June 2007 Vol. XXI, No. 6
- ANNUAL CONFERENCE RE-CAP - 

PATHWAYS TO EXCELLENCE

The Association held its 21^st annual conference on May 20^th – 21^st at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga.
Speakers from academia, the State Education Department and our member districts’ administrations were
invited to present programs along with research that have been proven effective in increasing student
academic performance.

Below is a general outline of our speakers’ presentations. The Association is collecting papers from each
presenter to compile into a resource for member districts. The conference was also recorded, the transcript
will be available shortly. Please feel free to contact our office for copies of either resource.

MAY 20, 2007

DINNER

Dr. Sean Walmsley, Professor and Chair, Reading Department,
School of Education State University of New York at Albany

A native of England and student at Trinity College in Dublin, Dr. Walmsley delivered a delightfully entertaining
and informative speech about the state of literacy and reading instruction in New York. He affirmed the essential
 and irreplaceable role that being read to in the early years and reading oneself has in the acquisition of language
skills. He warned against too great an emphasis on decoding skills and stressed the importance of reading for
comprehension.

MAY 21, 2007

BREAKFAST

Dr. Amanda Nickerson, Assistant Professor, Division of School Psychology
State University of New York at Albany 

As a professional psychologist, Dr. Nickerson presented an unusual and refreshing look at effective school
violence prevention and intervention approaches. Dr. Nickerson stressed that although violence in schools is
strongly reported in the media, and rightly upsets those who learn of these incidents, schools are still the safest
 place for students.

Dr. Nickerson outlined what defines violent and disruptive behavior and gave examples of researched based
programs that have effectively prevented and intervened these behaviors. Dr. Nickerson also provided a paper
for our membership with this information and further references.

PANEL: NEW STRATEGIES FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Deborah Cunningham, Coordinator for Educational Management Services
State Education Department

Ms. Cunningham presented at both panels. Her first presentation described Contract for Excellence (C4E)
requirements as well as the reasoning for the program. Below is a list of general requirements under the
emergency regulation as outlined by Ms. Cunningham. C4E dollars may be used for:

•         Support new or expanded programs or experimental programs

•         Districts must show how funds are used predominately to benefits students with the
greatest educational need

•         Accompanied by professional development

•         Expenditures should supplement not supplant—certified by independent auditor
(25% allowed for 2007-08)

•         Additional instruction provided by highly qualified teachers

•         Coordinate with district’s comprehensive education plans

Please note, Ms. Cunningham’s power point presentation is available at the Association website,
http://scsd.neric.org.

Peggy O’Shea, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services
Cohoes CSD

Ms. O’Shea presented the Cohoes CSD’s implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) for language arts
and math. Their program provides 90 minutes of reading and math for every child identified with learning or
emotional deficiencies. Then the district uses a three tiered intervention system to continue providing needed
assistance. She indicated the program has been highly effective and has contributed to significant improvement
district wide.

Kevin Quinn, Associate Professor, Educational Psychology
State University of New York at Albany

Dr. Quinn presented an overview of a Positive Behavior Intervention System aimed at managing class related
behavior. A small group of students can undermine an instructional program. Teachers tend to respond by
paying more attention to the undesirable behavior by meting out punishment. The key to the PBIS is to give
attention to desirable behavior using rewards for good behavior. The over reliance on punishment escalates
anti-social behavior. PBIS requires teachers to make assessments through the school day and changes the
school environment. The system requires schools to collect and analyze data.

Dr. Quinn gave the example of teachers that use the PBIS “catch students being good” and need to have their
“game face on” each day by making behavioral expectations clear to their students and reinforcing desirable
behavior. In this way, behavioral screening is non-invasive.

Dr. Quinn spoke about Doug Cheney’s program “Check Connect Expect” where a student identified with
behavioral problems is assigned to an adult, a paraprofessional for example, and “checks in” with that adult
each day. All teachers are aware the student is part of the program and fills out daily sheets noting the student’s
performance reaching established goals.

Dr. Quinn then spoke about the Coordinated Child Services Initiative (CCSI), an integrated services plan where
the school partners with other professionals serving the child and her family. PBIS can work with CCSI to generate
a unified services plan.

Donna Scanlon, Associate Director, Child Research and Study Center
State University of New York at Albany

Ms. Scanlon spoke about the problem of children learning to read. There is a new way to look at this inadequacy
of instruction, rather than using IQ tests to measure achievement,

After using a three tiered approach to RTI, using smaller and smaller reading groups tot assist students in
improving their skills, only those who did not accelerate toward grade level reading should be labeled as learning
disabled.

Ms. Scanlon remarked that good teaching and not necessarily the program, is what makes a difference for the
student. But, she asked without answering, what is good teaching?

MANUEL RIVERA SPEAKS TO THE CONFERENCE

Manuel Rivera, Deputy Secretary to the Governor and Senior Policy Advisor for Education

Manuel Rivera, Deputy Secretary to the Governor and Senior Policy Advisor for Education, spoke to our
conference on his new position and responsibilities. Mr. Rivera is the liason to the State Education Department
 and the NYS Regents and is working to develop the education policy for the executive.

Mr. Rivera said the purpose of the Contract for Excellence (C4E) is to ensure increased state aid to education
is used for researched based programs and initiatives, as well as a longer school year, among other things. He
also said districts need to focus on keeping the basic cost of operations down from year to year so that C4E
dollars can be used to bridge the achievement gap.

PANEL: NEW STRATEGIES FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION

Deborah Cunningham, Coordinator for Educational Management Services
State Education Department

During the second panel, Ms. Cunningham remarked that as Manuel Rivera mentioned, cost cutting is very
important: even cutting programs that do not work as well. Next year, planning will be better, there will be more
time available. C4E plans for restructuring of Middle School and High School can not just change the structural
details, there also must be instructional changes. Time on task is important and the lengthening of the school
day, 90 minute blocks on instructional areas, for example, and lengthening the year will help. The Governor will
be looking for results. He wants to ensure increased state aid to education is used for students with the greatest
needs. The State must focus on schools with the greatest need. New expenditure reporting at the school building
level is now being implemented. How to measure achievement growth is being worked out now as well. She noted
that the 55 C4E district achievement profiles are varied and some schools are actually not low performing.

Q: Can C4E dollars be used for planning “to be implemented” in several months, not immediately?

A: Yes, linked to specific categories, i.e. time on task.

Q: Are the metrics of expectation and achievement a problem?

A. Yes they are, we will do the best we can, particularly in the first year.

Janet Angelis, Associate Director Albany Institute for Research in Education
State University of New York at Albany

Ms. Angelis spoke to the conference on keys to effective schools. Effective schools deconstruct assessments
in order to determine what skills are required for student achievement. Successful schools invest in professional
development. Research shows that curriculum with projects only or direct instruction only do not do as well; a
combination is best. Beware the schools whose walls are bare cinder block, schools must be caring places. Finally,
effective schools involve community and family.

Mary Cahill, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction
Binghamton CSD

Ms. Cahill presented her district’s involvement with Harvard University’s study Teaching for Understanding (TfU).
Binghamton partnered with Harvard to develop instructional framework for improving student performance. When
a student does not perform well, those in the High School tend to blame those in the Middle School and those in the
Middle School blame those in the Elementary Schools. Each grade blames the lower grade and, finally, the parents
for poor student performance.

The Harvard program is based on the belief that learning is best done by a combination of teaching, watching and
doing. The program differentiates between “knowing” and “understanding”. TfU works top down, and bottom up.

Patricia Gazda-Grace, Binghamton CSD

Dr. Gazda-Grace depicted the district’s program used to measure the impact of professional development and
involvement with TfU. The district used textbooks to determine what is taught and the sequence of teaching.
Students were also involved by providing feedback on what is being learned. This was a powerful learning
experience. The survey of students on engagement in learning process showed that TfU compliments other best
practices initiatives.

LUNCH

Dr. Susan Phillips, Dean School of Education,
State University of New York at Albany

Dr. Phillips presented Just for the Kids New York, a state program based on benchmarking data, available
on just4kids.org. The program shows best practices in high performing comparable districts/schools in various
areas of the school system. It also provides a self-audit program for districts/schools.

Q: How many of the 3,000 elementary schools broke the odds of performance predicted by demographics?

A: 180 schools have excelled for 3 years.

MEMO TO ALL CONTRACT FOR EXCELLENCE DISTRICTS

To: Contract for Excellence Districts
Fm: Thomas McGowan, Chairman, Center for School Improvement Planning and Supt., Glens Falls CSD

Re: Center for School Improvement Planning- Request for participating districts
Date: May 29, 2007

Last month, the Association's Board of Directors gave conceptual approval to the creation of a 
Center for School Improvement Planning to help districts required to enter into a Contract for 
Excellence (C4E) develop strategies and programs to increase program effectiveness and student
performance. The Center is an exciting new initiative, building on the work of the Association and 
tapping into the deep talent pool and experience of Association members.

An organizational meeting was held on May 20th to discuss concerns about the C4E and to gauge 
interest in formation of the Center. Thirteen districts, including four non-city districts, attended, 
expressing strong interest in working together and interest in participating in the work of the Center. 
I was asked to act as the Chairman of the Center, to assist in development of a proposal for services 
to be provided by the Center and to seek commitments from C4E districts to utilize the Center in 
planning and implementation of their C4E. Since time is of the essence, it is now necessary that 
we ask districts ready to work with the Center to contact the Association at beb@biggerstaff-firm.com 
or 518-475-9500 or 518-475-7677 (fax), as soon as possible to express their interest.

The Center will be using the Bench Mark Study approach developed by Lonnie Palmer, former 
Albany Superintendent and current Troy Interim Superintendent, and Charlie Winters, former 
Associate Superintendent at Newburgh, and current Professor of School Finance at SUNY New 
Paltz. It is contemplated that the Center will provide data analysis and a team of experienced
professionals to help districts analyze district operations. Proposed activities will include support 
for the development and implementation of recommended initiatives for change most likely to succeed. 
The Center will provide services needed immediately, in the near term, and in the longer term, over 
the next four critical years in connection with C4E and with school performance, generally.

The Center will focus initially on those districts required to prepare Contracts for Excellence. These 
are districts under the greatest pressure to improve the effectiveness of their programs. Participation 
and use of Center services will, of course, be voluntary on the part of member districts and each 
district will retain control over services provided and resources expended. Attached find a power 
point presentation and memo providing greater detail about the justification for the Center and how 
the Center will work. 

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION

Initially, there are two levels of participation. The first level will enable the Center to develop the data 
base necessary to provide the analysis of comparable districts for each participant. A flat fee will be 
charged for districts at this level and that fee will cover all the administrative, technical and organizational
services and associated costs needed at this point. The flat fee for 2007-08 is $15,000.

The second level of participation involves usage of the Center Teams, each consisting of superintendents/
administrators emeritus, academicians and other highly experienced professionals necessary to assist 
district staff in the review and analysis of relevant data, in development of new or modified programs 
under the C4E and in implementation and follow up of the new or restructured programs under the C4E. 
Services provided under this second level would be funded from C4E dollars, 2% of which should be 
set aside for planning under each of the C4E categories, class size reduction, time on task, teacher/
principal quality, middle school/high school restructuring, full day kindergarten and pre-kindergarten. 
We have been advised by SED that planning set asides for these categories are approvable under the 
C4E.

The dollars set aside would only be expended upon express request of each district for specific services. 
Such services would be billed on the basis of time actually spent by the Center Team members in 
accordance with the request as set forth in a written consulting agreement. This way districts will retain 
control over the utilization of any funds set aside.

REQUEST FOR PARTICIPATION

We ask that districts interested in participating and utilizing the services of the Center contact 
the Association at beb@biggerstaff-firm.com, 518-475-9500 or 518-475-7677 (fax) 
in the next week. It is critical that we get at least five districts to step forward now in order to fund 
the initial data collection and processing  that will provide the basis for the Center’s services. Once a 
district expresses its willingness to participate, we will send a contract of participation for board approval 
together with an invoice for the Level I fixed fee. When all participating districts have been identified, we 
will schedule organizational activities as appropriate.

Thomas McGowan, Chairman, SCIP, and Supt., Glens Falls CSD 

Cc: Norma Barton, Pres. NYSASCSD and Pres. BOE, Canandaigua CSD     
      Robert E. Biggerstaff, Executive Director  And Counsel, NYSASCSD
 

UPCOMING
EVENTS

October 26, 2007
annual breakfast
The Cornell Club, NYC
8:30am