KIPP SFI Project Wind-Down by Katie Hawley

cassandravara — 2025-04-18 14:35:22 UTC

For better or worse, there is a culture of accountability across KTX, which means that they are EXPECTING implementation from their teachers. In SA, this has been fruitful, considering most (if not all) of their teachers have at least been implementing the materials (and usually with at least routine fidelity). They committed all-in to the HQIM product and didn't provide room for teachers to stray.

jordunnsaladino2 — 2025-04-18 14:35:47 UTC

Helping both leaders and teachers with implementation look fors, building their pedagogical practices, and using classroom observations to help spot and address trends.

2025-04-18 14:35:59 UTC

Cross-content collaboration time for PAs

2025-04-18 14:36:09 UTC

Utilization of TEA support tools such as the Action Step Coach Guide for coaches to provide measurable action steps to teachers around HQIM implementation.

SFTX — 2025-04-18 14:36:41 UTC

For the most part with HMH, teachers primarily stick to using the HQIM instead of other materials or mixing and matching. Dr. Ladson and Amanda are both extremely well-versed with the materials and provide knowledgeable coaching for their teachers.

-Stacey

2025-04-18 14:36:41 UTC

Have a plan in place, prior to the end of this school year, to ensure that all teachers at all schools have their required materials from Day 1.
Create an asynchronous training about each curriculum and its internalization practices that can be assigned to mid-year replacements as part of their onboarding.
Have clear and well-communicated accountability checks for all PD.

cassandravara — 2025-04-18 14:36:58 UTC

I think the initial division between content areas was helpful in streamlining the production of resources and materials for intensives. I also think creating a yearlong schedule for intensives was SO helpful so that we could plan around our facilitation dates across our other contracts!

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:37:00 UTC

They need a consistent and universal approach to CTMs. Schools were creating their own approach with very mixed results.

SFTX — 2025-04-18 14:37:13 UTC

Although they had a lot of dates for PD, KIPP was well organized in having dates ahead of time and logistics for locations and resources to facilitate.

2025-04-18 14:37:30 UTC

The TEA resources and tools are great across the board for supporting work with instructional coaches, implementation HQIM, etc.

tntpktxmath2 — 2025-04-18 14:37:32 UTC

They determined from the beginning that the focus would be on building teachers internalization practices and held true to that throughout the year. The continued to hold true to the HQIM and hold teachers accountable for implementation.

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:37:38 UTC

I lived and died by our intensive scheduling document.

jordunnsaladino2 — 2025-04-18 14:37:53 UTC

I liked that we kept a similar sequence/cadence to our sessions. This meant that we spent more time internally collaborating on focus areas and less on unit/lesson internalization components.

cassandravara — 2025-04-18 14:37:58 UTC

I think Directors would have benefited from more structured collaboration to identify cross-regional trends and provide more targeted support across our regions/campuses. The work sometimes felt siloed to our specific region, and I missed brainstorming with my colleagues about how best to move forward.

2025-04-18 14:38:01 UTC

Protected time for teachers to internalize modules and lessons and rehearse. It also helped teachers build community across campuses.

2025-04-18 14:38:12 UTC

Decide early which cooks are in the kitchen for planning PD and stick to it. Also, make sure those cooks have both deep content knowledge and are in touch with the day-to-day realities of each region.

SFTX — 2025-04-18 14:38:26 UTC

Weekly meetings with Jill and Ellen were very helpful in rebuilding trust and moving the work forward.

SFTX — 2025-04-18 14:38:35 UTC

Mirroring content structures was useful for meeting the client's asks/expectations.

-Stacey

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:38:44 UTC

We need to make sure we have adequate staffing for a project of this size and scale. We were always scrambling for extra Carnegie support. Jen, Travion, and Virginia kept us from drowning.

cassandravara — 2025-04-18 14:39:15 UTC

I think we all learned to become hyper-familiar with the language of our project contracts and to use that language to maintain a focus on expressed outcomes/goals and workflows. We also learned to apply clear processes for multi-way feedback with the client, including timelines and boundaries. Finally, I got to work with an INCREDIBLE RLA team.... I'd love to steal those ladies for future work lol!

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:39:19 UTC

They need to include K-2 support. The teachers are mostly on their own, especially with Eureka.

2025-04-18 14:39:30 UTC

I learned a lot about effective communication with a client that is still determining their vision.

stephanieaguilerahawk — 2025-04-18 14:39:51 UTC

I observed great bright spots that can be leveraged for observations/exemplars, including implementation but also strategic monitoring.

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:41:15 UTC

They need better communication of expectations and visits. We had several PA co-obs that were a waste of time due to testing or other issues. Leaders and teachers both expressed frustration with not receiving communication about intensives and what to bring, where to be, etc.

2025-04-18 14:41:56 UTC

Provide consistent yearlong support for grades and courses that are not STAAR tested but are implementing HQIM (K-2, Geo, Alg II)

Provide training and support documents for high-level leaders (Heads of Schools, regional superintendents, etc.) to ensure everyone understands and is bought into the HQIM

2025-04-18 14:44:21 UTC

Communication and expectations with site/regional leaders around their role during trainings. It got better, but was definitely unclear and a source of confusion and tension at the start.

2025-04-18 14:48:47 UTC

Having all deliverables and their due dates in Asana.

jordunnsaladino2 — 2025-04-18 14:49:37 UTC

Use video recordings of teachers to help train leaders on best implementation practices
Break down implementation "look fors" to help build teacher capacity and focus on feedback in these areas. Expand these look fors throughout the year

SFTX — 2025-04-18 14:49:46 UTC

Having to get the client to get on the same page internally before we could get clarity on what the ask was.

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:49:56 UTC

Provide focused training for any new APIs so they know the TEA resources and they are deeply familiar with their curriculum. Some leaders were deeply knowledgeable, and others had a surface level understanding.

2025-04-18 14:50:09 UTC

The WAGs were consistently used by teachers and leaders, and helped everyone understand the expected pacing and available resources

SFTX — 2025-04-18 14:50:37 UTC

The universal benefit of strong internalization from teachers up through leadership is essential to success.

stephanieaguilerahawk — 2025-04-18 14:50:38 UTC

Prioritize the requirements for submission by teachers to ensure the tasks they're being asked to complete are high leverage, not compliance based

cassandravara — 2025-04-18 14:50:47 UTC

Honestly, in San Antonio, the most successful campuses with implementation were those where the LEADERS had taken time to intentionally learn the curriculum (and could therefore effectively review internalization, CTMs, etc.). KIPP Esperanza and KIPP Un Mundo come to mind. Their leaders were some of the few who were ALWAYS active and engaged during our intensives and their preparation for our walkthroughs showed their comfort level with Amplify.

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:50:55 UTC

Reconsider how they are supporting K-2 teachers to use the curriculum. The gaps start early and only increase as students age if teachers do not have the support they need.

2025-04-18 14:51:07 UTC

A plan for what support will look like for all grade bands, specifically the inclusion of K-2 to ensure all teachers are getting effective support and training with implementing the HQIM in service of students.

jordunnsaladino2 — 2025-04-18 14:51:39 UTC

Not all regions receive the same support and this impacted what trainings would look like. We want to be flexible and respond to the needs of the region, and sometimes this was a huge shift from what was planned. All region leaders need to work with their counterparts to discuss what are the non negotiables and what can be flexible.

cassandravara — 2025-04-18 14:51:54 UTC

I appreciate KIPP's standardization with many things, but when it came to intensives and leader development, I do wish they had better systems for regional individualization. I conducted walks across both Houston and San Antonio, and those regions had vastly different needs that I don't think were addressed in our work.

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:52:05 UTC

School leaders really benefitted from the math PA co-obs. I recall a visit Jannell led where the leaders didn't realize the students should be using manipulatives, etc. Sometimes, they do not fully know the curriculum, and the PAs really helped open their eyes to what is possible.

2025-04-18 14:52:06 UTC

Organization of all the KIPP provided resources so that they may be used more effectively for teachers.

2025-04-18 14:52:54 UTC

Not sure if this falls under systems, but there is a lot of disparity between regions and that is felt HARD, especially in the regions that are not as successful. Consider how you can be more equitable about support and expectations.

jeanineharvey — 2025-04-18 14:53:02 UTC

We need to provide more support to Algebra II and Geometry teachers. Because they are not STAAR tested, they receive a lot less support and they need more.

2025-04-18 14:53:07 UTC

The WAGs, while consistently used, have room for improvement. They were sometimes updated after teachers had internalized or not far in advance for them to use in internalization, did not always have guidance for how to shorten the HQIM lessons (ex: HQIM says it's 2 days, WAG says 1 day, but no guidance on what to prioritize), and sometimes had incoherence between the lesson and the A/I time.

SFTX — 2025-04-18 14:53:18 UTC

APIs should be delivering this training.

stephanieaguilerahawk — 2025-04-18 14:53:20 UTC

alignment of walks between IA/PA roles to occur together, as a team