Introduction

• Provide consultations and facilitate planning meetings with the Model School Planning Team,
• Provide summary minutes, planning guides and a final report.

1. Where does the Model School Planning Team want to go?
2. What will the Model School Planning do?
3. How will the Model School Planning Team know it has arrived?
4. What support and skills are needed to get there?

Where does the Model School Planning Team want to go?

• Improving adult connections and adult support for students,
• Creating ownership for ninth- graders in the school and in their work,
• Improving the level of engagement and involvement ninth-graders have in school, Developing ninth-gradersŐ confidence commitment, and competence,
• Creating an environment that promotes a culture of belonging, and
• Enhancing the academic rigor for all subjects and all students.

What will the Model School Planning Team do?

However a systemic design that builds upon existing programs and unifies the goals in a planned and mindful manner is lacking. The Model School Planning Team may need to consider a plan that pulls together programs and ideas in a way that addresses the criteria. Based on our work with systemic school restructuring, the Center for Leadership in Education suggests the following:

• The creation of the Cleveland Heights Academy program that uses the best components of what currently exists in Taylor and School of New Heights.
• The Academy program needs to be phased in over a two to three year period of time.
• The first phase of the Academy program should include two of the following five areas of focus:
  • Math and and Science Academy,
  • Tech Prep Academy,
  • Fine and Performing Arts Academy,
  • Public Service Academy,
  • Multicultural Academy

Staff within each academy will need common planning time. Ideally, the planning time should differ from individual planning time. If finances prevent the additional time in the schedule, the staff may need to create an alternative paid meeting time to case manage student problems and academic growth.

• Current levels of student achievement for ninth-graders.
• Current levels of student achievement and input for 10-12 graders who have gone through the School of New Heights and Taylor Academies.
• A student interest and climate survey.

What support and skills are needed to get there?

• Teaching and Learning
• Assessment
• Governance
• Community Involvement

Major Areas of Concern

1. Throughout all meetings, participants seemed to equate school restructuring with a schedule change. While such a structure change may be one part of restructuring, it is only a small part. A more expansive and comprehensive definition of school restructuring must be embraced.
2. School restructuring follows three phases which are:
   Capacity-building
   Innovation
   Incremental Improvement
   
   Based on discussion, the staff may need to focus on capacity-building before launching into an innovation stage.
3. In the change process, 20% of the people are usually enthusiastic supporters of change, 20% are usually opposed and 60% are marginal. Before the staff institutes a major restructuring, they must arrive at consensus on how they will approach and respond to each group.
4. Overall, staffs that have a large number of veteran teachers, i.e. with 23-30+ years, are less enthusiastic about restructuring.
5. When restructuring begins in any organization, special interest groups from within and without often come out of the woodwork. In order to minimize their ability to sabotage, they need to be brought into the change process very early on.
6. The high school principals and assistants are key people in providing support and removing obstacles that may be at the building, district or community level.
7. The AFT should be invited into the restructuring process and be viewed as a full partner in restructuring.

Final Note