CMO Partners

No longer updated or maintained as of Friday, August 04, 2023.

About the CMOs in the NIC

Get to know the 10 CMOs in our network and their priorities and problems of practice during the NIC years (2020 - 2023).

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Collegiate Academies

📍 New Orleans, Louisiana | 🏫 5 schools | 📖 3,000 students

Collegiate focused on co-teaching. Collegiate has a firm belief in increasing outcomes for diverse learners and has invested a variety of inputs in the co-teaching setting that support students and provide them with rigorous individualized instruction. Collegiate focused on co-planning and co-instructing, as well as ensuring network-level representatives are aligned on co-teaching practices and specially designed instruction. Collegiate focused on co-teaching because they wanted to design co-teaching as part of a tiered system that is inclusive of all students.

Problem Statement: 49% of students with disabilities/exceptionalities at RCA and LCA are mastering (Approaching Basic +) LEAP or 833 plans in core classes ([Biology, US History] [Algebra, Geometry] [English I and English II]).
Area of Focus: Co-Teaching
Professional Learning Community: None

By June 2023, 60% or more of students with IEPs at RCA and LCA master (Approaching Basic +) LEAP and/or 833 plans in core classes ([English I & English II], [Algebra, Geometry], [Biology, US History])

Co-Teachers implement strong co-teaching practices (stations, alternative co-teaching models) to ensure all students have access to general education curriculum

Network (Network T&L & NSST) and School Leadership teams (SLs, DSSes, DCIs) are aligned on the implementation of 833 Plans, SDI, and co-teaching practices.

Co-teachers feel valued in their roles, and growth and progress are measured and shared

Using April Dunn (AD) Workbooks (Plan to support students in meeting graduation requirements through an alternative plan): Training administrators and teachers on how to identify, create and use AD workbooks to progress monitor student assessment, re-assessments, and instructional plans. These AD workbooks aligned to core content standards and data.
Data Review for lesson planning and instructional practices: Increase teacher skill set to consistently review data and analyze it to inform their instruction practices on a regular basis.
Scope and Sequence of co-teaching models to increase teacher skills and abilities to implement models based on student data and instructional plans.

Ednovate Charter Schools

📍 Los Angeles, California | 🏫 6 schools | 📖 2,000 students

Ednovate focused on improving the consistency of literacy instruction by building and supporting teacher capacity through coaching cycles. They focused on literacy instruction because literacy is a core skill that was common to all their ACRI's (Annual College Readiness Indicators), and they focused on coaching because it was a common structure for all teachers in the network.

Problem Statement: There is a disparity in postsecondary options and ability to make Positive Multigenerational Change for our 9-12th grade students with learning differences because there is .32-.41 GPA gap between our students with and without learning differences, and 38% of our students with learning differences are not passing all of their classes.
Area of Focus: Literacy Programming
Professional Learning Community: Literacy

By June 23, 2023, at least 80% of our Black, Latinx, low-income students with learning differences will be Cal State eligible with a minimum GPA of 2.8.

All students receive instruction that reflect the practices taught to staff to improve their GPA outcomes.

Staff use data to target courses with the largest performance gaps.

Students receive reading and writing instruction that meets network expectations of “strong instruction.”

*updates in progress

Coaches use common protocol with coachees to support teachers in creating plans to address performance gaps.
Common protocol is used to analyze and reflect on grading practices and equity achievement (“Grading for Equity”).

*updates in progress

Green Dot Public Schools

📍 Los Angeles, California| 🏫 23 schools | 📖 12,000 students

Green Dot focused on establishing strong MTSS structures and improving instruction at Tiers 1, 2 and 3. They believe that students need a balanced approach to their educational experience that provides rich rigorous classroom experiences and intentional interventions to support and overcome learning gaps to be fully prepared for their next phase of life.

Problem Statement: Students with disabilities are leaving the focal schools (MAE/WATTS) with limited choices about college, leadership, and life as evidenced by 35% of students with disabilities who graduate A-G ready (passing all A-G courses with a C or higher) and 20% of students with disabilities who grow 2+ years in reading and/or math.
Area of Focus: MTSS
Professional Learning Community: MTSS (and possibly Co-Teaching)

By June 15, 2023, the focal schools (MAE/WATTS) will increase choices about college, leadership, and life by increasing the % of students with disabilities passing every class with a C or better from 29% to 50% at Watts and from 12% to 30% at Mae Jemison, AND will increase the 2+ years growth rate in reading from 20% to 40% for students with disabilities.

Focal schools establish MTSS foundational structures.

All teachers implement rigorous and accessible universal instruction in classes.

Targeted specialized classes (intervention and co-taught classrooms) provide additional supports to meet student needs.

Special education teachers provide students with disabilities intensified interventions and supports to meet their IEP goals.

Utilizing the Student Work Analysis Protocol to identify & plan interventions/accommodations
Explicit Small Group instruction (for groups of 2-3 students) with a focus on decoding, word recognition strategies, and or fluency.
Implementing the Wilson Reading System in a small group pull out model at the middle school and in a 1x1 format at the highschool.

KIPP Northern California

📍 Oakland, California| 🏫 15 schools | 📖 6,000 students

KIPP Northern California focused on 9th and 10th grade success in Math and English classes to improve student mastery, outcomes, and experience. 9th and 10th grades see the most attrition and are where many pathway options are opened or closed. KIPP focused on Math and English classes because these disciplines are so fundamental to other classes as well as to opening a wider array of post-secondary pathways.

Problem Statement: There is a large disparity between general education students (71%) and students receiving special education (45%) passing all of their classes which limits their ability to lead choice-filled lives and become empowered alumni.
Area of Focus: Co-Teaching
Professional Learning Community: Co-Teaching

By June 15, 2023

At Navigate, 75% of 9th and 10th grade students with disabilities will pass their English classes and 85% will pass their Math classes,

allowing them to be on track to graduate and pursue the postsecondary path they choose: college, career, and beyond.

AP for All Access: Students have multiple entry points unique to their learning needs through scaffolded and differentiated materials and teacher collaboration.

Data Driven Instruction: KIPP Staff have the tools and collaborative structures to use data to respond effectively to student learning needs.

Implementation of a common co-teaching agenda.
Using a student-centered schedule tool to ensure protected co-planning and co-teaching sections.
Holding bi-weekly goal setting touchpoints with students to provide targeted supports.

Mastery Charter Schools

📍 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania & Camden, New Jersey | 🏫 24 schools | 📖 14,000 students

Anchor: The Anchor program at Mastery focused on reducing the over identification of students of color having emotional disabilities. They focused on student-to-student mentorship to increase sense of belonging, teacher reflection protocol when a student referral occurs, a modified response plan that utilizes suspensions as last resort, and a scope and sequence for the skills class. Mastery wanted to focus on these areas because students with emotional disabilities are at a higher risk of having reduced engagement in school, increased suspensions, exclusionary placements, and higher dropout rates.

Transitions: The Transitions program at Mastery focused on increasing student enrollment into postsecondary next steps. They had developed and implemented a Summer Program to support graduating 12th graders in transition from high school to their rigorous post-secondary next step. They implemented a case-management Functional Levels and Pathway Guidance document to increase the alignment of Transition Plans and IEPs. They also implemented a Scope and Sequence for the 9th grade that works collaboratively with the Master's Post-Secondary team to increase alignment of activities with students' interests and strengths. Mastery believes that creating a strong transitions program that supports students through high school, will lead to students positive experiences and completion of postsecondary pathways.

Problem Statements:
- Anchor: Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities have less access to the regular school setting as evidenced by students losing twice as many days of school due to suspension and 53% of students chronically not attending.
- Transition: 53% of students* with disabilities from Gratz are engaged in postsecondary next steps (that includes: employment, postsecondary ed, or job training).
Area of Focus: MTSS - Emotional Support Programming, Transition Planning
Professional Learning Community: MTSS

Anchor: By June 15, 2023, Simon Gratz Mastery Charter will increase ≥90% attendance rates from 30% (23SY baseline) to 70% each report period and decrease the percent of students who are suspended 1 or more days from 75% to 22% for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities during their enrollment in supplemental emotional support.

Students in Anchor feel a sense of belonging to the school community.

Gratz staff possess the mindset & skills to provide therapeutic supports to students.

Network and school policies promote access to school.

Students receive programming & supports to meet their academic and behavioral needs.

Anchor Program students will engage in a Student to Student mentorship
Reinforcements (Quality & Quantity of Positive Reinforcements) for students exhibiting positive prosocial behaviors

Transitions: By June 15, 2023 Simon Gratz Mastery Charter will increase the enrollment in postsecondary next steps (Education, Workforce, Military, Job Training) for students with disabilities from 53% to 75%.

Implement comprehensive transition programming.

Provide early alumni support to SWD pursuing workforce/workforce development programs.

Improve transition related services at high school.

Early Alumni Support - Summer program to support students in transitions from high school to their post secondary next step
Functional Levels and Pathway Guidance Document - a doucment Case Managers and coaches would use before, during, and after IEPs to ensure IEPs are driven by students' transition plans (interests, strengths)
Scope for 9th grade Transitions course

Noble Network of Charter Schools

📍 Chicago, Illinois | 🏫 18 schools | 📖 12,000 students

Noble focused on establishing a comprehensive system of professional learning that supports all educators to teach adolescent reading strategies/skills in their classrooms across all content areas. In addition, Noble implemented evidence-based Tier 2 and Tier 3 reading interventions to ensure that teachers are making necessary and timely adjustments that ultimately lead to independent reading growth. Noble chose to prioritize literacy to address the disparity at their focal campuses between an incoming 9th grade average Lexile score of 543 for a student with disabilities and a target Lexile score of >1000, so that graduates would be better prepared to meet the demands of postsecondary life beyond Noble. (College and Career Readiness: Through the Lens of Lexiles)

Problem Statement: ONLY 2 out of 72 students with IEPs are readers* which impacts progress towards career and college readiness and limits their postsecondary opportunities upon graduation. (*Readers as defined as a Lexile Level at or above 1000 after an independent cold read of text)
Area of Focus: Literacy programming
Professional Learning Community: Literacy

By June 2022, 3 out of 4 students with an IEP at our focal sites will meet or exceed their initial expected Lexile growth target as measured by Achieve 3000 LevelSet

Systems of Professional Learning support all educators to teach adolescent reading strategies/skills in classrooms across all content areas.

Implement evidence-based reading intervention aligned with progress monitoring tools that support student independent reading levels so that teachers make instructional changes based on student progress data and student feedback.

Students develop a deep understanding and connection to reading skills and apply them in courses that prepare them for postsecondary life.

Enroll staff in a collective vision/mission and provide every 6 weeks PD that supports teachers to implement essential reading skills/strategies
DOIs provide observation & feedback coaching cycles with 9th & 10th grade teachers in alignment with the literacy PD
DRW and RC will implement Achieve 3000 once per week in alignment with their curriculum
Teachers will use the data (Exit tickets, Achieve 3000 reading skills reports and more) to implement small group instruction aligned to their curriculum
Implement the Wilson Reading System in a self contained setting for 45-60 min 5 days a week

STEM Preparatory Schools

📍 Los Angeles, California | 🏫 3 schools | 📖 1,000 students

STEM Prep focused on improving the Math proficiency and Math/STEM identity development for students with disabilities. They focused on Math proficiency because Math is a core discipline in the STEM fields, which are embedded, fostered, and infused throughout the culture of the network. They additionally focused on Math/STEM identity development because developing a strong Math/STEM identity is fundamental to a student’s perceived ability and access throughout their lives.

Problem Statement: The current systems and structures create a barrier for students with disabilities to access STEM as they are not yet demonstrating mastery in math when compared to their peers: currently, 68.5% of students with disabilities are not yet proficient in math.
Area of Focus: Co-teaching/STEM (math)
Professional Learning Community: Co-Teaching

STEM Prep will increase the percentage of students with disabilities who are proficient in Math from 31% to 75%*, as measured by Math grades (A+B) by June 23, 2023.

Student development of Math and STEM identity

Teacher implementation of high-quality Math instruction

Strategic, ongoing teacher use of student data in Math courses

Pairing of a grading data tool with a guided action planning protocol for teachers to monitor student progress towards learning targets and plan specific teacher actions and interventions to support students with their content mastery (as measured by grades).
Provide Instructional Aides with coaching on on classroom indicators to empower them and bolster the experience and outcomes for students with disabilities.
Providing teachers examples of how we can convey faith in students' abilities to thrive in STEM (targeted PDs, language banks).
Conduct STEM Identity walkthroughs and hold 1:1 meetings with teachers to review walkthrough data, provide action steps

STRIVE Preparatory Schools

📍 Denver, Colorado | 🏫 11 schools | 📖 4,000 students

STRIVE Prep focused on differentiating instruction in all classrooms, addressing student agency and ownership of academic progress and grades, aligning specialized instruction to standards-based IEP goals, and building capacity of instructional coaches. STRIVE understood that students' course passage rates have a direct impact on scholars' postsecondary life and goals. STRIVE believes building infrastructure to support their Black and Latinx scholars with disabilities to successfully pass all of their classes is the first step of this journey to prepare scholars to change the world.

Problem Statement: Currently 48% (Q2) at Federal and 63% (S1) at SMART of SWD are passing all classes which impacts their progress towards on-time graduation and preparedness for postsecondary plans.
Area of Focus: SDI & Co-teaching/coaching
Professional Learning Community: Co-Teaching

By June 15, 2023, STRIVE will increase the % of students with disabilities passing all classes in 6th-12th grades from 58% to 85%.

Teachers differentiate instruction for SWDs in all classrooms using data and UDL.

SWDs demonstrate agency and ownership of academic progress and grades.

STRIVE Prep builds the skills of all instructional coaches to better serve SWDs through coaching meetings

Family Engagement through Text Message Campaign
UDL through coaching and differentiated PD
Student Conferences in IMPACT Programing

Summit Public Schools

📍 Redwood City, California | 🏫 14 schools | 📖 4,000 students

Summit focused on strengthening their Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). They had three Change Ideas that launched. The first was focused on compliance-based practices that leveraged well-written, high-quality IEP goals in addition, installing a new student support feature in their learning platform. The second was focused on implementing a 6-8 week instructional planning collaboration cycle between Gen Ed and Education Specialists to inform Learning Center planning. The third was continuing and starting a Diverse Learning Team (DLT) structure at both sites to inform instructional practices of both Gen Ed teachers and Education Specialists using data. Summit focused on these areas because their mission is to ensure all students lead fulfilled lives as they navigate their rigorous postsecondary next step. Summit wanted to increase opportunities to develop a strong MTSS that addresses the barriers faced by both students and teachers.

Problem Statement: While 70% of diverse learners at focal schools end the year on track in all courses (at/above 70% on cog skills/concept scores), only 8% of diverse learners end the year on grade level (at/above 85% on cog skills/concept scores).
Area of Focus: MTSS
Professional Learning Community: MTSS

By June 2023, Summit aims for 50% of students with disabilities who are BIPOC or living with poverty to end the year on grade level in all courses. We aim for 100% of students with disabilities to end the year on track.

Students' IEP goals are written with high quality and implemented with fidelity.

Students benefit from Special Education Services based on their individual needs through Learning Center.

Students have full and equal benefit from high-quality learning in Project Time (general education settings).

Learning Center Planning and Instructing: SPED and Gen Ed utilizing GLT to collab on upcoming core content, strategies, and what could be pre-taught in the LC
Diverse Learning Team - Prep and Everest launch a DLT to leverage the expertise of SPED teachers at their sites and increase teacher capacity
Compliance - launching a new way of providing IEPs at a glance using the platform - more to come on this

Uncommon Schools

📍 New York City, New York | 🏫 55 schools | 📖 21,000 students

Uncommon focused on supporting General Education teachers through ongoing professional development workshops to differentiate lesson plans so that all students are fully included in all academic instruction. Additionally, Uncommon developed systems for Gen Ed and Special Education teacher collaboration that supported teachers to plan for and implement differentiated interventions within cornerstone lessons that would best meet the needs of their diverse learners. Uncommon identified these priorities in order to double the percentage of students with disabilities with GPAs greater than 3.0 as research shows GPAs are the best predictor of postsecondary success and as per data they have analyzed over a 6-year period of Uncommon HS graduates, those students with a 3.0 GPA or higher are more likely to persist and graduate from college.

Problem Statement: Only 3 out of 10 of students with disabilities at Uncommon focal schools have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, the strongest indicator of economic self-determination.
Area of Focus: Differentiation
Professional Learning Community: TBD (Literacy and/or MTSS)

By June 15, 2023, we will double the percentage of students with disabilities with GPAs of 3.0 or higher – our strongest indicator of postsecondary opportunities.

All students are fully included in academic instruction

Provide targeted interventions that can be implemented for students with disabilities

Increase students’ independence (executive functioning) and improve academic habits

Provide PD for all general education teachers on how to differentiate instruction (focus on English I and AP World History)
Schedule and support general education and special education teachers to co-plan and review data for Cornerstone lessons in 9th Grade Eng 1 and AP World History classes
Create and implement knowledge organizers to support students when they are reading
Launch a research-based reading intervention program for lowest readers

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