DOE RFP for Lead Partners - yes, I said "lead partners"

Delaware is doing the hard work required to be a Mass Insight Turnaround State - remember, folks, we were chosen to be one of their lab rats, among a cohort of states/districts that agreed to implement their unproven, unresearched school turnaround strategies.

During the first round of PZ schools, the MI language was a bit sanitized.  "Lead Partners" were called "Coordninating Partners."   However, one can't help but think of Mass Insight when reading the state's RFP for Lead Partners:  http://www.doe.k12.de.us/rfp/DDOESTULeadPartnerRFQ-FINAL8-3-11.pdf

It's not Mass Insight's m.o. to come apply to be a lead partner so there's no fear there.  It's just a quiet reminder that our DOE did commit us to what is becoming the social experiment of our time. 

Some highlights from the RFP:

Delaware will challenge its local education agencies to work together to achieve the following goals:  60% proficiency on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on Grade 4 Math; 55% proficiency on Grade 4 Reading, Grade 8 Math and Grade 8 Reading by 2015.  Racial (black-white and Hispanic-white) and income (low income-high income) achievement gaps that close by half on NAEP by 2015.  100% of students meeting state standards on the Delaware state math and reading exams by 2014.  A No Child Left Behind graduation rate of 90% for the class entering high school in 2014.  A college enrollment rate of 70% by 2014.  A college retention rate of 85% by 2014, as measured by the percent of college students who complete at least one year of college credits within two years.

All LEAs have the option of choosing to work with a Lead Turnaround Partner to help plan and manage the turnaround process. LEAs may choose to outsource management of Partnership Zone schools to a third party operating partner. Lead Partners should be identified and agreed upon in the LEA’s proposed plan with a preliminary contract and be approved by the Secretary before funds can be released. If the Secretary does not approve the plan, or a plan is not made within 120 days, the LEA must choose to close the school, reopen as a charter, or contract with a private management organization.

The role of the Lead Partner is typically defined by four overarching responsibilities:


1. Accountability. The Lead Partner is held accountable for results through an MOU that outlines accountability measures, performance monitoring expectations, and impact metrics.

2. Governance. The Lead Partner collaborates with the school/district in decision making on school operations and staffing including hiring a new principal or approving the current one and supporting the principal in staffing an effective cohort of new or rehired instructional staff

3. Comprehensive services. The Lead Partner provides core academic and student support services directly or by aligning the services of other program and support partners that may sub-contract with the Lead Partner

4. Embedded, consistent school presence. The Lead Partner maintains an embedded, consistent, and intense relationship with each school that requires a daily presence in the school during the turnaround period throughout the length of the contract

I guess what stands out the most is that there are absolutely no references to working with local control or school boards or boards of education...