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Guide to Becoming anEffective SIG Coordinator
School Improvement GrantOffice of Education Improvement & Innovation
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Acknowledgements The Michigan Department of Education and the Office of Education Improvement and Innovation (OEII) would like to thank and acknowledge individuals who assisted in the collaborative development of this
Toolkit at the MDE.
Under the Supervision of: Bill Witt, Unit Supervisor
School Improvement Support Unit
Developer: Dr. LaWanna Shelton, Education Consultant, School Improvement Support Unit
Project Support: Beatrice Barajas-Mills, Analyst
School Improvement Support Unit
Graphic Design (Front and Back Cover and Artwork): Christi Lopez, Departmental Technician
School Improvement Support Unit
MDE Review Committee: Dr. Gail Ganakas, SIG Facilitator, MDE Valencia Hughes, SIG Facilitator, MDE
Dr. Karen Lee-Lemieux, SIG Facilitator, MDE Karen Lenz-Wallington, SIG Facilitator, MDE
Tom Kowalski, SIG Facilitator, MDE Mary Smith, SIG Facilitator, MDE
Dr. Ann Trovillion-Timm, SIG Facilitator, MDE
External Review Committee: Gwendolyn Boston, SIG Coordinator, Detroit Public Schools
Inger Brooks, SIG Coordinator, Detroit Public Schools Chatana Campbell, SIG Coordinator, Roseville Community School District
Matthew Jason, SIG Coordinator, Lansing School District Dr. Alison Harmon, SIG Coordinator, Michigan Technical Academy
Sara Hensley, SIG Coordinator, Kalamazoo Public Schools Robin Porter, SIG Coordinator, Ecorse Public Schools
Ken Rausch, SIG Coordinator, Lincoln Park City School District Marylou Sitkiewicz, SIG Coordinator, Litchfield Community Schools
Cynthia White, SIG Coordinator, Ecorse Public Schools Teressa Williams, SIG Coordinator, School District of River Rouge
Kim Johnson, Principal, Lansing School District Stacie Looney, SIG Coordinator, Lansing School District
Office of Education Improvement and Innovation Linda Forward, Director
About the Guide
The Guide to Becoming an Effective SIG (School Improvement Grant) Coordinator is
designed as a resource for schools and districts who have been awarded a School
Improvement Grant. One ongoing requirement of the grant has been to provide key
positions such as a SIG Coordinator, Data Coach, Parent Liaison, and Mental Health
Specialist. In recent years of the grant, the Mental Health Specialist has become optional
as long as the social-emotional needs of students are being met. The position of SIG
Coordinator is unique to the School Improvement Grant; therefore, the information in this
guide has been designed to address “what works” and to align with SIG requirements and
expectations.
This guide will focus on key questions that often arise for the SIG Coordinator and/or
school and district personnel. Each topic of the guide will provide clear explanations,
*examples, and site resources. Action Planning Templates and reflection pages may be
found throughout the guide as well. The templates are designed for your immediate use
and/or manipulation. Reflection pages are inserted throughout the text for your note-
taking convenience. In essence, the guide is designed to provide the SIG Coordinator with
ideas and shortcuts that may contribute to effectiveness and efficiency in managing the
School Improvement Grant.
*Note: Michigan Department of Education does not endorse for-profit agencies. Any
citations that may appear throughout the guide are meant to exemplify key components
and should not be viewed as an endorsement of any product, service, or company.
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Table of Contents About the Guide ............................................................................... 4
What is a SIG Coordinator? ................................................................ 6
Who should be a SIG Coordinator? ...................................................... 6
What is my Role as a SIG Coordinator? ................................................ 7
Assuming Multiple Roles.................................................................... 10
Working Collaboratively at your Site ................................................... 11
Understanding your Intervention Model ............................................... 15
Working with your State Appointed SIG Facilitator-Monitor ..................... 24
Aligning Budget with Vision, Mission, and the Strategic Plan ................... 26
Implementing with Fidelity ................................................................ 28
Collecting Evidence of Effectiveness .................................................... 30
Embracing a Code of Conduct ............................................................ 32
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) ........................................... 33
Participating in Professional Learning .................................................. 35
Using SIG Funds to Support the Work ................................................. 41
Conclusion ...................................................................................... 43
Resources ....................................................................................... 44
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What is a SIG Coordinator? A SIG Coordinator is a grant manager. The position was created early on in the SIG when it became apparent that the school principal’s ability to attend to day-to-day administrative duties as well as manage a multi-year grant was a challenge. A SIG Coordinator is not an assistant principal but rather a grant manager, leader, and compliance officer charged with ensuring that both the program and fiscal aspects of implementing the grant at the school level are executed with diligence and integrity.
Who should be a SIG Coordinator? Although no state or federal guidelines exist for becoming a SIG Coordinator, most schools and districts typically fill this position with federal programs specialists, administrators, or other experienced educators. Often, SIG Coordinators were originally involved with writing the grant and typically possess an intimate knowledge of the grant or have experience working with school improvement grants in the past. Key to finding someone with appropriate skills or potential is to develop a rigorous job description that requires, at minimum, the following:
Demonstrates the ability to work with all staff member
Demonstrates leadership qualities
Has knowledge of and experience with grants
Has knowledge of and experience with federal programs and regulations
Demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively with the state agency
Demonstrates professionalism by appropriately managing the grant
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What is my Role as a SIG Coordinator? An effective SIG Coordinator’s a major responsibility is to build capacity. As the gatekeeper of the grant, the SIG Coordinator should be thinking about sustainability or sustainable programs and practices from day one. Building capacity is essential to ensure that the positive effects of the grant are sustained. The SIG Coordinator and site administrators should work closely together to determine and develop a sustainability plan that builds capacity and is supported in the grant’s budget.
SIG Coordinator as a Grant Coordinator
An effective SIG Coordinator is a grant manager. A grant manager ensures that budgets, budget amendments, plan amendments, and supporting documents are submitted in an organized and timely manner for review and approval. She is responsible for submitting budget requests that are allowable, reasonable, and connected to the Big Ideas of the plan.
SIG Coordinator as a Compliance Officer
An effective SIG Coordinator is a compliance officer. It is his responsibility to ensure that the SIG budget aligns with the expectations of the grant application. He is responsible for creating a system to monitor the appropriate use of equipment purchased and the appropriate duties and schedules of personnel funded by SIG. Finally, he is responsible for reporting misuse of funds or purchases or use of personnel to perform duties outside of their approved SIG job description. The SIG Coordinator should provide the
administration, school leadership, and all stakeholders with the appropriate literature, tools, and support to execute the grant with integrity.
SIG Coordinator as a Supervisor
As a SIG Coordinator, you may be responsible for overseeing one or more SIG funded personnel. An effective SIG Coordinator will be well-informed about job descriptions, expectations, and evaluation procedures. It is
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important to work closely with your administration to determine all perimeters of supervising SIG funded personnel.
SIG Coordinator in a Leadership Role
An effective SIG Coordinator is a leader. She may be responsible for organizing professional learning events and schedules. She may be responsible for overseeing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). As a leader, she will report directly to and collaborate with the principal. She is expected to play a major role on the leadership team.
It is important that the SIG Coordinator is knowledgeable about interventions that increase student achievement and is heavily involved in decision-making around the purchase and/or implementation of selected interventions and the hiring of SIG personnel.
An effective leader is a collaborative leader. The SIG Coordinator should meet with SIG funded personnel on a regular basis. In doing so, she will have the opportunity to build rapport, provide clarifying information, connect them to relevant, resources, and to monitor their effectiveness.
Districts with multiple Grants may employ more than one SIG Coordinator and may want to bring the SIG Coordinators together to meet and collaborate. This practice is highly encouraged as it builds a sense of community and support as well as establishes a communication loop that supports consistency and cohesion.
Bringing coherence to all of the SIG pieces (systems) may be challenging initially; however, the leadership that the SIG Coordinator brings to the table is the first step in the process. The ultimate goal is to not allow “SIG” to be defined as a program or separate activity but rather to emphasize rapid turnaround supported by “SIG” funding.
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My Reflections
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Assuming Multiple Roles The SIG coordinator position is mandatory for all schools receiving a School Improvement Grant; however, this mandate may be met in multiple ways. Usually, SIG Coordinators are hired in full time positions at the school level. The SIG Coordinator may be split between multiple duties or hired by and report to the district office. Review the next section to become familiar with acceptable options when developing and/or redesigning this position.
District-level SIG Coordinator
One viable option for hiring the SIG Coordinator is to have the position funded through the district. The School Improvement Grant is awarded to the school, and the school has autonomy over the grant management and spending. Districts are entitled to indirect costs and district costs. District costs typically do not exceed five percent of the total allocation, but this percentage is negotiable. SIG Coordinators hired at the district level may assume additional responsibilities. Often, they are responsible for grant oversight at both the building and district level. Additionally, they may or may not be on campus daily.
Split-funded SIG Coordinator
Another option for hiring the SIG Coordinator is to split the position with another position. The most common split is SIG Coordinator-Data Coach. Split positions often occur when student enrollment is below 200. Splitting the position is an acceptable way to use SIG monies. It is the responsibility of the SIG Coordinator to maintain proper documentation- logging time and effort according to federal guidance. An effective SIG Coordinator should be well-versed in the expectations of both positions and ensure that none of the obligations or duties of either position is ever compromised. Analyzing the effectiveness of a split position is the responsibility of the SIG Coordinator and principal. If you discover that splitting the position is no longer effective, exercise the option of amending the budget and hiring additional personnel or plan to make changes for the next grant year.
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Working Collaboratively at your Site
An effective SIG Coordinator works collaboratively with all school personnel. His first priority is to communicate what it means to be awarded the School Improvement Grant. It is important for him to articulate the grant requirements, Big Ideas, budget development, available resources, and to establish communication protocols. This section will provide tips for effectively collaborating with the various stakeholders of the school.
Working with Site Administrators
When working with your site administrator(s), you should begin by reviewing expectations of your role. Schedule consistent times to meet and discuss goals, timelines, assignments, and expectations for working with the staff. Remember, this position was created to alleviate administrators from having to conduct grant management tasks. Develop a rapport with your site administrator that will allow you to work collaboratively with him/her.
Working with the Leadership Team
One expectation of the grant and reform efforts is that the SIG Coordinator be a part of the leadership team. The expectation is that all three mandatory positions (SIG Coordinator, Data Coach, and Parent Liaison) are heavily involved in decision-making regarding use of SIG funds and interventions that will lead to rapid turnaround. All three should be continuously kept in the communication loop. As the SIG Coordinator, you have the opportunity to bring a wealth of knowledge to the leadership team. It is here, with the leadership team, where budget conversations should be held and budget recommendations and decisions are made. As the gatekeeper of the budget,
Listen with the intent to understand, not the intent to
reply
Steven Covey
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your involvement on the leadership team is not only appropriate but necessary.
Working with Teachers
Getting to know and work closely with teachers at your site is key to ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding about the SIG. Often, teachers are disconnected from information that they perceive to be for administration. An effective SIG Coordinator shares all relevant information about the grant, the budget, and the expectations of both with the staff. By developing a relationship with the teaching staff, he will be more in tuned to their needs.
Working with the Data Coach
An effective SIG Coordinator works collaboratively with the Data Coach. The role of Data Coach may be new to the building. Your support in clarifying this role is crucial. Working with the Data Coach may also be one of your assigned duties or expectations. Building this relationship is important to the overall goal of collaboration. Furthermore, by working closely with the Data Coach, you will be more cognizant of his needs.
Working with the Parent Liaison
An effective SIG Coordinator also works collaboratively with the Parent Liaison. Your work with the Parent Liaison may prove to be one of the most important connections. The work of the Parent Liaison is mostly outside of the classroom. Her work involves making connections with families and the community. Often, the work she does is not recognized or valued by all school personnel. As the SIG Coordinator, however, you have the opportunity to bring the Parent Liaison together with teachers and staff and to identify the benefits of everyone working collaboratively. Staff is not always aware that the Parent Liaison can support their efforts by developing and implementing ways of disseminating results and soliciting feedback. An effective SIG Coordinator helps staff become aware of the potential resource the Parent Liaison can be.
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Working with Mental Health Staff
When working with Mental Health staff, it is important to remember that professionals in the field are often certified or licensed counselors and psychologists. Their work with individual students and parents often falls under more restrictive rules and guidelines of confidentiality. An effective SIG Coordinator is aware of these professional ethics and obligations and ensures that school staff is respectful and mindful of confidentiality issues. Mental Health staff play an important role in developing and maintaining strategies that support the social-emotional needs of students and parents. The SIG Coordinator ensures that the Mental Health staff is always involved in strategic planning of the intervention model and that his work has the potential to be funded using SIG dollars.
Working with Before/After School Program Staff and External Service Providers
If your school has staff that participates in before/after school programs and/or external service providers that is SIG funded, the SIG Coordinator will need to find a way to become familiar with the program and services. Often, SIG Coordinators are involved from the onset with the development of programs or with the crafting of ESP contracts. An effective SIG Coordinator ensures that the approved plan is implemented and the approved budget is executed with fidelity in all SIG funded programs and services. To have a better understanding of your role in working with External Providers, refer to the Guide to Selecting, Monitoring, and Evaluating your External Service Provider.
Working with Other SIG Funded Staff
Getting to know and working closely with instructional support staff at your site is important. An effective SIG Coordinator collaborates on a regular basis with SIG funded personnel. She may require documentation of duties in the form of Personal Activities Logs (PARS), calendars, schedules, or work logs. Often the SIG Coordinator’s responsibility includes ensuring that SIG funded personnel are being utilized for approved activities and are not
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working outside of their job description. By meeting regularly with this staff and by monitoring their work, the SIG Coordinator will be well-informed about the activities that are taking place and will have the ability to redirect or clarify any misunderstandings.
My Reflections
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Understanding your Intervention Model
An effective SIG Coordinator is well-versed in the selected intervention model of the school. The Intervention Model, the SIG Application, the Unpacking Tool, and the Budget must all be aligned if rapid and effective turnaround is to occur. Begin by knowing and understanding all components of the school’s intervention model. This section will provide you with details on each and components of each SIG intervention model. Before reviewing your model, test your knowledge:
How well do you know your intervention model?
Do you know the year the school became a Priority School? Yes No
Do you know why your school became a Priority School? Yes No
Is the staff fully aware of the Priority status of the school? Yes No
Are parents aware of the Priority status of the school? Yes No
Is parent involvement discussed in the intervention plan? Yes No
Do you have access to your intervention model narrative? Yes No
Do you know the name of your intervention model? Yes No
Do you know why this intervention model was chosen Yes No
Were you involved with writing the plan (SIG Application)? Yes No
If you answered “no” to any of the questions above, take time to find this information and become knowledgeable about your intervention model and turnaround expectations. Now find your intervention model and review.
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Transformation
The following items are required elements of this model.
Replace the principal.
Include student data in teacher/leader evaluation.
Evaluations that are designed with teacher/principal involvement, and will:
o Be used for continual improvement of instruction; o Meaningfully differentiate performance using at least three performance levels; o Use multiple valid measures in determining performance levels, including as a
significant factor data on student growth for all students (including English learners and students with disabilities), and other measures of professional practice (which may be gathered through multiple formats and sources, such as observations based on rigorous teacher performance standards, teacher portfolios, and student and parent surveys);
o Evaluate teachers and principals on a regular basis; o Provide clear, timely, and useful feedback, including feedback that identifies needs
and guides professional development; and o Be used to inform personnel decisions.
Remove leaders/staff that have not increased achievement.
Provide on-going job embedded staff development.
Implement financial incentives or career growth or flexible work conditions.
Use data to identify and implement an instructional program that is research based
and aligned from one grade to the next as well as with state standards.
Promote continuous use of student data to inform instruction and meet individual
needs of students.
Provide increased learning time:
o that is increased learning time for all students in the core areas, o that includes instruction in other subjects and enrichment activities that contribute
to a well-rounded education, and o that allows for teachers to collaborate, plan and engage in professional
development. Provide ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement. Provide operational flexibility (staffing, calendars/time/budgeting) to implement
comprehensive approach to substantially increase student achievement and increase graduation rates.
o Ensure that the school receives ongoing, intensive technical assistance and related support from the LEA, SEA, or designated external leader partner or organization.
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Turnaround
The following items are required elements of the model.
Replace the principal.
Use locally adopted competencies to measure the effectiveness of staff who can work
within the turnaround environment to meet student needs.
Screen all existing staff and rehire no more than 50 percent.
Select new staff.
Implement strategies such as financial incentives, increased opportunities for
promotion and career growth, and more flexible work conditions.
Provide staff ongoing, high-quality, job embedded Professional Development aligned
with instructional program and designed with school staff.
Adopt a new governance structure. (May include turnaround office/turnaround leader
who reports to the Superintendent or Chief Academic Officer.)
Use data to identify and implement an instructional program that is research-based
and vertically aligned from one grade to the next as well as with State academic
standards.
Promote continuous use of student data to inform and differentiate instruction to
meet student needs.
Establish schedules and implement strategies that provide increased learning time.
Provide appropriate social-emotional and community-oriented services and supports
for students.
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Early Learning
The following items are required elements of the model.
The early learning model must implement each of the following early learning strategies—
Offer full-day kindergarten.
Establish or expand a high-quality preschool program.
Provide educators, including preschool teachers, with time for joint planning across
grades to facilitate effective teaching and learning and positive teacher-student
interactions.
Replace the principal who led the school prior to commencement of the early learning
model.
Implement the same rigorous, transparent, and equitable evaluation and support
systems for teachers and principals, designed and developed with teacher and
principal involvement, as required under the transformation model.
Use the teacher and principal evaluation and support system to identify and reward
school leaders, teachers, and other staff who, in implementing this model, have
increased student achievement and identify and remove those who, after ample
opportunities have been provided for them to improve their professional practice,
have not done so.
Implement such strategies as financial incentives, increased opportunities for
promotion and career growth, and more flexible work conditions that are designed to
recruit, place, and retain staff with the skills necessary to meet the needs of students
in the school, taking into consideration the results from the teacher and principal
evaluation and support system, if applicable.
Use data to identify and implement an instructional program that (1) is research-
based, developmentally appropriate, and vertically aligned from one grade to the
next as well as aligned with State early learning and development standards and
State academic standards and (2) in the early grades, promotes the full range of
academic content across domains of development, including math and science,
language and literacy, socio-emotional skills, self-regulation, and executive functions.
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Promote the continuous use of student data (such as from formative, interim, and
summative assessments) to inform and differentiate instruction in order to meet the
educational and developmental needs of individual students.
Provide staff ongoing, high-quality, job-embedded professional development such as
coaching and mentoring (e.g., regarding subject-specific pedagogy, instruction that
reflects a deeper understanding of the community served by the school, or
differentiated instruction) that is aligned with the school's comprehensive
instructional program and designed with school staff to ensure they are equipped to
facilitate effective teaching and learning and have the capacity to implement
successfully school reform strategies.
The definition of a “high-quality preschool program” is based on the definition that is
used in the Preschool Development Grants program. This defines a “high-quality
preschool program” as an early learning program that includes structural elements that
are evidence-based and nationally recognized as important for ensuring program quality,
including at a minimum—
High staff qualifications, including a teacher with a bachelor's degree in early
childhood education or a bachelor's degree in any field with a State-approved
alternate pathway, which may include coursework, clinical practice, and evidence of
knowledge of content and pedagogy relating to early childhood, and teaching
assistants with appropriate credentials.
High-quality professional development for all staff.
A child-to-instructional staff ratio of no more than 10 to 1.
A class size of no more than 20 with, at a minimum, one teacher with high staff
qualifications as outlined in the final requirements.
A full-day program.
Inclusion of children with disabilities to ensure access to and full participation in all
opportunities.
Developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and
evidence-based curricula, and learning environments that are aligned with the State
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early learning and development standards, for at least the year prior to kindergarten
entry.
Individualized accommodations and supports so that all children can access and
participate fully in learning activities.
Instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the salaries of local kindergarten
through grade 12 (K-12) instructional staff.
Program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement.
On-site or accessible comprehensive services for children and community
partnerships that promote families' access to services that support their children's
learning and development.
Evidence-based health and safety standards.
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Evidence Based Whole School Reform
The following items are required elements of the model.
Implement, in partnership with an Evidence Based Whole School Reform Model Developer,
an evidence-based, whole-school reform model in a school.
An evidence-based, whole-school reform model is defined as:
• A model that is supported by evidence of effectiveness, which must include at least
one study of the model that—
o Meets What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards with or without reservations;
o Found a statistically significant favorable impact on a student academic
achievement or attainment outcome, with no statistically significant and overriding
unfavorable impacts on that outcome for relevant populations in the study or in
other studies of the intervention reviewed by and reported on by the What Works
Clearinghouse; and
• A model, that if in meeting What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards with
reservations, includes a large sample and a multi-site sample as defined in 34 CFR
77.1, which states “multi-site sample means more than one site, where site can be
defined as an LEA, locality, or State.” (Note: multiple studies can cumulatively meet
the large and multi- site sample requirements so long as each study meets the other
requirements in this section);
A “whole-school reform model” is further defined as a model that:
• Is designed to improve student academic achievement or attainment;
• Is implemented for all students in a school; and
• Addresses, at a minimum and in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, each
of the following:
o School leadership
o Teaching and learning in at least one full academic content area (including
professional learning for educators)
o Student non-academic support.
o Family and community engagement
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A “Whole School Reform Model Developer” is defined as an entity or individual that
maintains proprietary rights for the model or, if no entity or individual maintains
proprietary rights for the model, an entity or individual that has a demonstrated record of
success in implementing a whole school reform model and is selected through a rigorous
review process that includes a determination that the entity or individual is likely to
produce strong results for the school.
*Note: The Program Review will be designed around the specific Proprietary Strategies
selected by individual schools.
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Now that you have reviewed your model, use the worksheet to determine
how you might prioritize your areas of focus.
Reflection Template
Select the Intervention Model your School is Implementing
Transformation Turnaround
Early Learning Whole School Reform
Key Questions
Have you reviewed the entire intervention model? Yes No
Have you read the school’s plan (SIG Application)? Yes No
Were you involved with writing the plan (SIG Application)? Yes No
Gathering Your Thoughts:
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Working with your State Appointed SIG Facilitator-Monitor The work you perform as a SIG Coordinator is very similar and parallels the work performed by your state appointed SIG Facilitator-Monitor. You both meet in the middle to ensure all procedures and processes are compliant with and align to the approved plan and budget. The relationship you have with your SIG Facilitator-Monitor should be collaborative and trusting. An effective SIG Coordinator always consults with and includes the monitor when making major decisions around the plan and budget.
Your monitor will strive to be transparent in his work. He will share information, resources, and provide support to you and the school. He will engage in dialogue that reminds you and the staff of the larger purpose of the work. An effective SIG Coordinator appreciates this standard of transparency and adopts the same standard in her work.
Your monitor often acts as your advocate and is continually supporting the school’s efforts to improve student achievement and success. An effective SIG Coordinator recognizes the importance of establishing communicative relationship with the assigned monitor and seeking out her assistance before acting on issues that could result in a negative impact on the school.
Your monitor executes his duties with integrity. He will always respect privacy and confidentiality. He will ensure that decisions made on implementation and budget spending are well within the perimeters of federal guidance. An effective SIG Coordinator shares this belief in honesty and lawfulness.
Your monitor is sensitive and understanding of your needs and the needs of the school. She will always demonstrate politeness and courtesy to all that engage with her. She will be cognizant of staff obligations and time constraints. An effective SIG Coordinator embraces this standard and adopts it for work performed day in and day out on campus.
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Finally, your monitor will demonstrate authority by holding the school and district accountable for implementing the plan and executing the budget as approved. An effective SIG Coordinator will embrace this same standard to ensure the work that needs to be completed happens in a timely and effective manner. His role is to work closely with the principal and the state appointed Facilitator-Monitor in a leadership capacity.
Refer to the section entitled Embracing a Code of Conduct to further explore standards that you may adopt or adapt in your role as SIG Coordinator.
Reflection
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Aligning Budget with Vision, Mission, and the Strategic Plan
A strategic plan of the school is a document that guides how teaching and learning, culture and climate, assessment, and student needs are addressed. The School Improvement Grant (SIG) application will most likely serve as
that document. Even though both Focus and Priority schools are eligible to apply for the SIG, to date, only Priority schools here in Michigan have been awarded. Since Priority schools are required to submit a Reform/Redesign (R/R) plan once identified, they have already selected and begun implementing an intervention model. The SIG application process allows for the schools to continue with their current model or to select a new model. Regardless of the
choice, all models have key components that revolve around the use of data. All schools are expected to use data to make decisions about programs, services, products, and materials needed to support turnaround efforts. The most effective way to use SIG monies is to ensure that spending aligns with the vision, mission, and strategic plan.
The Unpacking Tool
The Unpacking Tool is designed to “unpack” or to put the plan into “actionable steps.” This tool directly aligns with the components of the selected intervention plan. The Unpacking Tool is not another compliance document. It is a tool that should be developed and utilized by all members of the staff. The protocol for the on-going and continuous development and use of the Unpacking Tool is facilitated by using “collaborative conversations.” These conversations are typically initiated by the leadership team. For this reason, it is imperative that all of the components of the Unpacking Tool discussed
Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another
John Dewey
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have staff representation, i.e. Data Coach, Data Team, Site Administrator(s), SIG Coordinators, Parent Liaison, Mental Health staff.
Budget Alignment
An effective SIG Coordinator uses the SIG Application, Unpacking Tool, and collaborative conversations to develop a budget that is aligned with the school’s vision, mission, and strategic plan. Recently, an additional document was created to further assist schools with make intentional decisions around spending. The Guide to Demonstrating Effectiveness is designed to assist schools with their initial and subsequent budget planning. This document poses a series of key questions to consider when making decisions to fund materials, products, programs, services, and personnel using SIG dollars.
Now reflect upon your school’s vision, mission, and key components of the SIG Application to assist you in planning and/or revisiting the SIG budget.
What is the School Vision?
What is the School Mission?
What are the Big Ideas identified in your plan?
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Implementing with Fidelity
An effective SIG Coordinator is involved with every aspect of the grant and the school’s turnaround efforts. Ensuring the development and execution of the SIG budget, the use of the Unpacking Tool, and the implementation of the intervention model is only meaningful if the work is done with fidelity. Unfortunately, the concept of “implementing with fidelity” has become an educational buzzword. That is to say, the terminology is used so frequently that the meaning and the impact of the phrase is diminished. Nonetheless, the term “implementing with fidelity” is used throughout this guide and should be used on a regular basis when working with your staff. An effective SIG Coordinator will be cognizant of the possibility that overuse diminishes meaning and should continuously remind stakeholders of what it means and its place and value in our educational jargon. Begin by reviewing this basic definition.
Implementing with Fidelity: The process of using an educational practice, strategy, and/or program as intended. Practices, strategies, and programs that should be implemented with fidelity are those that are supported by empirical research and whose outcomes are less likely to reflect researched-supported results if altered in any way.
Each is school is unique. Your role as a SIG Coordinator may vary slightly from one school to the next. Being an essential member of the SIG leadership team is fundamental to being a SIG Coordinator. Ensuring that all stakeholders are contributing to the Unpacking Tool, that the Leadership Team is participating in implementation walk-throughs, and that the entire staff is involved with the turnaround or transformative process over time are all expectations of the SIG Coordinator.
Participating in Walk-Throughs
The basic step to ensuring that practices, strategies, and programs are being implmented with fidelity is to actually observe them. This can be done in a number of ways; however, the implementation cycle used with our Priority
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schools with a SIG begins with collaborative conversations around the Unpacking Tool- and proceeds to identifying a singular focus for observation, conducting implementation walk-throughs where relevant, debriefing the observations, adjusting the Unpacking Tool, and developing next steps.
The implementation walk-through is key to completing the cycle and bringing meaning to the work. Review the next section so you better understand your role when participating in walk-throughs.
Understanding your Role in Walk-Throughs
One of the most challenging tasks that you and your colleagues may face is helping the staff to understand your roles in walk-throughs. This topic is of high importance in your work as it is often mistaken as an administrative role versus a leadership role. To avoid negative or stressful responses to implementation walk-throughs, it is imperative to establish the purpose and process for conducting walk-throughs. Begin by clearly articulating the purpose:
Implementation walk-throughs are designed to...
collect descriptive data on levels of adult implementation, observe actual levels of implementation, inform the team of what is needed, missing, or sufficient, and examine the effectiveness of practices, strategies, programs, and professional
learning.
Next, clearly articulate and share the implementation walk-through process by…
collecting, discussing, and sharing descriptive data only, refraining from using adult and student names, sharing data that is aggregate and that informs levels of implementation, respecting your colleagues by not singling out less than perfect teaching, and by leaving all personnel issues to administrators.
In essence, implementation walk-throughs are not designed to examine individual teaching practices or to evaluate teachers. They are designed to look at levels of implementation comprehensively. When discussing and
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debriefing your implementation walk-throughs, consider using the following sentence starters and prompts:
Fifty percent of 1st grade classrooms were implementing steps 1-3 of the XYZ program with fidelity.
The majority of the classrooms demonstrated… Only 10% of the instructional staff was using… All students that were interviewed were able to tell me… No Language Arts classroom posted… Two of the four Science labs were equipped with…
By talking about your findings clinically, individual teachers are less likely to become defensive or stressed over the team visiting their classroom. Defensiveness and stress are reduced even more when you ensure that the process includes them. An effective SIG Coordinator will strive to articulate the purpose, process, and the importance of development on-going implementation walk-throughs at her school.
Reflection
Collecting Evidence of Effectiveness Implementation of the plan falls into the leadership aspect of the SIG Coordinator’s duties. Using the information and collecting evidence of
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effectiveness about practices, strategies, programs, services, products, and personnel falls into the grant compliance aspect of the work. This section will discuss what an effective SIG Coordinator does to ensure that monies are being used and spent in a fiscally responsible manner.
Begin by obtaining, reviewing, and using the Guide to Demonstrating Effectiveness. This guide was designed to assist you in your work as a SIG Coordinator. In short, it is the responsibility of the SIG Coordinator to ensure that all expenditures are allowable, reasonable, and connected to the school’s overall purpose and strategic plan. This means that every action taken must be questioned, and that the responses to these questions must demonstrate an impact or potential for impact on student achievement or student success.
Next, an effective SIG Coordinator is well-organized and keeps written documentation that supports all decisions made around SIG expenditures and plan implementation. Collecting evidence of effectiveness will vary from one extreme to another. Create a system that is accessible and easy to manipulate, understand, and interpret.
Finally, identify what expenditures involve continuous use or support from one year to the next. Concentrate on the effectiveness of these expenditures and collect your evidence. Use this evidence when developing or amending the Unpacking Tool and to support budget. You and your entire team should consider discontinuing the use of any practice, strategy, program, service, product, and/or personnel that is not effective. Remember your ultimate goal is to increase student achievement and success.
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Embracing a Code of Conduct An effective SIG Coordinator embraces and follows a code of conduct. In your district and at your school site, your position has a leadership role. Many of your colleagues and administrators will look to you for guidance, clarity, and honesty as you manage the grant. Consider adopting a code of conduct that sets and holds you to consistent high standards.
Adopt or adapt these five tenants: Transparency, Advocacy, Integrity, Sensitivity, and Authority. Share these tenants with all stakeholders. Review the code of conduct and reflect on how these tenants will help you grow in your role as a SIG Coordinator.
Adopt or adapt these tenants to ensure…
Transparency
• Share all relevant information with your administrator, leadership, and staff.
• Discuss implementation, data, and all information clearly and frankly. • Be clear and concise about your recommendations and decisions.
Advocacy
• Be cautious of “off the record” conversations. Help to develop a climate and culture of openness where “off the record” conversations are at a minimum.
• Make suggestions by asking probing questions. • Demonstrate your willingness to support ideas. • Convey to your state appointed Facilitator-Monitor questions and
concerns your staff may have.
Integrity
• Respect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals. Avoid judgments about individuals and their work.
• Follow through on all areas of your work. • Do not compromise your values or your professional standards when
tough decisions must be made.
Sensitivity
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• Be polite and sensitive to the school’s needs. Try to minimize stress. Be courteous to all stakeholders.
• Phrase questions carefully to avoid hidden meaning or judgment. • Emphasize the central focus of the School Improvement Grant and
Priority status and the impact it has on teaching and learning. • Work to other’s convenience whenever possible. Be cognizant that
your role and time are less restrictive and more flexible than the staff’s.
Authority
• Do more listening than talking • Use your expertise to inform the questions addressed to you. • Hold school accountable for implementing the plan and executing the
budgets as approved.
Reflection • What might I add or change about each code of conduct?
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
According to Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, and Many (2006), a PLC is an “ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of
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collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. Professional learning communities operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators.” (2006, p. 11)
What is the Role of the SIG Coordinator in PLCs?
An effective SIG Coordinator demonstrates leadership in ensuring that opportunities for PLCs are occurring. Your role is to work closely with your principal, Data Coach, and Leadership Team members to identity time and space for collaboration about student achievement and success. As a grant manager, you should inform your stakeholders of the funding that is available and how to use the funding to create and/or support a recurring cycle of collective inquiry and action research to increase student achievement and success. Reflect upon the role you have played at your school with Professional Learning Communities.
Reflection What has been your role in the PLCs at your site?
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Participating in Professional Learning
An effective SIG Coordinator is always informed about the work in the field. Gaining perspective from other Coordinators, Grant Managers, and leaders is critical to your professional growth. Remember that professional learning is a required component of the reform models. Your professional learning activities should be reflected in the Unpacking Tool and should not be based on last minute decisions. Additionally, your professional learning activities should also mirror the trainings that the staff receives. As a SIG Coordinator, there are multiple ways to participate in professional learning. Next, your professional learning should not be restricted to attending meetings, workshops, and conferences. Your professional learning should also include your presenting at these events. Presenting can help to develop your leadership skills, enhance your expertise, and fulfill your sense of professional growth. In this section, four professional learning activities will be shared as well as ways to maximize your experience with each: (a) Workshops, (b) Trainings, (c) Network Meetings, and (d) Conferences. The last topic in this section will discuss opportunities for presenting at meetings, workshops, and conferences. For the purpose of this guide, workshops and trainings are defined as two distinct professional learning activities. Review the definitions provided:
Workshops refer to professional learning where participants are engaged in the process of learning and leaving the session with a work product that can be used or implemented immediately. Key to understanding workshops is the expectation of active participation by participants. Therefore, the role of the presenter is to act as a facilitator.
Trainings refer to a type of professional learning where participants attend sessions to learn a skill(s) and/or to acquire information to be incorporated
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into practice. Many trainings offer certificates or some type of certification. Therefore, the role of the presenter is to train or guide the learning.
Review this section on participating in professional learning and create a plan of action that will keep you up-to-date and well-informed about resources, practices, and programs that have demonstrated success for students and their families.
Networking Meetings
One requirement of the School Improvement Grant is to participate in SIG Networking Meetings. These meetings are designed to provide a venue where staff can come together and share best practices. Check with your Facilitator-Monitor to reserve the dates of Networking Meetings planned for this year. This is your opportunity to get to know and connect with other SIG Coordinators across the state. Consider these suggestions to get the most out of your experience:
Bring business cards and contact information to share with other SIG Coordinators.
Create a notebook so you can collect the contact information from other SIG
Coordinators.
Invite other SIG Coordinators to come and visit your school. This school visit could
simply be sharing what you are doing or maybe soliciting ideas to incorporate at
your site.
Workshops
On and off-site workshops offer an opportunity to actively participate with your staff and other participants. To be an effective SIG Coordinator, you must be willing to become actively engaged and not just be an observer. Encourage your staff to do the same. Consider these suggestions to maximize the experience for you and your staff:
Review the workshop agenda to ensure that the workshop applies to your work.
Come with a mindset to work collaboratively and to be an active participant. When in doubt, ask clarifying questions to better understand how the workshop
techniques apply to your setting or practice.
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Set goals to leave the workshop with a number of ideas and practices to apply to
your work.
Get to know someone and invite them to be your workshop buddy.
Trainings
On and off-site trainings offer an opportunity to increase your knowledge and understanding of your practice. Teachers and staff are expected to participate fully in trainings throughout the year and over the summer. To be an effective SIG Coordinator, you must be willing to commit the time that is often required for trainings. You must also be willing to facilitate your staff’s learning as well. Your leadership helps to set the tone for training, and your actions serve as a role model.
Conferences
While conferences provide multiple opportunities for professional learning and growth, they can sometimes be overwhelming. Most large-scale conferences offer multiple sessions covering multiple topics over several days. They are usually hosted in popular cities or regions, and travel is most likely required. All of this can make for a memorable but often exhausting experience. As a leader, you will find that you are organizing conference attendance and taking teachers and staff to conferences. An effective SIG Coordinator is cognizant of the fact that many teachers have not experienced large-scale conferences. Ensure that your staff has the opportunity to gain knowledge and network with other educators by organizing the trip, scheduling debriefings throughout the day, and returning with a plan to implement, share, or train others.
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Professional Learning Reflection
What professional learnings am I interested in attending?
What are my next steps?
What further support/learning will I need?
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Presenting at Workshops and Conferences
The previous topics discuss various ways to receive professional learning by attending workshops, trainings, and conferences. It is important to stay abreast of pedagogy that relates to rapid turnaround, educating urban and rural children, and providing adequate services for students and families of low socio-economic status. As a SIG Coordinator, you bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. Your background in education or an education-related field is often at a level of expertise. This sections will briefly discuss why the SIG Coordinator should consider presenting at workshops and conferences and how to identify your areas of expertise.
Determining Expertise
According to Hattie & Yates (2014), “Experts are individuals able to perform at the very top of an identifiable skill area” (p. 84). The research of Glaser and Chi (1988) introduces the seven basic traits of expertise. Review the list below to gain a brief understanding of your own level of expertise.
Compared to novices (competent in the field but not expert), they found that:
Experts excel only in their own domain. Experts perceive large and meaningful patterns. Experts can work quickly and solve problems with little error. Within their domain experts possess remarkably large short-term
memories. Experts see and represent problems at a deeper or principled level,
whereas novices focus on superficial aspects. Experts spend relatively more time analyzing problems carefully and
qualitatively. Experts have strong skills in self-monitoring
(Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 85)
People either have an attitude of abundance or scarcity. Abundance is enough for everyone,
scarcity is not wanting to share.
Steven Covey
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To better conceptualize each key point, consider reading Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn by John Hattie and Gregory Yates (2014).
Using the seven key points listed above, reflect on identifying your area of expertise and how it applies to the work with your school, district, and the School Improvement Grant. Next, think about where and to whom you might present. An effective SIG Coordinator is a leader and sets a positive example of sharing knowledge. Presenting at meetings, workshop, and conferences not only provides you with personal and professional satisfaction, it inspires and influences an attitude of abundance among your staff.
Opportunities to Present Reflection
What topics am I interested in presenting?
What areas in education do I consider myself to be an expert?
How do I become involved in presenting?
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Using SIG Funds to Support the Work The last section of the guide provides information on funding your school’s turnaround work using school improvement grant monies. Additionally, it will discuss alternative funding sources that may be available to support that work. Begin by having staff conduct a simple needs assessment or inventory check to see what is available and what is needed to support the implementation of the strategic plan. Next, have staff review the School Improvement Grant Budget Development Toolkit located on the Michigan Department of Education website to better understand how SIG funds may be used.
Developing Spending Plans
The budget toolkit will provide staff with information about purchases that are allowable, reasonable, and connected to the Big Ideas of your strategic plan. As the SIG coordinator, you may ask staff to develop a budget or spending plan. These budgets or spending plans may come from SIG funded positons such as, the Parent Liaison, Mental Health Specialist, and/or Data Coach. Requests may also come from grade-levels, content area departments, and/or instructional support groups (i.e. Coaches, Instructional Aides). By having your staff become familiar with and utilizing the budget toolkit, they will be well-informed and prepared to request purchases that support the vision and strategic plan.
Locate Other Funding Sources
Multiple funding sources may be used to support the work you do at the school. An effective SIG Coordinator works closely with the site administrator(s) to determine what those sources are and how they can be used. Identifying these sources early will be important in developing a viable sustainability plan. Your work and efforts should not terminate with the grant. On the contrary, the work you do should serve as a springboard to developing and implementing an effective data-rich environment and culture that will last far beyond the life of the grant. By locating and transitioning your work
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to alternate funding sources when possible, you begin to guarantee the sustainability of your work.
My Reflections
What are the key messages from me from this section?
What are my next steps?
What further support/learning will I need?
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Conclusion
This guide has been developed as an effort to provide a consistent message with useful and applicable content. Use this information to guide your work as you become and/or continue to be an effective SIG Coordinator. Sharing your ideas with others in the field and seeking out new ideas from your colleagues is an expectation. Remember the ultimate goal of your work is to increase student success. By working closely with all stakeholders, you will ensure opportunities for success for each and every student and family of your school and community.
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a
fire.
William Butler Yeats
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MDE-OEII SIG Publications
www.michigan.gov/SIG
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Notes
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Notes
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References
Chi, M.T.H., and Glaser, R., and Farr, M.J. (1988). The Nature of Expertise. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.
Dufour, R., Dufour, R., Eaker, R., and Many, T. (2006). Learning by Doing: A Handbook
for Professional Learning Communities at Work. Second Edition. Solution Tree
Press.
Hattie, J. and Yates, G. (2014). Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn.
Routledge. London & New York.
Bibliography
Epstein, J., et al. (2009). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook
for Action. Third Edition. Corwin Press.
Earl, L., and Katz, S. (2006). Leading Schools in a Data-Rich World: Harnessing Data for
School Improvement. Corwin Press.
Price, H. (2008). Mobilizing the Community to Help Students Succeed. Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia USA
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