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Innovation and School Reform

Innovation and School Reform

Receivership Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan

Schools under Receivership are required to engage in an evidence-based planning process to support sustainable school improvement. The Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan serve as the foundational components for this process.

Receivership School-Level Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan Development Overview

All Schools under Receivership are required to engage in a Needs Assessment to inform Continuation Plan development. 

The Needs Assessment is a comprehensive diagnostic review of a school’s instructional, organizational, and operational conditions. Grounded in quantitative and qualitative data, the process examines student performance trends, instructional practices, curriculum alignment, leadership capacity, school climate, family engagement, and resource allocation. 

Each school will assemble a School Improvement Planning Team, and through a series of Team Meetings, with support from the district, the team will complete a Needs Assessment and develop a Continuation Plan for the coming school year. In between team meetings, structured guidance and feedback will be provided by a dedicated OISR liaison, and coordinated targeted coaching will be provided by an assigned School Support Partner (SSP).

Through stakeholder input and data analysis, the Needs Assessment engages school teams and the district leaders supporting those teams in a reflective process to analyze the effectiveness of systems and structures as a guide for determining a shared vision for teaching and learning and the Lead Strategies that will guide the Continuation Plan to strengthen the school's instructional core, and ultimately, Tier 1 instruction.

Needs Assessment for Schools Under Receivership 

Planning is essential to school and district success. Schools and districts should regularly reflect on whether their systems and structures are effectively delivering the school and district’s vision for shared understanding of what high quality Tier 1 instruction and student learning look like in practice. To support this reflection for schools under Receivership, NYSED has developed the following School Needs Assessment to help schools develop a Continuation Plan for the upcoming school year.

Receivership School-level Needs Assessment

The Receivership School-level Needs Assessment is led by a School Improvement Planning Team. The guidance document “Assembling Your School Improvement Planning Team” outlines considerations that may be helpful when selecting team members.

The School Needs Assessment process outlined by NYSED anticipates that the school team will engage in a minimum of 5 Team Meetings, and potentially more if necessary, along with interim support meetings with the school's OISR Liaison and SSP. Please note, that based on need and request, additional OISR Liaison check-ins and informal support meetings are available throughout the Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan Development process. 

An outline of these meeting types and timelines can be found in the Receivership Needs Assessment, Team Meeting, and Support Timeline document. Additional information and resources can be found on the Receivership Support Toolkit webpage and the in the Diagnostic Tool for School and District Effectiveness Resources. 

Summary of  School Improvement Planning Team Meetings and Support 

​Prior to Team Meeting #1: (February-Mid-March)

Team Meeting #1: Review of Surveys and Systems and Structures Self Assessment Results- Third Week of March

  • SSP In-Person Meeting #1 with the  Principal: To be scheduled with the SSP during the third week of March.
  • Prepare for Team Meeting #2: Review of the NYSED Assessment Report 

Team Meeting #2: Review of the NYSED Assessment Report - Fourth Week of March

  • Prepare for Team Meeting #3: Student Interviews
  • SSP Virtual Meeting #2 with the Principal: To be scheduled with the SSP during the fourth week of March.

Team Meeting #3: Student Interviews- First Week of April

  • Optional: Family Focus Groups to better understand the variations identified in the Family Surveys
  • OISR Liaison Check-in #2: To be scheduled by the Liaison during the first week of April
  • Prepare for Team Meeting #4: Demonstrable Improvement Indicator Selection
  • Prepare for Team Meeting #5: Plan Writing

Team Meeting #4: Demonstrable Improvement Indicator Selection - Third Week of April

Team Meeting #5: Plan Writing - Fourth Week of April

Community Engagement Team (CET) Meeting with the School Improvement Team - Fifth Week of April

May - June: Continuation Plan Writing and Finalization with Support from OISR Liaison, SSP, and district leader.

  • OISR Liaison Check-in #3: To be scheduled by the Liaison during the first week of May

  • June 30, 2026- Submit finalized Receivership 2026-2027 Continuation Plan to OISR@nysed.gov 

​July - August: The finalized Continuation Plan is reviewed by NYSED and submitted to the District Board of Education for approval.

Continuation Plan Development

Building on the findings of the Needs Assessment, the Continuation Plan outlines a coherent, actionable roadmap for improvement by moving schools through a reflective, data-centered process to strengthen and establish systems and structures and meet DI Indicator targets in the upcoming school year. To develop the Continuation Plan, schools will undergo a reflective process that will engage a commitment to sustaining effective practices while refining or discontinuing strategies that do not demonstrate impact. 

The Continuation Plan is developed through an analysis of data and outcomes from the Receivership Needs Assessment to guide the selection of four Lead Strategies aligned to the Four Core Dimensions and focused on:

  • Strengthening the Instructional Core and Tier 1 instruction,
  • Addressing attendance through culture, connectedness, and belonging, and
  • Increasing the quality and impact of family and community partnerships.

School will identify 4 Lead Strategies as described for the following areas and aligned to the Four Core Dimensions:   

  • 2 strategies focused on strengthening the Instructional Core/Tier 1 instruction.
  • 1 strategy that addresses attendance through culture, connectedness and belonging.
  • 1 strategy to increase the quality and impact of family and community partnerships.

Continuation Plan Template and Support Resources