necessary to create these metrics and supports and a
timeline for acting on them
• For the retention example, this could require unique teacher IDs that match
across files, and could lead to a report that consolidates a teacher’s assignment,
evaluation data, school assignment, and job title.
Recommendations

87.
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Budget Hold’em for Districts
DESIGN
School Designer

88.
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89.
Local comparison districts serve as benchmarks for student
performance and local market comparisons
88
Peer District
PreK-12
Enrollment
(000s)
Reported $
per pupil (all
funds)
#
Schools
% Free or
Reduced
Lunch
% English
Language
Learners
% Special
Education
Avoyelles 5,735 $9,630 11 84% 1% 8%
Peer District Median 5,887 $10,877 12 79% 1% 11%
Evangeline Parish 6,038 $9,862 13 78% 0% 12%
Morehouse Parish 4,212 $12,533 8 87% 1% 14%
St. Bernard Parish 7,520 $12,342 12 82% 3% 10%
St. Martin Parish 8,372 $10,573 17 76% 1% 10%
Vermilion Parish 9,654 $9,657 21 65% 2% 11%
Catahoula Parish 1,437 $12,427 6 79% 0% 11%
Concordia Parish 3,399 $11,182 11 79% 1% 11%
LaSalle Parish 2,645 $11,473 9 64% 0% 9%
Pointe Coupee Parish 2,924 $11,917 6 85% 1% 12%
Rapides Parish 23,820 $10,277 48 71% 2% 11%
St. Landry Parish 14,320 $9,777 34 82% 1% 12%
Source: Louisiana DOE October 2015 Enrollment Counts & 2015-16 Total Reported Revenue

90.
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Example Teacher Leader Roles
Role Description
Multi-Classroom Leader
An excellent teacher who leads a team of teachers, co-teaching, co-planning, and providing on-
the-job development, with accountability for team’s student outcomes
Hybrid Teacher-Leader
An excellent teacher who combines part-time teaching with any of the roles below or other
leadership roles – such as policy advocacy, recording video lessons many other teachers may
use, etc.
Department/Content chair
or Grade-level chair
Acts as liaison between administration and colleagues; may include instructional leadership and
administrative duties
Mentor or coach Serves as role model and coach to a new teacher
Instructional
specialist/coach
Helps colleagues implement effective teaching strategies in a specific subject or for a specific
student population
Data coach Helps teachers interpret student data and identify instructional strategies
Curriculum or
assessment specialist
Leads teachers to develop standards and follow curriculum and/or to develop aligned
assessments
Professional learning
facilitator/PLC
Facilitates staff professional development
Master teacher Refers to most advanced role in a teacher’s career; responsibilities vary
Lead teacher
Leads in co-taught class, leads teacher team, and/or works with new or struggling teachers to
improve instruction
Source: Adapted from Opportunity Culture

91.
▪ Teacher Professional Diagnostic Assessment, an online
assessment through which Avoyelles can compare its
current teacher professional learning model against
strategic practices
▪ Teacher surveys, such as the TELL survey or TNTP
Insight Survey
▪ Additional resources on building an adult culture
available through ERS’ School Designer
90
Professional Learning and Adult Culture Resources

92.
School Profile: Professional adult culture through teacher
teaming at UP Academy
Introduction: Teacher collaboration through shared-content
teaching teams is a foundation for the early success of UP Academy
in Dorchester, MA. Teachers who share the same grade and subject
team up to plan lessons, analyze assessment data and adjust
instruction accordingly.
As you watch the video, consider:
▪ What structures or processes did teachers at Up Academy use to
build and sustain a professional adult culture?
Video: Link
91Source: ERS

93.
▪ ERS’s School Designer is a free online tool that details
example designs and provides guidance on how to
implement those designs.
▪ Designing Schools That Work, an ERS publication that
provides an overview and examples of strategic school
designs.
▪ ERS Design Profile, a resource school teams can complete
over the course of their planning process to help document
decisions and guide implementation.
▪ Revere Freshman Academy or Targeted Intervention at
Burke High School, videos profiling the design and
implementation of school designs in action.
92
Additional Resources: Strategic School Design