Appendix B:

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Buffalo City School District

APPENDIX B: RESTART MODEL LEA Implementation Plan for the Restart Model

Directions: Please complete the following form for each persistently lowest-achieving Tier I or Tier II school within the LEA that will implement a Restart Model. When completing this plan, please refer to the Model Implementation Plan Rubric to ensure quality responses. NCES#: 3605850 NCES#: 05601 Number of students: 515

LEA: Buffalo City School District

School: East High School #307 Grades Served: 9 - 12

In the chart below, describe the needs assessment process used, and the conclusions drawn for the school listed above. Include data gathered during any Joint Intervention Team or School Under Registration Review visit, with any additional information from local assessment tools.

Needs Assessment Process JIT Review Report (March 2011)

ANALYSIS OF CURRENT, LOCAL DATA (as listed in the adjacent column)

List Data Analyzed Special Education Referrals Teachers years of experience, certification, and assignments Discipline Local Benchmark Assessments 5 week progress reports and 10 week report cards NYS SCHOOL REPORT CARD (2009-10)

Major Findings

Curriculum The school lacks a comprehensive Literacy Program for grades 9-12. The Language Exclamation Program only serves 9th graders; leaving struggling readers in the 10-12 grades without additional support. Additionally, freshmen do not take English 1 and continue to fall further behind as they never receive instruction in the first year curriculum, including writing. The use and development of lesson plans/learning goals and essential questions are inconsistent and are not aligned with the districts

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curriculum and New York State Standards. The Bioinformatics and Forensic Programs need to be updated as evidenced by declining student enrollments and by the elimination of core courses in the program.

Teaching & Learning Twenty-three percent (23%) of the schools population is students with disabilities, which makes effective implementation of the co-teaching model essential. Unfortunately, the model and the provided professional development are not being implemented as was originally designed. As evidenced by numerous observations and discussions with teacher groups, there is little co-planning or co-teaching being provided. Instructional staff is not consistently using research-based instructional practices such as group work, scaffolding, differentiation, etc. Students have limited engagement in meaningful classroom activities that promote learning. The school lacks a uniform school-wide grading policy. Teachers create their own individual grading policy. There is little use of rubrics to improve academic performance.

School Leadership The school leadership has not clearly articulated high expectations for student achievement to all stakeholders. The schools master schedule does not effectively utilize staff as evidenced by the inherent problems in scheduling the co-teaching model, the inability to provide English 1 to all students, and the elimination of chemistry and physics due to the misuse of human resources, etc. The new assistant principal is not implementing teacher evaluations thereby putting the entire responsibility of observing and providing feedback to teachers with the goal of improving teaching and learning on the Principal and veteran Assistant Principal.

Infrastructure for School Success Ninth and tenth graders have little interaction with guidance counselors as evidenced by discussions with counselors and students. The school acquired a part-time attendance teacher in October leaving the school without adequate support for students. Although the school recognizes the importance of involving parents in the education of their children, parent involvement is limited. The school has been assigned a Student Support Team which includes a psychologist, a social worker and a coordinator.

Collection, Analysis, and Utilization of Data In general, the administration and teachers comply with district mandates regarding formative and summative assessments, but many teachers do not use the data to prepare their lessons as evidenced by the lack of differentiated instruction, particularly as it applies to subgroups.

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Describe how the Restart Model addresses the major findings of the needs assessment.

For the past 16 years, Talent Development Secondary (TDS) has helped schools across the nation reorganize in ways that promote strong relationships for students and adults; implement innovative, evidencebased curricula and instructional strategies; and build professional communities that support distributed leadership, shared decision making, and increased capacity for continual improvement. Schools that implement the TDS organizational and instructional reforms see increases in student attendance, reductions in suspensions and other data related to student discipline and school climate, improved course passing and graduation rates, and increased scores on student achievement tests. TDS helps schools obtain such outcomes by offering researchbased strategies, developed at Johns Hopkins University, that are paired with intense technical assistance provided by master educators who serve as TDS organizational and instructional facilitators.

The goal of the Talent Development model is to create a school that meets all students where they are and takes them where they need to be to graduate from high school ready to succeed in college, career and civic life. The mission of a Talent Development secondary school is to encourage and develop the individual talents of all students by nurturing their academic development in small classes with high expectations, providing extra instructional, social, and emotional support where needed, and developing strong interpersonal relationships among students, faculty and staff. Talent Development creates schools that provide respectful, caring, and motivating learning communities and challenge all students and adults to develop their unique gifts and talents, realizing their highest academic and human potential. Talent Development Secondary helps schools redesign instructional programs around the use of small learning communities and interdisciplinary teacher teams. These smaller organizational units enable teachers to build strong relationships with students and decrease student anonymity within the school.

TDS provides a framework for teaming that builds the staffs capacity to engage in distributed leadership and collective decisionmaking. While principals lead the instructional program and school logistics in a TDS school, they rely on thoughtful input from a school leadership team that includes a school transformation facilitator, academy leaders, team leaders, and partner organization representatives. Interdisciplinary teacher teams make most of the daily decisions on instruction, climate, and logistics.

TDS assists schools in developing Early Warning Indicator (EWI) systems that allow school stakeholders to collect, analyze, and disseminate student outcome data on an ongoing basis. Teacher teams receive significant professional development as well as ongoing support from an onsite TDS facilitator to use this EWI data to ensure that the right students receive the right academic and socialemotional interventions at the right time. TDS also works with schools to create schedules that extend learning time in core academic areas while still allowing students to explore electives and enrichment activities.

In addition to these organizational reforms, Talent Development Secondary provides significant curricular and instructional support designed to close the achievement gap and accelerate learning for struggling students. TDS has designed curricula for math and language arts in grades 612, as well as science and social studies supports for the middle grades. The TDS curriculum is focused, challenging, and standardsbased, using cooperative learning that maximizes student interest and learning potential. All students take college preparatory classes that will be aligned to the

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Common Core Standards, and those above grade level take accelerated courses in math, science, and foreign languages. Students in each Career Academy enroll in careerfocused electives. Specific career emphases will be selected based on student, parent, community, and staff interests. Schools pair these curricular reforms with high impact instructional strategies in all courses. Talent Development Secondary instructional coaches provide extensive professional development to ensure that teachers provide differentiated instruction employing teacher modeling, cooperative learning groups, handson learning activities, and scaffolded instruction that maximizes the impact of every class period.

The flexibility and individual attention provided by the Talent Development Secondary (TDS) model are particularly well suited to meeting the needs of students with special needs, including students who are significantly below grade level in math and literacy, English Language Learners, Special Education students, the mentally gifted, and those with particular behavioral or emotional needs. The nurturing environment fostered by smaller learning communities is enhanced by a welldeveloped school climate program that builds school identity and enthusiasm for learning by celebrating and encouraging positive behaviors and attitudes while supporting students whose attendance, behavior, or achievement indicates a need for improvement.

Talent Development Secondary schools participate in the National Network of Partnership Schools and use a variety of strategies to build relationships with families and community partners from the outset of the planning and implementation of the restart model. In addition, we will work with the National Academy Foundation (NAF) to ensure industrybased and tested content in a walltowall high school career academy approach in grades 1012, following the TDS Freshman Academy. We will assess existing career academies and enhance or replace them with evidencebased NAF practices and strategies. Finally, we will partner with College Summit to ensure that there is a robust college going culture: a clear set of milestones supported by curricular enhancements and the training and support of peer leaders to advocate and spread that culture.

Student Achievement in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics

Talent Development will aim to increase student achievement in literacy and mathematics at East High School to 50 percent proficient or advanced in year one, to 66 percent proficient or advanced in year two, and to 75 percent proficient or advanced in year three. Talent Development provides teachers with a researchbased, structured curriculum for reading and math courses for students who need additional support in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Students enrolled in these doubledose courses fill conceptual and skills gaps and engage in guided and independent practice to build core academic skills before taking required core courses. Schools pair these curricular reforms with highimpact instructional strategies in all courses. All students take college preparatory courses aligned to Common Core standards, and those above grade level take advanced courses in math, science, and foreign languages. Students in each career academy (grades 1012) enroll in careerfocused electives, with specific career emphases based on student, parent, community, and staff interests.

The Talent Development Secondary model uses specialized, researchbased curriculum and extended class periods. This approach has numerous benefits for students and teachers, including additional instructional time in math and/or English language arts, which allows struggling students to

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catch up to their peers. Academic acceleration in Talent Development Secondary classrooms occurs in large part due to the innovative instructional practices teachers can implement in the longer class periods (90 minute blocks). Teachers have time to model skills for students, engage students through cooperative learning activities, offer authentic assessments through projectbased learning, and create individual learning centers that allow students to focus on the specific skills and content they need to succeed in a course.

Before the school year begins, students are evaluated based on state, district, or alternative assessments to determine the level of individual support needed in math and literacy. Students testing two or more years below grade level enroll in doubledose courses in math and/or literacy during the first semester. These students will take appropriate assessments again at the midpoint and end of the school year. Those who demonstrate a skills gap of two years in math and/or reading at the end of 9th and 10th grades will be enrolled in doubledose courses during the 10th and 11th grades, respectively, and will be tested again at the midpoint and end of those years.

Increasing Graduation Rates and Serving AtRisk Students

Graduation Rate Projections: Talent Development will aim to increase the graduation rate at East High School 54% in year one, to 65% in year 2, 70% in year three, 77% in year four, and 87% in the fifth and final year.

In lowperforming schools in highpoverty neighborhoods, equipping all students for success in school and preparing them for college, careers, and civic life calls for tiers of interventions, beginning with school-wide instructional, curricular, and climate improvements. Through the Early Warning Indicator system, Talent Development Secondary teams identify students who are straying from the graduation path because of poor attendance, inappropriate behavior, and inadequate course performance. Then targeted interventions are put in place to stem or reverse such tendencies.

The Talent Development Secondary model has been statistically shown to substantially close the achievement gaps and increase graduation rates. Program implementation increases attendance, course passing, credit earning, and promotion rates and decreases suspension rates, all of which are strongly correlated with graduations rates. The positive impacts of the model have been replicated across different studies, grade levels, cohorts, and schools.

Talent Development Secondary works in schools with high percentages of students who are eligible for free and reducedprice lunches, and with students who are overage for their grade and many who repeat ninth grade or an equivalent. The small learning communities, transition courses and additional adults in the school also offer students greater opportunities for forming personal relationships that will keep them engaged in school and more likely to attend regularly and work toward success.

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Transition to High School

In Talent Development High Schools, the Ninth Grade Success Academy supports students in their transition to high school while providing the academic and social foundation they need to succeed. Students receive 90 minutes a day of instruction in math and language arts, with researchbased double dose courses specially designed to accelerate student learning for those below grade level. All ninth graders enroll in Freshman Seminar, which emphasizes the study skills, social skills, and longrange planning necessary to succeed in and beyond high school. They also investigate and select a Career Academy for grades 1012. These provide similar academic supports, with teacher teams in each academy sharing common planning time and providing ongoing doubledose opportunities for students who are still significantly below grade level in math and/or literacy.

High Quality Assessments

Talent Development Secondary measures academic progress using multiple measures. The school will monitor academic and achievement goals using course passing, promotion rates, and School Department of Buffalo Student Achievement Resources. In addition, all incoming students will take the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test (GMRT) and the mathematics section of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). Teachers will use these tests, along with middle school records, to determine which students are performing below grade level. These students will enroll in doubledose reading and/or math courses, and take followup GMRT and CTBS assessments at the midpoint and end of ninth grade to determine increases in academic skills during ninth grade, as well as to identify students still performing below grade level. Talent Development Secondary will also use the assessment process outlined above to identify students performing below grade level in 10th and 11th grade. The school will use additional assessments, including City of Buffalo Student Achievement Resources, to monitor students performing below grade level and to adjust the instructional program as necessary.

To ensure that teacher teams implement interventions in a timely manner, they will review student level attendance data weekly and use interim progress reports every five weeks to identify students struggling with attendance or academic issues. Regular disciplinary action reports will also allow teacher teams to design behavior interventions for students who frequently disrupt instruction. Talent Development employs a variety of methods to maintain a balanced assessment system that facilitates coherent use of student data. This systematic approach to data collection and analysis offers a comprehensive scheme for individual student assessment to occur over time under many conditions.

The overall assessment system aims to: play a meaningful role in the delivery of education; clarify expectations and measure progress toward them; support schools and school districts with accountability for student outcomes; aid systematic improvement relating to professional development, resource allocation, and program effectiveness;

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 evaluate and assist college and career readiness; strengthen team collaboration and curriculum; and inform classroom instruction on a daily basis.

Considering the needs of various stakeholders (policymakers, district and school administrators, teachers, parents and students), the TDS assessment system uses an array of formative and summative assessments (e.g., New York state testing such as quarterly benchmarks and the Regents Exams, city mandated Student Achievement Resources, standardized tests such as CTBS and GMRT, ACT Quality Core Unit tests, classroom assignments and projects, interim assessments, internships and service projects) to measure student mastery of standards and progress toward instructional goals. Assessment goals and progress will align to the schools indicated areas of improvement.

Increase Implementation of Local Instructional Improvement Systems

Talent Development Secondary will begin by assessing the local instructional improvement systems. The teaming structures (disciplinespecific and interdisciplinary) inherent in the design of the TDS model afford opportunities for teachers, instructional coaches, and instructional facilitators to skillfully plan (and modify as necessary) instructional activities and schoolwide initiatives based on assessment data. In addition, the Early Warning Indicator team meetings offer an opportunity for adults to share observations and anecdotes relating to students learning characteristics and individual instructional needs. Once Talent Development Secondary has an accurate picture of the improvements systems that exist and a gauge of their effectiveness, the model will begin to build on them, employing its annual cycle of professional development to influence teaching strategies to shape instruction that will engage students and increase opportunities for all, whatever their learning styles. Curriculum and assessment related topics are included in faculty and/or team sessions facilitated by TDS instructional coaches and facilitators. These include:

essential knowledge and skills, gathering data and using it thoughtfully, examining student work, identifying and reaching consensus on evaluation criteria, creating rubrics and other scoring tools for classroom use, and college and career readiness standards.

Results of assessment data will be communicated to students and parents regularly through: ongoing reports reviewed with students and sent home to parents; regular team meetings dedicated to conferring with students and/or parents, and quarterly Report Card Conferences during which students meet oneonone with an objective adult to review their performance and set goals.

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Through the onsite school transformation facilitator and instructional coaches, Talent Development Secondary will monitor the improvement systems and ensure that they are used regularly and appropriately to keep instruction strong, dynamic and engaging, and students on the graduation path. Where additional training is required, as in the use of an existing data collection system, TDS staff will facilitate that training so that all teacher teams, administrators, and other school staff are using the tools available.

Solving StartUp Challenges

Talent Development Secondary brings considerable leadership and management structures and strategies to its schools which help to restart the school smoothly and handle challenges effectively. Distributed leadership, the team structure, preservice professional development in organizational, curricular and instructional innovations, and of course, planning are among Talent Development Secondarys assets.

Each Talent Development Secondary school will adopt a school leadership team model based on the principles of distributed leadership and shared accountability. Each schools instructional leadership team consists of the principal, assistant principals, a school transformation facilitator, academy leaders, team leaders, and representatives from partner organizations. While the school leadership team makes strategic and tactical decisions that affect the whole school, most of the daily decisions for instruction, climate, and logistics are made by the interdisciplinary teacher teams working in each of the high school academies. A Talent Development Secondary field manager provides oversight and coordination of services for the TDS schools in Buffalo and ensures communication with district leadership.

Talent Development Secondary provides significant coaching and technical assistance to develop the most effective staffing models and master schedules. This coaching and technical assistance begins with a review of data related to staffing and scheduling, including a thorough review of anticipated student enrollment, course of study and educational program, current staffing and budgeting parameters, and contractual obligations. After this analysis, the Talent Development Secondary team works with the principal and other school leaders to develop a master schedule and staffing plan to implement the educational program while meeting all fiscal, contractual, and legal obligations.

Before school opens, administrators and staff members participate in intensive professional development to prepare for the new school year and create a framework for school culture, teaching, and learning. This includes teacher training on school climate and the Talent Development curricula implemented at all Talent Development Secondary schools, and the opportunity to engage in collaborative planning around an Opening Strong plan.

Establishing and Annually Updating Assessment Targets

Talent Development will support school administrators and staff in setting assessment targets in consideration of current school data in such areas as attendance, suspension rates, course passing, standardized test scores, graduation rates and college enrollment. Talent Development will use a

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variety of metrics to help school and district leaders determine if the school is meeting short, midrange, and longterm goals that align with the models mission and education plan. A quarterly implementation review and endofyear climate and instruction analysis is included in the TDS implementation model. During the endofyear review, the TDS school transformation facilitator will assist school leadership in assessing progress toward target goals and, where necessary, updating targets for the following year. Shortterm metrics will be available for analysis during the first year of implementation and include average daily attendance, percent of students ontrack for promotion and graduation, and reductions in negative behavior incidents. Midrange indicators will be available for analysis during the second year of implementation, and include improvements on achievement test scores, changes in coursetaking patterns, and exposure to career exploration activities. Longterm indicators will be available after the fourth year (if applicable) and include graduation rates and percentage of graduates enrolled in postsecondary education and/or career pathways.

Key Curricular and Instructional Strategies and Practices to Drive Student Achievement

Talent Development Secondary schools implement highimpact, researchbased strategies that provide appropriate support for all students, close existing skills gaps, and provide all students with a strong academic foundation. Talent Development high schools implement the school districts core curricula, and when necessary and approved by the district, supplement with the ACT Quality Core Curricula. However, high schools also provide doubledose courses in literacy and math for students significantly below grade level, and offer intensive, extrahelp literacy and math labs to help all students acquire the skills necessary to succeed in higherlevel courses. All curricular offerings align with the Common Core Standards.

The Talent Development programs course of study uses strategies that engage students with diverse backgrounds, learning styles, and interests. Reading selections in language arts and social studies curricula feature authors, themes, and historic figures and movements reflecting a variety of backgrounds. In reading these texts, students build their awareness of their ethnic and cultural identity as well as their knowledge of cultures and viewpoints that differ from their own. This strategy is crucial in engaging student motivation to close persistent achievement gaps.

In addition to cultural diversity, Talent Development instructional activities differentiate instruction for students with various learning styles and skill levels. Talent Development provides teachers with training and resources that allow them to assess these factors, as well as units and lessons that employ visual, textbased, kinesthetic, and auditory activities at the individual, small group, and class levels. Many courses also build individual learning centers into the extended period to allow students to build and reinforce skills necessary for individual success in each content area. Talent Developments distinctive blend of wholeclass instruction, cooperative learning in student teams and individual practice provides students with strong motivation for learning while enabling them to build both cognitive and social skills.

Talent Development facilitators spend a significant amount of time training both teachers and instructional coaches on strategies and activities that can be used in various courses and content areas. These instructional facilitators work with teachers to analyze current curriculum, align classroom instruction, and refine pedagogical practices. Talent Development also helps high schools create schedules that allow students to pursue either pre-

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requisite or advanced coursework based on their skill level, while guaranteeing that all students take a shared foundation of college preparatory classes aligned with the Common Core Standards. Each Talent Development Secondary high school offers a course of study that prepares all students to successfully continue their education at a postsecondary institution. In particular, Talent Development provides teachers with a researchbased, structured curriculum for reading and math courses for students who need additional support in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Students enrolled in these doubledose courses fill conceptual and skills gaps before taking required core courses and engage in guided and independent practice to build core academic skills. Students enrolled in doubledose courses also take all required college preparatory courses.

In addition to these doubledose support courses, all students will have access to NAF careerthemed curricula as described below. NAF curriculum integrates careerthemed subject matter with projectbased learning. For each theme, NAF provides a rigorous, industry validated curriculum that features: Cuttingedge methods of increasing literacy using crossdisciplinary teaching strategies that weave career themes across core subjects such as math, English, and history. Current industry standards and practices informed by industry experts, business partners, and local and national advisory board members representing each theme. An outline of objectives for each course that have been reviewed and validated by industry experts and an outstanding group of academy teachers. Instructors are free to use NAF projects and lessons as is and/or integrate their own material, as long as course objectives are met. Each NAF lesson is aligned to and developed from Academic Standards provided by national industry and educational organizations. Each lesson plan document has a section that lists the relevant standards covered by the lesson. NAF is presently engaged in correlating each course to the Common Core Standards. Those correlations will be available by January 2012.

Finally, all students schedules will include: Four creditbearing courses in mathematics that meet or exceed the Common Core Standards and include competency at or above Algebra II; A sequence of fourcredit bearing courses in English that meet or exceed the Common Core Standards at the proficient or advanced level; At least three collegepreparatory science courses (chemistry, biology, and physics); At least three collegepreparatory social science/ history courses; Up to three years of foreign language instruction; Talent Development courses specifically designed to facilitate students transition to high school and college and career preparation, such as Freshman Seminar; Art, music, or drama electives.

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College Readiness and Transition

Talent Development Secondary begins to prepare students for college and support them in selecting the right postsecondary pathway from the first days of high school. They begin to explore their strengths and interests and use this information to research career fields and relevant postsecondary pathways in the ninth grade Freshman Seminar. Students participate in college exposure activities such as career and college fairs, mock interviews, and visits to college campuses. This research helps them select a career academy for grades 1012, as well as specific courses relevant to their aspirations and interests.

Throughout the sophomore and junior years, students receive academic support that prepares them to be successful postsecondary students. Career electives challenge them to apply academic skills in workplace settings and develop skills that will benefit them after high school. This classroom support is coupled with ongoing college exposure and research activities: additional college visits, meeting with career and college representatives, and offsite career exploration such as job shadows and internships. Career academies help families learn more about the college search, selection, and admissions processes.

During senior year, many Talent Development schools offer the Senior Seminar course, which provides an opportunity for students to learn and practice research, writing, study skills, time management, and social skills necessary for postsecondary success and focus on application, admission, and transition into the postsecondary environment. Talent Development high schools pair this support for students with ongoing support for families regarding college admissions, with a particular emphasis on the financial aid process.

Talent Development will partner with College Summit to provide systematic postsecondary navigational services for all students in grades 912. College Summit is a national nonprofit organization that has worked for 18 years assisting high schools to shift from being final educational destinations to becoming launch pads for all students to achieve college and career success. In each of its 170 partner schools, College Summit helps students connect the dots between their future goals and the academic choices they make each day so that all students are college ready, college bound and college enrolled. The linchpin of the College Summit strategy is to engage influential students not solely as recipients of college access assistance but as dynamic change agents who can build a sustainable collegegoing culture in their schools and communities. College Summit works with educators from each of its partner schools to identify a group of influential students from the rising senior class.

College Summit then trains these young people (1015% of the rising senior class) at residential summer workshops to become Peer Leaders in their classrooms and to partner with their teachers and principals to drive collegegoing culture in their schools. Each participant: Completes a winning personal statement; Completes a college list; Completes the common application for college; Begins the financial aid process;

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Receives leadership training on how to create a collegegoing culture; Completes socialemotional training on how to identify and overcome personal obstacles.

College Summit couples this powerful peer work with educator training, postsecondary planning curricula for grades 912, and actionable data. College Summit helps each school establish a baseline college enrollment rate (CER) those students who enter a postsecondary program in the fall after high school graduation in order to measure progress. College Summit works with an extended corps of educators at each participating school to facilitate and support all students through the key postsecondary planning milestones in grades 912 (such as interest inventories, collegeentrance exams, college applications and financial aid application forms.) To enable educators to take action on this information, College Summit provides data tools to track progress of individual students through the milestones and to track schoolwide performance so that offtrack students can be easily identified and assisted. College Summits leading indicator metrics include the curriculum milestone achievements accomplished by the students as they navigate the 912 College Summit curricula, as indicated above. College Summit also measures the percentage of the rising senior class who attends and completes the workshop. Within the workshop experience, College Summit measures the percentage of participants who complete a personal essay, create a college list, attend financial aid workshops, and complete the leadership and training sessions. These indicators are linked to our ultimate success metric, college enrollment rate in the first and second semesters immediately following high school graduation. College Summit also measures college persistence and delayed enrollment rates among its cohort of participants. According to an independent evaluation, the college enrollment rate of College Summit participants is, on average, 18 percent higher than school baseline rates.

College Summit is experiencing particular success with its lowest performing schools those most likely to qualify for turnarounds. High schools with a baseline college enrollment rate below 40 percent achieve a 2025 percent increase in the college enrollment rate through the College Summit program. Of College Summit participants who enroll in two and fouryear colleges, 79 percent persist to the sophomore year. The average number of schools College Summit seniors applied to in 201011 was three; a threshold research shows greatly increases the likelihood of enrollment. Of College Summit peer leaders students trained to influence and assist their classmates in postsecondary planning 80 percent enroll in college and persist to at least their sophomore year.

Professional Development

Talent Development Secondarys annual cycle of professional development provides school leadership, faculty, and staff with ongoing support in multiple, complementary settings. Prior to the beginning of the school year, administrators and staff members participate in intensive, professional development to prepare for the new school year and create a framework for school culture, teaching, and learning that will drive professional development throughout the year. This preservice work includes the Talent Development Secondary Coaches National Conference and Coaches

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Institute, preservice teacher training on school climate and the Talent Development curricula, and the opportunity to engage in collaborative planning around an Opening Strong plan.

Talent Development assists the school in setting up an effective preservice professional development calendar and implementing it. This professional development addresses the whole school, content area, and teacher team levels. At the whole school level, Talent Development Secondary provides professional development on school climate and culture, effective instructional delivery (with a particular emphasis on instruction during the extended period), and working as a teacher within the Talent Development Secondary framework. Teacher teams and small learning communities engage in professional development on the use of the Early Warning Indicator System, working effectively as teams in Professional Learning Communities, and creating a strong relationship with the students on their team. Content area professional development helps teachers implement the Talent Development curricula provided as part of the Talent Development Secondary model, develop and refine curriculum tools such as pacing guides and unit plans aligned with standards and desired student outcomes, and use effective instructional practices within the content area.

Talent Development Secondarys intensive preservice professional development is supplemented by ongoing monthly professional development provided by instructional facilitators and coaches, as well as peer mentoring through teacher teams and common planning times. This ongoing support enables teachers to become skilled in instructional approaches that focus on teaching for understanding, peer assisted learning, and explicit mechanisms for providing background knowledge, developing meta-cognitive strategies, and engaging students in higherorder thinking.

The TDS model employs jobembedded professional development provided by instructional coaches. These are usually master teachers from within the school faculty who are released from teaching duties to provide modeling and coteaching, and engage in guided reflection with their colleagues. Instructional coaches receive professional development from TDS on developing trusting relationships with their colleagues and empowering teachers to have a voice in their own professional growth.

While instructional coaches offer professional development for teaching and learning, the school transformation facilitator provides daily, onsite professional development on school organization, culture, and climate. During the planning phase, the transformation facilitator works with school leadership to perform a thorough budget review, analyzing how resources are currently being spent and identifying ways to realign spending to support essential components of reform. The transformation facilitator also assists school leadership in restructuring and organizing staff into planning committees, facilitates collective planning and decisionmaking, and provides technical assistance on scheduling, staffing, and strategic planning. During implementation, the transformation facilitator offers development and technical assistance to administrators, team leaders, teacher teams, counselors, and support staff. This professional development increases the schools capacity to build a positive school climate, develop and sustain distributive leadership, and engage in ongoing collective decisionmaking and actions that support student success, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in each school.

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In addition, instructional staff members work with one another to improve teaching skills. During their common planning period, teacher teams examine student work, engage in interdisciplinary planning, and share best practices. Academy leaders, instructional coaches, and other instructional support staff help organize and facilitate peer observations and visits to other classrooms and schools.

Professional development offered by the National Academy Foundation (NAF) provides extensive opportunities to teachers and other stakeholders to hone skills and strengthen their position within the overall structure of the NAF model. NAF professional development is a key component in Career Academy National Standards of Practice, as activities enhance leadership skills and education competencies of all those charged with sustaining a NAF academy. While every academy is unique in its application of the NAF model, all stakeholders benefit from guided and independent practice with NAF as they improve adherence to this model.

NAF Professional Development activities for teachers ensure that:

Teachers are equipped to deliver uptodate instruction and content in their academy theme; Course objectives are met and teachers implement NAF Curriculum with maximum effectiveness; and Essential components of the NAF academy model partnerships that engage stakeholders from the business and civic sectors are in place and generating the necessary resources to support academy students and teachers.

NAF provides inperson training on an ongoing basis as teachers strive to improve their own and their partners fidelity to the NAF model. NAF conferences, leadership institutes, yearround technical assistance, online resources, and national and regional representatives further ensure that teachers and business and community partners share knowledge gained in schools and draw on industry expertise and guidance from NAF.

Meanwhile, College Summit provides professional development to all teachers who are delivering the College Summit postsecondary curriculum, the guidance staff, and the principal through their Educators Academy. The Educator Academy is a local 6hour training in which school personnel are taught how to establish a collegegoing culture in their high school. The Academy covers the following topics:

How to use the core College Summit online and print curricular tools; How to utilize peer leaders to organize the student body to aim for postsecondary enrollment and success; How to employ leading and lagging college success data to target offtrack students for intensive remediation and to build a postsecondary cultural orientation in the school; and How to build postsecondary expectations among all stakeholders in the school community.

In addition, a College Summit administrator will participate in regular data meetings with Talent Development and the schools principal to analyze milestone data such as college and FAFSA applications rates; the College Summit administrator will also provide counseling and training

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to the school to get more students on the postsecondary track.

Professional Development Priorities and topics vary from school to school, but the following overview (see next two pages) provides an example of what a Talent Development Secondary school might have as key topics over a two-to-three year period. Other Professional Development Talent Development awareness PD Technical assistance and professional development to set up data collection, analysis, and reporting systems (EWI) Professional development around master scheduling Ongoing training for schedulers Ongoing professional development for counselors NAF eCollege platform delivering virtual PD on academy model elements Webinars to deliver PD based on academy needs

Instructional Professional Development

Year 1

Curriculum alignment training Training of instructional coaches Leadership team-building and retreat Teaching in the Extended Block I Talent Development Coaches Institute (Summer opportunity at Johns Hopkins University) Pre-service training for all Talent Development courses Classroom management Transition training (from Talent Development courses to core courses) Teaching in the Extended Block II Ongoing professional development for instructional coaches Differentiating instruction Using data to inform instruction College Summit school relevancy training linking postsecondary counseling to drop-out rates. College Summits Asset-Based Coaching Training College Summits Educator Academies

Organization/Climate Professional Development Career Academy development Ninth Grade Success Academy development Opening Strong (planning for school opening) Team building for teachers Effective teaming training for teacher teams Building external partnerships (Career Partnerships) National Network for Partnership Schools training Talent Development climate training Ongoing leadership training for leadership team Delivering tiered interventions PBIS/whole school climate training College Summits CollegeGoing Culture training College Summits Actionable Post- Secondary Data Workshop The College Summit Principal Training

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Year 2

Looking at student work Interdisciplinary planning and teaching Blended instruction (Career/academic blending) Teaching in the Extended Block III Other topics as identified by student data and teacher feedback

Building the capacity of teacher teams Building the capacity of the leadership team Other topics as identified by student data and teacher feedback

Staff Evaluation

Talent Development Secondary can support school and district leadership in their staff evaluation process by providing both student and school outcome data and frameworks and criteria for evaluation of staff performance. As part of its ongoing system of data collection and analysis, Talent Development Secondary provides school, team, and teacherlevel data in course performance (passing rates and grade distribution), student attendance, behavior indicators (suspensions, office referrals, and student infractions), and student achievement (standardized assessments, course and unit assessments). Additionally, Talent Development Secondary works side by side with the school and district leadership to provide professional development and the use of supporting tools for teacher evaluation that include:

Protocols and tools to guide administrators visits to classrooms in a Talent Development Secondary school; Rubrics and tools to evaluate the quality of collaborative work by staff in Early Warning Indicator and common planning time meetings; Analysis of student outcome data disaggregated at the teacher and classroom level; Alignments between the schools professional development plan, education model, and evaluation system; Protocols and rubrics for the assessment of lesson plans and student work as part of the staff evaluation process; and Protocols, tools, and rubrics for the assessment of nonclassroom staff such as instructional coaches, counselors.

Educational Structure

The Talent Development Secondary school structure itself, composed of separate small, stable learning communities of 150 to 300 students, with each team of four teachers collectively teaching 60 to 99 students (class size of 2533 students depending on available budget), encourages students, teachers, and families to establish strong bonds and close, caring relationships. It also enables teachers to work with a manageable number of students and in so doing, both teach strong, standardsbased lessons and engage in continuous outreach to students and parents. As research and experience have shown, the quality of studentteacher interactions and the quality of instruction are critical to the levels of student motivation, effort, and engagement required for sustained academic progress.

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Talent Development Secondary employs a schedule that enables teachers to meet daily with their team members to work on instructional improvement and student support, as well as weekly in professional learning communities organized by subject across grades (i.e. all math teachers share a weekly extended period beyond their personal planning time to ensure instructional coherence linked to college readiness across grades and among teachers in the same grade).

Teams hold weekly early warning indicator meetings in which teachers, school administrators, and support staff meet to analyze early warning indicator data, assign and assess interventions, and determine the professional development needed to strengthen the success of studentteacher interactions and support highquality instruction in every classroom. These meetings, as well as the larger early warning and intervention system, are facilitated by an onsite facilitator experienced in supporting schoolbased implementation of early warning indicator and intervention systems.

In Talent Development Secondary high schools, the Ninth Grade Success Academy supports ninthgrade students in their transition to high school while providing the academic and social foundation they need to succeed. All ninthgraders are taught by a team of teachers who work only with the ninth grade and collaboratively monitor student progress and create instructional activities during a common planning time. Students receive 90 minutes a day of instruction in math and language arts, and students performing below grade level enroll in researchbased Talent Development Secondary doubledose courses specially designed to accelerate student learning. All ninthgraders enroll in Freshman Seminar, a transitiontohigh school course that emphasizes the study skills, social skills, and career and postsecondary planning skills necessary to succeed in and beyond high school.

During ninth grade, students investigate and select a Career Academy to enroll in for grades 1012. Each academy has a career themefor example, Finance, Information Technology, Hospitality & Tourism, Engineering, or Health Science. Career Academies provide similar academic supports as the Ninth Grade Success Academy, revolving around teams of teachers who work collaboratively, share common planning time, and provide double dose opportunities for sophomores and juniors performing below grade level in math and/or reading. All students in every Career Academy are enrolled in a challenging college preparatory core curriculum aligned to the Common Core Standards as well as the New York Regents exams. Students performing above grade level enroll in accelerated courses of study in mathematics, science, and foreign languages. Students in each Career Academy enroll in at least three careerfocused elective courses designed to expose them to various career experiences, develop career related skills and knowledge, and emphasize connections between career experiences and academic skills. The specific emphasis for the Career Academies will be determined based on student, parent, community, and staff interests, and will include offsite career experiences for all students. Each career academy will implement National Academy Foundation (NAF) principles and practices, as outlined above, to ensure industrybased and tested content in a walltowall integrated approach. These career themes go far beyond restrictive vocational training, which has often been characterized by limited student opportunities and lowered academic standards. They are designed to serve as an organizing principle and to engage students in learning, introduce them to the world of work, and spur interest in, and prepare them for, college, careers, and ongoing civic involvement.

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Extended Periods

Both the middle and high school models use extended periods to increase the amount of instructional time in core academic subjects. Extended periods also provide teachers with the time necessary for developing engaging and innovative instructional strategies and afford students the time and flexibility to engage in guided and independent practice that builds their core skills. The high school model implements a 4x4 block schedule, which means students enroll in four 90minute courses that meet every day for one semester.

Talent Development Secondary employs the 4x4 block scheduling approach because of the numerous benefits that it provides our students and teachers. It allows high schools to offer eight courses per school year compared to seven courses in a traditional high school schedule. These extra credits can be used for courses that provide additional instruction in math and/or language arts, as well as intensive support to students during the critical ninth grade. This focus on accelerating student learning in math and reading allows struggling students to catch up to their peers. Many will be able to take advanced core classes or electives during the last two years of high school.

During the extended period, teachers have time to model skills for students, engage students through cooperative learning activities, offer authentic assessments through projectbased learning, and create individual learning centers that allow students to focus on the specific skills and content they need to succeed in a course. Extended class periods also allow more flexibility and the opportunity for a greater impact when implementing the preferred coteaching model of supporting special education students and English Language learners. They provide instructors with the opportunity to differentiate instructional activities and allow Special Education and ELL teachers to develop more flexible schedules for resource and other pullout services for their students.

Common Planning Time

Finally, the 4x4 block schedule provides teacher teams with a daily common planning period. Common planning time is one of the most critical components of the Talent Development Secondary approach to building the collective capacity of a schools staff. For teacher teams to reach their full potential to help students succeed, they must have a fixed time during their professional day to engage in collective data analysis and decisionmaking, professional learning, and planning and preparation of student activities. TDS schools implement common planning time within teacher team schedules, and provide technical assistance and capacitybuilding activities that help teachers do focused work targeting improved student outcomes.

Common planning time is built into the teacher teams schedules by having all students from each team attend elective courses such as health, art, or physical education during the same period of the day. Teacher teams meet multiple times per week, and each meeting has a specific focus, such as:

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 Analyzing student data such as Early Warning Indicators and achievement data; Developing individual student intervention plans based on student data; Planning for teamwide incentives, celebrations, or interventions to promote a positive school and team culture and identity; Looking at student work, sharing best practices, and engaging in other interdisciplinary professional development activities; and Meeting with parents and engaging in outreach and communication with other critical stakeholders.

Talent Development Subcontractors

Talent Development Secondary, Johns Hopkins University will work with the National Academy Foundation and College Summit as critical partners and subcontractors on this project. The following information outlines the critical role of each subcontractor in the project.

National Academy Foundation The National Academy Foundation is a proven a leader in the movement to prepare young people for college and career success. NAFs team of specialists will work with individual academies and their stakeholders to implement the four components of the NAF Career Academy model:

Academy Development, Curriculum, Advisory Boards, and WorkBased Learning.

This model has proven to lead to improved student outcomes. Annually, Academies participate in a performance measurement process, including a selfassessment tool supported by data, to determine the current status of the school as related to NAFs membership expectations. The Academys score is then correlated to one of four membership levels: Affiliate, Member, Leader and Distinguished. The assessment also incorporates a formalized improvement planning tool. This tool allows Academies to identify specific areas of the NAF model that are lacking. The team works with the Academies to develop action plans for improvement to increase their level of fidelity to the NAF model. Subsequently, Academies are provided with customized supports based on these specific model elements while having access to all other support services available.

The Northeast Teams specialists will help facilitate the completion of the selfassessment to ensure thorough understanding and accurate completion. This service, along with other supports provided by the Northeast Team to the Academy stakeholders, will be made available utilizing a coaching model methodology.

College Summit College Summit will provide its tools and training to Talent Development and the schools staff in order to increase the high schools college

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enrollment rates over its preintervention baselines. College Summit is a Washington, D.C.based awardwinning capacity building program that works with 170 low-income high schools in 44 school districts serving over 30,000 students. In 2009, President Obama shared his Nobel Peace Prize with the organization. Its CoFounder, Dr. Keith Frome, is a resident of Buffalo, NY and will be available on the ground for consulting and training as he has keen interest in the vitality of the Buffalo Public Schools.

In particular, College Summit will:

Measure the high schools college enrollment and persistence baselines for the three previous years using a methodology it has developed with the National Student Clearinghouse and Deloitte; Measure the college enrollment and persistence baselines for the graduating cohorts in the intervention years in order to determine postsecondary success trend lines; Install the College Summit print curriculum and online milestone measurement tool, CSNAV, in the high school and provide training for its use; Provide professional development; Train 1015% of the rising senior class in the 4day residential College Summit workshop to become peer leaders to build a collegegoing culture in the school; and Consult with the school leadership team and Talent Development personnel at regular intervals throughout the school year on college navigational milestone data and on the schools postsecondary results.

School Culture

Talent Development Secondary schools promote a culture that values all students talents and ability to learn, promotes academic achievement, and fosters strong relationships among students, adults, and staff. The Talent Development Secondary distributed leadership model and teacher team organization empowers teachers to take charge of creating a safe environment that promotes highquality teaching and learning. School climate celebrations and interventions include quarterly Report Card Conferences and monthly and quarterly student recognition programs. Teachers also work together to design, implement, and adjust academylevel policies regarding students academic responsibilities and behavior. These policies provide students with a consistent and fair set of procedures for all classes. In addition, Talent Development Secondary schools implement researchbased wholeschool attendance and positive behavior programs designed to reduce the number of students needing attendance and behavior interventions.

The Talent Development schoolwide High Five As and Bs Climate Program encourages students to internalize the following behaviors and attitudes crucial for success in school and life: attendance, be on time and present every day; achievement, be ready and prepared to learn; attitude, be respectful; accountability, be responsible; and awareness, be safe. Lesson plans are used to explicitly teach these behavior standards so students

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know what is expected of them throughout the school building and especially in the classroom. These behavior standards are reviewed with students as often as necessary. Consistent use of cooperative learning strategies in the classroom encourages students to build interpersonal relationships and social and leadership skills that foster a sense of responsibility and ownership for a positive school climate.

Early Warning Indicator Systems

Even the best instructional program imaginable will have limited impact if students do not attend school, behave, and try hard to succeed. Secondary schools that serve high concentrations of low-income students need to be organized to support the majority of students across multiple domains (attendance, behavior, and course performance). A teacherfriendly early warning system alerts teachers as soon as students begin to demonstrate behaviors that, if left unattended, will push them off the path to graduation. This Early Warning Indicator system is linked to a tiered response system that combines proven prevention and intervention strategies, steadily increasing the intensity of support until the behavior (attendance, conduct, effort, or course performance) is mitigated. Early Warning Indicators: Inform teachers and support personnel as soon as students begin to demonstrate offtrack behaviors (attendance, school and classroom misbehavior, lack of effort, and poor course performance); Are researchbased and lead to validated interventions of increasing intensity; and Support constant evaluation of the effectiveness of whole school, extra, and intensive support.

In addition to behavior and attendance indicators, teams use instructional indicators, including report card grades, benchmark scores, and Buffalocity Student Achievement Resources, to determine which students need additional academic help, as well as those who are ready to succeed in rigorous college prep courses. Teacher teams also analyze this data to identify desirable small group and whole class academic interventions. EWI meetings provide ongoing, real time school and gradelevel data on student performance with regard to attendance, course performance, and student achievement at the school level.

Most importantly, the Early Warning Indicator system is designed to identify students early and to provide the appropriate interventions as quickly as possible. School staff members who closely follow and use the Early Warning Indicators of attendance, behavior, and core course failure quickly identify who begins to exhibit warning signs. Starting with a review of student profiles in teacher teams before the school year begins, the Early Warning Indicators anchor schoolbased work throughout the year. In addition, the system helps to identify the intensity of services needed and to monitor impact. The process for collecting and disseminating data may vary, but the focus remains the same: early identification of students and timely provision of supports.

The tiered intervention support system uses the Early Warning Indicator system to provide the right resources to the right students at the right time. The model is built on the recognition that students need varied levels of supports. Wholeschool/classroom interventions are designed to support all students from the base of the model. Some students need targeted interventions, such as small group activities or lessons designed for

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specific groups of students. Lastly, fewer students require intensive supports. For example, intensive support may include a oneonone behavior modification plan facilitated by an adult. Talent Development Secondary is able to provide organizational support at the whole school level and additional supports at the targeted and intensive levels so that all staff at the school can provide interventions aligned to their expertise. As well, TDS will partner with the National Academy Foundation and College Summit to meet students needs.

Parental Involvement

Schoolfamilycommunity partnerships are particularly essential because each component is a powerful sphere of influence on a students development that can potentially pull together in a mutually positive direction. In addition, the college and career emphasis of the TDS model draws on family and community resources to play a major role in these areas. Families need to work with schools throughout the college awareness, selection, and application process that extend across the high school years.

Family and community resources are also critical in creating learning experiences tied to a students career interests. Research indicates that strong schoolfamily partnerships will enhance the learning outcomes of students and are possible even in the high school grades with the proper programmatic approaches. Similarly, community influences can be marshaled in support of school programs that have a significant impact on their effectiveness. During the planning process, community members help the school make connections with local agencies and businesses that can support student success, and help determine an effective communication plan that reaches a variety of stakeholders.

Talent Development Secondary schools may choose to participate in the National Network of Partnership Schools, a program developed and extensively tested at Johns Hopkins University that brings together schools, districts, and states committed to developing and maintaining comprehensive programs of schoolfamilycommunity partnerships. Network schools establish action teams of school, family and community members to plan, carry out, and evaluate partnership activities that support student learning and success. Each action team uses a framework of six types of involvement (Parenting, Communicating, Volunteering, Learning at Home, Decisionmaking, and Community Collaboration).

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APPENDIX B: RESTART MODEL Description of costs associated with the action (description should align with budget narrative and budget provided for grant) Contract Services: Johns Hopkins University Center of Social Organization of Schools Year 1 - $1,779,871 Year 2 - $1,601,884 Year 3 - $1,441,695

In the chart below, provide a description of the LEA plan for implementation of the model at the school. Action Required By Restart Description of how the action Describe when the action will Model will be accomplished by LEA occur during the grant period (include actions taken during the pre-implementation period), and why at that time A restart model is one in which an BCSD has selected the Restart Please see the timeline and LEA converts a school or closes descriptions in the second column. Model for four of our PLA and reopens a school under a schools. Using a rigorous selection charter school operator, a charter process, BCSD selected and management organization (CMO), matched EPO organizations to or an education management each of its seven PLA schools. organization (EMO) that has been Specifically, the process was as selected through a rigorous review follows: process. (A CMO is a non-profit September 2011 organization that operates or Using an EPO selection manages charter schools by committee consisting of a diverse centralizing or sharing certain set of community stakeholders, functions and resources among BCSD create a national call for schools. An EMO is a for-profit proposals defining the role and or non-profit organization that the specific needs of each PLA provides whole-school operation school. services to an LEA.) October 2011 BCSD hosted a bidders conference for 24 potential EPOs representing both national and local comprehensive school reform experience. November 2011 BCSDs EPO selection committee and district staff used

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a rubric to select and match EPOs to restart five of its seven PLA schools. December 2011 The EPO selection committees EPO selections were presented to School Based Management Teams (SBMT) at each of the PLA schools who also used a rigorous selection process and review tools to determine an appropriate model of school reform and the recommended EPOs fit for its school. The recommendations from the SBMT and the EPO selection committee were presented to the BCSD Board of Education. Considering both groups recommendations and its own independent review of each schools needs and EPO proposals, the Board of Education then made final determinations for each of the PLA schools. N/A All students currently enrolled at East High School can remain enrolled in East High School. The N/A BCSD will fully utilize our planning phase during the Spring of 2012 to assess student needs N/A N/A

Fulfill all New York State requirements for converting school into a charter school. Enroll, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend the school.

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goal of Johns Hopkins Universitys Talent Development Secondary model is to create a school that meets all students where they are and takes them where they need to be to graduate from high school ready to succeed. in East High School and begin notifying students and families of their district-wide high school options. During the summer of 2012, each school will host school open houses to inform the existing student and family population of the new school changes and invite them to reenroll Providing students and parents with updates and notifications in the Spring 2012 will allow adequate time for parents to explore options and for EPOs and the district to address specific parent concerns about the restart process.

Notify parents and community of conversion, and provide information on school choice options available

Create a plan to transfer students who either a) cannot attend the new school because their grade is not served; or b) have parents who wish to opt-out of the new charter school. Students and parents who wish to

Students and parents currently enrolled in East High School will be sent letters informing them of the new school status. BCSD will launch a district school options campaign informing students and parents of the changes in the district, specifically for each of the PLA schools. The purpose of this action is to support students and parents in making appropriated school choices. Under the restart status, East High School will remain a 9th through 12th grade school. All students currently enrolled are welcome to stay at the school Spring and Summer 2012

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opt out of East High School will be asked to complete a transfer application to attend a BCSD receiving school in good standing. This transfer will be completed through the BCSDs Student Placement Office. BCSD will be contracting with three different Educational Partnership Organizations to serve four schools in this cohort. There are no CMOs. Upon notification of grant award, BCSD will work with each of the EPOs to define and set student achievement goals. These goals and targets will be grounded in the initial needs assessments for each school. Early Spring 2012 upon grant award notification. Early Spring 2012 upon grant award notification

Create an accountability contract with the CMO, with clearly defined goals for student achievement

VersiFit Software Data Warehouse Year 1 $2,000 Year 2 $2,000 Year 3- $2,000 SchoolCity Data Warehouse Year 1 $16,900 Year 2 $15,010 Year 3 - $13,309

A district data warehouse has been created and is developing in terms of both data sources and data displays. This will efficiently allow access to multiple measures of data to inform teachers and differentiate instruction. Evaluation linked to these protocols will focus on clear, measurable outcomes so that key stakeholders are apprised of the progress being made by East High School.

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VersiFit is a Wisconsin company that provides advanced analytic tools to State Departments of Education and School Districts that measure analyze and display data in the form of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) producing easy-to-read graphical indicators that alert district staff to at-risk conditions and monitor the effects of corrective actions. VersiFits core data warehouse product is called Edvantage. The SchoolCity software solution includes Analysis and reporting tools to identify low performing students, help teachers to improve instruction, improve decision making and increase overall academic achievement. An assessment platform that allows for standards-based formative assessments to be created and delivered to students. Teachers use results to identify student needs and to re-teach. An online repository of standards aligned resources that provide teachers with resources in order to re-teach

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If external partners will be used to accomplish all or any of the actions describedRecruit, screen, and select external providers to ensure their quality.

students on specific standards. Johns Hopkins Universitys Talent Development Secondary has been selected to restart East High School. As indicated previously, a rigorous and thorough process was used to recruit, screen and select this provider. Please see the detailed process overview described above.

Cost of Implementation of Model (over 3 years) $5,885,085

Amount of 1003(g) funds LEA will allocate to school $4,878,204

Amount of additional funds, to be provided by other sources, LEA will allocate to school $1,006,881

Describe how the LEA will fund the actions described in the model, including resources other than 1003(g) to support the interventions, and plans to sustain the interventions after the grant ends.

The Budget Narrative form provides detail on other funding sources for 2012-2013. Source NYSED NYSED NYSED NYSED Amount $23,488 $23,553 $20,510 $313,110

Funding #307 21st Century Northwest Community Center Math Science Partnership Math Focus Math Science Partnership Science Focus Title I

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Behavioral change is the key to school improvement. To be fully realized and lasting, reform efforts will be accompanied by a fundamental cultural shift throughout the District. This shift will result in new mindsets and accompanying behaviors among administrators, teachers, and students.

The professional development that will take place over the course of the grant will provide teachers and administrators with the skills that are necessary for the teaching of reading, mathematics and other academic content areas. The largest expenditures will occur as we train every staff member in instructional and curricular strategies to implement the turnaround. The ongoing job-imbedded professional learning opportunites (PLO) are initially performed through consultant training and coaching of teachers, administrators, and building coaches. The grant will fund three years of training to ensure mastery for the teachers as well as coaches and administrators. By the end of the grant period, the coaches will have the capacity to conduct the training and follow-up, which will eliminate the expense of hiring outside consultants. The administrators who are a part of the grant will know the qualities of solid instruction and how to work with teachers to improve practice. The professional development of these staff members will allow the work to continue even after the grant has ended because internal capacity is being established. The culture of the school will change as a result of the professional development sessions and facilitated discussions within the schools during common planning time meetings.

Specific goals will be set and affiliated with measures of progress and success for both the students and the school. As the school moves forward the supports that were in place will be reviewed to determine which might need to be continued and which will be able to be phased out over years two and three of the School Improvement Grant.

New teachers will be supported and mentored during the day. New grant funding sources will be pursued to support some SIG initiatives and other initiatives will be phased out as the school improves. Data will be reviewed during each year of the grant to determine the effectiveness of practices and staff.

The building leadership will establish effective processes and systems for the long term building upon the culture, assessments, instructional approaches and programs put in place during the time of the grant that allowed the school to improve student performance. Efforts developed during the SIG years need to continue to ensure that the school does not return to PLA status. The school-level turnaround efforts must also be sustained and supported with corresponding changes at the district level.

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Describe any obstacles to implementing this plan (ex: collective bargaining agreements, lack of professional staff, etc.) that the LEA faces with this particular school, and how the LEA plans to address these challenges.

There has been ongoing communication with the Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF) and the Buffalo Council of Supervisors and Administrator (BCSA) during the SIG process. At this time, potential obstacles include a discussion regarding BCSDs contractual obligations to the Buffalo Federation of Teachers (BTF). The meetings of the Professional Council, comprised of BTF and District representatives, have continued throughout the school year. Communication will continue with the unions to achieve consensus regarding improving PLA schools through the SIG restart model.

Describe how the LEA will modify its practices or policies, if necessary, to enable it to implement the interventions fully and effectively at this school.

Based on Johns Hopkins Universitys model and plan (and other selected EPO models and approaches) to restart East High School the district has recently begun to consider possible practice and policy modifications in key areas district Leadership and support for school improvement, academic performance goal setting and monitoring, professional development, and district budgeting (planning and active management). BCSD intends to finalize initial changes in these areas by the end of Spring 2012.

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