The New York State Education Department (“the Department”) remains committed to a sustained focus on ensuring equitable access to high quality educational programs for all students to support their academic growth and social-emotional development. The Department’s Office of Innovation and School Reform (OISR) is continuing its comprehensive performance management, technical assistance, progress reporting process, and support to schools under Receivership for the 2023-2024 school year.

Quarterly progress reports are a performance management tool designed to help the school community, the Department, Commissioner, and the Board of Regents in determining the extent to which schools under Receivership are on track to achieve their Demonstrable Improvement Indicators (DIIs). The reports also provide insights regarding how well districts and/or educational partnership organizations (EPOs) are utilizing school-level data to monitor and adjust improvement plan processes and implementation.

Superintendent Receivers are required, per Commissioner’s Regulations §100.19, to submit quarterly reports. Required reporting for the 2023-2024 school year will include four quarterly reports on the following due dates:

* Quarterly Reports are to be submitted via email to the School’s OISR Lead Associate, copying OISR@nysed.gov.

OISR will utilize a Tiered Framework of Support to facilitate a collaborative review and monitoring of each school’s progress toward meeting Demonstrable Improvement Indicator (DII) targets and to ensure sustained, targeted technical assistance and support to schools under Receivership. The process will consist of a minimum of two on-site Technical Assistance Support and Collaborative Review Sessions and a minimum of two Performance Review e-conferences for Cohort II Schools. Cohort I Schools will take part in an additional Mid-Year on-site session.

Technical Assistance Support and Collaborative Review Sessions will be on-site visitations to provide support focused on increasing district-wide systems integration through coordinated processes. Core to individualized support for schools under Receivership includes sustainable improvement and turnaround strategies, team development, and access to, and the application of, planning resources based on replicable research-based practices.

Performance Review e-Conferences will be virtual meetings held with Superintendent Receivers, EPOs, district- and building-level leadership, and other personnel directly involved in the oversight and support of schools under Receivership. The Superintendent Receiver/Designee or District EPO Team will identify key strategies utilized to drive improvement. Participants should have explicit knowledge of the school’s systems, processes, and key drivers for improvement, with a targeted focus on measurable student growth to ensure the school will meet DII targets for the 2023-2024 school year. Participants will be asked to include an outline of how building data is guiding the improvement process and how the district is progress monitoring to ensure the school will meet DII targets for the 2023-2024 school year in the key areas including, but not limited to:

• Improved student academic growth, achievement, and grade-level reading, and math proficiency based on school-based formative assessments and NYS 3 – 8 data;
• Increased Graduation and reduced Dropout Rate(s) tracking;
• Increasing student average daily attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism;
• A school climate that is safe, inclusive, and conducive to learning and all students are afforded equitable access to high quality educational programs and SEL-based services;
• Reducing duplicated and unduplicated Out-of-School Suspensions and rates of recidivism.

In addition, participants will be asked to identify specific areas of strength and challenges met during the improvement process. Sessions will also address the top three school- and district-based actionable commitments in actualizing and ensuring sustainable supports to classrooms in meeting the above target areas across subgroups.

In accordance with Commissioner’s Regulations §100.19(c)(1)(iii), a school under Receivership is required to hold a public meeting or hearing within 30 calendar days of the first day of student attendance each school year to discuss the school’s performance. Public meetings or hearings must be offered in the form of a documentable, advertised, in-person format where constituent/community engagement affords input and information exchange. Such does not preclude the district from offering, but not holding in singular form, e-access to same such hearings that are simultaneous to the in-person/live hearing. If such a hybrid option is hosted by the school/district, equitable access to such information receipt and exchange must afford e-participants opportunity to share their voice in real-time, similarly to those in physical attendance.

Each school/district must maintain records of the above, including artifacts and evidence of public meetings and hearings, and make such available to the District’s Lead OISR Associate following the completion of each hearing. In addition, schools/districts must conspicuously post and provide timely notice of dates, times, locations, and e-links of such sessions to the school/district community in the dominant languages, copying the Lead OISR Associate. Districts may utilize the Public Notification and Hearing Requirements Template to support record submission.

The Department is committed to assisting you in your efforts to improve student outcomes. If you have questions, please feel free to contact your district’s Lead OISR Liaison or send an email to OISR@nysed.gov. Thank you for your advocacy, partnership, and collegiality as we continue to work to improve educational outcomes and ensure equitable access to high quality programs and SEL-based services to all students.

c: Jason Harmon, Deputy Commissioner, NYSED P-12 Operations
    Amanda Lester, OISR Supervisor, NYSED
    OISR Lead Associate Team