Beacon Network Schools Innovation Zone Forming an Innovation Zone - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Beacon Network Schools Innovation Zone

Forming an Innovation Zone will allow Beacon Network Schools to realize their full potential in serving their students, while remaining contributing members of the District’s educational and financial ecosystem Within the existing IMO structure, Beacon Network Schools has expended a significant amount of time to negotiate district processes in order to implement existing waivers. Some examples include cumbersome and lengthy processes to get staff positions and contractor agreements approved and posted, changes in payroll processes without advance notice or opportunities for input , and inconsistencies in communications from district departments. Innovation Management Organization Innovation Zone ● Support from IS & district partners is not ● iZone-District Collaborative Council provides Zone customized for IMO structures schools with a voice with district senior leadership and ● Changes in district leadership bring monthly meetings potential changes in communications & ● Allows Beacon Schools to maintain a steadfast focus support for innovation schools on implementing the personalized learning model well ● No formal structures for teacher ● Ensures strategic continuity through periods of change involvement in IMO-wide decisions ● Zone Board fosters teacher and parent voice at the ● No formal structures for community Network-level through Teacher and Parent Council involvement in IMO-wide decisions representatives on the Board 2

Key Elements of the Beacon Zone The Beacon Network Schools Innovation Zone will empower Beacon Schools with collective flexibilities and resources; support for teachers and leaders to learn together, Purpose grow, and excel; and community ownership and involvement, in order to to codify the Beacon Model and sustain it to improve outcomes for students. If we… ● integrate and share resources and personnel; ● increase financial resources and efficiencies; ● replicate and vertically align programming for personalized learning and enrichments; and ● engage and empower community collaboration… Theory of Action Then we… ● will increase effectiveness of instruction and retention of highly effective teachers; ● increase resources and support for students and teachers; ● increase student achievement gains and reduce opportunity gaps; and ● increase college and career readiness and prepare students to meet new graduation requirements. 3

Beacon Network Schools implement an innovative educational program of Personalized Learning through Blended Learning, Critical Thinking, Extended Learning Opportunities, and Character Development. Through our blended learning model and extended day Common programming, we are able to personalize learning experiences for students with different Interests achievement levels and learning needs, provide language development support to English language learners, intensify academic interventions for struggling students, and provide a multitude of high-quality enrichment opportunities for all of our students. School leaders, teachers, parents, and students were engaged in building the Beacon Zone application. Stakeholders will continue to stay engaged in zone decision-making processes through representation on the Beacon Zone Board. Community leaders from the neighborhoods of Beacon Zone schools will hold founding board seats, and will Stakeholder ensure that the Zone is responsive to community feedback. Teacher, staff, and family Engagement voices will be formally represented on the Beacon Zone Board through the Teacher Council and Parent Council representatives who will serve as non-voting members. Based on feedback from teachers in Beacon Zone schools, we anticipate a strong show of support through the teacher voting process. There are many great services and supports DPS provides that we are privileged to benefit from. The Beacon Zone seeks to collaborate on continued improvement of these Collaboration services, and for services that are not well-suited to our model, we seek the flexibility to create services to replace them when necessary. 4

Beacon Zone Board’s experience will enable it to serve as an extension of the DPS Board in engaging communities and holding schools accountable David Hart Russell Bryant Liz Drogin CFO/COO, Cherry Founder/President/ Executive Director, Creek School District CEO, The Go Challenge Denver Former Beacon Urban Companies parent Current Beacon parent Eliot Lewis Janet Lopez Accounting & Senior Program Financial Consultant, Officer, Lewis Consulting Rose Community Former Beacon Foundation parent 5

The Beacon Zone will empower schools and communities, and provide increased accountability for Beacon schools Denver Public Schools empowers school leaders and teachers and provides them with a great deal of flexibility. In order to build on this empowerment, the Beacon Zone will: Empower Beacon Zone leaders, teachers, students, and families to make crucial decisions around strategic use of resources to best serve our students Enable strategic continuity through periods of change, and support the continuation of programming successfully serving students Provide additional accountability to ensure that we deliver for students and families 6

The Beacon Zone will prioritize elevating our communities’ voices ● The Beacon Zone will engage each school’s broader community with the goal of facilitating greater engagement for families of color and low-income families. ● Board members are representative of the school communities that they serve. ● Board meetings will be public and there will be opportunity for public comment. ● Representatives from the Teacher Council and Parent Council will serve as non-voting members of the Beacon Zone board. 7

Overview of the Beacon Network Schools Innovation Zone 8

The Beacon Zone will empower Beacon schools to deliver an excellent education to all students The Beacon Zone will be able to accelerate student gains by leveraging three key pillars of an Innovation Zone... Governance Flexibility Accountability Innovation ...to build a model-based network of schools that share: Collaboration Budget Efficiencies Strategic focus Teacher & Community Voice Codifying and Formal representation of continuously improving a teacher, family, and Systems and structures Leveraging economies of personalized learning community voices on the for school leadership and scale to maximize budget model that provides Beacon Zone board, to teachers to work together efficiencies and reach excellent educational facilitate ongoing voice in in service to the kids and financial sustainability opportunities for all important Zone-level communities they share students decision-making 9

Beacon Zone schools serve a diverse set of students in Denver Denver Public Grant Beacon Kepner Beacon Beacon Zone Schools Middle School Middle School 2018-19 Enrollment 420 405 825 92,984 % Students qualifying 90% 84% 97% 69% for FRL % English Learners 50% 73% 61% 36.8% % Students in Special 19% 16% 22% 11.0% Education % Minority students 87% 96% 91% 76% 10

The Beacon Zone is comprised of two schools with innovation status Grant Beacon Kepner Beacon Beacon Zone Middle School Middle School Leader Michelle Saab Dan Walsh Alex Magaña Years in 5 years 5 years 17 years Leadership SPF Rating Green Green Communities Southeast and Southwest Served Southwest 11

Beacon Zone board members all live in our communities and bring a range of experience and expertise to the board Eliot Lewis Janet Lopez David Hart Liz Drogin Russell Bryant - Accounting & - Education Policy - District Operations & - Education Partners - Business Financial Planning Financial Services Development -Teacher Recruitment, - DU Enrichments Retention & Growth - Parent Advocacy - Public - Marketing, Media & - Community Administration Communications - National Hispanic - GBMS CSC Chair Engagement Institute Gen X Women 1st Innovation Plan - CCSD COO - Fundraising & - Thesis: The Effect of of Distinction Investment Strategy - BNS Network - DPS & DCSD CFO Public Transportation - Undocumented Advisory Board Use on Race-Based - Real Estate - Denver City Students and the Occupational - DPS Bond Treasurer & Manager - Business Policies of Wasted Segregation and Committee of Revenue Negotiations Potential (author) Earnings Inequality The Beacon Zone has a strong desire to ensure that the board reflects the diversity of our community and will focus any 12 future board recruiting efforts accordingly.

The Beacon Zone Board supports the mission of the Beacon Zone by providing oversight of and accountability for Zone schools The Beacon Zone Board will: Represent and give voice to the needs and desires of the diverse school communities Own and advocate for the mission, vision and strategy of the Innovation Zone Hold the Executive Director and member schools accountable for providing high-quality, continuously improving educational opportunities for all students The Beacon Network Schools Innovation Zone Board is ultimately accountable to the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. 13

Why form the Beacon Network Schools Innovation Zone? 14