Small District, Big Results

Whitehall City Schools, Whitehall, OH

We built the framework for strategic planning tapping into authentic community engagement.

Stakeholders are clear, they want the school district: “Ensuring a Secure Finish, Achieving Resilience”. This is the community-wide proactive initiative and focal point for the conclusion of the school year, and strategic plan formation underway now. EduSolve redefines

parent engagement in public schools through our campaigns on active involvement, collaboration, and participation of parents or guardians in their child’s educational experience. It goes beyond traditional parent-teacher interactions and involves parents taking an active role in supporting their child’s learning, attending school events, and contributing to the overall school environment.

Open educational resources: How access continues to expand

Open educational resources remain an affordable alternative to pricey textbooks to increase accessibility and as an opportunity for faculty to customize their course textbooks.
ByDana Godek & Diane Q. Beltran

The fall semester will soon be here and students will be buying … no, renting … no, just picking up their books from the bookstore. And some students won’t pick up any. Three trends have emerged over the past decade: renting books instead of buying them, having colleges pay for the rental or bypassing textbooks altogether and using open educational resources (OER).

In its quest to make college “more affordable”, many colleges have opted for no-cost textbooks (and they usually are printed books) for students. No-cost in the case applies only to the rental of the textbook for the semester; at the end of the semester, the books are returned and if they aren’t, the student receives a bill. Whether this helps to make college more affordable is debatable. What isn’t debatable is the hundreds of dollars needed to buy textbooks at the beginning of the semester.

College textbooks are expensive. Based on a 2020 review of 52 contracts at 31 institutions serving 700,000 students, “the rapidly increasing cost of textbooks has students now spending over $3 billion of financial aid dollars each year on course materials.” The average cost of textbooks for undergraduates and graduate students per academic year, along with increases in textbook and course materials from 2011 to 2023 AY, according to Melanie Hansen’s report for the The Education Data Initiative.

Of interest in the report is the agreement by college faculty that textbooks are too expensive for students. And this includes e-books, which are no longer the lower-cost alternative to printed and bound books.

What can be done, beyond free book-rentals, is something that college librarians have been advocating for years now: the use of open educational resources as an affordable alternative to pricey textbooks to increase accessibility and as an opportunity for faculty to customize their course textbooks. There are several regional consortiums in the US who have been working with The National Consortium for Open Educational Resources (NCOER) to increase the availability of open educational resources materials to colleges.

Through NCOER, a searchable library of materials by submit can be found here. Adopting textbooks is easy, though understanding the language of the Creative Commons Licensing is helpful, since some OER textbooks require attribution before modifications, and others don’t.

OER books also increase the exchange of ideas between scholars. An example is the WAC Clearinghouse, which has created a library of open-access textbooks for college-level writing courses. Over the past five years, the WAC Clearinghouse and its sponsoring institution, Colorado State University, have been offering many of their peer-reviewed, high-quality scholarship as free online texts. If readers want a hard copy, the printed version is available at a cost.

This kind of OER is part of the Open Education movement, which encompasses resources, tools and practices that are free of legal, financial and technical barriers and can be fully used, shared and adapted in the digital environment (SPARC).

I understand that some faculty departments require the assignment and use specific textbooks, some don’t. And then there are faculty like me whose preferences for the type and mode of textbook varies, depending on the course they teach. I’ve developed a preference for textbooks: printed text vs e-book from the college library vs. open educational resources vs. a series of PDFs (with citations, of course) depending on the course, the number of students and the course level.

Some courses I insist on a particular textbook because of its content and usability for students outside the college environment. Some courses, I’ll shortcut the bookstore entirely and provide links to the e-book at the library. Some courses I have to knit together excerpts from OER textbooks. Some courses, I use the OER that member of my department wrote, and some courses, I use the OER that member of my department wrote.

Fortunately, the library of resources across all subject areas in higher ed continues to grow, so that I can continue to use open educational resources for many more semesters.

MTSS, Fulfilling the Promise of Personalized Learning

Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA

MTSS fidelity of interventions is up, way up! How do we know? We see it in the data. EduSolve customized a propensity matching intervention approach and observation tool so leaders can see, review, and continuously improve. Climate and culture gains are real and sustainable in student motivation, community building and cooperation.

Optimizing Special Education Services in Henrietta, NY

The Rush-Henrietta Central School District, recognized for its commitment to inclusive education, sought to optimize its special education services to better meet the needs of its diverse student population. The EduSolve team was brought in to help restructure the district’s approach by validating successes, identifying improvement areas, and streamlining resources and investments. The district faced several challenges, including inefficiencies in resource allocation, variability in program effectiveness, and a growing need to align special education practices with best practices nationally.

The project team conducted a comparative analysis between the district’s current practices and those of high-performing special education programs nationwide. The team analyzed student performance data and program costs to pinpoint areas for financial and educational optimization. The evaluated of existing state of special education services, focusing on assessment practices and response to intervention processes supported the design of restructured staffing models to optimize staff levels and qualifications, reducing reliance on outsourced services.

The project led to significant improvements across the district’s special education services:

  • Enhanced Resource Efficiency: Optimized use of resources led to cost savings and better allocation of staff and space.
  • Improved Program Effectiveness: Alignment with national best practices and local needs significantly enhanced the quality of services provided to special education students.
  • Increased Staff Capacity: Revamped training and development programs empowered the existing staff, reducing the dependency on external providers.

The project team successfully restructured the special education services, demonstrating the impact of a methodical, data-driven approach on enhancing educational outcomes for students with special needs. This case study highlights the importance of adaptive strategies in special education to ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed.

3 resources to consider when testing new approaches to out of school time

Many of us were lucky to witness another solar eclipse in April (wearing protective eyewear of course)! The ‘time horizon’ theme for superintendents and cabinet leaders, offers strategic moves as the school year draws to a close.

As one year comes to a close, another opening is on the horizon. School leaders should be thinking about summer as an eclipse of sorts. Summer bridge programs are winding up and offer invaluable opportunities for high-quality out of school time (OST) learning and enrichment. Yes, summer learning is a great way to combat summer slide and make good use of final ESSER funds, but OST is so much more than just high-dosage tutoring. It’s an excellent way to test approaches to doing school and learn what works best for our communities. Think of OST as a design space or a learning lab where engagement, experiences, and open access programs are tested and understood for import into the “standardized academic year.”

We often refer to systems, culture, instruction and people as we think about strategic work. In terms of systems, OST offers a light-weight venue, with low accountability stakes to improve school. Many school systems re-opened schools in a race to get back to ‘normal’. Normal worked for many, but it isn’t working for all. Plummeting attendance and enrollment rates are evidence that we need to reimagine school. Reimagining our systems for ‘doing school’ doesn’t have to be radical, it can be tested through OST as a staging area for needed changes in the traditional school year.

It’s also a powerful culture piece to signal that we learn all year round. In other words, the school year is ending, but a new one is just beginning and the onramp is through expanded summer learning. The agrarian-based calendars of the past don’t work for us anymore. Learning is an all day every day activity. Superintendents can send a powerful message by visiting these sites and engaging with parents. OST is the best place to meet families because it’s less structured than a bell-to-bell day.

Instruction gets a boost in OST too. Needless to say, summer offers time for support and remediation, but it also makes room for enrichment that makes students want to be on our campuses. Elementary schools can organize important career exploration experiences, having guest speakers from local businesses come and share their world of work. Middle schools can arrange for summer project-based learning where they are solving real-world community issues and challenges. High Schools are an excellent place to host rising 9th grade sessions that connect incoming freshmen to CTE and other career experiences in the field, acting as an internship brokerage house.

On careers, people management gets a boost in OST when we start new teachers during the summer so they can gain practical experiences prior to the big start in the fall. Long-term subs and paras can also test out new skills and benefit from job-embedded training to get talent teams ready for a new school year.

Here are some resources to consider when testing fresh approaches in OST:

  1. Onboarding new teachers in OST provides a lower-stress alternative to the rush of formal school starts. TNTP offers this guide that reminds us of the value of getting a jump start on relationships, warming novice teachers up for the new year.
  2. The Wallace Foundation offers a free online OST Cost Calculator that works like a mortgage calculator. It lets you determine the costs of a variety of options for high-quality afterschool programs and the summer portions of year-round programs.
  3. Measuring OST Data for impact is easier than you might think. OST is free of standardized testing and many state requirements, so it’s ofter overlooked as a viable space for data. Child Trends offers some key considerations on how the summer can be used to create and test much-needed technical assistance for the fall.

As you think about one year ending and another beginning, remember there are many dynamic possibilities that OST offers, it becomes clear that embracing this less structured, exploratory period is not merely a stopgap or a remedy for the “summer slide,” but a vital chapter in the evolving narrative of education. Superintendents and school leaders are provided with a unique laboratory for innovation during the summer months—where new ideas can be tested, and new approaches to learning can be integrated into the traditional school calendar.

This strategic deployment of OST not only bridges the gap between academic years but also redefines what it means to learn in a continuously evolving educational landscape. As this school year concludes, let us carry forward the spirit of innovation and collaboration that OST embodies, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive in a system that learns and grows year-round.

Large Urban Culture Looks Good in Data and in Life, Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) is solving the need for culture and climate strategy on high-needs campuses. The new model is so successful it was featured at the International Social & Emotional Learning Exchange, 2023 and its Executive Sponsor, Dr. Cherie Washington, received a 2023 District Administrator Leadership Institute Annual Distinction Award. Working with EduSolve, the team used a collaborative developmental methodology and created a common delivery framework that establishes the foundation for equitable outcomes to meet the individual needs of each and every child.

The project began by organizing cross functional teams that represented academics, behavior/climate, schools, equity and inclusion, and technology solutions to catalyze their shared vision for MTSS and promotion of emotional health. As a team, we piloted a new practice guide with priority schools showing a high level of culture challenges. These schools are identified using a composite score of attendance, discipline, and academic performance outcomes. FWISD has reduced the number of these schools from 17 to 13 in the first six months of implementation.

Student Gains in Culture Equate to Gains in Academics, Norwalk, CT

Norwalk Public Schools understands that a teaching and learning culture should permeate every facet of a school district’s operations, extending from the superintendent’s office and academic core priorities to the individual classrooms. We customized a social and emotional development strategic plan, that is the unifying force that brings together district priorities, influencing central office staff, school leaders, teachers, students, and families alike.

Standards Development with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Washington DC

OSSE’s strategic plan is clear: foster student and staff well being. We are building OSSE’s social and emotional learning standards as the underpinning to their future implementation plan. This is largely premised on EduSolve’s SCAN Analysis Report, commissioned by OSSE to organize community assets and honor the needs of youth across the City. Through this process, various collaborative efforts were conducted; including writing groups, focus groups, in-person and virtual feedback engagements, and a survey.

Boosting Social and Emotional Learning Impact in Hopkinton Public Schools Hopkinton, Massachusetts

Hopkinton Public Schools, with a diverse student population, recognized the need to enhance their Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives to better meet students’ holistic developmental needs. The primary challenge was to integrate SEL more deeply into the academic framework to promote both emotional well-being and academic success. The district faced issues with inconsistent SEL practices across schools, insufficient training for staff, and a lack of alignment with the academic goals.

EduSolve conducted a comprehensive review of existing SEL programs, gathering data through assessments, surveys, and direct observations. Working with the district team, we identified gaps in SEL curriculum alignment and inconsistencies in program delivery which were impacting student engagement and wellness.

Our team of national SEL experts conducted walkthroughs in schools, engaging with teachers and administrators to understand on-ground realities and challenges. The team evaluated the current training programs for staff, identifying areas for enhancement to support effective SEL implementation.

The project team created a phased implementation plan, ensuring that recommendations align with the district’s strategic goals and are feasible within the operational constraints. Following the implementation of the recommended strategies, Hopkinton Public Schools observed significant improvements:

  • Enhanced Student Engagement: A marked increase in student participation in both academic and extracurricular activities was noted.
  • Improved Emotional Well-being: Students reported higher levels of emotional satisfaction and lower stress levels, as reflected in follow-up surveys.
  • Staff Empowerment: Teachers and administrators felt more confident in their abilities to integrate SEL into their teaching practices effectively.
  • Academic Performance: Preliminary data indicated a positive trend in academic outcomes, correlating with improved emotional and social skills.

The partnership between Hopkinton Public Schools and EduSolve, LLC successfully enhanced the SEL framework, demonstrating the profound impact of strategic planning and targeted interventions on student development. This case study underscores the importance of a holistic approach to education, where academic success is intertwined with social and emotional well-being.