Requires assessments of the persistently lowest achieving schools

3 Co-sponsors

• Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.
• Tony Avella
• Toby Ann Stavisky

BILL NUMBER:S5648

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to assessments of the persistently lowest achieving schools

Purpose

This measure would require an assessment of schools identified as persistently lowest achieving or deemed a school under registration review, in order to determine what factors caused the school to be so identified, as well as to identify corrective actions needed.

This bill would also require that such assessments be considered during the evaluation of superintendents of districts in which schools have been designated as persistently lowest achieving or as under registration review.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended to require an assessment of schools identified as persistently lowest achieving or deemed a school under registration review, in order to determine what factors caused the school to be so identified, as well as to identify corrective actions needed.

Section 2. Subdivision 3 of Section 1711 of the education law is amended to require that assessments required pursuant to Section 1 of this measure be considered during the evaluation of superintendents of union free school districts, in which schools have been designated as persistently lowest achieving or as under registration review.

Section 3. Section 2507 of the education law is amended to require that assessments required pursuant to Section 1 of this measure be considered during the evaluation of superintendents of city school districts under 125,000 in population, in which schools have been designated as persistently lowest achieving or as under registration review.

Section 4. Section 2565 of the education law is amended to require that assessments required pursuant to Section 1 of this measure be considered during the evaluation of superintendents of city school districts over 125,000 in population, in which schools have been designated as persistently lowest achieving or as under registration review.

Section 5. Effective date.

Justification

The federal School Improvement Grants program, established under the No Child Left Behind Act, provides funding to assist those schools deemed to be "persistently lowest achieving", a determination made by the State Education Department.

In order to be eligible for this funding, New York must demonstrate its commitment to improving a school's performance by selecting one of four "turnaround" models: Turnaround, Restati, School Closure, and Transformation.

Under all four models the school Principal must be removed. This legislation would require that an assessment be conducted of any school identified as persistently lowest achieving to determine what factors caused the school to be so identified prior to implementing one of the four intervention models. This bill would also require the consideration of such assessments during the evaluation of school superintendents in which have been so identified.

The turnaround models approved under state and federal law in 2010 provide a new process for helping the State's lowest performing schools. However, the 2010 statutes are less than adequate in two fundamental respects:

o In determining what issues or circumstances might have caused a school to "fail," or o In placing any direct responsibility for such failure on the primary instructional leader in that school district, the school superintendent.

Prior legislative history

None.

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

Immediate.