The NECSD BOE Workshop meeting on Tuesday December 13 was preceded by a "Public Hearing on the Contract for Excellence Program". The hearing just consisted of a reading of what was printed in one of the PDF documents linked to in an earlier post.

At the workshop meeting Linda Bakst from NYSSBA gave a presentation about the Dignity for All Students Act; there were the usual construction updates and presentation of items to be voted upon at the December 20 BOE meeting. The Assistant Superintendant of HR mentioned that updated job descriptions for some Director positions and a job description for the Executive Principal position are expected to be on the agenda for Dec 20.

Click through for more details.

Before the Board Workshop meeting this evening at 7PM there will be a Public Hearing on the Contract for Excellence. The Contract for Excellence is a NYSED funding program, through which NECSD receives about $10 million. The agenda of the meeting lists three items: presentation of the 2011-2012 contract for excellence, public discussion and comment, and adjourn the public hearing.

There are two documents on the district website which provide a little information about the program. They are both linked near the top of this Codes, Policies, & Plans page. The Narratives document says in part:

As a result of closing some schools our strategy of class size reduction has been impacted. Other areas that were impacted were
extended school year programs for K-2, the elimination of math and literacy coaches, the elimination of young parents program
and leadership coaches.

The spreadsheet document lists allocations of funds for individual schools by categories such as "Time on Task", "Class Size Reduction", "HS or MS Restructuring", etc.

This is the second page of the "Needs and Strategies" document submitted by the Newburgh School District (available here).

Contract for Excellence Needs and Strategies 11/8/2007
(snapshot: 11/06/2007)
NEWBURGH CITY SD SUPERINTENDENT ANNETTE SATURNELLI
Overall strategy
In order to improve the achievement of all students in ELA across the district, we have several initiatives, approved in our May
15 Budget vote, that fall into the categories for funding by the Contract for Excellence. Through two successfully passed bond
referendums, we were able to begin implementation of a master plan that included renovations of district buildings and new
additions of two elementary schools that have been in good standing in the NYS Accountability system. This master plan also
includes grade-level reconfiguration that will be completed over a period of years, also part of the Contract for Excellence in
years 2-4.
-Two additions¿Balmville and New Windsor Elementary schools, 14 new classrooms with students transferring from all of the
other elementary schools, thereby reducing class size across the district over three years to 20 students per class. New
teachers are being hired for one new class at each grade level (K-6) as well as for special subject areas, such as art, music,
PE.
-New research-based core reading series for all K-6 students (7,000); district-required 90-minute literacy block for all K-6
classrooms, including all SWD as we move towards a more inclusive environment.
-New texts for new secondary courses in Mathematics, Social Studies; focus on reading/literacy in the content areas;
instructional support for new math course to meet new NYS standards.
-New teachers at secondary level including 3 reading/literacy teachers/coaches for AIS at the high school; additional teachers
to extend the school day by one period; expand AIS at the junior highs to provide explicit literacy instruction and infuse literacy
instruction across content areas.
-New Extended School Year program for literacy (K-6), course recovery and literacy (grades 7,8), course recovery (9-12) and
courses in advance (9-12). This extra summer term will allow students to take courses in advance to meet cohort graduation
requirements in four years.
-Extended School Day programs will offer instruction beyond the school day for all students in need of support to meet NYS
Learning Standards.
-Revise and develop existing and new curriculum maps in all subject areas K-12 to provide expanded rigorous curriculum and
instructional practices to facilitate attainment of the NYS Learning Standards. This will ensure appropriate instruction for all
students, especially for ELL and SWD.
-Revise and develop benchmark assessments that will provide frequent progress monitoring to inform instruction at all grade
levels in four core content areas.
-Two leadership coaches will assist principals and assistant principals to become more effective instructional leaders and
improve instruction for all students, especially our underperforming groups in each school.
-2 additional instructional coaches (literacy) for teachers.
-Create/expand partnerships with local labor unions to implement a new construction career academy; and with local hospitals
and nursing homes to expand certified nursing assistant program to create/expand career pathways that will provide
opportunities for students to participate in career and technical education programs that will allow students to complete
requirements for graduation.
-Social workers will provide support services for at-risk students and their families to improve attendance rates that will improve
student performance and increase graduation rate.
-Additional funding for our Young Parents Program will provide quality and affordable day care for their at-risk babies. This
allows the students the opportunity to attend school and complete graduation requirements.
-Retain smaller supportive alternative learning environments and transitional programs to provide challenging academic content
and learning opportunities for our most at risk students. In addition to academic support these environments will provide
restorative counseling and links to community agencies for students and families.
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Which of these items will really improve student achievement?

Suppose student achievement does improve. How will we know how much difference any of these items made?

Is there an overall strategy?

There is an article in the November 20 Times Herald-Record, Initiative program helps needy schools, which discusses new New York State funding that will be awarded to selected school districts for the 2007-2008 school year. Newburgh schools will be receiving about $8 million under the plan. Not much detail is provided about the Newburch School District plan in the Record.

More detail can be found in the documents submitted by the Newburgh Enlarged City School District which are available through this New York State Education Department web site. Here is a direct link to the Newburgh Schools documents.

In the "Needs and Strategies" document submitted by the district, Newburgh schools administrators made the unfortunate decision to describe "Student achievement need" using a laundry list compilation of the NCLB deficiencies of schools in the district. All other school districts receiving C4E funding at least attempted to use sentences to describe Student achievement need. Subjects, verbs, stuff like that.

Contract for Excellence Needs and Strategies 11/8/2007
(snapshot: 11/06/2007)
NEWBURGH CITY SD SUPERINTENDENT ANNETTE SATURNELLI
Student achievement need
NECSD ?Status for 2006-2007
I. DINI 3 for Elementary/Middle Level and Secondary ELA
A. Elementary/Middle
SWD, LEP
B. Secondary
All, B, H, SWD, ED

II. Elementary/Middle Level
A. Temple Hill Academy?SINI 2 for ELA for SWD
B. Meadow Hill Schools??--SINI 2 for ELA for SWD

C. Heritage Junior High
a. Restructuring Year 1 for Math for SWD
b. Planning for Restructuring in ELA for B, H, SWD, ED

D. South Junior High
a. Restructuring Year 1 for ELA for LEP, and Participation for SWD
b. Planning for Restructuring in Math for SWD

E. North Junior High
a. Planning for Restructuring for ELA for B, SWD
b. Corrective Action for Math for B, SWD

III. Secondary-Level
A. Newburgh Free Academy?
a. Corrective Action for Secondary ELA for All, SWD, B, H, ED
b. SINI 2 in Math for SWD
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