Rochester schools show mixed progress on Q2 academic plan; attendance and suspensions discussed as curriculum and East High transition draw questions

Chief of Staff Lashara Evans presented the district’s quarter 2 update on Feb. 11, saying the academic plan is organized into five domains and “is connected to our long term goals and outcomes, including the strategic plan.” The quarter covers Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2024, and the plan includes 47 recommendations districtwide.

Evans told the board the district used a standardized reporting rubric for each recommendation: departments submit evidence and indicate whether actions were “fully implemented,” “in progress,” or “partially implemented.” She said the state monitor, the superintendent and deputy, and the district’s fiscal monitor review submissions before sending a final document to the New York State Education Department.

The quarter’s implementation tallies varied by domain. Evans reported the following counts for Q2: turnaround leadership (7 yes; 1 in progress; 1 partial), talent management (5 yes; 1 in progress; 1 partial), instructional transformation (11 yes; 5 in progress; 6 partial), cultural shift (3 yes; 1 in progress), and systems/resources (3 yes; 1 in progress; 2 partial). Evans said these figures represent improvements from the prior quarter in several areas.

Why it matters: the academic plan’s domain-level recommendations are tied to the district’s consent-decree metrics and board goals, including credit accrual, high school completion and early-literacy targets. The Q2 report flags areas the district says still need work — notably extended school-year programming, chronic absenteeism strategies, and full implementation of professional learning communities.

Curriculum adoption and classroom relevance

Commissioners asked how curriculum is selected and whether teachers and students are meaningfully involved. Dr. Ramos (Teaching & Learning department representative) described a multi-step process: the district issues requests…