C4E

1. C4E May 31, 2007

2. Context • Record $1.7 billion State Aid Increase. • Full implementation cost of $7 billion will provide schools with the means to provide all students with an adequate education. • Expectation that increased funding will lead to improved student achievement.

3. The Contract is Part of an Enhanced Accountability System • New accountability standards based on State assessments and other indicators of progress, such as graduation rates or college attendance and completion rates to be established by July 2008. • Growth model by 2008-09. • Value-added model by 2010-2011 based on new or revised state assessments. • Expanded SURR system, resulting in the identification of up to 5% of State school’s by 2011-2012 for restructuring or reorganization.

4. Student Enrollment by Accountability Status Note: Enrollment is based on counts from October 2005 BEDS survey. Not all schools are in districts required to file a Contract for Excellence.

5. Enhanced Accountability System: Plans for Intervention • School Quality Review Teams conduct resource, program and planning audits of SINI and SURR schools and assist all SINI and SURR schools in development of improvement plans. • Joint School Intervention Teams, whose members are either appointed by Commissioner or educators from the district, review and recommend plans for reorganizing or reconfiguring restructuring or SURR schools that have failed to demonstrate progress. • Distinguished educators assist schools and districts that have failed to make AYP for four years. Serve on Joint School Intervention Teams • Recommendations of School Quality Review Teams and Joint Intervention Team are advisory. • The services of all the above are a charge to the school district.

6. Distinguished Educators and Deficient Performance • Regents to establish distinguished educator program. • Superintendents, principals, teachers, and other individuals with demonstrated educational expertise eligible. • Distinguished educators assess the learning environment in schools and assist in development and implementation of improvement plans. • Distinguished educator may either endorse plans or make recommendations for change. • District must either modify the plans or explain in writing to the Commissioner why plans have not been modified. • Unless the Commissioner finds the district’s explanation has compelling merit, the Commissioner shall direct the district to modify the plans as recommended by the distinguished educator. • Distinguished educator becomes ex-officio member of the school board. • Superintendent must cooperate fully with the distinguished educator as per superintendent’s contract.

7. New York State Education DepartmentElementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education Technical Assistance and Supportto New York City Public Schools Schools Under Registration Review (SURR) 35 NYSED Liaison assigned to each school For Discussion Only Restructuring Year 3 Restructuring- 47 (School Closure Plans must be developed for targeted schools.) Year 2 Restructuring–57Year 1 Restructuring-22126 Total Title I Corrective Action (CA)46 CA–Year 2 (Planning for Restructuring) 44 CA–Year 1 90 Total Title I Schools In Need of Improvement (SINI) 58 SINI–Year 2 61 SINI–Year 1 119 Total 5/8/07

8. New York State Education DepartmentElementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education Technical Assistance and Supportto ROS Public Schools Schools Under Registration Review (SURR) 30 NYSED Liaison assigned to each school For Discussion Only Restructuring Year 3 Restructuring- 10 (School Closure Plans must be developed for targeted schools.) Year 2 Restructuring–7Year 1 Restructuring-2037 Total Title I Corrective Action (CA)31 CA–Year 2 (Planning for Restructuring) 23 CA–Year 1 54 Total Title I Schools In Need of Improvement (SINI) 33 SINI–Year 2 47 SINI–Year 1 80 Total 5/8/07

9. Enhanced Accountability System: Learning Standards • Requirement to periodically review learning standards. • ELA standards must be reviewed no later than 2007-08. • Teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, and others with educational expertise on improvement are to be consulted. • Goal for students to be prepared in an appropriate progression for post-secondary education or employment.

10. Other Chapter 57 Provisions • School leadership and school progress report cards. • Student progress reports by July 1, 2008 providing information on performance on State assessments over multiple years. • Plan to evaluate the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs and expand alternative teacher preparation programs. • Explore the development of a P-16 data system to track student performance. • Regents to develop minimum standards for tenure determinations, including incorporation of student performance data, and peer and principal or administrative review. • Raise the cap on charter schools by 100, giving SUNY and Regents 50 new charters each to issue, with up to 50 reserved for New York City.

11. Provisions of the Contract for Excellence • Applies to districts receiving an additional $15 million or a 10% increase and: • Requiring academic progress or, • At least one school identified as in need of improvement, • In corrective action or, • restructuring status. • Funds must be used to predominately benefit students with the greatest needs. • Additional funding must be used in accordance with allowable programs. • New York City must submit a plan to reduce class sizes over five years.

12. Provisions of the Contract for Excellence • Districts can spend up to 15% of funds on experimental programs. • Requires public involvement. • Imposes a parent complaint procedure regarding implementation of the Contract for Excellence. • Requires school districts to report expenditures in form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner.

13. Timeline for Regulatory Action • April 2007 Emergency Action • May 16 Start 45-day comment period • June 2007 Second Emergency Action • Sept. 2007 Summary of comments; Confirmation of regulation.

14. Allowable Programs • Class Size Reduction • Increased Time on Task • Improving Teacher/Principal Quality • Restructuring Middle School/High School • Full Day Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten • Experimental Programs

15. Class Size Reduction • Create or construct more classrooms and buildings. • Assign more than one teacher in a classroom to reduce student:teacher ratio. • Commissioner appoints a panel to recommend appropriate standards for New York City. • New York City is required to develop and plan and make continuous progress to reduce class size. • New York City shall not exceed the targets by the end of the 2010-11 school year.

16. Increased Time on Task • Lengthened school day. • Lengthened school year. • Dedicated instructional time. • Individualized tutoring.

17. Teacher and Principal Quality Initiatives • Recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and principals. • Professional mentoring programs for beginning teachers and principals. • Incentive programs for highly qualified and high performing teachers to transfer to low performing schools. • Instructional coaches for teachers. • School leadership coaches for principals.

18. Middle School or High School Restructuring • Implement instructional program changes. • Make structural changes to schools. • The above programs must include: • Instructional program changes, and • Challenging academic content and learning opportunities.

19. Full-Day Kindergarten or Pre-Kindergarten • Pre-kindergarten: full day instructional program for four-year-old children. • Kindergarten: full day instructional program for five-year-old children. • Both may include extended hours at school or community based organizations.

20. Experimental Programs • Up to fifteen percent of the additional foundation aid funds may be used for experimental programs. • Requires Commissioner’s preapproval. • Must submit a research-based plan to the Commissioner for approval, including an evaluation plan.

21. Web-based Application and Review System • Web-based transparent reporting system. Information will be available to the public at the school level on the web. • Requires academic performance data and improvement targets. • Requires baseline fiscal data. • School level expenditure reporting • Data will show where the money went and what the results were.

23. Policy Questions • Effective Programs. • How do we make sure the best programs are identified and shared? • Expenditure reporting. • How will we capture contract for excellence expenditures. • Evaluation.How will we answer the questions at year end: • Where did districts spend the money? • And what did we get for it? • Did the funds go predominantly to students with the greatest educational need?