Over the past 14 years, educators committed to improving student achievement have used the Common Principles to affect meaningful change in schools. As a result, thousands of students and educators have experienced the benefits of personalized, authentic, and deep learning and teaching. Ten years after the Coalition's work began, the Futures Committee convened to formally assess the organization's progress. The Committee recognized that CES had developed into an effective program of reform that positively impacted students and influenced national discussions regarding the structure and purpose of schools. They did note, however, that to continue to be a voice in the national discourse, CES, as an organization, needed to carefully document the quality of its programs and consistently share the effects of CES change to the public at large. Thus began the Decade of Demonstration.
An essential component of sharing the work of the Coalition is being able to articulate how the founding ideas, or Common Principles, translate into practice in schools. A document that clearly identifies indicators of CES schools could be useful to sites considering CES membership, schools working towards improved implementation, and individuals in the public learning more about the Coalition. A carefully crafted document would be specific enough to provide direction to schools planning or assessing their work, yet broad enough to allow school communities to interpret the Principles and apply and tailor them to their local contexts. Several groups within the CES community have worked to develop a document that accommodates these factors. A draft of their collective efforts is attached.
Concerns have been raised about the potential implications of a "benchmarks" document on the membership process. During the first stages of the Coalition's history, membership decisions were handled by CES National. Regional centers have since assumed this role. Throughout this time period, membership has been based solely on a school's level of commitment to implementing the Common Principles rather than on its performance. There are currently no plans to use the benchmarks or indicators to decide membership. While individuals have discussed this possibility, this topic has not been a part of the broad national conversation.
February of 1998
The conversation regarding benchmarks begins as center directors discuss the Porter-Obey
Legislation for Comprehensive School Reform and the ways the funding could potentially
benefit CES schools. To qualify for the funding, CES needs to be prepared to respond
to a series of questions. Amongst those questions are: › What do the Common Principles
look like in schools? (Work of the 10 Common Principles) › How do Centers help
schools implement the Principles? (Process of Working with Schools) › What do
CES schools look like? (Activities of CES Schools) The center directors develop
lists of key practices that schools should be working on implementing, activities
that are expected of CES schools, and services provided by regional centers. They
also identify structures that schools need to have in place to ensure effective
implementation.
March 1998
At Congress, a Working Group discusses the issue of school benchmarks. The group
recognizes that while the motivation for developing benchmarks was initially in
response to the Porter-Obey Legislation, the conversation did, in fact, build
on years of efforts to characterize what constitutes a Coalition school. The group
also recognizes that the document also might be of use to both the CES and non-CES
communities. At the end of Congress, the Working Group's proposal and recommendation
are adopted:
Proposal: "the Congress endorses and fully supports the creation of benchmarks to be used by schools, centers, and the National CES to measure progress and use to inform the affirmation and re-affirmation of schools, and, ultimately centers."
Recommendation: "â we recommend that the CES Executive Board and national staff find a way to continue the work of benchmarking begun here"
April 1998
As indicated in the Governance Document, a copy of all Decisions of Congress is
sent to CES member schools. In response, 68 affirm the decision, while 1 does
not affirm.
May 1998
Center directors develop a draft of benchmarks that are linked to each of the
Ten Common Principles.
June - July 1998
CES National puts a call out to Center Directors and Congress Delegates for volunteers
to continue the work.
August 1998
An ad hoc committee of ten volunteers from centers and schools gather to work
on both the center rubric and the school benchmarks from August 12 - 15 in Oakland,
CA. The benchmarks group focuses on the clarity, content, and scope of the indicators
for each Principle. The group discusses the fact that CES schools are at varying
levels of implementation and use a metaphor of karate belt levels for clarification.
Schools that effectively implement the Principles might be considered the equivalent
of "black belt" schools. However, even then, there are varying levels or degrees
of skill. A black belt school of the 10th degree would look very different than
a black belt of the 1st degree (perhaps a first year member). The group decides
to provide indicators that illustrate the 10th degree black belt. By developing
these indicators, all schools would have high standards towards which to work.
After an intensive four days of work, the benchmarks group produces a significantly
more illustrative draft of the indicators. In order to structure the working session,
the group considers how the Principles affect four different groups within schools:
the students, the adults in the school, the individuals or groups providing leadership,
and the school structures (schedules, programs, facilities, etc.). Thus, indicators
for each of the four groups are developed for each of the Principles. The benchmarks
group develops indicators for six of the ten Principles and makes recommendations
for finishing the remaining four. The work is presented to the centers rubric
group for feedback.
September 1998
The national staff develops a plan for completing the work with as much input
from group members as possible. They disseminate drafts of all work, develop feedback
forms for each of the group members to complete independently, and set up a conference
call to discuss and synthesize the ideas. Using the feedback from the group, additions
are made to the document.
October 1998
The benchmarks and process documents are presented to the center directors for
review. Their feedback is solicited.
November 1998
The benchmarks group of the ad hoc committee presents their work to Congress for
review, feedback, and follow up. A Congress working group develops a proposal
which is affirmed at the Closing Session. The proposal reads: "The benchmark working
group proposes that CES National should convene a working group consisting of
current members and additional members to continue the work on school benchmarks.
The group would do the following: 1. Revise the current benchmark based on Congress
1998 feedback 2. Distribute the revised draft to centers, schools, and Congress
delegates along with a feedback form 3. Suggest strategies for and organize some
pilot testing Gather feedback on format, content, and pilot testing and present
to the March 1999 Congress for discussion of possible uses and further development."
December 1998 - January 1999
Congress delegates are invited to join the working group. The working group reviews
comments from Congress, condenses and revises the indicators, and develops a plan
for pilot testing the rubric. CES centers and networks as well as member schools
unaffiliated with centers are invited to participate in the pilot testing process.
February 1999
Schools and centers that expressed an interest in pilot testing the benchmark
are sent copies of the benchmark draft, ideas for using the document, and information
about feedback needed by the working group.
March 1999
Benchmark working group members present information about pilot testing results
to the CES National Congress and to the Center Directors. The following decisions
are made by Congress delegates:
"The benchmark working group proposes that CES National consider convening a working group to do the following:
1. Write a draft benchmark vision, problem statement, and theory of action that outlines the purpose(s) of benchmark development and guides future pilot testing. This document should also highlight some use strategies including, but not limited to: school self-assessment and reflection; alignment with external assessments; public relations; CES school membership; and assessing progress on student achievement and equity
2. Encourage continued school and center pilot testing through March 2000 with a progress report to be given at the November 1999 Congress. (no content changes at national level; available electronically; clear protocols about usage)
3. Hold benchmark workshops and/or roundtables at the 1999 Fall Forum.
4. Continue to review pilot-testing data, purposes, content, and format of the benchmark and give a report at the March 2000 Congress for possible next steps.""The benchmark working group proposes that CES national produce a document that examines the existing research literature which supports the benchmark and its indicators and the relationship to student achievement and equitable outcomes."