Network Professional Development
This includes the following:
- Annual Fall Staff Sharing Conference
- Spring Leadership Retreat
- Monthly Pilot leadership meetings
- Monthly Staff Network meetings
- Monthly Family/Community Network Meetings
- Annual Youth Conference
- Annual Family Engagement Conference
Individual School Coaching
Coaching at the school site, including on governance, curriculum design and content, graduation competencies and exit performances, inclusion, assessment, advisory, use of autonomies, use of data
Negotiating Annual Pilot Budgets and Funding
Over the years, this has included the following:
- Negotiated one consistent lump sum per pupil figure for each grade level (in the beginning, there were separate budget negotiations with each individual Pilot School, resulting in inequitable budgets per school)
- Negotiated central office discretionary line items, resulting in an additional funds per pupil available to Pilot Schools
- Negotiated start-up funds for Pilot Schools enrolling substantially separate special education students
- Leveraged grant funds for Pilot Schools (e.g., Annenberg, Gates)
Negotiating Policy Flexibility
Over the years, this has included Pilot Schools gaining autonomy in the following areas:
- District curriculum and assessment requirements
- The district’s whole school improvement plan requirements
- BPS Six Essentials requirements
- Most Human Resources requirements
Managing the School Quality Review Process
- Negotiated and developed a consistent and rigorous accountability process by which Pilot Schools are assessed every five years
- Coordinate and facilitate all School Quality Reviews, including self-assessments and preparation by schools and the external review team site visit
Research and Evaluation
- Created an extensive longitudinal database and use this to track progress of all Pilot Schools on student engagement and performance
- Published reports on Pilot Schools’ performance, engagement, and demographics; parental engagement; how Pilot Schools address race and diversity; use of the areas of autonomy; use of authentic assessment
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Presented on Pilot Schools’ progress to the Boston School Committee and City Council, and also at local, state, and national conferences
- Conducting studies on Pilot Schools’ use of collaborative practices, staffing, special education
Advocacy
- Conduct the annual Pilot Schools Expo for interested parents and students
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Work with the Boston Teachers Union on strengthening the Pilot School model
- Work with community organizations to build support for Pilot Schools
- Work with the media to increase attention on Pilot Schools
- Maintain the Pilot website and listserve
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