In late June, MAISA joined MDE in hearing ideas for improving Michigan ’s Statewide System of Support (SSOS) for Title I High Priority (HP) Schools. That’s when participants in the Systems Assessment and Design Group, representing diverse education stakeholders, gathered at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing to review SSOS progress so far and develop ideas and suggestions for enhancing the process going forward.

The 37 participants came prepared to work and remain engaged long into the afternoon as they recounted their experiences—both positive and frustrating—with the SSOS. They learned more about the background and framework of the SSOS from Michigan Department of Education representatives, including Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Sally Vaughn and Office of School Improvement Director Betty Underwood.

Jan Urban-Lurain, of Spectra Data & Research, Inc facilitated a discussion among the participants on their first-year experiences with the SSOS, moving later to recommendations they would make to improve the process moving forward.

Benefits cited
Participants were enthusiastic in their praise for the benefits already recognized through the SSOS. The features appreciated most included:

• Process mentors: accountability at the district level; great teacher involvement and peer accountability; positive, collaborative feedback from buildings; development of professional learning communities; budget awareness at the building level; staff unity around academic goals; focus on data-driven effective teaching for all students.
• Money: ISDs were given adequate money for working with buildings to make changes
• Having a process and the plan for continuation: Consistency in using School Improvement Planning in all aspects of the work; Created an environment for reflection

Other features of the SSOS that participants value include:

• Principal support; networking through the fellowship
• Relationship building
• Enhanced communication
• Flexibility on how to spend funds and “space” to design services, especially work with coaches

First-year experiences
Despite their praise of the process, participants did experience some “issues” that prevented them from being as successful as they had hoped to be. Some of these first-year issues included:

• “System” Issues: timely and clear communication; too short a timeline; incomplete information; inconsistent reporting; delays; insufficient awareness and understanding of purpose; too much paperwork; stretched staffing
• Lack of District/Building Accountability: Insufficient/inconsistent district commitment, support, representation, accountability; Districts failing AYP; High Priority schools are embedded within dysfunctional districts; Inconsistent expectations for schools, students and teachers.
• Insufficient Cohesion and Alignment: Role and responsibility; Using SIF as the conceptual organizer; Connecting the audit findings; Key findings; Goals and strategies; Interaction; Monitoring

Desired enhancements
Participants expressed an interest in seeing the following enhancements to the SSOS moving forward:

• Keep the process mentors and streamline their paperwork
• Build and support a peer-to-peer network as well as enhance the formal coach/expert model
• Support interactions/linkages between the components of the system
• Have both horizontal and vertical communications in place as well as distributed data access
• Use technology to support enhanced communication
• Support greater accountability; bring districts (i.e. superintendents and Boards), teachers, and other stakeholders more directly into the system
• Intervene earlier; emphasize prevention and achieving success

Staff and planners for the SSOS will continue to review the participant’s feedback and look for ways to incorporate their recommendations for 2008-09. Questions about the SSOS or the review process can be directed to the project managers:

• Charlotte Koger, ckoger@gomasa.org or cell 517.282.0624
• Heather Marsh Kinsey, hkinsey@gomasa.org or 517.803.5471