Greenburgh 7 Elementary School Reconfiguration

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Greenburgh 7Elementary School Reconfiguration
Presentation to the Board of Education January
13, 2004
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Taskforce Presentation Agenda

• Review of the Elementary Task Forces Charge
• Executive Summary of Self Assessment Findings
• Response to Board feedback
• Final review of each proposed option
• Strengths,
• Challenges,
• Clarifications Enhancements
• Model options
• Your questions

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Elementary Task Force Charge

• The elementary task force will research and
  recommend configuration and model options that
  meet grant criteria
• Recommendations for reconfiguration must include
  equal school choice or increased opportunities as
  presented in the grant
• Models must be research-based
• - as stated June 2003

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The Self Study Team

• 4 Members from the Bailey staff
• 2 Members from the LFJ staff
• 2 Members from the Highview staff
• 2 Parent Members

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The Rubric

• 1 - Not in evidence
• 2 - Sometimes in evidence
• 3 - Consistently in evidence
• 4 - Always in evidence

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Math curriculum is consistent throughout the
schools?
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Literacy curriculum is consistent throughout the
schools?
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Vocabulary of instruction is consistent in all
areas?
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There is enough support staff - (TAs, speech
therapists, psychologists, etc.) to support
teachers, students and curriculum?
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Staff Self Study Rubric

• 1- Not at all
• 2- Somewhat
• 3- Consistently
• 4- Always

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Does the Math program meet the needs of our
students?
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Does Balanced Literacy meet the needs of our
students?
Note program was rated highest in school where
staff received full Aussie training
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Instructional time is sufficient to enhance and
promote quality learning for each child.
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Evaluation procedures provide for maximum
instructional time.
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Do students with special needs - (including
behavioral issues) receive prompt attention and
intervention services required?
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Are there sufficient support services - (Speech
Therapists, Psychologists, Social Workers, ELL
teachers) to meet the needs of our students?
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Does the district administration promote open
dialogue between all constituencies?
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Does the district administration listen to the
concerns of teachers/building administrators?
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Is there sufficient articulation between schools?
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If there is not sufficient articulation, will
reconfiguration help?
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Do you feel that as a professional you have had
adequate input in the planning and implementing
of change?
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Self Study Findings

• Lack of communication between central
  administration and direct instructional staff
• Lack of articulation between buildings
• Lack of consistent staff development and
  programmatic follow-through
• (i.e., not giving programs time for adequate
  implementation and evaluation)
• Lack of sufficient support staff to maximize each
  childs learning style
• TAs, Resource room / Consultant Teachers, Reading
  Teachers, Teachers for English language learners,
  Social workers, Psychologists
• Testing is significantly reducing instructional
  time

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Response to Board Feedback

• We recognize the Boards desire to consider a
  fourth option a more radical reconfiguration
  supported by a bond referendum
• The task force considered such a recommendation
  beyond its charge
• The task force agrees that the issue of flight
  from the district must be addressed
• We recommend that an expert be hired to do
  formal, objective research to determine the root
  cause of flight from Greenburgh 7
• Also, we recommend an ongoing self-assessment of
  all stakeholders

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Strengths

• Choice will be provided through the model chosen
  and the two themes at each school
• Other districts are successful with this
  configuration
• Least cost option no money needed for physical
  changes
• More money available for staff development
• Maintains Boards policy on diversity
• All children of the same age are receiving the
  same or similar instruction that meets
  developmental needs
• Eliminates school boundaries, which helps to end
  perceived social discrimination between
  populations
• Allows greatest continuity of communication
  across the same grade levels
• Maintains current level of staff expertise
• Most flexibility for special education
  programming
• Maximizes specialty area resources
• No competition among schools

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Challenges

• Greater number of transitions from school to
  school
• Transitions at key testing levels
• Most risk of losing grant allocation
• Does not address middle school
• Co-dependent on other schools
• Minimum vertical articulation among buildings
• Perceived to be the status quo option

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Clarifications / Enhancements

• Maintains current level of safety
• Allows teacher expertise in particular grade
  levels to be developed in-depth and applied
  uniformly
• More money available for staff development to
  improve the delivery of instructional programming
  through more reading specialists, consistent
  staff articulation, continued development of
  programs for students with special needs, and
  more support services
• Mandated district-level facilitator will ensure
  vertical and horizontal articulation

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Strengths

• Maximizes vertical and horizontal communication
  among educators
• Greater sense of community by offering a common
  starting point (K 1)
• Opportunity for K 1 families to explore
  choice and learn about models and themes in 2
  6 buildings
• Moving into a smaller 2 6 community allows for
  stronger relationships among children, families
  and school staff
• No transitions for testing years
• Flexibility to maintain high quality of current
  programming including extra-curricular activities
• Offers developmental support and flexibility
  looping, dual themed curriculums, strong family
  affiliation
• This is the moderate cost option
• Fulfills grant requirements by offering both
  curriculum and physical choice

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Challenges

• Implementation must
• ensure that emergent readers transition
  successfully to the second grade
• maintain parity of student performance, teaching
  experts and overall desirability of both 2 6
  buildings
• appropriately allocate and distribute specialty
  area resources, (i.e., library, computers, etc.)
  and programming
• outdoor play area requires expansion for older
  children at Highview
• allocate time for articulation among all schools
• Transition occurs after grade 6 with one year in
  middle school to prepare for grade 8 State test
• Moderate risk of losing grant allocation
• Requires the lottery

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Clarifications / Enhancements

• Choice can be provided to K 1 by making it a
  school within a school or by alternating
  models/themes by year or semester
• This option ensures that K 1 families and staff
  will work together to maximize each students
  potential through choice
• We can expand this option to include a grade 1
  transitional class
• Implementation should be easier with two common
  grade schools versus three

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Strengths
Option 3 Three K- 5 6 - 8

• Instructional continuity
• No transitions
• Students in one building during testing years
• Continuity within schools for families and
  children
• Ownership of buildinga sense of community
• Greater ability to increase the monitoring of
  student progress
• Continuity in related services (speech,
  psychologist)
• Increase communication among staff on different
  grade levels within each building
• Addresses middle school
• Greater choice, fulfills NCLB requirement
• 6 8 configuration addresses social and
  emotional needs of middle school child and
  provides a uniform middle school curriculum
• Least risk of losing grant funding

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Challenges
Option 3 Three K- 5 6 - 8

• Communication among K 5 buildings
• Self-contained special education classes have
  limited choice
• Realistic time-frame for implementing September
  04
• Uniform curriculum and academic balance among
  buildings
• Providing middle school instruction using staff
  assigned specifically to the middle school
• Establishing a true independent middle school
  where 6 8 does not mix with high school
• Getting all stakeholders to accept and buy-in to
  change
• Requires the lottery
• Highest cost option staffing and resources

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Clarifications / Enhancements
Option 3 Three K- 5 6 - 8

• Implementation must provide
• Parent information sessions regarding curriculum
  and instruction
• Uniform professional development to ensure
  continuity of instruction so the needs of all
  children are met
• Autonomous middle school principal

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Model Options

• Once the Board selects a reconfiguration option,
  schools will need to select models and themes

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Your Questions

• Presentation Summary
• Elementary Task Forces Charge
• Self Assessment Findings
• Response to Board feedback
• Review of Options
• Strengths,
• Challenges,
• Clarifications Enhancements
• Model options

Option 3 Three K- 5 6 - 8
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Thank You