Services to Partner Districts

Springboard Schools has established a track record of success in providing services to its partner districts. District partnerships consist of three phases of work: an assessment phase, a planning phase, and a monitoring phase.

Phase 1: The District Assessment

During the assessment phase, Springboard Schools helps partner districts evaluate current practice against the areas of work that Springboard Schools has determined relate most closely to instruction. The assessment includes three components:

• A thorough review of student achievement data, with emphasis on the performance of students scoring below proficiency on state tests
• A review of existing district documents including the LEA plan, any strategic plans, accreditation reports, and other important documents
• An online survey that measures staff experience of the status of best practices implementation

The reviews of student achievement data and district documents, as well as informal discussions with district staff, are used to determine which questions will be asked of participants in the online survey. Survey results are added to the other sources of data listed above, and from a careful analysis of all data, district and Springboard Schools staff identify one or more focused areas of need.

Phase 2: The Instructional Action Plan

Once the assessment has been completed, Springboard Schools and the district create an instructional action plan (or modify an existing plan) to address the areas of need. The plan establishes specific targets for academic growth with particular emphasis on students below proficiency. The plan includes the strategies and activities that will be used to achieve those targets. Wherever possible, targets are aligned to existing state and federal requirements.

Phase 3: Monitoring the Plan

Once the plan is complete, professional learning communities and ongoing inquiry processes are established at classroom, school, and district levels. Practitioners meet regularly to inquire into the implementation and effectiveness of strategies that support instruction; they review data and determine what is working well and where improvements are needed.

An essential component of the work in all partner districts is the District-School-Springboard Schools Partnership team. Springboard Schools knows that for successes to be lasting, districts and schools must feel fully engaged by and invested in partnership work. All Springboard Schools work is intended to build local capacity to take on the tough issues of improving overall student achievement and closing the achievement gap. In this way, credit for success is placed where it truly belongs — with district and school instructional leaders.