$2.1M Turnaround Plan Approved by IPS Board

The Indianapolis Public School Board approved a $2.1 million contract tonight with a Boston-based consultant company to devise new ways to improve struggling schools and save them from falling into state intervention.

The methods proposed by Mass Insight Education are working so far for the Evansville school district and IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee is betting it can take root in Indianapolis too. He called the plan a step toward "true transformation."

"In comparison to previous models, IPS will not only be the leader but control any partnerships that will be involved in improving student achievement in the schools that are identified as struggling," he said. "It is important to note that we’ve had several partners assigned to us by the State Board of Education and those contracts were managed by state board."

The board approved the contract in a 6-1 vote, with member Gayle Cosby dissenting.

Part of the plan calls for establishing “feeder systems” of two elementary schools for certain high schools: Students in Schools 48 and 55 will graduate to Northwest Community High School;  Students in Schools 49 and 63 will graduate to George Washington Community High School.

This structure is intended to create academic improvement at the high school level by providing additional training to teachers and academic support to students and keep tracking of their development from school to school.

Within these "transformation zones," Mass Insight will look for ways to improve school management, training, finances and other areas.

Community partners will also be sought to work with the schools. In Evansville, a school in a transformation zone there partnered with the local chapter of the AARP. StateImpact reported that volunteers came to the classrooms a few times a week to tutor students or being another person to turn to for emotional support.

The final phases of the model, which is expected to end in July 2018, focuses on development, growth and sustainability at the schools, according to the district.

The cost of $2.1 million, four-phase plan is being covered by the State Board of Education.

During the meeting, commissioner Cosby repeated that she was unhappy with the Mass Insight contract. 

She asked that an appendix from Mass Insight's "scope of work" document be stricken before the vote. The appendix included a list of the company's "core indicators" it believes a school district must use, including making school staff reapply for their jobs.

Ferebee called the idea that the transformation zone concept would lead to teacher's reapplying a "myth" and said its inclusion in the appendix had no bearing on the IPS contract with Mass Insight.

While other board members said they would not support such a plan if it include that staff reapply, board member Sam Odle urged caution over denouncing the possibility.

"There may be times when we are transforming a school where it will be in the best interest to have everybody reapply for their job," Odle said as some in the audience hissed. "So I don't want the public to think that we are never going to use that option. But we are not going to let someone else tell us to use that option."

The IPS board will have to approve any recommendations by Mass Insight before changes take place at the district.

Also during the meeting, the board approved the proposed 2015-2016 general fund budget of $232.7 million. Though it is likely the budget will change after state lawmakers decide how to overhaul the school funding formula. IPS is expected to lose around $18 million based during the next two years based on the House budget plan.

Contact WFYI education reporter Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org or call (317) 614-0470. Follow on Twitter: @ericweddle.