1. Interim Superintendent
School Receivership
Welcome parents to the meeting and introduce yourself, the school principal and other school or district leaders who are in attendance.
Jaime Alicea,
Interim Superintendent
September 2016

2. SCHOOL RECEIVERSHIP Goals of Public Hearing
This meeting is about School Receivership, why schools are under Receivership requirements and what this means for students, parents and the school community.
Goals of Public Hearing

3. LEARN MORE Visit the NYS Department of Education Receivership page!
Looking for information on Legislation and Regulations?
Videos, resources, guidance documents and additional information on school turnaround are available!
Visit the NYS Department of Education Receivership page!
In New York State, legislators have passed laws that require School Receivership for the lowest performing schools in the state. The State Education Department has created a page on their website that contains links to the laws, regulations and other resources pertaining to School Receivership.
Resources

4. THE LAW - EDUCATION LAW SECTION 211-F AND RECEIVERSHIP
In April 2015, Subpart E of Part EE of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2015 added a new section, 211-f, to Education Law.
Persistently Struggling Schools, schools that have been in the most severe accountability status since the school year, be given an initial one-year period under a Superintendent Receiver to improve student performance.
Struggling Schools, schools that have been Priority Schools since the school year, will be given an initial two-year period under a Superintendent Receiver to improve student performance.
NEW SECTION
Receivership laws were enacted by the legislature in the spring of 2015 to address schools that have been among the lowest performing in the state. The intent of School Receivership is to involve parents and the school community in taking a look at current school improvement efforts and making recommendations for changes that would help the school and students make progress.
Let’s spend some time looking at the requirements of Receivership and what it will mean for schools. As I mentioned, laws have been passed by legislators that require the Receivership process for the lowest performing schools in the state. Districts and schools must meet Receivership requirements with the goal of making “Demonstrable Improvement” each year.
Schools must make demonstrable progress within the prescribed time frame or an Independent Receiver will then be appointed to the school for up to three years.
The Law

5. RECEIVERSHIP GOAL: Remove barriers to success! Intent of Receivership
The Receivership process is intended to remove barriers to success. These barriers may include:
Governance – how the school is run
Fiscal Resources – Money available for school improvement
Leadership and Staff – Making sure we have strong leaders and effective teachers in the school
Collective Bargaining Agreements or the contracts and agreed upon working conditions for staff
Parent and Community Engagement – bringing the school community together to give everyone a voice in school improvement
Meeting the Social, Emotional and Developmental Health Needs of Students through a Community Schools Model
District Support – making sure the school has what they need for improvement
The Receivership process removes barriers by involving a team of stakeholders in providing monitoring and input and granting enhanced powers to the Superintendent to improve schools.
Intent of Receivership

6. PERSISTENTLY STRUGGLING SCHOOLS
WHY IS OUR SCHOOL IN RECEIVERSHIP?
STRUGGLING SCHOOLS
STRUGGLING SCHOOLS
PERSISTENTLY STRUGGLING SCHOOLS
Among the lowest achieving 5% of public schools in NYS for at least 3
consecutive school years.
Among the lowest achieving 5% of public schools in NYS for at least 10
consecutive school years.
Schools are under Receivership requirements if they have been designated as “Struggling” or “Persistently Struggling”. Struggling Schools are those that have been among the lowest 5% in the state for 3 years. Persistently Struggling Schools have been in the lowest 5% for 10 or more consecutive years.
Why a School is in Receivership

7. PERSISTENTLY STRUGGLING SCHOOLS
Bellevue Elementary School
Danforth Middle School
Delaware Academy
Dr. King Elementary School
Dr. Weeks Elementary School
Fowler High School
Franklin Elementary School
Frazer K-8 School
Henninger High School
Hughes Elementary School
Lincoln Middle School
Nottingham High School
Porter Elementary School
Seymour Elementary School
HW Smith PK – 8 School
Westside Academy at Blodgett
Van Duyn Elementary School
Grant Middle School
Last year, 18 of our schools were in Receivership. Due to improvement in accountability status, 9 schools came out of Receivership. The 9 schools that remain in Receivership listed in the dark orange color. Schools that came out of Receivership are in black text and have been “crossed off”
In Syracuse, all schools that are currently in Receivership are designated as “Struggling Schools”.
Schools in Receivership

8. 1-2 YEARS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
The Superintendent has the ability to adjust any of the following to improve school performance:
Budget
School Programs and Curriculum
Board of Education Decisions
Staff Positions (Require all Staff to Reapply)
Staff Professional Development
Length of School Day or Year
Request Changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement
Convert the School to a Charter (pursuant to the law) or Community School
Struggling Schools have a two year window in which to show significant improvement. This timeframe started with the 2015 – 16 school year and will continue through the end of the current 2016 – 17 school year. Within this time frame, the Superintendent has increased authority to make changes to help the school increase student performance. The items listed are the areas in which he has increased authority or ability to take action:
School budget
Programs and curriculum for students
Overrule decisions of the Board of Education
Make staffing or leadership changes
Require professional development for staff
Increase the length of the school day or school year
Work with the teacher’s union to make changes to contracts
Change the school to a charter school
Superintendent Receivership Powers

9. HOW WILL RECEIVERSHIP WORK?
COMMUNICATE
BUILD A TEAM
MAKE IMPROVEMENTS
MAKE PROGRESS
Parent notification
Public hearing at each school
Establish a Community Engagement Team (CET)
CET makes recommendations to the School Leadership Team and monitors progress
School must make “Demonstrable Progress” each year or appointment of an Independent Receiver may be required by the Commissioner
Note to Presenter – Talk through these actions that are requirements of Receivership.
Parents were notified by letter that their school is continuing in Receivership.
Public hearings are being held in all schools throughout the month of September.
Community Engagement Teams or CETs had to be established by August 12, For this year, membership of the team will be reviewed by each school and finalized during the month of September.
The CET will hold meetings this month and throughout the school year. They can make recommendations to the School Leadership Team on an ongoing basis.
Schools must make “Demonstrable Improvement” or the Commissioner may require the School Board to appoint an Independent Receiver.
Receivership Requirements

10. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM
A Community Engagement Team (CET) must be established at each of our Persistently Struggling or Struggling Schools
WHO?
HOW?
Committee is to be comprised of stakeholders with direct ties to the school including, but not limited to:
Principal
Parents
Teachers
Other school staff
Students
Community Partners
Let’s talk more about the Community Engagement Team or CET.
Each school in Receivership initially formed a team last August. The membership of the team is defined in the legislation. Required membership includes: the principal, parents, teachers, other school staff, students (in middle, Pre-K – 8 schools and high schools) and community partners. All individuals must have a direct connection to the school. The team is charged with developing a plan to engage the school community in school improvement. They will make recommendations and seek input from the school community about those recommendations and the results of improvement efforts.
Develop recommendations for improvement of the school
Solicit input regarding their recommendations through public engagement
Community Engagement Team

11. IMPROVEMENT Demonstrable Improvement
STRUGGLING SCHOOLS must make improvement annually after initial 2-year period or they may be placed under Independent Receivership
PERSISTENTLY STRUGGLING SCHOOLS must make improvement annually or they may be placed in Independent Receivership
Throughout the presentation, I have referred to the requirement for schools under Receivership to make “Demonstrable Improvement”. Each year the school will receive a “Demonstrable Improvement Index”, a score between 0 and 100 based on Level 1 and 2 metrics. Level 1 metrics are set for the school by the State Education Department. Level 2 metrics are selected by schools from a state provided list. Depending on the score the school achieves each year, the school either makes “Demonstrable Improvement” by scoring 67 or more, fails to make improvement by scoring 39 or less, or falls within a range (40 – 66 points) where the Commissioner determines if sufficient improvement was made.
Demonstrable Improvement

12. MEASURING IMPROVEMENT
Elementary & Middle
High School
Making Priority School Progress
ELA and Math Exams
Mean Student Growth in ELA and Math
Science Test Scores
School Violence Index
Making Priority School Progress
4-year Graduation Rate
5-year Graduation Rate
Percent of Students Graduating with Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation
Percent of 10th graders passing Math Regents
Percent of 11th graders passing ELA Regents
School Violence Index
This slide lists the required Level 1 metrics required for schools. Level 1 metrics count for 50% of the “Demonstrable Improvement Index” and pertain to academic achievement and school safety.
Level 1 Metrics

13. MEASURING IMPROVEMENT
OTHER
Students passing courses
Student Promotion Rates
College and Career Readiness
Developmentally Appropriate Child Assessments: Pre-K to Third Grade
Teachers Teaching out of Certification Area
Staff Turnover
Post-graduation plan for students
Local measures approved by the Commissioner
Student Subgroups (i.e. English language learners, low-income students, racial/ethnic groups and students with disabilities)
Implementing a Community School Model, Expanded Learning Time and other key initiatives
School Climate
Gaps between a student group and students who are not members of the group
Here are some examples of the Level 2 metrics. Schools select the level 2 metrics from a list provided by the state and schools can only choose metrics that they do not currently meet. Level 2 metrics count for the other 50% of the “Demonstrable Improvement Index”.
Level 2 Metrics

14. RECEIVERSHIP TIMELINE
School Year
15-16
Fall 2016
Winter/Spring
Summer/Fall
2017
Launched School Receivership Requirements
Hold Public Hearings at each School
Sept 8th - 21st
Continue Implementation of Improvement Plans
Receive Demonstrable Improvement Index Scores for
This chart summarizes the Receivership process since it began in the 2015 – 16 school year. This month we are holding public hearings in each school to share information with each school community. Community Engagement Teams will begin their work in September. We anticipate that 2015 – 16 Demonstrable Improvement Index scores will also be received in September.
Note to presenter – we may have scores by the time this public hearing is held. If we have, you will receive immediate guidance on how to share and message this information.
Throughout the current school year, CET teams in all schools will continue to meet to complete quarterly progress reports and make additional recommendations to the School Leadership Team. Quarterly progress reports will be posted on each school’s website as they are finalized throughout the school year.
CET Made Recommendations to Superintendent Receiver
Revisit Community Engagement Team Membership and Schedule Meetings
Submit
Quarterly Reports
Quarterly Reports Completed
Receive Demonstrable Improvement Index Scores for
Timeline

15. INVOLVED GET Join the Community Engagement Team (CET) LET’S TALK!
Attend Meetings
Respond to Recommendations
Network with other Parents
Check updates on school and district websites or direct mailings
Final Slide – Encourage parents to get involved with improvement efforts at their school by joining or following the work of the CET. The “Let’s Talk” tool is available on the SCSD website and it can be used to ask questions and provide input or comments about Receivership and dialogue with the principal or district staff.
Remind parents of the NYS Education Department website page on Receivership. Also indicate that the SCSD website has Receivership information (look for Receivership button on the homepage)
Ask Questions
Provide Input
Dialogue with Principal and other District Personnel
Parent and Community Engagement

16. LEARN MORE Visit the NYS Department of Education Receivership page!
Looking for information on Legislation and Regulations?
Videos, resources, guidance documents and additional information on school turnaround are available!
Visit the NYS Department of Education Receivership page!
Final Slide – Remind parents of the NYS Education Department website page on Receivership that contains detailed information on Receivership legislation and requirements.
Resources