Cincinnati Public Schools
In 1997, Cincinnati Public Schools implemented a five-year strategic plan to help all students meet high academic standards. The foundation of this plan was to rethink and reorganize the use of resources in district schools and to give schools more flexibility in their use of resources. New American Schools, an educational organization that promotes whole-school reform, served as a partner with Cincinnati Public Schools in this effort.
Miles (2000) describes the organizational changes made by Cincinnati Public Schools to instill resource flexibility:
"First, the district created 'team-based' schools, in which teacher teams were freed from specific contractual staffing mandates and given significant flexibility in the use of most staff and nonstaff resources in the school.... Second, the district moved to a 'student-based' budgeting system that allocates dollars for each pupil instead of predefined staff positions. Along with this chance, the district shifted dollars that had been controlled at the central level, such as substitute dollars and portions of professional development dollars into the school-level budget." (pp. 1-2)
The first cohort consisted of eight team-based schools. During the first year, these schools were asked to consider new ways to use their educational resources. They read case studies of high-performing schools that organized resources in alternative ways. A management team of the two deputy superintendents and two top union leaders met with the principals, teacher leaders, and New American School representatives to discuss issues, determine expectations, and monitor progress. Action groups, composed of teachers and principals, were charged with developing examples of two suggestions: models for creating at least 90 minutes of common planning time in the teachers' weekly schedule, and strategies for organizing staff to create smaller learning groups.
During the second year, the cohort schools tried to connect the resource changes with instructional goals. "Perhaps most importantly, notes Miles (2000, p. 3), "the district incorporated specific goals for the use of resources into the tool it uses to benchmark and monitor school progress." The district also provided experts when schools requested help in connecting their resources and their instructional strategies. The district provided proactive support in helping schools make dramatic changes. During the third year, all eight schools organized to provide teachers with 90 minutes per week of common planning time. More than half the schools changed their use of instructional time to provide 90-minute blocks for literacy. Almost half of the schools started to use formative assessment tools for grouping students for reading. All of the schools increased professional development spending.
Miles (2000) summarizes the lessons learned in this effort:
"Three sets of lessons are emerging from this ongoing training effort. First, school changes in organization and resource use must be linked with plans to change instructional practice that fit within a larger school plan. Second, school leaders need hands-on coaching and analytic support to help them envision solutions that challenge tradition. Outside experts can serve as catalysts and bring tools and lessons; but they can't provide the in-depth support that most schools need, and they are no substitute for consistent support of managers. Finally, systemwide change in school organization and use of resources requires proactive, detail-oriented district support to address the practical, contractual, regulatory, and policy barriers to reallocating resources." (p. 6)
In addition to resource reallocation, Cincinnati Public Schools has instituted student-based budgeting to increase equity for students and schools. About 75 percent of all school funding will be distributed through a per-student formula.
Cincinnati Public Schools also has developed a knowledge- and skill-based salary schedule for teachers. For information, refer to the following sources:
