Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/515703
The QEIA program was funded over eight years with about $3 billion that came from CTA winning a school funding lawsuit against former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wasn't a program that took that money and invested it in hundreds of at-risk schools highly unusual? The typical approach might have been to distribute the funding to all schools equally in California. Instead, leaders said, "No, we're going to do something different. We're going to do something that will really change schools." QEIA was a grand experiment. It was really unprecedented. Your team's QEIA research says certain things really work — fostering collective accountability, supporting exemplary leaders, strengthening professional devel- opment, cultivating teacher collaboration, responsive student interventions, and class size reduction. Is one more vital than the others? I don't think one is more vital necessarily. I do think this idea of local and collective ac- countability is foundational. At the core, in order for schools to change or become something great, there needs to be a sense that everybody's on the same page, that they under- stand the goals, they have collective responsibility, and that they have high expectations for their teachers, students, staff and parents. If that's not in place, I think it's hard to move anything. What other key QEIA elements for success did you notice? You must have exemplary leadership in place, whether it's the principal or whoever. In our final report, we'll also be talking about how important it is to empower teachers and give them a voice in the reform process, and to give them the tools to engage in teaching and learning more effectively. What are the similarities between QEIA and the state's Local Control Funding Formula and the Local Control and Accountability Plan system? It's fair to say there are a lot of similarities. The new policies, much like QEIA, are about helping our schools of greatest need. And both are focused on whether schools are adequately funded. Like QEIA, the local control policies appreciate the local context and sup- port locally driven approaches to change. Our research on QEIA offers many lessons learned that can support schools in California as they transition to these new policies. What impressions stayed in your mind over the many years of research? I met an amazing principal at one par- ticular QEIA school who really defined what we mean by an exemplary leader. He empowered his teachers; he trusted them to make decisions. He moved heaven and earth so that everyone could collaborate. He also set goals that laid the foundation for a strong sense of collective accountability. Data was used to drive responsive academic interventions. If we don't staff our schools with the right kinds of princi- pals, we aren't going to see the change we want. Any final lessons you want to share? We learned some really important things about class size reduction. Research tends to focus on test scores and whether or not they im- prove with class size reduction. We learned more about how class size reduction affects the work of teachers and the classroom. When you reduce class size, classroom man- agement improves. The environment is less stressful for teachers and students. Teachers can develop better student relationships, and as they get to know their students better, they can really differentiate instruction through small groups and one-on-one instruction. Those changes to practice have the potential to improve student learning. While there, you can also read more about the history of the program, watch videos, and discover how this unprecedented program can help shape how schools are reaching their most at-risk students. Courtney L. MaLLoy, Ph.D. anDrea K. nee, M.a. in SChooLS May 2013 Cultivating Change a DeePer LooK at QeIa IMPLeMentatIon Courtney L. MaLLoy, Ph.D. anDrea K. nee, M.a. TO CHANGE SEPTEMBER 2013 PATHWAYS LEARNING FROM EXEMPLARY QEIA SCHOOLS STRUCTURING CHANGE THE CONTEXT OF QEIA IMPLEMENTATION COURTNEY L. MALLOY, PH.D. ANDREA K. NEE, M.A. JULY 2014 ADVOCATING CHANGE THE ROLE OF CTA IN QEIA COURTNEY L. MALLOY, PH.D. SARA C. MCCLESKEY, M.S. ANDREA K. NEE, M.A. FEBRUARY 2015 JULY 2015 COURTNEY L. MALLOY, PH.D. SARA C. MCCLESKEY, M.S. ANDREA K. NEE, M.A. REALIZING CHANGE LEARNING FROM QEIA To read the complete research reports, visit www.cta.org/qeia. Coming in July 31 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 9