Portland Public Schools District Diagnostic Recommendations

Portland Public Schools District Diagnostic Recommendations The School Turnaround Group Mass Insight Education 18 Tremont Street, Suite 1010 Boston, MA 02108 T: (617) 778-1500 F: (617) 778-1505

Table of Contents Introduction.. p. 4 Domain 1: Vision, Strategy and Culture... p. 6 1.1. Generate buy-in for and fully operationalize the Comprehensive Plan Framework 1.2. Engage in a prioritization exercise to map out, add, and eliminate district strategic initiatives 1.3. Takes steps to stabilize the central office and boost employee morale 1.4. Make PPS mission and vision clearly visible in the central office and schools Domain 2: Organizational Structure and Policy p. 8 2.1. Develop functional and organizational charts 2.2. Define job descriptions for all employees at all levels within the organization 2.3. Define the role of the School Board 2.4. Creates systems and processes to strengthen the School Board/district central office relationship 2.5. Invest in internal communications to promote transparency and efficiency 2.6. Create standing internal meeting structures Domains 3 & 4: School Management and Central Services p. 13 3.1. Define the district s school management strategy 3.2. Align central office staffing with the identified school management strategy 3.3. Commit to monitoring central office timeliness, responsiveness, and customer service 3.4. Foster collaboration and best practice sharing across schools and between staff 3.5. Create a central office directory Domain 5: Finance.. p. 18 5.1. Ensure that the Comprehensive Plan Framework drives the budget 5.2. Revise the budget development process to include clear expectations and transparency for all stakeholders 5.3. Engage in year-to-date budgeting vs. actual spending reviews (incl. cost center spending) 5.4. Pursue cost savings and maximize efficiency in payroll systems Domain 6: Human Resources.. p. 22 6.1. Design and implement a strategic recruitment plan to create talent pipelines for staff and leadership positions 6.2. Standardize a rigorous and competency-based staff and leadership hiring process 6.3. Implement a comprehensive and consistent on-boarding process for all new employees 6.4. Offer ongoing, job-embedded, and data-driven professional development opportunities for all employees 6.5. Develop a plan to retain highly-effective staff and address underperforming staff District Diagnostic Recommendations 2

Domain 7: Academics.. p. 27 7.1. Prioritize work within the Academic Department and staff the team accordingly 7.2. Leverage the Curriculum Specialists to support the district s transition to the CCSS by leading curriculum and resource development 7.3. Identify and adopt common formative and benchmark assessments for district-wide use 7.4. Implement with fidelity a district-wide Response to Intervention (RTI) process 7.5. Redesign the district s special education strategy to maximize supports for students and cost effectiveness Domain 8: Operations.. p. 32 8.1. Promote technology to enhance organizational effectiveness and efficiency and seamless integration across all departments 8.2. Ensure that all Operations staff feel valued and connected to the central mission of improved student achievement 8.3. Communicate and differentiate between city vs. district central office services 8.4. Improve current student enrollment, registration, and transfer processes 8.5. Celebrate the innovative initiatives underway in Operations Domain 9: External Affairs.. p. 36 9.1. Develop and launch a communications plan identifying target audiences, key messages, and accountability metrics 9.2. Implement a PR strategy to proactively promote district initiatives and status, in part by leveraging social media 9.3. Integrate and align community partnerships with the district s strategic vision 9.4. Launch a development strategy to increase philanthropic support for strategic initiatives 9.5. Enhance the district website by improving overall functionality and accessibility for external stakeholders Domain 10: Data and Accountability..... p. 41 10.1. Design an organization-wide accountability plan centered on student learning and aligned with the Comprehensive Plan Framework 10.2. Launch the new accountability system and commit to the ongoing use of data to inform decision-making 10.3. Establish performance evaluation tools and processes for all district employees Summary Discussion Chart. p. 45 Bibliography. p. 49 District Diagnostic Recommendations 3

Introduction Overview and Diagnostic Process In fall of 2012, Portland Public Schools (PPS) engaged in a partnership with Mass Insight Education s School Turnaround Group (STG) to conduct a comprehensive district diagnostic. The STG s diagnostic process is framed by 10 domains for a high-functioning district. It is designed to explore and gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of district systems, processes, and policies in key functional areas. The PPS diagnostic was heavily informed by a wide range of stakeholders who participated in surveys, focus groups, and interviews; this included School Board members, district central office employees, school administrators, teachers, parents, and community members. In many ways, the diagnostic findings are the result of community reflection and feedback. The STG thanks PPS community members for their active participation in the diagnostic process and their role in shaping the conclusions and recommendations outlined in this report. The diagnostic process uncovered strengths, opportunities, and areas for growth and improvement. The purpose of this report is to provide a manageable set of action-oriented and high-yield recommendations aligned with these findings to promote organizational excellence and drive gains in student achievement. Through this report, we hope to provide PPS leadership with recommendations informed by national best practice and modified to meet PPS unique context and needs. The STG applauds PPS for its commitment to ongoing improvement. We also acknowledge the challenges faced by small urban districts in the current financial climate and uncertain policy environment, and limitations unique to Portland and its lean central office team. 10 Diagnostic Domains The district diagnostic and resulting recommendations are framed by 10 overarching domains. These domains capture the key characteristics and major functional areas of a high-performing district. 1 Vision, Strategy and Culture: Communicate a clear vision and set of goals for the district promoting a culture of excellence and high expectations. 2 Organizational Structure and Policy: Establish coherent structures, processes, and policies that promote organizational effectiveness. 3 Central Services: Promote the seamless delivery and integration of central office support services, allowing educators to focus on high-quality teaching and learning. 4 School Management: Create structures and build capacity to drive school improvement efforts ensuring that all families have access to excellent schools. 6 Human Resources: Establish systems and processes to recruit, place, develop, and retain talent. 7 Academics: Design and implement a rigorous academic program with aligned and high-quality curricula, assessments, and instruction. 8 Operations: Ensure smooth nonacademic operations emphasizing efficiency and productivity. 9 External Affairs: Engage parents, family, and community members as partners in the education system. District Diagnostic Recommendations 4

5 Finance: Promote high-yield and sustainable resource investments; maximize the amount of resources flowing directly to students and classrooms. 10 Data and Accountability: Create shared accountability for student achievement at all levels of the organization; promote a strong data culture by using data to inform and drive decision-making. How to Read the Recommendations Section This report is organized by domain. Each domain includes a summary statement of need and a rationale for the recommendations that follow. The recommendations are presented in a menu format, allowing district leaders to discuss and prioritize activities to respond to some of the districts most immediate needs and opportunities. The report organizes recommendations based on a preliminary prioritization and, in some cases, logical sequencing. Each recommendation includes: 1) A description of the recommendation including potential next steps, and 2) Guiding questions and implementation considerations. The final part of this document includes a Recommendation Summary Discussion Chart designed to assist PPS leadership in the process of considering, assessing, and selecting recommendations to pursue. To use the chart, consider existing strengths and limitations, and select the recommendations that will improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency to ultimately support and promote gains in student achievement. District Diagnostic Recommendations 5

Domain 1: Vision, Strategy and Culture Communicate a clear vision and set of goals for the district promoting a culture of excellence and high expectations Need and Rationale: As evidenced by the diagnostic findings, the district initiated critical strategic planning work in 2009 by defining the organization s mission and vision and drafting the Comprehensive Plan Framework. With this foundation in place, PPS is well positioned to create and execute a plan to propel achievement to the next level. A number of barriers and obstacles have limited prior strategic planning efforts, namely frequent leadership changes and a persistent gap between planning and execution. In order for the Comprehensive Plan Framework to actively guide the district, it must be communicated across the district, embodied by all employees, and evidenced in district actions and decisions. The district should capitalize on the opportunity new district leadership brings to unify employees by re-introducing and operationalizing the strategic plan. The recommendations below provide specific action steps PPS can take to begin this process. Recommendation 1.1: Generate buy-in for and fully operationalize the Comprehensive Plan Framework Description: PPS must commit to fully operationalizing and generating buy-in for the Comprehensive Plan Framework. Diagnostic interviews and focus groups revealed a wide range in stakeholder familiarity with the Comprehensive Plan Framework and its role guiding district activities. The Comprehensive Plan Framework successfully identifies Portland s strengths and gap areas. It will be important for a representative team to now translate these goals into concrete action steps. The district must develop tools and processes to ensure that the plan is implemented with fidelity. Successful implementation will require a commitment from district leadership to lead, support, follow-up, and embody the plan, or the process will fail. The process must establish a clear timeline and a resourcing plan. During the implementation phase, many districts create cross-functional subcommittees to oversee the execution of specific work streams or objectives within the strategic plan. These teams should create work plans identifying task ownership and critical milestones; these progress benchmarks provide an opportunity for monitoring and accountability throughout the implementation period. Conduct parent, student, teacher, administrator, and community member focus groups tied to the Comprehensive Plan Framework to collect feedback and garner buy-in Launch the final strategic plan and capitalize on it as a public relations opportunity for the district Create workgroups to build out aligned implementation timelines and cascading work plans (including activities, task ownership, deadlines, and expected outputs/outcomes) Create an online district dashboard providing periodic updates on the implementation of the plan To what extent were various stakeholders involved in developing the Comprehensive Plan Framework? How can PPS ensure that stakeholders (e.g., parents, staff, taxpayers, community partners) know about the plan and feel ownership for its success? How can PPS involve a range of stakeholders in the successful implementation of the plan? District Diagnostic Recommendations 6

How can the district create opportunities to monitor the alignment of actions and programs with the plan? How will PPS periodically communicate progress to all key stakeholders? Recommendation 1.2: Engage in a prioritization exercise to map out, add, and eliminate district strategic initiatives Description: As evidenced in the diagnostic report, frequent leadership changes have resulted in various shifts in strategy and the layering of multiple new initiatives. Not only is this costly, it complicates the overall sense of direction for the district. To avoid adding misaligned and competing initiatives, PPS leadership must review the district s strategic priorities and current initiatives. Leadership must identify those that support the district s goals, eliminate those that do not, and tie budgetary spending to these goals. This process will ultimately lead to measurable changes in student achievement by freeing up additional resources that better align with the district s vision. Identify all of the district s current strategic initiatives Engage district leadership in a stop, start, continue exercise Align priorities to the goals set forth in the strategic plan Related to recommendation 1.1, engage in strategic resource allocation by redirecting funds toward a manageable set of high-yield strategies What are the district s current strategic priorities? Which of these activities are impactful? Which of these strategies are cost effective and provide the greatest return on investment to the district? Which strategies should PPS continue? Which strategies are less effective and should be discontinued? What are the gap areas? What should the district initiate in order to most appropriately meet student and school needs? Recommendation 1.3: Takes steps to stabilize the central office and boost employee morale Description: PPS staff described a significant level of instability at the district central office, perpetuated by frequent leadership changes and high staff turnover. As a result, employee morale and team unity have suffered. Left unaddressed, low morale can lead to poor cooperation, low productivity and increased turnover. This ultimately hinders the district s ability to work towards its mission and goals. To stabilize the central office and boost employee morale, the district should work to increase trust, support, and shared responsibility. All employees must know how their work connects to the district s mission of increasing student achievement. PPS must take time to truly define and cultivate a strong organizational culture. The district must celebrate accomplishments to create a positive work environment. In addition, PPS should engage in team-building activities to bring all departments and leadership together. District Diagnostic Recommendations 7

Come to consensus around PPS core values and celebrate instances when employees demonstrate these values in their everyday work Publicly recognize employee and /or departmental successes Launch a cross-functional organizational culture committee Establish an annual central office retreat Identify quarterly opportunities for team building How can PPS create and restore a sense of stability at the central office? How can PPS boost employee morale and promote a strong internal culture? How does the district provide opportunities for peer support and collaboration at the central office? Recommendation 1.4: Make PPS mission and vision clearly visible in the central office and schools Description: When used properly, an organization s mission and vision can be powerful and unifying tools. In high-functioning school districts, all employees must have a common understanding of the organization s mission. Many employees choose to work for PPS because they are motivated by the district s mission, and the district should capitalize on employees commitment to make a difference in students lives. PPS should ensure that the organization s mission and core values are visible in schools and in the central office. This practice sets the tone for improvement, and allows staff to internalize a shared vision and focus for their work. The better employees understand the district s mission, the more able they are to support the district s strategy and its implementation. This will increase the district s efficiency and effectiveness toward ensuring students receive a high-quality education and narrow the gap between the district s vision and employees daily actions. Settle upon the district s mission, vision, and values Create posters displaying these core beliefs and ensure that they are visible in all PPS facilities Begin all-staff meetings by making a connection between the meeting objectives and the district s mission Create a central office chart showing how every department supports and reinforces the district s core mission of improved student achievement How can PPS ensure that all employees have a common understanding of PPS mission and vision, and that employees embody those ideals in their daily work? What periodic opportunities exist to make connections to PPS mission and vision? (e.g., staff meetings, new hire orientation, professional development sessions, etc.) How can PPS consistently message the mission and vision at all levels of the organization? District Diagnostic Recommendations 8

Domain 2: Organizational Structure and Policy Establish coherent structures, processes, and policies that promote organizational effectiveness. Need and Rationale: PPS must create structures, processes, and policies that allow the central office to efficiently work toward the district s goals. Currently, the district is largely people-dependent rather than systems-driven. In order to promote sustainability and growth, PPS must begin to formalize and institutionalize systems and routines in all functional areas. Following various leadership changes and central office staffing cuts, PPS has an undefined organizational structure. Employees lack job descriptions and are unclear about their roles and responsibilities. This leads to inefficient practices and poor communication, all of which negatively impacts schools and organizational culture. The following recommendations work to address these issues and help PPS re-establish organizational structure and replicable systems and processes. Recommendation 2.1: Develop functional and organizational charts Description: PPS leadership should take time to reflect upon the central office s current staffing and the best way to organize the district s talent to support schools and drive gains in academic achievement. To begin this process, the district must define the major functional units, the responsibilities of each department, and how they interact with one another. This process will result in an employee-agnostic functional organizational chart. PPS must then develop staff organizational charts showing clear reporting structures for individuals within and across the organization. PPS must then carefully communicate the new structure to central office staff and school-based staff who rely on the central office for timely services and supports. Assess the current organization of departments and central office staff Explore organizational charts from other small and mid-sized urban districts Redefine PPS functional organizational chart (divisions and units) Establish PPS personnel organizational chart to show clear reporting structures Communicate the functional organizational chart at an all-staff meeting Host department-specific meetings to introduce new reporting structures What are the current departments within the central office and how are they organized? How are employees currently organized within each division? What does the reporting structure look like? Within the current structure, what is working well? What is not working? How can PPS improve and create a more coherent and strategic organizational structure? District Diagnostic Recommendations 9

Recommendation 2.2: Define job descriptions for all employees at all levels within the organization Description: In order to effectively perform job functions and impact district and departmental goals, all employees must know their performance expectations and how they will be evaluated. PPS must invest time to develop job descriptions for all positions within the organization. Effective job descriptions help employees acquire a greater understanding of their positions and allow them to better connect their jobs to the district s mission. In addition, regularly updated job descriptions allow for effective recruitment and hiring, as they identify the skills, competencies and requirements to be successful in a specific role. Once a job description is prepared, it can serve a basis for candidate recruitment and interviewing, new employee orientation, and evaluating job performance. Conduct an inventory of individuals current job responsibilities Revise job functions by creating detailed job descriptions for all employees; rename positions as appropriate Meet one-on-one with employees to go over their new job descriptions and clarify responsibilities and expectations Update PPS staff list on the website and directory to reflect the newly-defined responsibilities What job functions and responsibilities do employees currently hold? Where are there redundancies and misalignment with job titles? How can job responsibilities be more evenly and thoughtfully distributed? What traits and skill sets are required for success in each role? Are there additional implications that come with revised job descriptions (e.g., title or salary changes)? How can PPS successfully communicate job responsibilities to all employees? Recommendation 2.3: Define the role of the School Board Description: The diagnostic findings reveal that central office employees have an unclear understanding of the School Board s role, often resulting in miscommunication between the central office and Board members. In recent years, the School Board assumed a considerable amount of authority regarding the district s day-to-day decisions and operations. This was largely out of necessity, as Board members worked to rebuild the district s credibility after a period of financial instability. As the district reaches a new state of equilibrium and financial security, it will be important for the School Board to redefine its role providing policy and/or managerial oversight. Related, the central office staff and Board members must create standard operating procedures to help govern their interactions and relationships. This should address when and how Board members communicate with central office staff, and expectations of central office staff when presenting to the School Board. District Diagnostic Recommendations 10

Engage School Board members in reflective conversations to define what they see as the Board s ideal role moving forward Clearly delineate the functional responsibilities of the School Board and central office Create a decision rights matrix showing when the Board/central office has the authority to make, approve, and/or veto decisions (e.g., personnel, budgetary, programmatic, etc.) What are the School Board s current functional responsibilities? Ideally, what is the role of the School Board vis-à-vis the central office? In what areas may the School Board need to scale back or increase its role? Recommendation 2.4: Create systems and processes to strengthen the School Board/district central office relationship Description: Once the role of the School Board is defined, the next step is to create systems and processes that align with the redefined roles and strengthen the relationship. In districts with strong school board and central office relationships, researchers found that dramatic growth in student achievement coincided with periods when there was a high level of trust between the superintendent and the school board i. Therefore, it will be imperative for PPS to plan and develop systems and processes to create trust, such as establishing a clear communication flowchart between the School Board and central office. This plan should clearly state who needs what information, the timeframe, and procedures for disseminating information. Identify who on the School Board is supposed to communicate directly with the central office and with what frequency Create clear processes and tools by which the Board can request information from the central office and how this information is to be presented How does the School Board currently interact with various departments and staff members at the central office and schools? What challenges arise from the existing system? What processes and structures can PPS create to foster clear and consistent communication between the Board and central office? Recommendation 2.5: Invest in internal communications to promote transparency and efficiency Description: District success is contingent upon staff collaboration and ongoing communication between all departments. PPS must invest in a robust internal communication system in order to support the level of collaboration needed to promote transparency and efficiency. Once the district adopts a specific school management strategy and aligns staffing accordingly (see domains 3 and 4), the next step is to develop strategies to build bridges between all internal departments. PPS must establish recurring central office meetings within each department and across departments. The district must foster bilateral communication by District Diagnostic Recommendations 11

creating mechanisms through which departments and individuals feed information up to district leadership, and leadership share important announcements with staff. Conduct a communications audit to identify available tools for internal communications Develop an internal communications framework that outlines strategies, tactics, owners and timelines Create standing strategies to support regular and consistent communication (e.g., monthly internal newsletter, weekly announcement email to administrators, biweekly roll-up reports to the Chiefs and Superintendent, etc.) Identify employee groups that may require differentiated tools (e.g., food service and transportation workers who may not have access to district email) Develop a working calendar with key dates for distribution of critical procedural information (e.g., winter holiday procedures in the last communication before break) Ensure that district leaders provide information on a regular basis to all employees Create a communications flowchart showing how messages are disseminated after decisions are made What does communication currently look like at the central office level (within and between departments)? What does communication look like between the central office and schools? What strategies have proven effective? Where are there opportunities for improvement? How can PPS bolster communication at all levels by exploring multiple modes of communication (e.g., social media, websites, intranet, email blasts, etc.)? Recommendation 2.6: Create standing internal meeting structures Description: PPS would benefit from standing internal meetings structures that give employees opportunities to learn and collaborate with one another. The district should implement standing meetings to establish reporting structures, refocus roles and responsibilities, and ensure that all work is aligned to Comprehensive Plan Framework. These meetings will impact employee performance and help them understand the connection between their work and student outcomes. Establish a list of necessary standing meetings, when they occur, the purpose of each meeting, and necessary attendees Create meeting norms and expectations for all managers/meeting facilitators Build meeting agenda and minutes templates to cultivate consistent practices within the organization What standing meetings currently exist (e.g., all-staff meetings between managers and supervisees, meetings with principals, etc.)? How can PPS improve the standing meetings structure to ensure ongoing collaboration and communication? How does the district ensure that these meetings are effective? District Diagnostic Recommendations 12

Domains 3 & 4: School Management and Central Services (3) Promote the seamless delivery and integration of central office support services, allowing educators to focus on high-quality teaching and learning; and (4) create structures and build capacity to drive school improvement efforts ensuring that all families have access to excellent schools Need and Rationale: School districts must define the role of the central office vis-à-vis its schools. Through this process, districts are able to parse out the responsibilities of the central office relative to its schools, and the central office s strategy for providing school leaders with the right level of autonomy and accountability. The central office and its school management approach should focus solely on ensuring schools receive high-quality supports that are vital to student learning. The diagnostic revealed that PPS has an unclear school management structure. On the one hand, many employees describe Portland as having site-based management, implying maximum building-level autonomy; however, building leadership lack decision-making authority over critical levers, such as their budgets. On the other hand, many district leaders are growing increasingly concerned about the district s ability to support systemic growth given the current level of decentralization in the district. This will be increasingly important as PPS grapples with time sensitive district-wide initiatives, such as the transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and adoption of educator evaluation systems. PPS must take time to define its school management strategy and the level of flexibility and autonomy afforded to building leaders. School-based staff also communicated dissatisfaction with the supports and services provided by the central office, specifically noting inconsistent customer service, communication and collaboration. This could pose threats to district performance and student achievement. The recommendations below provide PPS with strategies to shift current structures and services to better support schools and create a more productive relationship between the central office and schools. Recommendation 3.1: Define the district s school management strategy Description: PPS leadership should take time to explore various models for school management, ranging from site-based autonomy to tight central management. There are pros and cons to the various models along the autonomy spectrum, and Portland should work to select and/or design a model that supports its current context and goals. This is an important process because it can promote building-level ownership and communicates to school leaders the amount of autonomy they have over critical inputs including people, time, money, and programming. This process also clarifies the role of the central office in serving and supporting school-level staff. In order for all departments and employees throughout the district to feel true ownership and accountability, they must have a clear understanding of their level of authority and autonomy. As the district engages in this process it is important to consider how they will support the management approach. Of the recommendations under domains 3 and 4, this is the highest priority and a prerequisite for the remaining recommendations. Review and assess the different school management approaches (e.g., site-based management, portfolio model, earned autonomy, and central management) District Diagnostic Recommendations 13

Understand the benefits and limitations of each, considering their alignment to the Comprehensive Plan Framework and existing resources Select/Develop a school management approach for PPS Determine the level of autonomy that building leadership with receive as tied to people, time, money, and programming Determine how schools will be held accountable for progress and results, and how performance data may impact the level of autonomy a school receives Begin restructuring central office staff and create internal systems to support the implementation of this new school support model Create a communications plan and timeline to explain the new management structure to district stakeholders How is the central office currently organized to support its schools? What level of decision-making authority currently resides at the central office versus at the building level? Of the school management approaches, which one aligns with PPS vision (e.g., site-based management, portfolio model, earned autonomy, and central management)? What districts currently employ this strategy? What can PPS learn from their experiences implementing this approach? Does PPS have the resources (time, capacity, money) to effectively implement this approach? What changes does PPS need to make to effectively implement this approach? How will the role of the central office and school building leaders shift? What challenges should PPS anticipate? How can PPS overcome these barriers? How can PPS have a smooth transition towards this approach? How can PPS message this new relationship to school teams? What is the timeline to launch this strategy? Recommendation 3.2: Align central office staffing with the identified school management strategy Description: Once Portland has defined its school management strategy, PPS should take a closer look at internal staffing structure at the central office. In comparing the different school management approaches, it is evident that each has unique staffing structures, depending on the level and frequency of the interactions between the central office and schools. Building upon PPS goal of becoming a school-facing organization, the district must first decide which services PPS will provide centrally and how the central office will be staffed to support schools. This step is essential to ensure that the district is adequately staffed to support schools, protect building-level autonomy, and promote ongoing accountability. Create an organizational chart illustrating PPS new staffing structure aligned to its school management model (see recommendation 2.1) Identify which positions are school-based and/or school-facing Update existing job descriptions based on new roles and responsibilities created via the new management model District Diagnostic Recommendations 14

Communicate the functional responsibilities of the central office relative to schools (e.g., pertaining to academics, operations, finance, etc.) What are the staffing characteristics of the school management strategy PPS has decided to pursue? How does the current staffing structure need to change to meet the staffing goals and functions of the new management strategy? What will the new roles and responsibilities look like? What positions are no longer operational? What new positions may be necessary? Do current team members have the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively carry out their new roles and responsibilities? What training should PPS provide? How will PPS communicated changes to employees and schools? What will the implementation timeline look like? How can PPS define responsibilities in terms of services provided to schools? How will this be communicated to central office employees to generate buy-in? Where does PPS anticipate resistance to change? How can this be addressed? Recommendation 3.3: Commit to monitoring central office timeliness, responsiveness, and customer service Description: As revealed in the diagnostic findings, many departments within the central office must continue to improve their timeliness, responsiveness, and general customer service. PPS should ensure that central office services are truly supporting schools, students, and families. PPS should develop specific goals around these critical process metrics. These goals will shift the focus from administrative procedures and compliance to providing high-quality and timely support to schools, allowing educators to focus their efforts on teaching and learning. Each department should work together to develop SMART goals around these three areas; for example, HR employees will respond to emails within a 24-hour turnaround period 90% of the time, 90% of payroll claims are processed within X days; 95% of respondents note satisfactory customer service in an end-ofyear surveys. Departments should receive clear guidelines on how to create these goals, and team members should contribute to developing goals to ultimately promote ownership. Once goals are created, central office leadership should review them for consistency. Following the approval of timeliness, responsiveness and customer service goals, the district should develop a clear process for monitoring the results. Establish goal metrics and benchmarks for all departments within the central office Design and implement a system to monitor performance Identify data points (e.g., customer service feedback surveys, phone logs, walk-in request logs, ticketing data, etc.) Create a timeline to gather evidence, analyze data, and provide benchmark reports to continue working towards goals in a regular cycle (e.g., quarterly) Incorporate opportunities to reflect on performance, share feedback, and identify next steps (i.e., departments should establish follow-up meetings with teams to discuss performance and action items) What is the current practice for responding to incoming calls, emails, and requests? District Diagnostic Recommendations 15

How are incoming calls, emails, and requests handled? What is the current process for responding to walk-in requests? What is the current practice for inter-office requests? Is there a way to track all these requests to ensure they are completed in a timely manner? How can the district simplify these processes to increase capacity, responsiveness, and shorten turnaround time? What goals can the district set to hold staff accountable for timeliness, responsiveness and high-quality customer services? How can PPS monitor these metrics regularly? Recommendation 3.4: Foster collaboration and best practice sharing across schools and between staff Description: Currently, there is not enough cross-site collaboration in Portland. Two primary factors contribute to this: (1) the fragmented school management model encourages extreme independence, and (2) schools are overly competitive with one another around limited resources. Oftentimes, competition can be a good thing in education; however, this competitive landscape is preventing collaboration and best practice sharing. Collaboration within districts provides opportunities for schools to share strategies, programs, and initiatives that are generating desired results. The central office should facilitate collaboration by highlighting best practices and supporting the development of instructional resources. Schools and departments within the central office often operate in separate silos. Staff are left to recreate tools and resources that may already exist within their own building or across schools. Inconsistency across buildings also impacts the district s ability to accurately to analyze and measure school trends across all schools. PPS must create structured opportunities for building leaders and staff to come together and collaborate around strategies and shared challenges. Through monthly leadership meetings, professional development opportunities, and/or an online community of practice, PPS must proactively promote collaboration and leverage economies of scale across schools. Create a culture that values collaboration Identify upcoming opportunities for collaboration (e.g., implementation of the CCSS) by selecting areas of shared interest Create affinity groups around specific school needs and pool resource to produce the desired outputs and/or results Create highly structured teacher collaboration opportunities, such as the development of peer networks, mixing both technological and face-to-face interactions Create principal networking opportunities, such as providing scheduling support within individual schools that allows principals to observe practices in other schools, as well as participate in professional networks What does PPS currently do to encourage collaboration and best practice sharing within the central office? Across schools? What does PPS need to change about the existing culture to increase collaboration? What needs to change at the school level to increase best practice sharing? District Diagnostic Recommendations 16

How can the district leverage technology and face-to-face interactions to create regular opportunities for collaboration? How can PPS instill norms to facilitate regular collaboration? What topics and challenges should be addressed in a collaborative forum? Is there an opportunity for school principals to come together and share best practices in their buildings? Recommendation 3.5: Create a central office directory Description: As a result of recent central office staff turnover and the lack of job descriptions, the diagnostic revealed that school and central office communication can be challenging. Schools identified that in many cases they are not aware of whom to contact with particular needs and requests. Central office employees also expressed confusion regarding responsibilities and contacts within central office developments. PPS should create a detailed central office directory that explains who to contact for different issues; this will support smooth and efficient service delivery and should include the name, role, department, and contact information of all central office employees. The district should consider creating internal and external versions of the directory. The internal version should facilitate collaboration among district employees, whereas the external version that should be geared toward parents and community members. Use the newly-created organizational charts (see recommendation 2.1) to draft an initial directory Explain the function of each unit and define employees individual responsibilities Construct an FAQ section showing frequent questions Share the final version with central office and school-based employees including guidelines for usage Post the final version on the website and make hard copies available What are the roles in the newly aligned departments within the central office? Who are the staff members filling those roles? What are their specific responsibilities? What specific services do they perform for schools and other central office employees? What is their contact information? What information do staff and families need in the case of emergencies? How can the new directory be accessible to school and central office employees? How will the directory be rolled out to ensure staff uses it effectively? District Diagnostic Recommendations 17

Domain 5: Finance Promote high-yield and sustainable resource investments that maximize the amount of resources flowing directly to students and classroom. Need and Rationale: PPS has done an excellent job ensuring the district maintains a balanced budget after the 2007 financial crisis; however, this has often been prioritized over student academic outcomes. As a result, strategy and academic priorities do not drive the budgeting process. Mission-driven school districts implement multiple best practices in developing, monitoring, and revising their budgets to ensure that they are balanced and focused on advancing district priorities. The budget process should be transparent and foster structured collaboration around budgetary decisions. The following recommendations will support PPS in taking the next step toward not only ensuring the budget is balanced, but also effectively supporting district priorities and student learning. Recommendation 5.1: Ensure that the Comprehensive Plan Framework drives the budget Description: As a result of not having a strategic plan for many years and focusing primarily on balanced spending, the budget does not consistently reflect district priorities, as currently identified in the Comprehensive Plan Framework. Inconsistent leadership and the absence of a strategic plan provided the Finance Department with little guidance on how to strategically allocate funds. The budget development process, timeline, and those involved in its creation must justify budget decisions by assessing their impact on student achievement and relevance to the Comprehensive Plan Framework. This high-priority recommendation does not require additional financial resources; however, it marks a change in practice. The district must ensure that all stakeholders involved in the creation and maintenance of the budget understand the importance of, and are invested in, the need to align the budget to the Comprehensive Plan Framework. District leadership should create processes at different points during budget development and revision to assess whether or not individual expenditures are aligned with district priorities and goals. Ensure that Finance staff are fully briefed on the Superintendent s strategic priorities and the long-term investments mapped out in the Comprehensive Plan Framework Review the budget development timeline and identify checkpoints to assess whether expenditures are aligned to the Comprehensive Plan Framework Create a tool to evaluate expenditures and determine if cuts/additions are driven by the Comprehensive Plan Framework Require that the budget include a summary of budgetary changes and allocations framed by the Comprehensive Plan Framework How will PPS inform those involved in budget development, revision, and monitoring of the Comprehensive Plan Framework? How and when will PPS assess if the proposed line items support the district s strategic priorities? District Diagnostic Recommendations 18

How will PPS hold all stakeholders accountable for ensuring the Comprehensive Plan Framework informs the budget? What criteria will PPS have for each budgetary decision? Who will have ownership over ensuring the Comprehensive Plan Framework drives the budget? Recommendation 5.2: Revise the budget development process to include clear expectations and transparency for all stakeholders Description: In recent years, the Finance Department has worked to create internal systems and processes tied to the budget development process. The Finance team must continue to refine its tools and processes to promote transparency and clear expectations. For example, cost center directors are currently allowed to submit supplemental budget requests with very little oversight or guidance. Inevitably, the district cannot fund all of these requests, which creates unnecessary frustration toward the budget development process. District leadership should come to consensus around the district s major expenditures as guided by the Comprehensive Plan Framework. Cost center heads should then have a realistic expectation regarding the available discretionary funds. District leadership should then share the responsibility of making judicious budget cuts generating increased ownership over the entire budget. Following the development of the budget, stakeholders should step back to reflect, assess, and identify opportunities to collect feedback on the process. PPS should establish feedback criteria to ensure that this process is purposeful and applicable. Assess the current budget development process to clarify and set expectations for all stakeholders Define the district s major expenditures and ensure alignment to the Comprehensive Plan Framework Set clear procedures stakeholders should make to request budget amendments Establish appropriate times during which it is most relevant for stakeholders to engage in the process Communicate clear guidelines around how each stakeholder will take part in the process Create clear expectations around the availability of funds Which district stakeholders should be included in the development of the budget? At what points during the current budget development process can PPS engage stakeholders how the proposed budget supports student achievement? What information does PPS need to gather to inform the process? Recommendation 5.3: Engage in year-to-date budgeting vs. actual spending reviews (including cost center spending) Description: School districts are multi-million dollar organizations requiring tight and ongoing fiscal oversight. Central office and school-based administrators must be more accountable for spending and financial management within their individual departments and schools. To promote this practice, the district should build in regular and frequent systems to review year-to-date spending. Cost center leads must be responsible for explaining any major discrepancies between budgeted and actual spending. On a monthly or quarterly basis, district leadership must engage in a comprehensive spending review and take appropriate actions where there are overages or unspent funds. Once a system is created, PPS should follow a regular cycle of analysis and reporting. District Diagnostic Recommendations 19

Create a schedule to conduct regular (i.e. monthly) budgeting and spending reviews Engage in cost center spending reviews and budgeted vs. actual spending, addressing any major discrepancies that may arise Identify the data needed to complete these reviews and data sources Identify tech needs or resource needs (e.g., creation of a tool) to facilitate the process Follow a regular analysis and reporting cycle At what intervals do these reviews need to occur? What information does the Finance team and/or cost center leads need to prepare prior to these budget reviews? How will the analysis be structured? Is the data easily accessible for these reviews? What tech platforms can be utilized? Who should be involved in the reviews? Recommendation 5.4: Pursue cost savings and maximize efficiency in payroll systems Description: Current PPS paper-based payroll systems are costly and inefficient. For example, until recently, PPS payroll staff expended considerable time printing payroll stubs, placing them in envelopes, and sending them out to all district employees during each cycle. As a result, the Payroll team has had to deprioritize other important aspects of their workload. The Payroll team should create a transition plan to move away from paperbased systems to a more streamlined technology platform. For example, PPS should discontinue the use of paper and pencil timesheets, which are time-consuming for all employees and those who manually enter the data; it is particularly inefficient, given that PPS has an electronic timesheet system at its disposal. As PPS transitions to additional technology, the district must create clear rollout plans, including specific dates for setup, testing, and communication to train employees. The Payroll team should also consider how to support users by creating manuals, facilitate multiple trainings opportunities, and establish troubleshooting protocols. Train all Payroll staff on the new technology platforms Identify data points needed to set up the new technology systems Enter all necessary data points for launch Test the systems functionality and troubleshoot any areas Create employee guides, FAQ documents, and user training materials Communicate the transition process away from paper-based processes to all employees Launch system, monitor implementation, and correct issues as needed What vendors is the district currently partnered with to support payroll processes? Which processes are currently paper-based? What systems is the district currently paying to use to support payroll? How can the Payroll team efficiently and smoothly transition away from a paper-based system? What information will staff need to set up new payroll technology programs? District Diagnostic Recommendations 20