Futures Academy Turnaround Plan

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.Appendix B 'Restart Model'

Futures Academy #37

Buffalo City School District


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New York State Eaucation DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010 .

Under 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

APPENDIX B: RESTART MODEL

Directions: Please complete the following form for each persistentlywill implement a Restart Model. When completing this plan,responses.Tier 1or Tier II school within the LEA thatImplementation Plan Rubric to ensure quality

LEA: Buffalo City School DistrictSchool: Futures Academy School #37Grades Served: Pre K - 8Number of students: 570In the chart below, describe the needs assessmentdata gathered during any Joint Inte ..v.,.nfrom local assessment tools.

visit, with any additional information

of curriculum documents indicates that. there is an alignmentthe district's written curriculum and the New York State (NYS)standards; however, there is a disconnect between the written curriculum and

the taught curriculum.Scope and sequence documents and pacing calendars for each core academicsubject documents are available for staff and aligned with the curriculum andthe New York State standards; however, many teachers do not extend theirinstructional practice beyond the prescribed curriculum. .

February 2011

Teaching and Learning Although the district and principal have provided ample opportunities for

staff to employ differentiation of instruction, a large percentage or theII. II.

Learning

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' ' ' '"'''- ' New York State''E'ducationDepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010

Under 1003 (g)ofthe Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

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observed classes, particularly grade, were still employing wholegroup instruction rather than using such proven techniques as cooperativelearning, pair share, triads, and conferencing. In the elementarygroup instruction was observed, while other types ofthe not consistently observed. ,

requires teachers to have visible clear objectives forboth observed from class visits and from interviewthat they often did not understand the purpose of the

the next activity in all classrooms andand seamless; in many cases there was aof noise, teasing and pushing amonggrade classrooms, this went on for a few

the teacher gave the situation any attention. Also in some ofclassrooms, there is too much familiarity betweenseveral instances were noted where students calledwith no salutation (Mr., etc.). This apparently is asince the teachers in question did not correct the

III.is lost each school day due to its current configuration. Valuable

U"LLVU''~ time is also periodically lost because a number of teachers do, have routines in , place that would cause students to be seated immediatelyso that class could begin as soon as they arrive; this was more prevalent inthe upper grades.Although the principal and coaches plan grade level meetings (GLM) basedon data, there is litt le evidence in the GLM minutes, of clear action steps thatteachers are to implement in their classrooms or of follow -up of the actionsteps in the next GLM. Common planning time is rare for subject classroomteachers; the inability to plan together and ascertain which skills of studentsneeds addressing is a major problem. The Student Support Staff does notlevel . therefore cannot assist the

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- - 'ew York State Education DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010Under 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

except by individual requests, with social. and developmental problems thatmay be impacting learning ..It is possible that this lack of coordination is a

f- +- -+_--'-- __ --=c=as:..:u=a=l~fa=c:..:t=o~rlow of students on state assessments.IV. Infrastructure IV.for StudentSuccess

Behavioral Intervention Supportsissues; however classroom visitsteachers were not following the procedures associatedall teachers were familiar with the district adopted.is much inconsistency in the application of schoolthat was repeated time and again by teachers and. Such inconsistency has lead to varying expectationspart students and teachers relative to what consequences are to .plied for infractions. Numerous teachers have their own class rules,it was reported in the student forums that these are not consistentto class. .

Analysis, and Utilization of Dataon examination of documents and teacher interviews, there does not

appear to be continuous use of the data available to teachers in their planningprocess. The principal encourages staff to use the data available to them tohelp in developing their lesson objectives; however, its use is uneven at best. Although there is evidence of some use of data, the school's ComprehensiveEducation Plan (CEP) does not contain any comprehensive action plan for

theutilization of data for identifying the effectiveness of current educationalprograms or for identifying school -wide priorities for improving studentachievement.

Attendance is a . absenteeism is in the winter

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- -ew York State Education DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010Under 1003 (g) ofthe Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

VI. ProfessionalDevelopment

and at other months because of the transient population of many families.The principal makes every effort to encourage students to come to schoolregularly incentives programs and by using the limited personnelavailable to .

eiopment in the use of appropriate benchmark data has beenPLO and at many grade level meetings; however,from interviews and observations that a substantialnot these into actual

VI.staff development plan has been implemented by theDespite the presence of the robust in-service offerings,advantage of these opportunities to enhance their

resources in supporting the efforts ofeffective teaching and learning. Theororessional development opportunities for

VII.district the school with support for numerous programs and. The principal and teachers expressed their appreciation for theof the district in providing significant resources to the school.

has implemented an infrastructure to support teaching and. facets of the school.

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'-"New York State Education DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010Under 1003 (g) ofthe Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965Describe how the Restart Model addresses the major findings of the needs assessment.

CONTEXT PS 37 Futures Academy, located in Buffalo's Fruit Belt neighborhood, has been designated a persistentlylowest-achieving school. Futures Academy serves 568 students in prekindergarten through grade 8. Thestudent enrollment is 84 percent Black, four percent Hispanic, nine percent White, and one percentMultiracial. Twenty-three percent are students with disabilities. 95.7 % receive a free and reduced lunch.

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Community Schools:

Educational inequity is one ofcountry. BCSD proposes to .present Futures Academy that will be. .pressing SOC!problem at this s. perfof

b1ems facing the city of Buffalo and ourby creating a community school at theand a model of innovation.

The Buffalo Municipaldevelop aInitiative,and thethe communi

ived a two year $500,000 grant from HUD tostrategy through the Choice Neighborhoodip with plans to develop effective partnershipsNeighborhood Initiative proposes to transformpipeline that will carry children from early childhood toeducational, health, economic and social services will provideorking in collaboration with BMHA, BCSD will use schoolCommunity Center within Futures Academy.

"Thereare Five Essential Principles of Community Schools1. have~trong academic curriculum.The school and community work togetherhave a strong and rigorous curriculum thatwill further student success. Theshould advance all strategic partnership planning.2. Commum are a set of coordinated and purposeful partnerships with the school districtthat integrate services for students, their families and the community with the common goal of.student success and . communities. schools, offer afterschoo1 .

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~New York State Education DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010

Under 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of1965

MODEL

or a series of unconnected programs. Their programs are too often unrelated, disconnected from anyacademic mission and necessary rigorous curriculum, and lack the support built through partnershipsthat engender sustainability. A full-service . school provides integrated programs andexperiences that enrich learning as well as needs of students and the community.

3. Community school partners maycommunity-based, regional orbased status, but should provide

of providers and funders. They may beand may have nonprofit, for-profit or faith-

4. Community schools providemay include: academicactivities; medicalservices like '-'VIUHC'-'HH

to students and the community. Theselearning and other enrichnientservices; mental health

5. and strategic plan agreed to in writing (e.g.,of understanding) between the partnerand the school. Oversight of the school site(s)governance and operation of community schools.and a process for creating community school models thatstakeholders (source: www.AFT.org).

Restart:To close the achievement gap for this population, BCSD proposes to supplement the regular courseworkby addressing factors beyond the control of teachers and schools, factors that nonetheless affect studentperformance, such as healthcare and social services. Therefore, part of the transformation of FuturesAcademy will include a community based model to.address these barriers. A variety of funding streamswould be drawn upon for these services. The school would be open all day and evening for tutoring,homework assistance and recreational activities, and medical, counseling and possibly child care serviceswould be available to meet the needs. Futures will create an . environment

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_ .New York State Education DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010Under 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

for parents and other adults by offering parents customized supports such as employment counseling,citizenship programs, and GED programs. Having these programs and social services in the school couldencourage parents to become more involved in their children's education, and help to stabilize families sothey can better support their children's learning.In order to provide students with themodel school contracted to be run bywill work with school UU..l11U.:>

.'...U1U"." Futures Academy will become a Restart~1"LLU11-Organization (EPO). The selected EPOimplementation of the Restart model,and providing direct or sub-contractedO's responsibilit ies will be spelled outinclude, but will not be limited to,the Restart meeting specified performance

middle to high school transitions, creating specificproviding data and.relevant information through-negotiable performance benchmarks such asand raising student ELA and mathematics testBCSD will also establish clear consequences forof Elementary Turnaround will effectivelycontracts. TheEPO will make regular reports to the Board

inthe EPO' s tenure.an external provider will be instrumental in the turnaround

chance to create anew culture;to make fundamental changes to process and structure in order to improve."''';L-111.''' ..... expertise to help the school evaluate data and make changes based on those

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~.New York State Ei:lucation DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010Under 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965__.-i

leverage its expertise in areas ofmanagement, instruction, and professional development; build internal capacity in order to develop long-term sustainability; provide incentivesto impact student and attendance and performance; streamlineprocedures because of the the decisionmaking structure; encourage family and community provide additional supports and to teachers and administrators.

to set clear, consistent, rigorous expectationsthe bar at one of BCSD's lowest performingto make dramatic; rapid change to the school culture by's program, and in exchange for this autonomy will be helddata.the teachers' union, BCSD has chosen the Restart model for

alternative. Please note that the Rule of Nine prohibits the District fromu,,~"''''v~~at all of its Cohort II PLA schools; likewise, the school has beenwould not be a viable option.Recommendations

JIT Recommendations:

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New York State''Ei~cation DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010

Under 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 The principal, with assistance from district office curriculum supervisors, must monitor lesson and curricularinitiatives more closely to ensure that teachers are making the transit ion from the witten to the taught curriculum in their

daily instructional practice. Principal feedback must and consistent to ensure fidelity to the written standards-based curriculum.

More in-service should be provided forother instructional practices such as

in the teaching of higher order thinking skills andinstruction.

The principal must monitor lesson plans andall teachers are using the scope and sequence

and provide corrective feedback closely to ensure thatcalendars.

forcefully outline expectations) must conduct more focusedadministrative staff must develop a plan for ensuringlevel meetings and conferencing with teachers who

opportunities provided for writingstudent friendly objectives. It has

administrat ion and District sit e visi ts. The principal and Assistant""nM"''''''- objectives are not wri tten and students have not received a clear,

of the lesson and how the lesson will be assessed. monitored by the principal, assistant principal and teachers to ensure that students

the walk-throughs from one class to another. They must also articulate their expectation forand monitor toensure compliance. Thepresence of the administration on the hallwaysin classrooms will reduce the loss of instructional time. '

principal must articulate their expectations for 7th and 8th grade teachers and student alike,immediately, must monitor both groups to ensure appropriate relationship are maintained among students andadults. There also need to be consequences for both groups if this si tuation persis ts , as failure to do so will only createmore same.

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' _ ~New York State Education DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010


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III. School LeadershipJI T Recommendations: School administration must' be proactive in

instructional t ime. Further, the UUl""' , ' .Jmaximum time is usedfor teaching end

schedule to determine if its configuration maximizesroutines for monitoring classroom instruction so that

GIM must include clear action teacher to implement in their classrooms.ementation to the next GLM

The district should common' time, perhaps throughfoundation grantsaimed at the effect of subject area coaches on the learningsuch collaborations. If this venue is considered, a wellinstructional practices must occur simultaneously. Staff

priorit ies must be thefocus of the vorkshops.

IV.

on the part of teachers must be undertaken, followed by a series ofthis issue. Teachers who fail to believe that all students can learn,

resources must be either retrained or redirected to other career choices.principal, hold teachers and students accountable for implementing the PBlS

accountabte for managing their classrooms and using these expectations, rather thanitaiorvrt rirvta before taking any responsibili ty/or the students inthe classroom. Parents must be

'Ca:UOZ.) on a regular basis, notjust in the August back-to-school letter.

V.. Collection, Analysis, and Utilization of DataJI T Recommendations:

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New York State Eaucation DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010


Teachers have been trained in the use of data for the purpose of planning for instruction; however there i s littl e evidenceof the use of data to plan or implement instructional Perhaps the approach would be better if teachers wereasked to focus on one or two bestpractices that use of data and then have those results published for thefaculty. Another strategy to consider is the creati turnkey trainer (teacher) who could assist the principal inworking with teachers on a continuous basis in use and evaluation of data. This could be accomplished bygiving that teacher a release period in lieu of to the principal an d teachers.

Provide a review by the districtef fective planning. Direct thedefinitive timeline for accomplishing

iistrntars regarding the use of data in relationship toeducational plans/act ivities for using data with a

with all staff.

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To the degree possible, request thatregularly and work withfor grant funding to

VI.

dividualizedplan for all s ta ff to follow relative to improving their abil ity toSpecial emphasis must begiven to staff responsible for teaching the

disciplines. There needs to be an ongoing discussion among teachersand its impact on instruction. The principal needs to be even more creative inmore skills that can be used topositively impact instruction.

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New York State Education DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010

.Under 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

Theprincipal and assistant principal mustbased on district support of theprograms and for monitoring teachers for skillfully delivering instruction

VII. District SupportJIT Recommendations:

The schoolprincipal and the assistantcurriculum, examine teacherpreparedopportunities. The principal shsupervisor.

more closely teachers' adherence to the prescribedis taking advantage ofprofessional developmentshare her evaluations with the staff and her

In the space below,above recommendation there is a need for more PD for theand recognizing best practices. Time management

admini staff in the daily management of the school andshould also be addressed .. in using data from both formative and summativeof those staff members who are responsible for teaching

subgroups. This in-service should be focused on such factors aspractices of teachers, examining assessments for patterns and sharingresearch proven strategies for quality instruction to identified

schedule does not allow for optimum use of instructional time. Forty-fiveminutes a could be gained by reconfiguring the .schedule by eliminating homeroom andreducing the preparation time for dismissal and transition time between the breakfast period andthe first class eriod. .

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- r : "~.New York State Education DepartmentLEA School Improvement Grant Application, FY 2010Under 1003 (g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

Substantial reviews of the curriculumadministrative staff and Districtthe intended effect on studentsubgroups and that it is modified

should be periodically conducted by the schoolassessment personnel to ensure that it is havingespecially for those students in the identified

Embedded coaching oflessons that involve thereceiving coachingsubgroups.

in enabling them to present interestingintervention services should also beto foster success for the" identified

Providing morestudents gain the

and absenteeism would ensure that

that are responsible for teaching mathematics,of their classes is warranted. Results of thiswith teachers who have strong academic skills.

APPENDIX B: RESTART MODEL

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Futures Academy Turnaround Plan

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