HOPKINS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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Vision 2031: Redesigning Learning Parameters

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Project Summary Including Feasibility

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Presentation to Board of Education

November 23, 2021

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Contents

• Project Overview
• Stakeholder Input
• Feasibility Study
• Recommendation

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Project Timeline

Project Process

• Rethinking School Parameters Project looked at four redesign opportunities for Hopkins: (1) school year calendar; 2) school start times; 3) learning space & place; and 4) grade configurations.
• Multiple rounds of 2021 stakeholder input (Spring surveys, Fall community imagining sessions, Fall follow-up surveys for representative responses and targeted follow-up, Fall school admin listening sessions, Fall board work session discussion)
• Steering Committee synthesized research, stakeholder input and leadership guidance and generated scenarios for further feasibility examination
• Decided to HOLD on ‘year-round school’ and ‘non-traditional spaces and places for learning’ (will continue to explore possibilities)
• Conducted further feasibility analysis on ‘flipping start times’ and ‘reconfiguring grades’

Learning Parameters Steering Committee: Questions

1. Does our community support later start times for secondary students and if so, how will we facilitate a change for SY22-23?
2. If we must continue a tiered system for transportation, does our community support earlier start times for elementary-aged students and if so, how will we facilitate a change for SY22-23?
3. Does our community support 6th grade students learning at our middle schools and if so, how will we facilitate a change for SY22-23?
4. Does our community support 9th grade students learning at our high school and if so, how will we facilitate a change for SY22-23?
5. Or, would our community prefer providing 6th and 9th grade students/families a choice about where learning will take place for that year and if so, how would we staff this for SY22-23?
6. Does our community support transforming one of our elementary schools into a year-round school and if so, how will we launch this in SY22-23?
7. Does our community support online synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences for all students that modify the learning day and instructional delivery models?

Learning Parameters Steering Committee: Members

Topic Sub-Committees:

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School calendar: Nik Lightfoot, Brian Stanley, Melissa Ness

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Start times: Pam Carman, Tariro Chapinduka, John Wetter, Crystal Ballard

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Learning place and space: Ann Ertl, Rebecca Traviss, Dale Clark, Eduardo Navidad

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Grade configurations: Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, Leanne Kampfe, Stephanie Herrera

• Established current state in each area
• Collected and analyzed recent survey data and academic research on each topic
• In each area, developed scenarios for further consideration
• Designed an inclusive and equitable approach for collecting community input on the scenarios
• Co-facilitated community input sessions with students

Learning Parameters Steering Committee:

Foundational Work

Areas Considered:

1) School year calendar

2) School start times

3) Learning space & place

4) Grade configurations

Community Listening

Spring 2021 CAREGIVER Input on Later SECONDARY Start Times

Take-away: Caregivers prefer a later start time for secondary students

Our community engagement participants

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Recommendation Task Force Considerations

• Community engagement and survey data from Spring 2021 and Fall 2021
• Community listening sessions
• Surveys from caregivers, scholars, and HPS staff
• Targeted sampling to ensure equitable representation of voice
• Academic research
• Summer Steering Committee scenario planning
• Feasibility analysis, which includes forecasting the impact on:
• Buildings and grounds
• Nutrition
• Athletics/activities
• Transportation
• Projected enrollment
• Programming impact: How would Kids&Co be impacted by a change in grade configurations?
• Interconnected nature of decisions

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Major themes from community engagement

Across all four topics, consistent themes that emerged include:

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Easing Family Burden

Academic Benefit

Scholar Health/ Wellness

Concern for Scholar Development

Burdening Families

Concern for Academics

Provides Choice

Concern for Staff

Staff Benefit

555 pieces of data

200 feedback entries

6+ hours of discussion

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“Are there additional issues we should consider in this change?”

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“What are the benefits and drawbacks of this change?”

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“What do you want the committee to know?”

More Research

Recommendation Task Force Considerations

Spring 2021: Start collecting community feedback

Fall 2021:

Stakeholder listening sessions

Fall 2021: Learning Redesign Survey

Quantitative (Survey) Data

Qualitative (Interview/Focus Group) Data

Quantitative (Survey) Data

Data Collection Timeline

Take-away: Majority of our community members favor an earlier start time for elementary

Take-away: Strong majority of secondary educators favor a later start time for secondary

Start Times: Themes from Fall 2021 Community Imagining Sessions:

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• Negatively Impacts Scholars: Several stakeholders felt that changing start times could negatively impact scholars, particularly elementary scholars. Similarly, some stakeholders felt that moving the school day/extracurriculars later in the day could negatively impact secondary scholars.
• Concern for Extracurriculars: There was a shared concern for what extracurricular activities (e.g., sports) would look like with later secondary start times.
• Concern for Family Needs: Many stakeholders expressed concern over the burdens of additional after school childcare, particularly for elementary families. Caregivers who work from home also expressed reservations about their elementary scholars coming home earlier in the afternoon.
• More Research: Stakeholders often had questions about how the change would work from a transportation, childcare, or budgetary perspective.

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• Eases Family Burdens: Many stakeholders shared that changing start times would alleviate some of the stress of before-school childcare for younger students, early morning routines (including dropoff), and parenting teenagers.
• Academic Benefits: Several stakeholders shared that secondary scholars getting extra sleep could improve their academic performance.
• Benefits Staff: Some stakeholders thought that later start times could allow for more teacher prep time, which would be an advantage to staff.
• Improves Scholar Health/Wellness: Many stakeholders felt that later start times could have a positive impact on scholar’s health and wellness, by allowing secondary scholars the opportunity to get more sleep.

Moving 6th grade to middle school

Scholar, Spring 2021

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Caregiver, Scholar, Spring 2021

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Staff, Scholar, Spring 2021

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Take-away: Staff are much more in favor of moving 6th grade to middle school than scholars and caregivers

Moving 9th grade to high school

Caregiver, Spring 2021

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Scholar, Spring 2021

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Staff, Spring 2021

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Take-away: Staff are more in favor of moving 9th grade to high school than scholars and caregivers, although scholars are caregivers are more open to this change than the 6th grade change

Recommendation Task Force Considerations

Spring 2021: Start collecting community feedback

Fall 2021:

Stakeholder listening sessions

Fall 2021: Learning Redesign Survey

Quantitative (Survey) Data

Qualitative (Interview/Focus Group) Data

Quantitative (Survey) Data

Data Collection Timeline

Grade configurations (Fall 2021)

Take-away: A representative sample of community members were generally in favor of moving 9th grade to the high school in SY2022-23, but were less sure about what that means for middle grades

Grade Configurations: Themes from Fall 2021 Community Imagining Sessions:

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More Scholar Opportunities: Several caregivers felt that 6th and 9th graders could have more opportunities at the junior high school and high school, respectively.

Academic Benefit: Some stakeholders voiced that there could be an academic benefit to moving 6th and 9th graders.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------�Concern for Scholar Wellbeing/Development: Many stakeholders were concerned about 6th and 9th graders’ wellbeing and development, expressing that the current configuration was healthier and safer for these scholars.�Space/Logistical Concerns: Several stakeholders wondered whether there was enough space for moving the 6th and 9th graders. Most of these concerns were around the high school’s capacity for all four grades. Burdens Families: Some stakeholders worried about the burden that the change could place on families, who have already adjusted to many changes over the past several years. �Concern for Teachers/Staff: Many stakeholders were concerned about what the reconfigurations would mean for staff, particularly 5th and 6th grade teachers�Concern for Academics: There was some concern about the quality of education with changes to grade configurations. A few stakeholders expressed an interest in keeping IB programming for 9th graders.

Feasibility Study

(to inform start time and grade configuration decision)

Foundational Background: Transportation

Board Policy 707 Student Transportation Services:

• Bus Routes shall not be longer than one hour and fifteen minutes (one way) whenever practical and possible.
• The Hopkins School Board authorizes the transportation of resident elementary students living with the area of attendance 0.8 mile or more from the school.
• The Hopkins School Board authorizes the transportation of resident secondary students living one (1) mile or more from the school in which they attend.
• Transportation may be provided to students normally not eligible for transportation when the walk path within a school’s attendance area exhibits an extraordinary “hazard area” as determined by the transportation supervisor.

We operate three tiers each morning AND afternoon for non-special education transportation

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• Additional tier on Friday mornings to accommodate Flex Friday’s
• Tiers allow reuse of individual buses, typically saving resources
• Approx. 60-minutes are needed between tiers to begin the next tier
• Secondary schools use the first tier and elementary schools are spread across the second and third tiers

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Routing Practices:

• All transportation eligible resident students within school boundaries are routed
• All resident students attending a special program (i.e. immersion) are routed to the site where the special program is offered regardless of household location within the district boundaries
• Non-Resident equity options students in North Minneapolis are routed
• Non-Resident parent option students (open-enrolled IN students that are picked up at an existing resident student bus stop within the specific site’s school boundaries) are routed

Foundational Background: Transportation

Key Definitions

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MN Statute - Instructional Minutes per Grade per Year

• 350 hours of instruction for a prekindergarten student
• 850 hours of instruction for an all-day Kindergarten student
• 935 hours of instruction for students in grades 1-6
• 1,020 hours of instruction for students in grades 7-12

MN Statute – Instructional Days per year

• Calendar must include 165 days of instruction in grades 1-11, unless a four-day week schedule has been approved by the commissioner
• School calendar may include plans of five days of instruction provided through online instruction due to inclement weather.

MDE Appendix B – Definition of an Instructional Day:

• An instructional day is a day during which all students in a particular grade and school are required to attend and participate in school activity for the full school day together. Partial days are considers instructional days but the school must compute the average length of day.

MDE Appendix B – Definition of Length of School Day (exclude meal times):

• At the secondary level, a reasonable passing time may be included. At the elementary level, a supervised recess during the day may be included in the length of day. If length of day is altered during the year, use the Flexible Scheduling worksheet to compute the average length of day to report.

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Foundational Background: Transportation

Three-Tier Non-Special Ed Transportation Schedule

• Tier 1: HHS, NJH, WJH

7:45am Drop Off / 7:55am Start / 2:35pm End

• Tier 2: GL, IKE/XX, TG

8:48am Drop Off / 8:58am Start / 3:30pm End

• Tier 3: AS, GW, MB

9:23am Drop Off / 9:33am Start / 4:05pm End

Currently use 115 routes to complete these tiers

Foundational Background:

Transportation + Instructional Time, Athletics & Activities, City of Minnetonka

• Activity bus leaves at 5:10 pm (7 for NJH/HHS and 5 for WJH) - provides 2 hours, 35 minutes from the time classes end to the time activity buses leave for after school activities
• Agreement with the City of Minnetonka is the use of the Lindbergh Center starting at 6pm each weekday
• Instructional time is close to state-mandated minimum

Foundational Background: Transportation

Districtwide Non-Special Ed Transportation ELIGIBILITY

Foundational Background: Transportation

Special education bussing also operates on a (separate) three tier system

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Changing non-special ed bussing (tiers, start/end times, etc.) will impact the special ed bussing system (analysis not yet completed)

Three-Tier Special Education Transportation Schedule

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Foundational Background: Transportation

• Programs at Harley (several bus routes with varying arrival and departure times)
• Transition+
• District 287
• Good Shepherd
• Blake
• Notre Dame
• WEC (W-Alt Shuttle)
• HTC

Other Considerations

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• Currently transporting other students and other programs- changes in Hopkins school start will impact these programs
• State funding loss if minutes / instructional day standards are not met
• Balance and optimize teacher prep and collaboration time across the system
• Financial Considerations:

• Reimbursed for Deseg Transportation - 100% reimbursement but currently there is a one-year lag in reimbursement
• Reimbursed for Special Education Transportation - because of the cross subsidy the reimbursed funding varies from year-to-year

Foundational Background: Transportation

Secondary ‘Flex Friday’ Participation:

HHS: 848 (54.74%)

NJH: 581 (62.34%)

WJH: 189 (30.58%)

Total: 1,618 (52.21%)

Other Transportation:

• Programs at Harley (several bus routes with varying arrival and departure times)
• Transition+
• District 287
• Good Shepherd
• Blake
• Notre Dame
• WEC (W-Alt Shuttle)
• HTC

Current Reality: Other Districts Rate Comparison

Foundational Background: Kids & Co.

Current Reality: Kids & Company Program Participation

Participation Data as of November 2021

16 Students on a Waitlist / 8 Students on a Drop In List at $18.00 per Day

Foundational Background: Kids & Co.

Foundational Background: Facilities

Early Childhood: Harley and Elementary Sites

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Elementary: Grades PK-6

Immersion – XinXing Academy – IKE (Grades K-6)

Immersion – Juntos – AS (Grade K) and IKE (Grades PK-1)

FY22 – IB Program - IKE

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Junior High: Grades 7-9

Immersion: XinXing – WJH (Grades 7-9)

Immersion: Juntos – NJH (Grades 7-9)

IB Program – NJH and WJH

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High School – Grades 10-12

Immersion – Juntos and XinXing (Grades 10-12)

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Special Services Programs – LTL at GW/WJH/HHS, LCC at NJH/HHS, RISE at MB, Compass at GL/HHS, Bridges at TG/WJH

School Boundary Map – GW, GL, IKE students go to WJH; MB, TG, AS students go to NJH

Other District School End Times

Foundational Background: Other Districts

Foundational Background: Middle School Model

• The “Middle School Model” is a research-based and widely used model that encompasses both the academic and social needs of early adolescence, with the goal of adolescent responsible independence.
• It provides structures for teaching to the whole child so that academic growth is enhanced by the social and emotional realities of early adolescence.
• Developmentally responsive teaching strategies assist students in advancing both academic and social-emotional learning.
• The Middle School strategies encompass a relationship-based learning approach that helps educators better connect with students and parents, leverage their specific strengths, and address student needs.
• Middle schools are designed around cross-disciplinary teams that meet to design routines and rituals, curriculum, assessments, field studies, and more.

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• Research shows that a later start time for secondary students can help them to get more sleep and better engage in school.
• A later start time for secondary students may also lead to fewer tardies during the first block. In looking at tardiness data, we found that 21-34% of all HHS tardies occurred during First Block over the last three years. (For context, there are four blocks total and one advisory period, suggesting that First Block tardies account for a disproportionate number of secondary tardies most years.)
• There is scant research on how earlier start times impact younger children, but based on what we know about the sleep patterns of adolescents versus younger kids, it does make sense to start the school day earlier for younger scholars.

Start Times Research

Feasibility Analysis - Learning Redesign Scenarios

School Start Times

Desired Outcome:

• Secondary scholars to start school later
• Elementary scholars start school earlier
• All elementary: same start (8am) / All secondary schools: same start (9am)

(leadership and community desire)

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Complications:

• Balancing the impact between stakeholders
• Prioritizing trade-offs
• Evaluating feasibility that uses data based on past practices that aren’t necessarily aligned with Vision 2031 (transportation inefficiencies, Kids&Co inequities)

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Assumptions:

• Transportation: same level of ridership and the past practice of routing
• Length of Time from Bus Arrival to Class Start and Bus Departure to Class End: assume same
• Length of School Day: same length of time between school start and end times
• Length of time for Athletics & Activities: same time between when classes end and activity buses leave
• Assume deadline of 6 pm for the Lindbergh Center to be given to the City of Minnetonka
• Assume same rates and level of participation for Kids & Company and School Nutrition

Scenario 1: 2-Tiers, ALL Elem start at 8am / ALL Secondary at 9am

Tier 1: ALL Elem (8am) / Tier 2: ALL Secondary (9am)

Scenario 2: 3-tier flipped schedule (Elem 1 & 2)

Tier 1: Elem / Tier 2: Elem / Tier 3: Secondary

Current Reality: Kids & Company Program and Rates/Day

Hourly Rate for 5 Days per Week: $6.55 ($29.50 / 4.5 hrs/day)

Hourly Rate for < 5 Days per Week: $7.11 ($32.00 / 4.5 hrs/day)

Primary Demographic of Kids & Co Participation: White Scholars with Paid Lunch Status

Foundational Background: Kids & Co.

School Start Times: Kids & Company

Hourly Rate for 5 Days per Week: $6.55 ($29.50 / 4.5 hrs/day)

Hourly Rate for < 5 Days per Week: $7.11 ($32.00 / 4.5 hrs/day)

Scenario 3: 3-tier flipped schedule (Elem 1 & 3)

Tier 1: Elem / Tier 2: Secondary / Tier 3: Elem

Transportation Feasibility Summary: Scenario 1, 2, & 3

+ Transportation inefficiencies that need to be addressed

Scenario 2 & 3: Pros/Cons

Feasibility Analysis

School Start Times

Additional Questions/Wonderings:

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• Do we need 2 hours and 35 minutes between the time that classes end and the activity buses leave?
• Will the change in school start times change ridership?
• Are there ways to look at ridership differently (i.e. pay parents to drive there scholars to school)?
• Can we change the hours per day and add days to the calendar to meet State Statute?
• Is it reasonable to assume when elementary parents/caregivers favored earlier start times they were thinking school might need to start at 7:40 am with first pickups around 6:30 am?
• Is the District fine with having one elementary building start early and one later, and assuming one tier doesn’t change at all?
• Can we remove Late Start Days from the calendar?
• If we make changes to the calendar how can we look to improve teacher collaboration time and balance teacher prep time between elementary, junior high and high school teachers?
• Would we offer a before school program if school starts at 7:40am?
• How would not offering a before school program at 7am impact our families?
• What is the minimum length of time needed to offer a before school program in terms of utilization from our family’s and feasibility of staffing?

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Feasibility Analysis

School Start Times

Additional Questions/Wonderings (cont.):

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• If the after-school program is extended, should the rate structure be evaluated/changed?
• Can we offer more than one tier of daily rate - 2:15 - 4:00 and then 4:00 - 6:00 - other options?
• What change in utilization might we see with elementary buildings ending school so early?
• Is there a way to integrate our After School Programs - Kids & Co., Targeted Services, Youth Enrichment to provide more equity within our entire program?
• Evaluate the impact of offering a sliding scale for Kids & Co participants - balance increased utilization with staffing needs and cost
• Evaluate the feasibility of hiring high school students to tutor elementary students after school
• What is the minimum length of time needed to offer a before school program in terms of utilization from our family’s and feasibility of staffing - is one hour adequate?

Grade Configurations Research

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• Over the past several years, Hopkins has considered moving 6th graders to the junior high/middle schools and 9th graders to Hopkins High School.
• According to anecdotal data shared over the years, HPS is one of two districts in the state of Minnesota that currently keep 6th graders at elementary schools and 9th graders at junior high schools.
• In Spring 2021, HPS asked scholars, caregivers, and staff about their feelings about moving 6th and 9th graders to the junior highs and high school, respectively. Staff were much more in favor of both changes than families and scholars.
• We do not know the enrollment implications if we stay the same or reconfigure.
• Research is mixed on whether schools are able to deliver more developmentally appropriate instruction in a model with grades 6-8 middle and 9-12.
• The “Middle School Model” is a research-based and widely used model that encompasses both the academic and social needs of early adolescence, with the goal of adolescent responsible independence.

Feasibility Analysis - Learning Redesign Scenarios

Grade Reconfigurations

Situation:

• Move grade 9 scholars to high school
• District leadership and staff favor moving grade 6 to junior high and transition to a middle school model
• Parents/Caregivers favor keeping grade 6 at the elementary

Complications:

• Balancing the impact between stakeholders
• Prioritizing trade-offs
• Cost and Time

Grade Reconfiguration AND School Start Time

Elementary School - Tier 1 / High School and Middle School - Tier 2

*Note: These are very rough estimates based on current ridership utilization and routing practices.

Grade Reconfiguration: Kids & Company

Hourly Rate for 5 Days per Week: $6.55 ($29.50 / 4.5 hrs/day)

Hourly Rate for < 5 Days per Week: $7.11 ($32.00 / 4.5 hrs/day)

Number of Kids & Company FY21 Grade 6 Scholars Participating across Elementary Sites: 11

School Reconfiguration:

IT, Instructional Programming and Other

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• Information Technology:
• Senior High uses Chromebooks (Grades 10-12)
• Estimated Cost of purchasing 650 Chromebooks: $357,500 at $550 per device
• Is it possible to assume two platforms at the Senior High, iPads and Chromebooks?
• What additional resources might be needed in IT to assist with operating two platforms?

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• Instructional Programming:
• If we intend to expand the IB/MYP program to Grade 9-10
• Additional IB Coordinator Time: $51,715 Salary & Benefits
• In-House IB Training (Grade 6):
• Two Lead Staff to Train: $8,704 Salary & Benefits
• Teacher Training: $108,800 Salary & Benefits
• Increase cost in materials for adding grade 6: Unknown

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• Facility Capacity:
• Gathering current space and classroom utilization

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• Enrollment Sensitivity Analysis
• Not yet completed as we are still finalizing FY23 projected enrollment

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Transportation Feasibility Summary: Scenario 4

+ Transportation inefficiencies that need to be addressed

Scenario 1: Pros/Cons

Scenario 4 - do both together at same time: Pros/Cons

Recommendations

Recommendation: Year-round School Calendar

Recommendation to the School Board (11/9):

1. Continue to explore and visit year-round school models (45/15 day) models across the U.S.
2. Do not implement for SY22-23 but explore with an option to implement as a pilot at one elementary school for SY 23-24

Recommendation: Spaces & Places

Recommendation to the School Board (11/9):

1. Explore creation of whole-school elementary outdoor immersion program (for possible pilot SY23-24) / feasibility work over next year
2. Continue offering online academy (VirtualEDU) to interested students, both resident and out-of-district once we receive accreditation
3. Identify high school courses that should be permanently offered in hybrid or online format

Recommendation:

Start Times & Grade Reconfigurations

Recommendation to the School Board (TODAY):

Start times next year, grade reconfigurations following year

• SY2022-23: Collapse to 2-transportation tiers AND swap start times (Early for elementary / later for secondary)
• SY2023-24: Transition 6th graders to middle school and 9^th graders to HHS)

RECOMMENDATION:

Flip start times next year (SY22-23), Grade reconfig following year (SY23-24)