Aligned Services: Re-imagining the South Carolina Office of School Transformation Supports
The RC6 is building capacity within the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) Office of School Transformation (OST) to align support by improving lines of collaboration across program offices and improving key support systems (e.g., deployment of Transformation Coaches) to districts and schools. The RC6 is providing technical assistance to enhance the capacity of SCDE to use an integrated, comprehensive model of tiered systems of support across SCDE departments to schools. The long-term goal is improvement of support from SCDE to districts and schools to meet the needs of underserved and underperforming students. This RC6 project is helping to build capacity for the SCDE in terms of: (1) streamlining program planning, (2) improving connections between the SCDE and LEAs, (3) supporting school improvement efforts, and (4) increasing the capacity of Transformation Coaches to work effectively with low-performing schools. The RC6 project conducted an organizational analysis of existing policies, procedures, and programs within the OST. Using the analysis, the RC6 is helping the OST:
- plan strategically, and use data more effectively;
- design or revise Standard Operating Procedures (e.g., management and oversight activities, roles of school Transformation Coaches);
- develop internal and external support structures to better coordinate and differentiate supports to LEAs; and
- create feedback loops from schools and districts to the OST to allow for the continuous improvement of supports for low-performing schools.
The RC6 also provided Implementation Science training to the OST’s lead Transformation Coaches to assist them with articulating a differentiated, tiered system of coaching support for low-performing schools. The improved capacity of Transformation Coaches will help schools meet exit criteria for improvement.
