State 'Reimagine' accountability: Rome schools see mixed progress, district given a fresh 'year 1' slate
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
District officials reported mixed ESSA accountability results: Bellamy showed large growth and shed some identifications while Denty became a CSI school; district will prepare new improvement plans with state and send letters to families.
The district’s director of accountability briefed the Board of Education on new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) determinations under New York State’s reimagined accountability model, saying the state treated this year as a reset ("year 1") and that the district must submit new district and school improvement plans by July 1, 2026.
Director of Accountability summarized school-level outcomes: Bellamy made substantial growth and removed the "all students" identification that risked receivership; Denty moved from a TSI to a CSI identification for all students; Gansevoort showed the highest growth percentiles in the district though proficiency rates remain low; Joy and Stokes face heightened attention on special-education indicators and Hispanic focal-group early warnings; Stroud maintained its TSI and may be in position to come off later depending on state rules.
What the reset means: the presenter said the state has introduced a tiered system of intervention that can culminate in receivership only after sustained identification under the new rules. The district will develop a district comprehensive improvement plan (DCIP/DSEP) and school-level SEPs; CSI schools submit plans directly to the state while ATSI and TSI schools work through the district office for state approval. The presenter also said the district launched a single district-wide survey (ParentSquare) to gather family input and had 100 responses within an hour of distribution.
Board questions and context: trustees asked about the timing and how identifications were embargoed; Director of Accountability confirmed the official determinations were finalized Jan. 29–30 and that this school year counts as year 1. On graduation and high‑school risk, the presenter said Rome Free Academy finished the year with an 81% graduation rate and would not be identified as CSI unless the graduation rate fell to 67%.
Next steps: the district will send family letters next week using the state's template, finalize improvement plans with BOCES and the Office of Instruction, and return plans to the board for acceptance after state approval.