BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

A World-Class

Education for Every Child

Board of Education Meeting August 21, 2013

Blueprint for District-Wide Improvement

Overview

Vision: “A World-Class Education for Every Child”

Core beliefs

Findings from strategic reviews

Approach

Early outcomes:

2013 11TH Grade Regents Exams

August

ELA

Math

June

2013 Overall Attendance

2013 Short-Term Suspensions

Dropout Rate

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

2011 2012 2013

30.4%

23.4%

28.9%

2013 Graduation Rate

Graduation Rates: 2009-2013

2013-18 Strategic Plan

Strategic Planning Process

Final Plan Delivered August 2013

Strategy Development March – June 2013

Planning Finalized February 2013

Sharing Data & Planning January 2013

Reviewing & Analyzing the Data December 2012

Understanding BPS – Auditing Spring & Summer 2012

Phase I

Phase II

Strategic Planning Process

Stakeholder groups engaged in shaping the future of the District by assessing strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities

Participants collaborated in a Strategic Plan Steering Committee and Task Force Working Groups

Participants included parents, teachers, administrators, unions, the district central office, higher education, community-based organizations, and the religious, political, and business communities

Strategic Planning Process

Process of developing recommendations began in January

Consultant reports, Diagnostic Tool for District and School Effectiveness (DTDSE), and Distinguished Educator’s Action Plan utilized

Report to Board of Education in March

Final Working Draft presented to District on August 6

Vision

Strategic Plan formulated around BPS Vision:

“A World-Class Education for Every Child”

Mission

To ensure that every student will have the knowledge, confidence, analytical thinking skills, character and hope to assume responsibility for her/his life and contribute to the lives of others; and

We will champion excellence and innovative learning experiences in partnership with family and community; and

We will hold ourselves accountable for educating our students and for working to motivate all members of the community to actively participate in the accomplishment of our mission.

Goals

Core Beliefs, Theory of Change and Priority Areas established

From these, fundamental goals in the areas of: Student Achievement

Family & Community Engagement

Talent Management

Operations

Financial Planning

Structure of Document

Divided into 5 areas: Student Achievement, Family & Community Engagement, Talent Management, Operations, and Financial Planning

Each goal includes several objectives

Each objective includes numerous strategies and actions

Timelines established for each action

Establishes measurable targets to monitor progress

Structure of Document

Community Forum Schedule

Discovery 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19

Waterfront 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 26

Bennett 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 15

Makowski

5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 22

Moving Forward

Strategic Plan will be presented to the community during forums in September and October

Strategic Plan will guide district priorities, policies, and actions

Targeted outcomes will be monitored

DCIP and SCEPs will continue to be aligned with the Strategic Plan for district-wide improvement

District & School Improvement Plans

Support Documents

Tenets: Big Ideas

Central Office Reorganization

Reasons for Reorganization

Inefficiencies and potential for cost savings

A Central Office not structured to support student achievement

Ineffective support for schools

These conclusions reached by multiple reviews and studies:

MGT (July 2010): Proposed 83 recommendations for extensive systematic restructuring to improve efficiencies and effectiveness

Cross & Joftus (May 2012): Identified the dire need to establish a systemic plan for preparing all students for college and careers and to align resources, accountability structures, school and student supports, and district systems to advance student achievement goals

School House Partners (November 2012): Illustrated gaps between past investment, current planned investment, and priorities; recommend changes in investments going forward

Objectives of Reorganization

• Vastly improve supports for schools

• Achieve consistency with job titles and responsibilities assigned to those titles

• Realize cost savings

• Increase operational efficiency by increasing managers’ span of control and reducing excessive management positions

Phase I – March 2013

• Announced and implemented March 27

• Deputy Superintendent position reinstated

• Community Superintendents became Chiefs of School

Leadership with greatly expanded roles; fourth CSL position

created

• Added Chief of Public Relations and Executive Special Assistant

positions

• Combined the CFO and COO positions and eliminated the Chief

of Staff position

• Expanded the responsibilities of the Chief of Talent

Management

Phase II – June 2013

• Announced and implemented June 26

• Embedded Special Education and Professional Development within Curriculum & Instruction

• Moved Accountability under Technology

• Moved Central Registration to Student Support Services

• Added assistant superintendent and/or executive director positions where needed

• Eliminated other high- and mid-level management positions

• Made adjustments to eliminate staff overtime

Phase III – Ongoing

• Currently being implemented

• Existing staff is being assigned to departments

• Roles and responsibilities are being defined

• Reductions in staff being achieved

• Some 10-month positions may be converted to 12-month positions to improve efficiency and accountability

• All departments are completing action plans

• Work across departments is being streamlined

Cost Savings

• Intention of reorganization was not to reduce the size of cabinet-level and exempt staff

• Total cost savings from the reorganization expected to exceed $1 million

• Positions are being eliminated primarily through retirements and attrition and those will continue

Major Personnel Changes

• Chief Academic Officer now Chief of Curriculum, Assessment & Instruction (Dr. Yamilette Williams)

• CFO and COO positions combined (Barbara Smith)

• Rashondra Martin brought on board as new General Counsel

• Community Superintendents now Chiefs of School Leadership; Dr. Faith Alexander brought on board as fourth Chief of School Leadership

• Patrick Fanelli brought on board as new Executive Special Assistant; search continues for Chief of Public Relations

• Chief of Staff position eliminated

• Executive Director of HR now Chief of Talent Management; two new departments added (Darren Brown)

Salary Considerations

• Salaries increased for some exempt positions because of significantly expanded roles and responsibilities:

• CFO/COO

• Chief of Talent Management

• Chiefs of School Leadership

• Deputy CFO/Financial Comptroller

• Salaries decreased for three exempt positions because of reduction in role/responsibilities

• Five exempt positions received cost of living adjustments; five remained unchanged

• Salaries determined with consideration given to comparable positions at Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers (other Big 5 Districts minus NYC)

• In 75% of instances where side-by-side comparisons were possible, BPS salaries are lower or equal to those comparable salaries