Applying to Become a PLAN Pilot School
This opportunity is appropriate for schools and programs that are seeking to implement a system of performance-based learning and assessment (PBLA) at the middle school and/or high school level. If a school or program is already successfully implementing a PBLA system, they should instead consider applying to become a PLAN Mentor School (application process forthcoming).
All public and non-public New York State educational institutions that meet the following criteria are eligible to apply to participate in the PLAN Pilot as a Pilot School:
- Is a middle school; high school; Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES); or approved private special education program or Special Act, State-operated, or State-supported school with a middle- and/or high-school component.
UPDATED 11/02/2023: Two options are open to schools that are already successfully implementing a system of performance-based learning and assessment that is available to all students enrolled in the school/program. (1) We encourage such schools to apply to participate in the PLAN Pilot as a Mentor School (separate application process coming soon). (2) Alternatively, such schools may apply as a Pilot School to begin implementing a different, complementary model. Details regarding both of these options are explained in the answer to Question #4 of the PLAN Pilot School Q&A.
Note that the application must be jointly submitted by a partnership consisting of the School/Program that wishes to become a PLAN Pilot School, along with the District (for district schools) or Board (for charter and non-public schools and BOCES).
| WEEK OF AUGUST 21, 2023 | – | Application Released |
| MONDAY, OCTOBER 2ND, OR ASAP | – | Notice of Intent Deadline |
| COB THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5TH | – | Questions Deadline |
| WEEK OF OCTOBER 16, 2023 | – | Q&A Posted |
| WEEK OF OCTOBER 30, 2023 | – | Webinar Posted |
| LATE AUGUST – EARLY DECEMBER | – | Accepting Applications |
| MIDNIGHT FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8TH | – | Application Deadline |
| UPDATED 01/11/24 FRIDAY, FEBURARY 9TH | – | Extended Application Deadline for Specific Regions* |
| WINTER 2023/2024 | – | Pilot Schools Selected |
* Applications for the specified regions will be accepted and considered on a rolling basis, with preference given to applications received before February 9th. See "What is the Application Submission Process and Due Date?" for more information.
The following forms are required:
- PLAN Pilot School Application Form (Microsoft Form)
- For reference, see a PDF of the full application form here.
- PLAN Pilot District or Board Commitment Form
- PLAN Pilot School or BOCES Program Commitment Form
Notice of Intent (NOI) – If your school/program/district is considering applying, we ask that you submit a simple email with subject line "Notice of Intent" to plan.pilot@nysed.gov by Monday, October 2nd or ASAP thereafter. The email should include: School/program name, location (region), and school/BOCES program website URL (if applicable). The NOI is not a requirement, and an entity that submits an NOI is not obligated to apply.
Any questions about the application process should be submitted to plan.pilot@nysed.gov. Questions will not be answered directly. To ensure all potential applicants have access to the same information, a summary of Questions & Answers is posted below. Project staff will not be assisting applicants in completing the application or collecting the necessary information for submission.
- PLAN Pilot School Q&A UPDATED 11/02/2023
NEW: If you still have questions, we encourage you to reach out to the BOCES or other school support networks that serve your region. NYSED envisions that such entities will be best positioned to support interested schools in navigating the PLAN Pilot School application process.
Applicants must complete all required fields in the form and submit by midnight on Friday, December 8, 2023. NYSED will not be providing feedback on applications or allowing applicants to revise and resubmit.
Applicants are requested to submit their applications electronically.
- Submit the PLAN Pilot School Application by clicking "Submit" within the Microsoft Form.
- The remaining materials should be submitted in PDF format by email to plan.pilot@nysed.gov, labeled with the school/program name and the name of the document. For example:
- Appletree HS PLAN Pilot District or Board Commitment Form.pdf
- Peachtree Prep PLAN Pilot School or Program Commitment Form.pdf
- Grapevine MS Evidence of School Community Buy in (1 of #).pdf
UPDATED 01/11/24
The PLAN Pilot School application period has been extended for schools and programs located in the following regions. These are regions* in which fewer than 3 applications were received by the original December 8, 2023, deadline:
- Capital Region
- Central NY
- Finger Lakes
- Mohawk Valley
- North Country
- Southern Tier
Applications will be accepted and considered on a rolling basis, with preference given to applications received before February 9th.
Schools and programs from the re-opened regions that already submitted an application do not need to re-submit their materials. However, they are free to submit up to a one-page update to their application, via email to plan.pilot@nysed.gov, ahead of the 2/9/24 extended deadline if they so wish.
For any region not listed above, a sufficient number of applications were received by the original December 8, 2023, deadline and are undergoing reviews. New or revised applications from regions not listed will not be considered.
PLAN Pilot School applications are available on our Applying to Become a PLAN Pilot School webpage under "What Forms are Required to Apply?"
* For a map showing which counties are in each region, visit https://esd.ny.gov/regions. A list of counties in each region can be found at https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/regulations/global_cap/regional/regions.htm
Application Narrative - Examples of Information to Include
Each section of the application narrative follows the same pattern, with the following 4 subsection prompts:
- Explain your school/program's current conditions and assets that would support PBLA implementation and participation in the pilot.
- Explain your school/program's vision for PBLA implementation and participation in the pilot.
- Explain your school/program's anticipated needs and supports that would enable PBLA implementation and your participation in the pilot.
- Explain your district/board's current conditions and assets, vision for PBLA implementation, and anticipated needs for supporting this aspect of your school/program's participation in the pilot.
In the below list, each subsection prompt is accompanied by examples of specific information that could be relevant to include in the narrative. These examples are offered to spur your thinking and assist you in developing a thorough application, but they are not required, nor are they intended to limit what you choose to cover in the narrative.
Definitions:
For purposes of this application, "school community" is defined broadly to include students and their families; faculty (including department heads and instructional coaches), administrators, and other staff at the school and district levels; and other stakeholders such as (but not limited to) local government, collective bargaining units, institutions of higher education, community-based organizations, and employers.
For purposes of this application, "assessment literacy" is defined as "the set of beliefs, knowledge and practices about assessment that lead a teacher, administrator, policymaker[,] student [or community member] to use [or advocate for the use of] assessment to improve student learning and achievement" (Michigan Assessment Consortium, 2015; see also IES, 2016).
Current Conditions and Assets
- Why do you believe your school/program would be a good fit for the pilot?
- How do PBLA and the ideas of the PLAN Pilot align with your school/program's mission and values?
- Why do you believe that your school community (defined above) would be supportive of participating in the pilot and implementing PBLA?
Vision for PBLA Implementation
- How does participation in the pilot fit into the broader vision/direction of your school/program? Include a rationale for implementing PBLA in your school/program at this time (i.e., why now?).
- What would success look like for your school/program over the pilot period (2023-2027), in terms of what you hope to gain and what you hope to contribute?
Anticipated Needs
- Describe any stakeholders within your school community that you anticipate needing more intentional engagement with, in order to gain their buy-in to PBLA (i.e., where do you anticipate pushback or resistance from your school community, if at all?). Why do you anticipate pushback or resistance from these stakeholders?
- What supports do you anticipate needing in order to overcome any resistance and establish buy-in to PBLA throughout your school community?
District/Board Current Conditions, Vision, and Anticipated Needs
- Why is the district/board supporting this application?
Current Conditions and Assets
- What are examples of engagement and progress your school/program has made toward building a shared understanding of PBLA and the ideas of the pilot throughout the school community (if any)?
- What are examples of engagement that the school/program has implemented to encourage school community buy-in to PBLA (if any), and/or has implemented to engage diverse stakeholders in similar initiatives?
- To what extent, and in what ways, is the school/program currently engaged in improving assessment literacy throughout the school community (e.g., any personalized feedback and reporting strategies, workshops or other events, etc.)?
- Provide examples of existing partnerships with community organizations, institutions of higher education, and technical assistance or other learning networks that could provide support for implementing PBLA. Why do you consider these partnerships an asset for your school/program's participation in the pilot and implementation of PBLA?
Vision for PBLA Implementation
- Describe how your school/program will build upon and improve current engagement plans to integrate PBLA commitments. How will PBLA be integrated into these engagement plans in an accessible way for the diverse populations the school/program serves, as well as tailored to the local community needs and assets? How will these engagement plans make progress toward building a shared understanding and encouraging buy-in to PBLA throughout the school community?
- Describe how the school/program will assess progress toward a shared understanding of and buy-in to PBLA, using accessible and responsive measures. What strategies will the school/program employ to improve the assessment literacy of diverse stakeholders within the school community?
- Describe strategies for pursuing new relationships that would support the work of the pilot. What types of partnerships do you intend to pursue to support this work and why?
Anticipated Needs
- What resources and support (if any) do you anticipate needing for your school/program to carry out any of the following activities, and why do you anticipate these needs?
- Developing school community engagement plans that integrate PBLA commitments;
- Improving assessment literacy throughout your school community (including any specific stakeholder(s) you anticipate needing additional support with);
- Assessing implementation of these school community engagement plans; and
- Cultivating partnerships with stakeholders, organizations, and other entities to support this work.
District/Board Current Conditions, Vision, and Anticipated Needs
- How will the district/board engage the broader school community around the ideas of PBLA and the PLAN Pilot?
- If the school/program is subject to one or more collective bargaining agreements, describe how the district/board will engage with the union(s) to facilitate implementation of PBLA and the requirements of the pilot.
Current Conditions and Assets
- Describe your school/ program's current capacity and culture of professional learning, as it relates to supporting implementation of major new instruction or assessment initiatives.
- How does your school/program support teachers—individually and in teams—in pursuing professional learning opportunities tailored to their needs and interests?
- How does your school/program support school leaders in pursuing professional learning opportunities tailored to their needs and interests, and those of the school/program?
- To what extent, and in what ways, have teachers and leaders in your school/program already begun engaging in professional learning experiences about PBLA?
- Describe any PBLA-themed learning opportunities your school/program has made available for teachers and/or leaders and how attendance/participation has been.
- Describe any instances where educators from your school/program designed, provided, or otherwise collaborated on the development and/or administration of PBLA-themed professional learning experiences.
Vision for PBLA Implementation
- Describe your vision for any professional learning opportunities, resources, and supports your school/program anticipates providing to teachers and school leaders to support effective implementation of PBLA in your classrooms and building.
- Describe key operational steps and considerations for beginning the process of implementing PBLA professional learning, such as adjusting scheduling to encourage educator collaboration. Include specific reference to time and financial planning as it relates to professional learning—both for teachers and for school leaders.
Anticipated Needs
- Describe key training needs and supports anticipated for your school/program's teachers and leaders and why. To what extent, and in what ways, does your school/program anticipate needing additional support for its teacher and leader professional development?
- What resources and supports do you anticipate needing for your school/program to develop and implement professional learning plans for teachers and leaders to transition to PBLA practices within classrooms and the school building? Why do you anticipate these needs?
District/Board Current Conditions, Vision, and Anticipated Needs
- How will the district/board support professional learning for Pilot School educators?
Current Conditions and Assets
- Provide an overview of key steps your school/program has already taken toward implementing or preparing to implement PBLA.
- To what extent, and in what ways, has the school/program made any budget or operational shifts to support implementation of PBLA?
- What steps has the school/program taken toward identifying individuals and/or forming a transition team to lead this work, if any?
- In what ways has the school/program engaged with the PLAN Pilot, including viewing webinars or exploring resources on NYSED's website to become familiar with the ideas of the pilot?
Vision for PBLA Implementation
- Describe your vision for what this transition could look like in your school/program, including considerations for beginning onboarding and rollout processes for shifting instructional practices and designing and implementing performance-based assessments. Include specific attention to time and financial commitments.
- What do you envision as the first steps for introducing PBLA into your school/program? Where does your school/program plan to start this work? Provide an explanation of your rationale for the grade level(s) and/or subject area(s) considered for implementing PBLA.
- Explain steps the school/program will take to ensure that ALL students will have the opportunity to participate if they so choose, regardless of their disability status, native language, income level, or any other basis, consistent with the Board of Regents Policy on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. How will your school/program address the unique needs of ALL students?
Anticipated Needs
- Provide an overview of the resources and supports you anticipate needing, such as time, financial, and human capacity needs. Why do you anticipate these needs?
District/Board Current Conditions, Vision, and Anticipated Needs
- How will the district/board collaborate with the school/program staff in planning for and supporting PBLA implementation?
- What resources and supports do you anticipate needing at the outset, in order for this pilot to be successful in your context?
Current Conditions and Assets
- Describe your processes for continuous reflection and improvement (e.g., professional learning communities (PLCs) and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle).
Vision for PBLA Implementation
- Describe your perceptions of the long-term value of pilot participation, including plans for continuation, such as expanding implementation across additional grade levels and subject areas and/or bridging instructional and assessment shifts with lower and/or higher grade levels (as applicable).
Anticipated Needs
- Describe anticipated long-term budget and operational shifts for the school/program. What resources and supports do you anticipate needing to sustain these shifts?
District/Board Current Conditions, Vision, and Anticipated Needs
- Describe the district/board's perceptions of the long-term value of pilot participation, including plans for continuation, such as expanding implementation across schools under your purview (as applicable).
- How will the district/board support the sustainability of PBLA implementation?
- Describe anticipated long-term budget and operational shifts for the district. What resources and supports do you anticipate needing to sustain these shifts?