The Contracts for Excellence (C4E) Program was established in 2007 to provide additional accountability for increased State Aid for low performing school districts. C4E is a comprehensive approach to targeting fiscal resources to specific allowable programs proven to raise the achievement of students with the greatest educational need. Districts required to enter a contract must document the schools, programs, and student subgroups to be targeted for funding, along with specific, achievable performance improvements that will result.

The following information was submitted to the New York State Department of Education:

Please address changes in your existing C4E programs, including any redesign or reallocation. Also, describe how activities support the Regents Reform Agenda.

The Greater Amsterdam School District continues to remain dedicated to utilizing Contract 4 Excellent funds to support activities aligned with the Regents Reform Agenda, including Time on Task, Teacher/Principal Quality, and Class Size Reduction. These initiatives will continue to hold high priority throughout the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year.

Please address both student educational needs and building-level accountability status as reflected in the attached Targeting Matrix. Explain how the district and school Comprehensive Plan supports the program.

The District and building accountability statuses for the 2022-2023 school year have remained unchanged from the 2021-2022 school year with the exception of the High School. Tecler and Curie Elementary schools maintain good standing, while McNulty Elementary School and Lynch Literacy Academy are still identified as Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI). Barkley Elementary School is identified as Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) School and Amsterdam High School is now in good standing. The district and individual schools have developed 2023-24 School Comprehensive Education Plans (SCEPs) to support student educational needs and address accountability status.

The district’s Comprehensive Plan for 2023-2024 will continue to focus on several key initiatives, including addressing learning deficits, promoting social-emotional learning, increasing parent engagement, fostering equity, enhancing leadership, improving teaching practices, and promoting inclusive learning. Each school’s SCEP team has prioritized student well-being, academic learning, engagement, social-emotional learning, and inclusion. The plans were developed using surveys, data analysis, assessments, teacher feedback, and student focus groups to identify areas of improvement and set clear goals.
The SCEP plans continue to align with four core principles outlined by NYSED, which include creating welcoming and affirming environments, setting high expectations and providing rigorous instruction, developing inclusive curriculum and assessments, and fostering ongoing professional learning and support.

C4E funds will continue to support elementary-level students by providing staffing for early intervention programs, academic intervention services for struggling learners, implementing the Response to Intervention model for individualized academic support, reducing class sizes, and conducting data analysis to improve understanding of student instructional needs. The district will continue to focus on social-emotional learning through programs like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and/or Leader in Me, addressing concerns that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the secondary level, the district will continue to support curriculum leadership to enhance curriculum development, delivery, and assessment. Alternative instructional methods will continue to be implemented to support students who struggle, particularly in areas of academic weakness, language processing, and individual disabilities. Additional resources will continue to be allocated for ESOL teachers to support English Language Learners. Data analysis is emphasized to gain insights into student and instructional needs.

Describe the district’s expected performance targets for the accountability criteria and disaggregated groups for those schools within the district not in good standing.

The Greater Amsterdam School District continues to emphasize the importance of setting performance targets for accountability criteria and addressing the disaggregated groups for which the school has failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the past year. Building principals continue to play a crucial role in this process, working alongside their teams to develop school-wide growth plans based on subgroup and aggregated performance data, as well as state accountability designations.

To ensure targeted improvement, building-level teams conduct comprehensive data analysis during content and grade-level meetings. This enables them to analyze student performance data, identify areas for improvement, and set individual targets that align with the district’s expectations.

Schools in Good Standing complete annual Needs Assessments and develop School Wide plans to address specific needs and enhance overall performance. Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) Schools and Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) Schools take a more comprehensive approach by developing School Comprehensive Education Plans. These plans utilize common and formative student assessment results to identify areas of growth and improvement. Individual targets are set by the building principals, ensuring accountability and ownership at the school level.

To promote transparency and collaboration, all School Comprehensive Education Plans are made readily available to the public. They are posted on the district’s website, allowing stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and community members, to access and review the goals and strategies implemented by each school.