RCSD officials outline continuous-improvement processes, receivership monitoring and progress reporting

Daniel Hurley, Executive Director of School Innovation, briefed the board on June 10 about the Rochester City School District’s continuous-improvement processes, coordination with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the status of receivership schools.

Hurley said accountability designations have been static this year because New York State is in a reimagining phase of its accountability system after pandemic disruptions. He explained the district uses the state SEP template and the Data Wise continuous-improvement process to identify learning-centered problems through multiple data sources — testing data, iReady, common assessments, student work and interviews. Schools develop a problem of practice and research-based key strategies, with early-implementation benchmarks, midyear checks and end-of-year targets tied to progress monitoring with NYSED.

Hurley described how receivership schools receive closer monitoring: virtual performance reviews, at least two on-site visits annually, regular progress-monitoring reports and demonstrable improvement indicators established by the state. He presented 2023–24 results showing how the district’s receivership schools performed against those incremental targets and noted that East Lower’s reporting has been handled by the EPO but will move back to the district for future monitoring.

Hurley listed the current receivership schools as School 16, School 20, School 33, Monroe, Edison and East Lower, and reminded the board that meeting demonstrable improvement indicators does not automatically exit a school from receivership; the next opportunity for exit is June 30, 2026, based on spring testing and growth calculations. He stressed that progress-monitoring blends metrics and on-the-ground visits so the state can see both quantitative and qualitative evidence of change.

Board members raised questions about the scope and pace of improvement; several commissioners urged urgency and broader interagency cooperation to address attendance and other out-of-school factors that affect achievement. Hurley said the district’s process emphasizes capacity building, building coherence between central office and buildings, and using data to align strategies with student needs. He told the board that continuous improvement plans for schools will come for board review and approval next month.

The board acknowledged schools and principals who have shown measurable improvement and discussed challenges including chronic absenteeism and the need for stronger building-level leadership and support structures. Several board members and Superintendent Strickland noted that receivership schools are receiving intensive oversight but cautioned that state designations are sensitive to metric changes and growth recalculations.