A Limited Review of the Mississippi Department of Education’s Central Office Staffing
Executive Summary
Introduction
In PEER Report #539, Opportunities for Improving the Accountability of the Mississippi Department of Education (September 14, 2010), PEER recommended that the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) assess its Central Office staffing in relation to departmental workload and long-range plans for educational improvement, particularly in the area of improving instruction. In 2012, the former State Superintendent of Education requested that PEER conduct a third-party review to follow up on the recommendation to assess staffing.
In performing this review, PEER sought to answer the following questions:
What are MDE’s strategic priorities related to improved student learning?
According to PEER’s analysis of multiple sources, MDE’s efforts toward improved student learning should be focused on providing leadership in the areas of improved instruction and effective use of data in decisionmaking at all levels in the education system.
Need to Provide Leadership in Improving Instruction
MDE’s goals and responsibilities, influence from the federal government, districts’ needs, and educational research suggest that improved instruction is a priority area for the education system. Specifically, the alignment of instruction to the standards and assessments is critical to improve student learning.
Two of MDE’s three system goals focus on increases in student learning. One of MDE’s strategies for achieving these goals includes implementation of reform in the area of instruction, along with other critical pieces associated with student learning (i. e., curriculum, assessments, and accountability systems).
The State Superintendent of Education is responsible for identifying educational needs to serve as a basis for short-range and long-range planning. Mississippi has a clear need for increased student learning and instruction is a critical element. Accordingly, MDE has the statutorily mandated responsibility for managing an instructional program in the state.
Based on federal requirements, school districts’ needs (according to PEER interviews), and professional literature, improved instruction and its alignment to standards and assessments is critical:
Need for Effective Use of Data in Decisionmaking
MDE’s goals and responsibilities, influence from the federal government, districts’ needs, and educational research also suggest that effective use of data in decisionmaking at the state, district, school, and teacher levels is a priority area for the education system.
Analysis of MDE’s system goals requires effective use of data to determine where the education system is in relation to the goals and where resources might be needed. Two of MDE’s strategies for achieving the system goals refer to increasing the quality of teachers and administrators; data analysis is required to determine whether MDE is on track regarding these strategies.
The State Superintendent of Education has the statutorily mandated responsibility of using and analyzing data, information, test results, evaluations, and other indicators to formulate policy and identify educational needs for both short-term and long-term planning. Also:
To what extent has MDE aligned its Central Office staff with the strategic priorities?
Within the past year, MDE has increased the alignment of its staff with the strategic priority areas of improved instruction and effective use of data statewide. However, MDE is in a transition phase and has not yet achieved the level of alignment needed to be best positioned for the future of education. In the offices PEER reviewed, resources are generally assigned to process-related tasks that do not have a clear link to the strategic priorities. Because MDE has not yet allocated a sufficient number of staff to work toward achievement of its strategic priorities, the department has relied on contractors to perform key responsibilities related to those priorities but has not specified in these contracts the necessary performance requirements. In some cases, MDE staff plan to assume the responsibilities of contracted staff in the future.
Improvements in MDE Central Office Staffing Related to Improved Statewide Instruction
Within the past year, MDE has added two content specialists in English/language arts and mathematics to its staff to fill critical skill gaps. In December 2012, another content specialist position will go before the State Personnel Board for approval.
Limited Number of MDE Central Office Staff Assigned to Improved Statewide Instruction
While staffing improvements have been made in the area of instruction, PEER determined that only one percent of positions at MDE is specifically tasked with improving classroom instruction in all of the state’s school districts. Because MDE has allocated the majority of its resources to other areas, MDE has limited its own impact in the priority area of improved instruction, particularly the deep level of implementation necessary for increased student learning to occur.
MDE content specialists provide services to districts’ and schools’ staffs in curriculum and instruction support. However, because MDE has not allocated more resources to curriculum and instruction, MDE has not provided the technical assistance that districts need (e.g., in-depth professional development regarding Common Core).
Improvements in MDE Central Office Staffing Related to Use of Data
Within the past year, MDE has focused staffing efforts on improved data quality and easier access to data. Such efforts are critical, as they provide the foundation for effective use of data for decisionmaking in the future.
MDE’s efforts to improve data quality and accountability include giving staff responsibilities for implementing proper documentation and data coding practices, contracting for development of a complete business intelligence system, and developing an appeals process for districts that question accountability data.
MDE’s efforts to improve access to data include creating an Office of Reporting responsible for streamlining federal and state reporting, along with other information requests. Also, when the Office of Management Information Systems assumes responsibility for the business intelligence system in development, the system should provide easier access to data for reporting and analytical purposes.
Focus on Improving Accountability Data
In May 2012, the State Board of Education established an Accountability Task Force to review and make recommendations to simplify and improve the accountability model. This effort should provide for more clear and timely analysis of accountability data for districts.
Limited Number of MDE Central Office Staff Assigned to Statewide Effective Use of Data
MDE staff have primarily been focused on improving data quality for reporting or accountability purposes but have not achieved the level of staffing needed to address what the data means and how it all fits together to answer “big picture” questions. MDE lacks staff with the skill sets needed for analyzing data in order to make improvements in student learning statewide and to provide tools needed to support data-driven decisions by schools and districts. MDE has launched two promising initiatives for supporting school improvement through effective use of data (longitudinal databases and the eScholar business intelligence system) that will require MDE to ensure that it has the in-house expertise to utilize these systems and adequately monitor associated contracts.
MDE Often Focuses on Process as Opposed to Educational Improvement
In the offices PEER reviewed, staff spend more time focusing on questions from districts and other stakeholders related to processes rather than focusing on how to improve education statewide. This is likely due to the frequency of changes in educational standards and programs. However, this condition also points to a need for MDE to find more efficient ways to communicate process information to districts, schools, and teachers so that Central Office staff can focus on strategic priorities to improve the education system.
MDE’s Contractors Perform Critical Functions, Sometimes Without Sufficient Accountability
Use of Contractors to Perform Critical Departmental Functions
Although MDE’s long-term needs include skills related to data, measurement, and evaluation throughout the education system, MDE has relied on contractors to perform critical functions in related areas such as the accountability model and school improvement evaluations. Because the department uses contractors to compensate for insufficient in-house skills in these areas, such contractors should be monitored carefully to assure that they are achieving the desired outcomes.
Insufficient Accountability for Contractors’ Work in the Area of School Improvement
MDE does not always hold contractors accountable for producing desired results in the area of school improvement. In the seventy-three FY 2013 contracts related to school improvement that PEER reviewed, none defined performance requirements of the work in measurable, mission/objective-related terms. Also, contracts did not include quality assurance plans or incentives for better quality performance.
How could MDE better align its staff with its strategic priorities?
MDE has several opportunities to align its staff with the strategic priorities identified in this report. These opportunities will require MDE’s upper management and Office of Human Resources to make staffing decisions based on achieving MDE’s strategic priorities.
These opportunities are: