Appendix A: Additional Activities To Be Incorporated Into BPS Public School Choice Corrective Action Plan

BPS shall incorporate into its Public School Choice Corrective Action Plan the following actions, and any associated actions necessary to complete the goal, and shall identify for each action the timelines for completion, benchmarks, Board of Education reports/updates, and persons responsible for implementing the action. If BPS does not believe it is appropriate to incorporate an action into its plan, it shall provide a justification for why the action is unnecessary to achieve the specified goal. Additionally, BPS must convene a team comprised of Board members, district staff, school leaders, teachers, parents, and community organizations to review each of the goals established in the plan and address each of the statements provided by SED to guide refinement of the plan. As part of this process, the board of education must consider any recommendations made by the Distinguished Educator in accordance with Education Law 211-c and 100.17 of the Commissioners Regulations. Goal 1: Open two (2) New Schools; elementary or secondary as schools In Good Standing by September 2014 Identifying Areas for New Schools: Create a methodology for identifying the areas in Buffalo that would benefit most from this strategy, which takes into account enrollment, community involvement and partnerships, nearby school accountability statuses, student achievement data, and available facilities. This methodology should be clear enough for parents and the school community to understand. Working with the Unions: Create a process for notification of/consultation with the administrators and teachers unions. Identifying Funding Resources: Clearly identify all funding sources available to support program implementation. Determine what capital funding is available through SED. Use this information along with the analysis of staffing requirements, costs for facilities upgrades, and costs for selected programs to guide budgetary decisions. Make Staffing, Enrollment and Educational Program Decisions: Recruit a new principal from a school in Good Standing or with a track record of turning around a low performing school. Create a staffing plan that ensures that a significant number of the teaching staff (more than 50%) are new to the school (i.e., staff are not from a school that is being phased out and replaced by new school). Choose a Common Core aligned curriculum for the new schools that is either new or the same as the Common Core aligned curriculum of a school In Good Standing. Develop a plan for comprehensive professional development for implementation of curriculum. If the New Schools are Charters: Create a timeline for outreach to community and charter school applicants. Ensure that charters submit applications to the Regents as the authorizer per the Regents Charter School Application at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/psc/startcharter.html or SUNY at http://www.newyorkcharters.org/openAppKit.htm. Letters of intent for Fall 2014 applications are due September 4, 2013. If converting a district school to a charter school, see guidelines for conversion to a charter school issued by the NYSED Charter School Office (also see Education Law Section 2851(3) and Section 2852(9)). Conversion charter schools would be authorized by the Buffalo Board of Education and creation may occur on the districts timeline. Utilize charter school pre-opening document as guide for new school launch for charters, or modify the pre-opening document for district school launch. Ensure that CSE meetings address any "change in placement" to a charter school.

Register New Schools with the Board of Regents: Work with the Board of Education to adopt resolutions for new school openings, prior to the March 1, 2014 deadline for submission. Fill out and submit prior to March 1, 2014 the required forms for New School Registration. Ensure Supports for Students with Disabilities: Conduct review of facilities for accessibility pursuant to Americans with Disabilities Act. Identify full continuum of special education services to meet the needs of students to be served. Determine the special education program needs of the students with disabilities who will be educated in these schools based on the students IEPs. Develop a process and timetable to ensure timely CSE meetings/annual reviews are conducted and IEPs are in place at start of school year. Plan for appropriate space within new schools for full range of services (e.g., related services space, resource rooms, and special classes). Determine staffing needed to provide the full scope of required special education services and ensure timely completion of staff assignments to meet IEPs. Review the special transportation needs of students who will be placed in the new schools and develop a plan to ensure that students are provided with special transportation per their IEPs. Include specific plans for professional development to implement a multi-tiered system of supports that addresses student academics and behavior and provides students with specially designed instruction. If charter school option is chosen, ensure RFP requires admission of appropriate percentage of students with disabilities. Ensure the administrative capacity of Student Support Teams by creating a robust process for providing prevention and/or intervention services to students who are at risk because of academic or behavioral issues. Expand capacity of staff to provide special education administrative functions (e.g., CSE, case management). Ensure Supports for English Language Learners: Identify full continuum of ELL services that must be provided to meet the needs of students to be served. Determine the program needs of the ELLs to be educated in these schools. Plan for appropriate space within new schools to provide a full range of programs and services to ELLs. Determine appropriate and required staffing to provide a full range of programs and services to ELLs. Include specific plans for professional development to implement a multi-tiered system of supports that addresses student academics and behavior and provides specially designed instruction for ELLs. If charter school option is chosen, ensure RFP requires admission of appropriate percentage of ELLs Make Facilities Ready for Students: Work with administration and principal to identify any capital improvements or changes necessary to accommodate the new educational program. Identify process needed to complete facilities work (e.g., consultants, design, SED approval, building permit, bid award, work execution). Obtain Certificate of Substantial Completion, fire inspection and Certificate of Occupancy prior to September. Obtain necessary permits and approvals for alterations from SED Facilities Planning. Create Plan for Progress Monitoring of the Creation of the New School and District Support of the New School after opening: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process so BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

Goal 2: Close/Reopen at least one under-enrolled Priority elementary school and one underenrolled Priority secondary school and reopen them as Schools in Good Standing by September 2014 Identifying Schools for Closure and Re-Opening: Create a clear methodology for identifying the schools that would benefit most from this strategy, taking into account enrollment, community involvement and partnerships, school accountability status, student achievement data, physical condition of facilities, enrollment capacity and capital needs. This methodology should be clear enough for parents and the school community to understand. Create a school impact statement that details how the closures will affect the surrounding community. The impact statement must address the issues outlined in the NYSED Educational Impact Form, which can be found at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/newschool/ . Work with the Board to identify which schools will be closed and re-opened. Working with Unions: Create a process for notification of/consultation with administrators and teachers unions. Identifying Funding Resources: Clearly identify all funding sources available to support program implementation. Determine what capital funding is available through SED. Use this information along with the analysis of staffing requirements, costs for facilities upgrades, and costs for selected programs to guide budgetary decisions. Make Staffing, Enrollment and Educational Program Decisions for the Re-Opening (New) Schools: Recruit new principals from schools In Good Standing or who have a track record of turning around a low performing school. Create a staffing plan that ensures that a significant number of the teaching staff (more than 50%) are new to the school (i.e., staff are not from a school that is being phased out and replaced by new school). Create a plan in consultation with parents of students in the closing school that allows them to enroll in another BPS school if they do not wish to attend the re-opened school. Choose a Common Core aligned curriculum for the new schools that is either new or the same as the Common Core aligned curriculum of a school In Good Standing. Develop a plan for comprehensive professional development for implementation of curriculum. If the Re-opened Schools are Charters: Engage in outreach to community and charter school applicants. Submit applications to the Regents as the authorizer per the Regents Charter School Application at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/psc/startcharter.html or SUNY at http://www.newyorkcharters.org/openAppKit.htm. Letters of intent for Fall 2014 applications are due September 4, 2013. If converting a district school to a charter school, see guidelines for conversion to a charter school issued by the NYSED Charter School Office (also see Education Law Section 2851(3) and Section 2852(9)). Conversion charter schools would be authorized by the Buffalo Board of Education and creation may occur on the districts timeline. Utilize charter school pre-opening document as guide for new school launch for charters, or modify the pre-opening document for district school launch. Ensure that CSE meetings address any "change in placement" to a charter school. Submit Closure Forms to SED and Register Re-Opening (New) Schools with the Board of Regents: Work with the Board of Education to adopt resolutions for new school openings, prior to the March 1, 2014 deadline for submission. Fill out and submit prior to March 1, 2014 the required forms for New School registration. Fill out and submit prior to March 1, 2014 the required forms for Closure.

Ensure Supports for Students with Disabilities:

Develop a process and timetable to ensure timely CSE meetings/annual reviews are conducted and IEPs are in place at start of school year. Plan for appropriate space within new schools to be able to provide a full range of services (e.g., related services space, resource rooms, and special classes). Determine staffing needed to provide the full range of required special education services required, and ensure timely completion of staff assignments to meet IEPs. Include specific plans for professional development to implement a multi-tiered system of supports that addresses student academics and behavior and provides students with specially designed instruction. If charter school option is chosen, ensure RFP requires admission of appropriate percentage of students with disabilities. Ensure the administrative capacity of Student Support Teams by creating a robust process for

providing prevention and/or intervention services to students who are at risk because of academic and behavioral issues.
Ensure Supports for English Language Learners: Identify the full continuum of ELL services to be provided to meet the needs of students to be served. Determine the program needs of the ELLs to be educated in these schools. Plan for appropriate space within re-opened schools to provide a full range of programs and services to ELLs. Determine staffing required to provide a full range of programs and services to ELLs. Include specific plans for professional development to implement a multi-tiered system of supports that addresses academics and behavior and provides for specially designed instruction for ELLs. If charter school option is chosen, ensure RFP requires admission of appropriate percentage of ELLs. Create Plan for Progress Monitoring of the Creation of the Re-opened Schools and District Support of the Re-opened School after opening: Participate in monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful. Make Facilities Ready for Students: Work with the administration and the principal to identify any capital improvements or changes necessary to accommodate revised educational program. Obtain necessary permits and approvals for alterations from SED Facilities Planning.

Goal 3: Create a school-within-a-school by the 2015-16 school year, under the leadership of a principal of a School in Good Standing, that includes options for English language learners and students with disabilities. Please note: Until the School-Within-A-School becomes its own entity, the School-Within-A-School will have the BEDS code of the host school, and the accountability status of the School-Within-A-School will be tied to that BEDS code. For example, although Academy A is within Elementary School C, the BEDS Code for Academy A is the same as the one for Elementary School C. Therefore, the academic performance of students within Academy A will be part of the accountability status determination of Elementary School C. Identifying Schools for School-Within-A-School Model Implementation: Create a methodology for identifying which school will be the host of the model, based on student academic performance, school facilities, strength of the host school leader and teaching staff, and geography. Working with Unions: Create a process for notification of/consultation with administrators and teachers unions. Identifying Funding Resources: Clearly identify all funding sources available to support program implementation. Determine what capital funding is available through SED. Use this information along with the analysis of staffing requirements, costs for facilities upgrades, and costs for selected programs to guide budgetary decisions. Make Staffing, Enrollment, Educational Program, and Facilities Decisions for the Host School and the School-Within-A-School: For the host school and the school-within-a-school, recruit school leaders from either a school in Good Standing or with a track record of turning around a low performing school. Create facilities sharing plan and organizational chart that clarify the roles of leadership and the use of common resources. The common space plan should ensure operational efficiency, maximize space utilization, and ensure appropriate student groupings. Create an enrollment plan that ensures that the targeted groups - English language learners and students with disabilities - have primary access to the program. Create a staffing plan that ensures that a significant number of the teaching staff (more than 50%) are new to the school (i.e., staff are not from a school that is being phased out and replaced by new school) and that ensures teachers have expertise in instructing ELLs and students with disabilities. Choose a Common Core aligned curriculum and an instructional program for the School-Within-ASchool that is either new or the same as the Common Core aligned curriculum of a school In Good Standing and that specifically addresses the needs of ELLs and students with disabilities. Develop a plan to provide staff with comprehensive professional development regarding implementation of the chosen curriculum. If the School-Within-A-School will become a New School, with a separate BEDS Code: When/if the district chooses to separate the School-Within-A-School from the host school: Work with the Board of Education to adopt prior to the March 1st deadline for submission of new school petitions to SED resolutions approving the opening of the new schools... Fill out and submit prior to March 1, 2015 the required forms for new school registration. Ensuring Supports for Students with Disabilities: Utilize the NYSED RSE-TASC to support plan activities. Research current best practices for the instruction of students with disabilities and implement professional development in these areas. Determine the need and process for the provision of itinerant related services providers. Develop a process and timetable to ensure timely CSE meetings/annual reviews are conducted and IEPs are in place at start of school year. Plan for appropriate space within new schools to provide the full range of required services (e.g., related

services space, resource rooms, and special classes). Determine staffing needed to provide the full range of required special education services, and ensure timely completion of staff assignments to meet IEPs. Ensure the administrative capacity of Student Support Teams by creating a robust process for providing prevention and/or intervention for students who are at risk because of academic or behavioral issues. Include specific plans for professional development on a multi-tiered system of supports that addresses students academics and behavior and provides for specially designed instruction. Ensuring Supports for English Language Learners: Research current best practices for the instruction of ELLs and create a plan for professional development in these areas. Identify the full continuum of ELL services to be provided to meet the needs of students to be served. Determine the program needs of the ELLs to be educated in these schools. Plan for appropriate space within new schools to provide a full range of programs and services to ELLs. Determine staffing needed to provide a full range of programming for ELLs. Include specific plans for professional development to implement a multi-tiered system of supports that addresses academics and behavior and provides specially designed instruction to ELLs. Make Facilities Ready for Students: Identify any alternate equipment, furnishings and technology necessary for two schools. Identify process to complete work needed for facilities (e.g., consultants, design, SED approval, building permit, bid award, execute work). Create Plan for Progress Monitoring of the School-Within-A-School and District Support of the New School after opening: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

Goal 4: Establish a specific percentage of reserved seats (available after the districts regular choice application process is concluded) exclusively for general education and integrated special education PSC transfer students at schools In Good Standing, including criteria-based schools for PSC students who apply and meet individual school admissions criteria. Please clarify what the district is attempting to accomplish with this goal and why it takes place outside of the regular choice application process.

Delineate a plan that stabilizes and equalizes the percentage of students with disabilities in all schools across the district.
Develop procedures for ensuring that students with disabilities are educated in the Least Restrictive Environment and are integrated into general education classes as appropriate and required on each students IEP. This must include provision of required instructional accommodations, assistive technology and personnel support (e.g., consultant teachers, paraprofessional support). Create Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

Goal 5: Collaborate with area school districts to establish seats for PSC transfer students, available to Buffalo PSC transfer students no later than September 2014. Establishing Seats for PSC transfer students in area school districts: Provide evidence to SED by September 30, 2013 of communication with other districts regarding the establishment of seats for PSC transfer students. Based on conversations with area school districts, determine and communicate quarterly to SED during the 2013-2014 school year the number of seats available in other school districts. Enter into contract with area school districts and ensure that additional seats are available for Buffalo PSC transfer students as early as January 2014 and no later September 2014. Communicate with Parents Regarding PSC options in area school districts: By October 2013, provide parents with PSC materials regarding transferring to out of district schools in January 2014 (including information on transportation and other relevant issues related to going out of district for school). Arrange Transportation for Students: Once contracts with willing partners have been reached and students identified, arrange for transportation to those other school district locations. Determine economics of directly transporting students to areas districts vs. reimbursing those districts or BOCES for transportation costs, including state aid. Determine and Act Upon Positive Implications for BPS: Analyze enrollment at schools where PSC students came from to determine if additional capacity or opportunity for consolidation exists (i.e., the potential to close a Priority School based on low enrollment, or the creation of more available seats for PSC students in these schools). Create Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

Goal 6: Increase student access to bilingual/ESL services at Schools in Good Standing based on demand. See Activities labeled Ensuring Supports for ELL Students within Goals 1, 2, and 3 Create Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

Goal 7: Establish additional physical space for students receiving self-contained special education services at schools In Good Standing. Ensure appropriate special transportation arrangements are made for students with disabilities consistent with IEPs. Allocate space for self-contained classes in space that is integrated with general education classrooms. Identify the accommodations and supports that will need to be provided in each building to maximize opportunities for the integration of special class students with disabilities in general education classes, including non-academic and extracurricular activities. Identify the accommodations and supports that will need to be provided in each building to maximize opportunities for success of ELL students in general education classes, including non-academic and extracurricular activities. Create Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

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Goal 8: Expand seat capacity by identifying underutilized physical classroom space in existing schools In Good Standing in their current sites for PSC transfer students. Work with administrators to identify excess capacity in schools In Good Standing. Specifically identify classroom spaces that may have been converted for other purposes. Establish capital work approval process necessary to return converted space to classroom use. Create Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

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Goal 9: Define, update as necessary, and publish entrance requirements for criteria-based schools taking into account the unique and established intent of such programs and the special interests and eligibility of PSC transfer applicants and under-represented student populations. Establish a plan with a Principals' Task Force to ensure that appropriate support services and program accommodations, assistive technology, and personnel support are provided for the students with disabilities and English Language learners who will be served within criteria-based schools. Create Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

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Goal 10: Comprehensive communication will be provided to families eligible for PSC. Create a plan to revise by December 2013 all PSC materials for the 2014-2015 school year to reflect the additional options and related information outlined within this plan. Develop a comprehensive notification letter to parents and key stakeholders that clearly and succinctly describes the districts accountability profile, the capacity issues, and planned action steps to be implemented during the 2013-14 and 2014-2015 school years. Inform parents of the dual lottery strategy and PSC application outcomes. Require parents to confirm acceptance of PSC offers by end of April 2014. Reconcile acceptance/rejection of offers and make new offers according to priority lists. Describe new support services/strategies for students, teachers, and principals. Planned interventions should include: AIS, ELT, RTI, instructional coaches, and PD. Create a Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

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Goal 11: Provide earlier notification of transfer offers to families who applied for PSC. Create a Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

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Goal 12: Establish a fair and equitable ranking system based on most recently available academic performance data. Publicly commit (through Board Resolution) to a ranking system that prioritizes services to the lowest performing students (Levels 1 & 2) in the district. This should be accomplished through a dual lottery; one for students in Levels 1 & 2, and another for those in Levels 3 & 4. This would enable the district to focus on the needs of the lowest performing students.

Create a plan to revise, by December 2013 all PSC materials to reflect the new ranking system for the 2014-2015 school year.
Create a Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in the plan. Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

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Appendix B: Proposed Additional Goal 13 to BPS Public School Choice Plan Goal 13: To the extent permissible by state and federal regulation, partner with District-sponsored or independent charter schools and provide charter school enrollment information to parents of public school children requesting transfers from public schools identified as needing improvement pursuant to NCLB Choice provisions. Increased Additional Seat Capacity Beyond Estimated Annual Vacancies of Approximately 200 Seats: 50 (2013-2014) Activities Determine which charter schools have exhausted their student waiting lists yet may still have seat availability. Meet with charter schools interested in providing the school district with information on available seats. Develop Charter School information sharing protocol with parents of public school students for which seat availability does not exist at a school In Good Standing. Provide materials prepared by charter schools to parents of public school students for which seat availability does not exist Start Date September, 2013 End Date September, 2013 Documentation/Evidence List from charter school enrollments from purchasing office Person(s) Responsible Chief of Student Support Services

September, 2013

September, 2013

Chief of Student Support Services Charter School Administrators

September, 2013

September, 2013

Written procedure

Chief of Student Support Services Charter School Administrators

September, 2013

Charter School application/materials

Chief of Student Support Services Charter School Administrators

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at schools In Good Standing.

Create a Plan for Progress Monitoring: Require monthly update meetings with NYSED team to discuss progress on the implementation of each activity in plan Establish a trouble-shooting process whereby BPS staff can immediately contact their assigned NYSED liaison any time that a barrier to greater PSC participation is identified. At that time, BPS staff should be able to describe what action steps have been taken to date to address the barrier and explain why the actions were not successful.

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