As we developed our long-term strategic plan, we began implementing important strategies that simply could not wait. These initiatives are providing early insights and serving as proof-points for our long-term strategic vision.
Our innovative pilot program is tackling teacher retention and burn-out by giving our educators additional planning time through customized school schedule redesigns. Our 2023-24 school year pilot schools, Middle Academy 4 and Valera Academy, are already reporting better balance for their teachers, which is having a direct effect on scholar outcomes. This is thanks to the pilot providing a stronger learning environment, expanded enrichment programs, and giving teachers more space and time for scholar intervention as needed. The schools will continue to refine their process and track their success through iReady, as well as direct feedback from teachers, scholars and families. In the 2024-25 school year, Mohan high school will join the pilot program. Beyond a redesigned schedule to give teachers more planning time, they will offer dual enrollment classes to their scholars helping them faster reach the ultimate goal of graduating with a four-year college degree.
Alliance Workday
One example of a major systems infrastructure project Alliance recently implemented is Alliance Workday, which simplified the HR process for employees by upgrading our payroll system. Where previously, employees had to use over 7 different systems for their HR needs, thanks to Workday, everything is now conveniently located in one place. This all-in-one, self-service program lets staff access important documents, make changes to benefits, request time off, track sick leave, and more, all without the hassle of going through multiple systems. Our goal is to support employee work-life balance by giving them peace of mind, and more time to do what’s most important to them – whether it’s focusing on lesson planning or taking piano lessons.
Cloud-Based Data Warehouse
During the 2024-25 school year, Alliance will transition its hosted data warehouse (Schoolzilla) to its own cloud-based data warehouse. This transition will give staff access to a more timely, better customized, and broader range of data to better inform decision-making across the organization. Staff and teachers will have access to real-time scholar assessment, parent satisfaction, financial, and HR data all within one system for more robust, integrated analyses. New reports will also include periodic scholar check-in surveys and teacher-specific questions that will provide input from scholars in their current class schedule from the mid-year and end-of-year surveys, allowing educators and school leaders to quickly adjust their strategies and practices as needed.
In the 2024-25 school year, we will launch The Alliance Path to Anti-Racism Guide. This guide outlines our approach to becoming an anti-racist, pro-Black organization, serving as a resource bank, policy reference, intervention toolkit, and an arc of learning for Alliance. In addition, as a network, we launched No Place for Hate in all schools, a scholar-led initiative designed to create an inclusive school climate. We also held a Design Sprint for Black Women, where staff came together to create over 20 prototypes to address harm and enhance care and support. As a result, we will be testing three of those prototypes this fall: the Alliance Black Family Reunion, the Black Joy Book Club, and somatic coaching for Black women.We will also be partnering with our Latiné stakeholders to co-design growth, care, and wellness solutions across our organization.
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