Buffalo City School District

1
Buffalo City School District
District Share Presentation
March 31, 2008
2
How is Buffalo addressing the academic and/or
social emotional needs of the middle level
learner?
3
With structural changes

• New school configurations Grades 6-12 and
  Grades 5-12
• Smaller new schools populations no larger than
  600

4
Math Science and Technology Preparatory School_at_
Seneca, in partnership with the College Board,
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the
Dell Foundation

• 320 Students in grades 6, 7 , 9 and 10 are
  enrolled. In 2008-2009 it is planned to expand
  to grades 8 and 11, and become a full grade 6
  12 school in 2009-2010.

5
International Preparatory School at Grover_at_
Grover Cleveland High School in partnership with
the College Board, the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, and the Dell Foundation

• 160 Students in grades 6 and 9 are enrolled. In
  2008-2009 it is planned to expand to grades 7 and
  10, in 2009-2010 grades 8 and 11 will be added,
  and become a full grade 6 12 school in
  2010-2011.

6
Olmsted High School _at_ Kensington

• Planning is underway to expand the successful
  Frederick Law Olmsted program through grade 12.
  Grade 9 will be added in 2008-2009, grade 10 in
  2009-2010, grade 11 in 2010-2011, and grade 12 in
  2011-2012
• The school will have one campus for grades 5 -12

7
Support for successful existing smaller schools

• City Honors High School Grades 5-12
• Buffalo Academy of the Visual and Performing Arts
  Grades 5-12

8
With additional instructional time
9

• Extended Learning Opportunity for Grades PK - 6
• Four week summer program, to front load upcoming
  years literacy and math content for students
• The program will be available at all Buffalo
  schools with grades PK through 6 in Summer 2008

10

• Extended Learning Opportunity for Grades 7 and 8
• Four week summer program for support in English
  Language arts and mathematics skills
• For students in grades 7 and 8 not successful
  during the school year in ELA and mathematics

11

• Extended Learning Opportunity for Students at
  Superintendent's School Improvement District
  Schools
• Four week full day summer program for support in
  English Language arts and mathematics skills
• For all students in grades K- 8

12

• Extended time during the school day
• 20 district schools are implementing the New York
  State approved Model B plan with students
  receiving double periods of English language arts
  instruction daily, and an extra period of math
  instruction every other day.

13

• Extended time during the school day for students
  at Superintendent's School Improvement District
  Schools
• The school day at these 16 schools has been
  extended by one hour each day through Buffalos
  Contract For Excellence plan

14
With new courses in schools
15
Expanded Access to Advanced Placement Courses

• 45 AP Courses are being offered in 12 district
  high schools.
• School are developing accelerated pathways in
  grades 7 and 8 to ensure that these courses are a
  viable option for all students

16
(No Transcript)
17
Student Advisories

• New school programs include advisory periods
  to address both academic and social emotional
  needs. They serve to provide an expectation of
  college attendance and success
• Existing school programs are working to include
  the same opportunity

18

• High School Interventions Support for students
  already behind in high school
• Extended time during the school day students in
  Grade 9 in need of intensive intervention are
  receiving double periods of ELA instruction daily
• An additional period of mathematics is available
  for grade 9 students who scored below benchmark
  on the NYS mathematics assessments

19
With increased support
20
Student Support Teams

• The district is moving toward providing each
  school with a student support team. There will
  be on site a psychologist, a social worker, a CSE
  chair, and an educational tester
• Professional development for effective
  intervention team functions is being offered

21
Teacher Support Staff

• Reading coaches at each school
• Math coaches at 16 schools
• District Support Team District support teachers
  in all content areas, particularly focused on
  literacy and mathematics

22
School Support Staff

• Additional teacher aides have been added to each
  Superintendent's School Improvement District
  School, under the Contract For Excellence plan
• Professional development has been provided to
  these paraprofessionals to enable them to support
  the district literacy programs

23
What is it you do for middle level learners that
you are most proud of?
24

• We have a comprehensive plan to address the
  needs of all our learners
• To strengthen the academic skills of our students
  prior to middle level through our District
  Student Achievement Plan
• To address academic weaknesses that remain in the
  middle years through extended time and targeted
  interventions
• To move towards structures that will allow these
  students to be seen as at the beginning of a
  college success path, not in the middle of
  anything

25
What are you doing to measure effectiveness?
26

• Academic measures
• State Assessment results
• Local assessments
• Grades 5-8 Accuity ELA and Math tests on-line,
  standards based (new measure in 07-08)
• Grades 9 and 10 TOSCRF Test of Silent
  Contextual Reading Fluency (new measure in 07-08)
• Other measures
• Attendance
• High school choice
• Graduation rates
• College attendance

27
And more to come