Sharon L. Contreras, Ph.D.
March 2016

Grades Served PreK-12
Enrollment 21,337
% of Limited English Proficiency 14%
% of Low Income 77%
% of Students with Disability 20%
District & City
3

City of Syracuse and New York State Refugee Arrivals
2005-2012
Arrivals 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Cumulative
Total
NY State
Syracuse
Syracuse
Percentage from NYS
587
41
7.0%
708
113
16.0%
1,059
168
15.9%
1,832
437
23.9%
5,003
1,223
24.4%
4,168
882
21.2%
3,421
827
24.2%
3,754
805
21.4%
4,007
944
23.6%
24,539
5,440
22.2%
Source: Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Office. Calendar Year from 2005 to 2013
District & City

“Syracuse now has the highest level of poverty concentration among blacks and Hispanics”
Architecture of Segregation: Civil Unrest, the
Concentration of Poverty, and Public Policy
— Paul A. Jargowsky
District & City
5

District & City
6

Syracuse Families Living In Poverty
2005-2012
60,0%
50,0%
40,0%
30,0%
20,0%
10,0%
0,0%
All families
Families with related children under 18
Families with related children under 5
2005
26,3%
40,9%
50,6%
2006
26,2%
37,7%
28,6%
2007
23,9%
37,7%
49,0%
2008
26,1%
36,9%
48,8%
2009
24,9%
40,7%
36,8%
2010
28,0%
41,4%
35,8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2012
2011
29,6%
44,9%
37,4%
2012
29,8%
47,2%
47,2%
District & City

City of Syracuse Educational Attainment
2005-2012
Adults in Syracuse 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Population 25 years and over
Less than 9th grade
9th to 12th grade, no diploma
High school graduate (includes equivalency)
Some college, no degree
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Graduate or professional degree
Percent high school graduate or higher
Percent bachelor's degree or higher
Percent with less than a High School Diploma
80,834 79,516 80,856 78,092 82,901 80,378 83,419 82,859
6.0% 8.0% 6.5% 7.7% 5.9% 6.2% 7.7% 5.7%
13.4% 12.4% 15.2% 13.0% 12.3% 12.2% 15.4% 14.3%
30.1% 31.0% 31.6% 26.0% 25.5% 29.1% 27.5% 27.6%
15.8% 15.1% 17.2% 16.9% 20.1% 16.7% 16.4% 18.7%
10.0% 8.5% 7.3% 9.6% 9.3% 8.9% 8.2% 8.8%
13.4% 13.7% 12.1% 16.9% 14.9% 13.5% 13.0% 13.7%
11.4% 11.4% 10.1% 9.9% 12.0% 13.5% 11.8% 11.2%
80.7% 79.7% 78.3% 79.3% 81.8% 81.6% 76.9% 80.1%
24.8% 25.1% 22.2% 26.8% 26.9% 27.0% 24.8% 24.9%
19.4% 20.4% 21.7% 20.7% 18.2% 18.4% 23.1% 19.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2012
District & City

Some 1.1 million American high school students drop out every year
• The poverty rate for families headed by dropouts is more than twice that of families headed by high school graduates
• Nearly 44 percent of dropouts under age 24 are jobless, and the unemployment rate of high school dropouts older than 25 is more than three times that of college graduates
District & City

Lack of education is one of the strongest predictors of criminal activity
(65% of US convicts are high school dropouts)
• For each additional year of schooling, the odds that a student will someday commit a crime like murder or assault are reduced by almost one third
• Increasing graduation rates by 10 percentage points would prevent more than 3000 murders and nearly 175,000 aggravated assaults in America each year
• If 5 percent more young men in high school graduated, America would see an annual savings of $4.9 billion in crime-related costs
District & City

PRE-K | ELEMENTARY | MIDDLE | HIGH SCHOOL
Schools

• Montessori School at LeMoyne
(Opening 2016-17)
• Dual Language Program Schools
(Delaware Primary & Seymour)
• Syracuse Latin School
Schools

Expeditionary Learning Middle
School (ELMS)
5 CORE PRACTICES
• Learning Expeditions
•
Active Pedagogy
•
School Culture & Character
•
Leadership & School Improvement
• School Structures
Schools

• Henninger Health Careers Program
• Institute of Technology at Syracuse
Central (ITC)
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
Programme at Corcoran
• Nottingham Natural Resources
STEM or Construction Technology
• Public Service Leadership Academy
• Two P-Tech Early College High
School Programs (ITC and HCA)
Schools

Coding & Technology — Boys & Girls Grades 6 – 12 Schools
• By the year 2020 there will be more than 1.4 million computer programming jobs available in the
United States, but less than 400,000 computer science students to fill these jobs.
• Coding can help students, especially females, develop a passion for science and technology, inspiring them to excel in technical careers.
• Coding develops computational, analytical, problem solving skills and creativity, skills needed in many professions.
Academy for Young Men
Schools

• Year-Round School can be done with, or without, expanded learning time
• Models vary– 4 x 45/15,
3 x 60/20 or 2 x 90/30
• Reduces summer learning loss and keep schoolbased services available to students and families throughout the year
Schools

Thinking Big: School Choice Expansion
Blended Learning — School of One Model
• Use of online resources and digital tools compliments and enhances traditional teacher-led instruction.
• Learning is personalized, or differentiated, to better meet the needs of all students.
• Teachers make use of daily assessments and real-time student performance data to inform instruction.
• Students are more engaged and take greater ownership of their learning.
Personalized Learning
Schools

Schools

Thinking Big: School Choice Expansion
Performing Arts Academy
• Integrating the arts into education generates motivation and increases the student’s ability to focus, attend and remember what is taught.
• Students develop increased discipline with focus on mastering the arts. This skill enhances their success in all areas of study and future careers.
Focus and Discipline
Schools

• NEW: Construction
Technology
• NEW: Drone
Technology
• Automotive Technology
• Computer Forensics
• Cosmetology/ Barbering
• Culinary Arts
• Cybersecurity
• Electrical Trades
• EMT
• Fire/ Rescue
• Forensic Science/ CSI
• Geospatial Technology
• Health Professions
• Law Enforcement
• Media Communications
• Medical Assisting
• Navy JROTC
• Natural Resources
• Pre-Engineering
• Welding
20
Specialized
Programs
2 CTE
Centered High
Schools
Schools

GRADES 9 —14
At no cost, students will:
• Earn a HIGH SCHOOL
DIPLOMA
• Earn an ASSOCIATE DEGREE
• Be FIRST IN LINE for entry level positions within their chosen major
Schools

Henninger High School Health
Careers Academy (HCA)
• Clinical Laboratory Technician
• Health Information Technology
Institute of Technology at
Syracuse Central (ITC)
• Electrical Engineering
Technology
• Mechanical Technology
Schools

• ELT launched in 12 schools at the start of the 2014 –15 school year
• 7,361 students
• 657 teachers
• 128.5 CBO Partner Staff
• Total Project Cost:
$11,577,893
Schools

Facility Repairs
New
Playgrounds
Schools
Renovated &
Added
Instructional
Space
ITC
Dr. Weeks
Fowler
H.W. Smith
4 LEED Silver
Certified Schools
ITC, PSLA@Fowler,
Dr. Weeks, H.W.
Smith
COMING SOON
Athletic Fields
14 School
Renovations

Group 1
Research shows that improving teacher quality has great power to change outcomes.
Students who begin 2 nd grade at about the same level of math achievement…
…may finish 5 th grade math at dramatically different levels depending on the quality of their teachers.
55
After 3
HIGHLY
EFFECTIVE
Teachers
Group 1
76
After 3
INEFFECTIVE
Teachers
Group 2
57
27
49
Group 2
0 100 20 40
Average Percentile Rank
60
Beginning of 2nd Grade
80
0 20 40 60 80
Average Percentile Rank
End of 5th Grade
100
27

Along with teachers, principals also have a major impact on student achievement.
School-based Factors Impacting Student Achievement
All Other Teacher
42% 33%
25%
Principal
Teachers & School Leaders
28

Source: connectleadsucceed.org
Teachers & School Leaders

Source: connectleadsucceed.org
Teachers & School Leaders

Through a series of cohesive touch points, SCSD leaders will be prepared to…
Leadership Academy
• Collaborate with colleagues that share common priorities
VP Academy
School Practice to
•
Model data-based decisions and facilitate data analysis sessions
• Be strategic thinkers and problem solvers
•
Reduce isolation and increase collaboration of teachers (based on data)
• Successfully implement a common interim assessment system and universal screener
• Reduce
• Provide effective pedagogical and content-specific feedback to teachers
• Establish or completely re-define school culture and climate
• Articulate a clear and compelling instructional vision upon which all decisions can be grounded
• Make difficult decisions based on clear data
• Know quality instruction when they see it and grow teachers
• Provide effective pedagogical and content-specific feedback to teachers
• Increase
Collaboration identify of the community
NPI
• Collaborate with cohort of new principals to internalize principal roadmap
• Learn from veteran SCSD principals
• Navigate SCSD technical and operational requirements
Clear expectations
• Distribute leadership
Shared accountability deflecting responsibility for overall success of the school
Teachers & School Leaders

We have hired large numbers of teachers in the last few years.
New Teacher Hires by Year
250
200
150
100
50
0
51
136
171
193
225
2011 2012 2013
Teachers
2014 2015
32
Teachers & School Leaders

Implementation of Goal 2 initiatives in Great Expectations has set the foundation for a successful teacher hiring process.
GOALS:
1. Find and attract diverse, talented candidates through creative means.
2. Fully execute an applicant-friendly, efficient and rigorous selection process.
3. Ensure the timely and early hiring of candidates.
Teachers & School Leaders
33

We are working to ensure the hiring and selection process produces quality new hires.
1.
Tracking hiring sources and using evaluation data to assess the quality of sources.
2.
Increasing the number of touch points in the interview process, making it highly personal.
3.
Rank all applicants and over time see how many of the top applicants get hired and earn tenure.
4.
Ensure an early start to the hiring process.
Teachers & School Leaders
34

District investing additional $75 million in salaries over 5 years
AVERAGE TEACHER SALARY:
Increasing by more than $12,500
BASE SALARY BY 2019:
More than 800 Teachers will earn a base salary of at least $75,000
2018-19
Salaries will be among highest in Onondaga
County!
STARTING TEACHER SALARY:
Increasing by 13% to $47,500 iZone — $53,300 SIG 5 — $54,300
COMPARE TO:
AVERAGE STARTING SALARY
New York State — $43,839
National — $36,141
Teachers & School Leaders

Progressive Healthcare plan will provide comprehensive benefits in cost-sustainable ways
• Based on high-deductible plan
• Cost savings
• Effective wellness initiatives
Increase
Collaboration
Teachers & School Leaders

Professional Development time for teachers has grown by 34% over past 5 years
• Investment increased from $1.7 million in
2010-11 to $2.3 million in 2013-14
• Refining offerings to align with curriculum and based on teacher feedback
• New teacher pre-service training increasing from
30 to 60 hours
• New teachers: 160 hours of professional development in first year
• Peer Assistance and
Review Program
Teachers & School Leaders

Focal Point 1:
Give more students access to excellent teaching
Focal Point 2:
Transform teaching into a highly paid profession with opportunities for career advancement
Teachers & School Leaders
Adapted from OpportunityCulture.org
; Copyright Public Impact 2015
38

Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC
Cabarrus County, NC
Metro Nashville, TN
Big Spring, TX
Dallas, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Teachers & School Leaders
© 2015 Public Impact
39
79

All
White
Black
Hispanic
English Language
Learners
Students with
Disabilities
National Average Syracuse
11.3
30.8
7.1
24.3
12
11.3
19.1
38.2
29.5
15.2
19.3
44.1
Difference
+19.5
+12
+13.9
+17.5
+3.9
+24.8

SCSD Percentage of Students Who Graduated by Number of 9th Grade Suspensions Cohorts
2007, 2008 and 2009
58,6% 58,5%
57,4%
38,5%
30,8%
21,6%
14,6%
36,2%
24,6%
6,9% 6,4%
33,9%
31,1%
18,9%
12,2%
Cohort 2007 Cohort 2008 Cohort 2009

School to Prison Pipeline
Source: safequalityschools.org

School to Prison Pipeline
Source: stateimpact.npr.org

Family Support for
Student Success
31 Schools
Peaceful Schools
5 Coaches - All
Schools
Center for
Community
Alternatives
-Advocates
-Transition Coaches
All Schools
Peace Inc. &
Foster Grandparents
All first and second grade classrooms
Mental Health
Clinicians
-Multiple Providers
29 Schools
Contact Community
Services - Primary
Project
19 Schools
Promise Zone
33 Schools
Hillside Work-
Scholarship
Connection
11 Schools
Contact Community
Services - Student
Assistance
Counselor
15 Schools

• The Say Yes to Education Syracuse free tuition guarantee has now been preserved, allowing us to permanently endow its scholarships.
• Mayor Miner announced $400,000 will be donated to Say Yes as a result of proceeds from bonds donated by Syracuse Local
Development Corporation (SLDC) as part of a Crouse Hospital expansion.
• County Executive Mahoney announced $20 million toward the Syracuse College Promise, which will be distributed to the Say Yes
Scholarship Endowment Fund in full this year.

Partnerships

Partnerships

Partnerships

55%
4-Year Graduation Rate
(2011 Student Cohort)
60%
5-Year Graduation Rate
(2011 Student Cohort)
58%
August Graduation Rate
(2011 Student Cohort)
Graduation Rates

SCSD 4-Year Graduation Rate-June Increased by Four Percentage Points in 2014-15
Percentage of Students Graduating with a Local, Regents, or
Regents with Advanced Designation Diploma After 4 Years
Results Through June, All Students
2005 Cohort 2006 Cohort 2007 Cohort 2008 Cohort 2009 Cohort 2010 Cohort 2011 Cohort
Syracuse CSD
Graduation Rates

55%
All Schools’ 5-Year Graduation Rates Increased in 2014-15
Graduation Rate Comparison
5-Year Results, All Students
2009 Cohort 2010 Cohort
85%
79%
70%
68%
60%
59% 58%
51%
39%
41%
66%
Corcoran Fowler SCSD
Graduation Rates
Henninger ITC Nottingham

26%
2008 Dropout Rate
16%
2015 Dropout Rate
Dropout Rates

FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE COHORTS THE DROPOUT RATE
DECREASED, THE LAST TWO YEARS SIGNIFICANTLY
Percentage of Students Who Dropped Out
After 4 Years, Results Through June
2006 Cohort 2007 Cohort 2008 Cohort 2009 Cohort 2010 Cohort
Dropout Rates
*All Students

Dramatically improved state education accountability status
Tripled number of schools in good standing to 9
13 Schools improved overall academic standing
9 Schools (50%) removed out of
Receivership
School Improvement