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2014 Malcolm Baldrige State Quality Award Application August 18, 2014
Spackenkill Union Free School District 15 Croft Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 Lois Powell, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Organizational Chart ........................................................................................................... c
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations ................................................................................ d
P.0 Preface: Organizational Profile..................................................................................... f
1.0 Leadership ....................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Senior Leadership ............................................................................................ 1
1.2 Governance and Societal Responsibilities ....................................................... 6
2.0 Strategic Planning ............................................................................................ 8
2.1 Strategic Development ..................................................................................... 8
2.2 Strategy Implementation ................................................................................ 12
3.0 Customer Focus ............................................................................................. 12
3.1 Voice of the Customer ................................................................................... 12
3.2 Customer Engagement ................................................................................... 14
4.0 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management ................................. 18
4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance . 18
4.2 Knowledge Management, Information, and Information Technology .......... 21
5.0 Workforce Focus ........................................................................................... 24
5.1 Workforce Environment ................................................................................ 24
5.2 Workforce Engagement ................................................................................. 26
6.0 Operations Focus ........................................................................................... 28
6.1 Work Processes .............................................................................................. 28
6.2 Operational Effectiveness .............................................................................. 29
7.0 Results ........................................................................................................... 32
7.1 Student Learning and Process Results ........................................................... 32
7.2 Customer-Focused Results ............................................................................ 40
7.3 Workforce-Focused Results ........................................................................... 42
7.4 Leadership and Governance Results .............................................................. 44
7.5 Budgetary, Financial, and Market Results ..................................................... 46
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Organizational Chart
Organizational Chart
d
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
AASA American Association of School Administrators
AC administrative cabinet
ADA average daily attendance
AED automated external defibrillator
AES Advanced Encryption Standard
AIS Academic Intervention Services
AP Advanced Placement
APPR Annual Professional Performance Review
ASCD Formerly the Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
ASICPPS assistant superintendent for instruction,
curriculum, and pupil personnel services
ASQ American Society for Quality
AT administrative team
AYP adequate yearly progress
BARS BOCES Assessment Reporting System
BEDS Basic Educational Data System
BOE Board of Education
CCLS Common Core Learning Standards
CD coordinator of data
CEO chief executive officer
CMP Crisis Management Plan
COSER Cooperative Services
CPI Consumer Price Index
CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation
CPSE Committee on Pre-school Special Education
CRDP Curriculum Renewal and Design Process
CSE Committee on Special Education
CT coordinator of technology
DASA Dignity for All Students Act
DC District Council
DC BOCES Dutchess County Board of Cooperative
Educational Services (also known as BOCES)
DCC Dutchess Community College
DEC Department of Environmental Conservation
DEHIC Dutchess Educational Health Insurance Consortium
DFO director of facilities and operations
DPEHA director of physical education, health, and
athletics
DRA Developmental Reading Assessment
DSC District Safety Committee
DSL director of school lunch
DSP District Safety Plan
DT director of transportation
ELA English Language Arts
ELL English language learners
EMS Energy Management System
EPC Energy Performance Contract
ERP Emergency Response Plan
ESCO energy services company
ESL English as a Second Language
GAFE Google Apps for Education
GASB Governmental Accounting Standards Board
GLSEN Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
HR human resources
IBM International Business Machines Corporation
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IEP Individualized Education Program
ISTE International Society for Technology in Education
IT information technology
LED light-emitting diode
LEO Club Leadership, Experience, Opportunity
LHCSS Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents
MA master’s degree
MAP Measures of Academic Progress
Mbps megabits per second
MHSSC Mid-Hudson School Study Council
MLP My Learning Plan
MMBTU 1 million British thermal units
MPPR Multidimensional Principal Performance Rubric
MVV mission, vision, and values
NCLB No Child Left Behind
NHS National Honor Society
NWEA Northwest Evaluation Association
NYS New York State
NYS Board of Regents New York State Board of Regents
(also known as the Regents)
NYSASBO New York State Association of School Business
Officials
NYSASCD New York State Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development NYSCOSS New York State Council of School
Superintendents
NYSED New York State Department of Education
NYSPHSAA New York State Public High School Athletic
Association
NYSSBA New York State School Boards Association
NYSUT New York State United Teachers
OFIs opportunities for improvement
OM Odyssey of the Mind
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PBIS Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
PC personal computer
PD professional development
PDSA Plan, Do, Study, Act
PLC professional learning community
PLTW Project Lead The Way
PPS Pupil Personnel Services
PTA Parent Teacher Association
P-TECH schools Pathways in Technology Early College
High Schools
RAID 5 Redundant Array of Independent Disks, Level 5 RIC Regional Information Center
RFP request for proposals
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
RIT Rasch unIT
RTI Response to Intervention
RTTT Race to the Top
SAA Spackenkill Administrators Association
SAANYS School Administrators Association of New York
State
SAN storage area network
SAT Scholastic Aptitude Test
SAVE Safe Schools Against Violence in Education
SBM school business manager
SBT Site-based Team
SHS Spackenkill High School
SIP school improvement plan
SIRS Student Information Repository System
SL senior leader
SM SchoolMessenger
SMS student management system
SOS superintendent of schools
SP Strategic Plan
SPP strategic planning process
SRO school resource officer
STA Spackenkill Teachers Association
SUFSD Spackenkill Union Free School District
SWD students with disabilities
SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats TMS Todd Middle School
USDA United State Department of Agriculture
VADIR Violent and Disruptive Incident Reporting
VOC volatile organic compounds
VPN virtual private network
WC Workers Compensation
WPA2™ Wi-Fi Protected Access ® 2
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Preface: Organizational Profile
P.0 Preface: Organizational Profile
P.1 Organizational Description
The Spackenkill Union Free School District (SUFSD) is a
K–12 public school district located in the western part of
Dutchess County, New York. It was established in 1866 and
has grown from a one-room schoolhouse to a district
comprised of four schools serving nearly 1,600 students.
Geographically, the district is six square miles in size and is
located in the Town of Poughkeepsie.
P.1a Organizational Environment
P.1a(1) Educational Program and Service Offerings
The school district offers a K–12 public school educational
program under the registration of the New York State
Education Department (NYSED). Our educational program
leads students to graduate with a high school diploma. We
are mandated by NYSED to teach the state Common Core
Learning Standards (CCLS), which are organized by grade
level. We are also mandated to assess our students with
state-developed exams at state-determined grade levels. The
program is delivered by teachers certified by NYSED in
their content/grade level and deemed “highly qualified,” as
per federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. The
delivery of the program is organized around the traditional
grade-level structure. The elementary curriculum is
delivered in one K–2 elementary school and one 3–5
elementary school. Multidisciplinary teams that allow the
transition from self-contained grade-level classes to
departmentalized classes serve as the method of delivery for
our one middle school, consisting of grades 6–8. Our one
high school serves grades 9–12. We also offer Advanced
Placement (AP) courses at the high school. The district
offers a wide variety of extra-curricular and athletic
opportunities for students as well. In regard to classified
students, we have a continuum of services that ranges from
full inclusion in co-taught classrooms (the norm) to
placement in self-contained life skills programs.
While most of our services are delivered directly by our
own teaching staff, we do partner with other institutions to
provide some programs that we are not large enough to
offer on-site. One such partner is Dutchess County Board of
Cooperative Educational Services (DC BOCES), to which
we send students for certain more restrictive special
education programs and for career and technical programs,
such as cosmetology and culinary arts. We also partner with
Dutchess Community College (DCC) to provide dual
enrollment courses, i.e., courses taught by our staff at our
schools for which students earn both high school and
college credits. DCC also offers specialized programs that
students may attend at the college in their senior year of
high school; these are called “bridge” programs because
they bridge the transition between high school and college.
Nursing and Teaching are two examples. Our local chamber
of commerce offers a leadership program that some of our
students participate in after school as well. The Town of
Poughkeepsie Police Department partners with us by
sharing the cost of a school resource officer (SRO), who is
on duty each day in our district. While this officer provides
many different services, one is educational, as the officer
teaches lessons in our forensic science classes and teaches
our elementary students about such topics as peer pressure,
bullying, and wise decision making.
P.1a(2) Vision and Mission
SUFSD has a long tradition of excellence and high standards.
The school district defines the community and has the strong
support of parents and community members. Students have
expectations of attending college. Our mission states (Figure
P.1-1): “Spackenkill schools, inspired by a tradition of
excellence and a spirit of continuous improvement, are
committed to empowering students to succeed in an ever-
changing world.” Our vision is as follows: “All Spackenkill
graduates will be lifelong learners who are inspired to pursue
their dreams and contribute to the global society.” We have
three core values: the development of character, the pursuit of
knowledge, and the respect for tradition. Our core
competencies are the transmittal of knowledge and skills, the
development of character and leadership, and the attention to
the individual needs of students. Spackenkill is often described
as providing a “private school education in a public school
setting” on account of its small class sizes and its focus on
offering a broad range of opportunities for students of
differing abilities and interests. They are aligned with the
mission by giving students the tools they need to “succeed in
an ever-changing world.”
P.1a(3) Workforce Profile
The district employs 301 people: 9.5 administrators, 169
teachers, 24 teaching assistants, 4 nurses, and 98.5 non-
instructional employees (clerical, custodial, maintenance,
monitors, bus drivers, and food service workers). Most of our
staff are certificated, meaning that they are certified by
NYSED to perform their jobs. Certificated personnel are
administrators, teachers, and teaching assistants. Our non-
certificated staff are generally civil service employees.
Almost all of our certificated staff have at least a master’s
degree (MA), while many have an MA plus 30 graduate
credits. Three have their doctorates. In addition to paid
employees, we have approximately 400 parents who volunteer
in various capacities over the course of the school year.
Activities include chaperoning field trips and events, running
programs such as Parents as Reading Partners, and serving on
booster clubs that raise money for athletics and music.
Approximately 96 percent of our workforce is Caucasian.
Ninety-nine percent of our teachers are highly qualified, as per
NCLB standards. Our employees are represented by three
Figure P.1-1 Strategic Plan Excerpts
Mission
Spackenkill schools, inspired by a tradition of excellence and a spirit of continuous improvement, is committed to empowering students to succeed in an ever-changing world.
Vision All Spackenkill graduates will be lifelong learners who are inspired to pursue their dreams and contribute to the global society.
Motto A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow.
Values Tradition, Character, Knowledge
Pillars
Pillar 1: Student Performance Pillar 2: Community Involvement Pillar 3: Workforce Engagement Pillar 4: Operational Efficiency and Fiscal Responsibility Pillar 5: Healthy, Safe, and Caring Environment
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Preface: Organizational Profile
bargaining units: Administrators—Spackenkill Administrators
Association (SAA)/School Administrators Association of New
York State (SAANYS); Teachers—Spackenkill Teachers
Association (STA)/New York State United Teachers
(NYSUT); and Support Staff—Spackenkill Support Staff
Association/NYSUT. P.1a(4) Assets
Our district consists of five buildings. Martha Lawrence,
built in 1927, consists of 33,367 square feet and is currently
leased to a local organization for special education pre-
school services. Nassau Elementary School (NES), built in
1962, consists of 52,000 square feet and houses our students
who are in grades K–2. Hagan Elementary School (HES),
built in 1966, consists of 60,500 square feet and houses our
students who are in grades 3–5. Todd Middle School
(TMS), built in 1958, consists of 78,200 square feet and
houses our students who are in grades 6–8. The district
offices are attached to the middle school, but only
accessible through a separate entrance. Spackenkill High
School (SHS), built in 1971, consists of 132,070 square feet
and houses students who are in grades 9–12. We also have a
small pole barn building that serves as a bus garage for our
mini-buses.
The district’s other assets include 14 mini-buses, 4 vans,
and 10 maintenance vehicles. As technology has come to
play a more significant role in education our technology
department has grown. We currently have 1,200 computers,
including 9 computer labs. Five hundred of those devices
are mobile devices, mostly laptops. There are 11 laptop
carts available to teachers and students. The majority of
them are at the secondary buildings, where we have a more
robust wireless network with access points in every
classroom.
P.1a(5) Regulatory Requirements
The district is governed by federal and state laws. We are
accountable to the federal Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) legislation as well as NCLB and
Race to the Top (RTTT) laws. The primary regulatory
agency, however, is the NYS Board of Regents (also known
as the Regents), which is a nine-
member board appointed by the
state legislature to oversee
NYSED, led by the
commissioner of education. The
Regents pass education laws,
mandate curriculum standards,
and have extensive state
assessment systems in grades
3–12. A high school diploma is
awarded after a student
completes 22 credits in
prescribed subject areas. Students must pass a total of five
Regents exams to earn a Regents Diploma and eight exams
to earn a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation. The
Regents also regulate certification for all teachers,
administrators, teaching assistants, and coaches. Teachers
are also required to be “highly qualified,” in accordance
with NCLB regulations. The Regents also mandate
regulations for health and safety and employ the county fire
inspector, health commissioner, and state police to monitor
compliance. The district is also required to adhere to
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
requirements.
County civil service laws regulate the non-certificated
staff. The Regents and the state comptroller regulate
financial areas. The district employs outside auditors to
conduct an internal audit and a separate auditing firm to
conduct an external audit each year. Additionally, the state
conducts its own audit of district practices randomly.
Locally, the district is governed by Board policy,
established by the Board of Education (BOE) and enforced
by the superintendent of schools (SOS). The BOE Policy
Book includes a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct.
Policy guidance is provided by the New York State School
Boards Association (NYSSBA) as well as by attorneys
retained by the district.
P.1b Organizational Relationships
P.1b(1) Organizational Structure
The district is governed by a five-member BOE, each of
whom is elected by the community to a five-year term. One
position is voted on for re-election each year, which provides
stability to the leadership of the district. The Board’s primary
functions are to develop the vision for the district, set policy,
and develop a budget in support of the vision. The Board hires
and supervises the SOS, who serves as the chief executive
officer (CEO) of the district. The senior leaders (SLs), as
described in Figure P.1-2, include the assistant superintendent
for instruction, curriculum, and pupil personnel services
(ASICPPS); the school business manager (SBM); the
coordinator of technology (CT); the coordinator of data (CD);
and the building principals.
The SBM supervises three directors: the director of
transportation (DT), the director of facilities and operations
(DFO), and the director of school lunch (DSL) as well as
clerical and business office staff. Building principals supervise
the assistant principal, the dean of students, and the director of
physical education, health, and athletics (DPEHA). They also
supervise the teachers and support staff in their buildings.
P.1b(2) Students, Other Customers, and Stakeholders
The students are the primary customers of the district’s
educational services. Students expect that the district will
teach them how to discover, access, and create knowledge
and allow them the opportunity to attain the highest level of
achievement. Students also expect that the district will
prepare them for entrance into college. Students avail
Figure P.1-2 Senior Leaders/Administrative Cabinet
Superintendent
Senior Leaders
Asst. Supt. School
Business Manager
SHS Principal
TMS Principal
HES Principal
NES Principal
Coordinator of
Technology
Other Leaders Participating on Administrative Cabinet
Asst. Principal Dean of Students
Director of Facilities & Operations
Director of School Lunch
Coordinator of Data
Director of Transportation
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Preface: Organizational Profile
themselves of a wide offering of academic, extra-, and co-
curricular activities with a continuous emphasis on
achievement. Students’ needs are represented through
Student Government activities and by student satisfaction
surveys at the secondary schools and student leadership
groups at the elementary schools. Every student’s progress
is monitored quarterly by teachers and administrators.
Students are also supported by the Response to Intervention
(RTI) Committee and by special education teachers,
coaches, and guidance personnel.
The racial composition of the student body is 63.4 percent
Caucasian, 9.0 percent Black, 10.9 percent Hispanic, 14.1
percent Asian/Pacific Islander, .3 percent Native American,
and 2.3 percent multiracial. Seventeen percent of the
students are eligible for free and reduced price meals.
Twelve percent of the students are classified as students
with disabilities (SWD) and 2 percent are English language
learners (ELL).
Our students are segmented into the following
categories: enriched, SWD, ELL, and economically
disadvantaged. We are also mindful of student performance
by ethnicity.
Parents and other district residents are also customers
since schools in NYS are funded in large part by property
taxes. The workplace, the military, and post-secondary
educational institutes are customers as well, in that they
receive the students we produce. Additionally, some local
colleges send their students to our district to complete their
student teaching experience. The quality of the experience
for them is directly related to the quality of our teaching
staff.
Because of the disparity in the segments of our
population, we must provide a variety of programs to meet
student needs. We offer enrichment programs at all levels.
At the elementary level we have an enrichment teacher who
supplements classroom instruction in grades 3–5. We also
have clubs and activities for enriched students, including
Odyssey of the Mind (OM), Math Carnival, and a National
Geographic Bee. At the middle level, we have accelerated
courses in art, math, and science. We also offer after-school
activities for students, including OM and clubs. At the high
school level we offer a wide variety of AP courses, a
science research program in which students partner with
scientists to execute their own research projects, and a pre-
engineering course. Additionally, students can participate in
a variety of clubs, including Science Olympiad, Math Team,
and Mock Trial.
For our ELL students, we offer the services of certified
English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. We meet or
exceed state requirements for students in this area.
SWD receive a wide range of services from elementary
through high school. We are required by federal legislation
to provide students with services in the least restrictive
manner possible. Services range at all grade levels from
resource room assistance to co-taught classes, to fully self-
contained classes and out-of-district placements. Many
times, these students, as well non-classified students,
receive Academic Intervention Services (AIS) from reading
teachers or other appropriately certified subject area
teachers.
We offer many choices for clubs and athletics, which are
open to all segments of our student population. Several of
our most popular clubs are service clubs, which conduct
fundraisers, food drives, and clothing drives for community
organizations and charities.
Students of all segments have access to the support
services of social workers and school psychologists. At the
secondary level, guidance counselors are also available to
provide assistance.
Another key area of service we provide for our students is
safety. Our SRO is stationed mainly in the high school, but
is available to respond to the needs of all buildings. She also
participates in both building and District Safety Committee
(DSC) meetings and conducts safety drills in all district
buildings.
Our taxpayers require that we provide high levels of
student achievement, maintain a reputation for excellence,
and use money responsibly. Since people choose where to
reside based on the quality of the school district, the
district’s standing and reputation can play a major role in
property values and house sales. The district consistently
looks for ways to work more efficiently while maintaining
the quality of its programs.
Another important way that we meet the needs of our
taxpayers, particularly those who have children in our
district, is through a robust communication system. We
have a webpage and a Facebook account for all community
residents. Links on our website provide easy access for
community members to e-mail the BOE and the SOS. At
times, we send letters to the entire community as well. For
parents, additional communication methods are also in
place, including teacher webpages, a parent portal, an online
school lunch payment program, and an automated calling
system, called SchoolMessenger (SM), to provide
information to the parents about events and emergencies.
Colleges require students who are academically prepared
to meet the rigors of their programs as well as emotionally
and socially prepared to adjust to the responsibilities of the
college environment. The military and the workplace
require us to produce students who have a solid work ethic,
good character, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to
think on their feet.
P.1b(3) Suppliers and Partners
Our key suppliers are segmented into three categories: those
that provide services, those that provide products, and those
that provide both.
Service providers include:
Durham School Services, which provides for the bulk
of our student transportation;
various BOCES locations across the state, which
provide student programs, professional development
(PD), and cooperative purchasing;
organizations such as NYSSBA, New York State
Association of School Business Officials
(NYSASBO), and the New York State Council of
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Preface: Organizational Profile
School Superintendents (NYSCOSS), which provides
legal advice, PD, and resources; and
individual service providers who work with students
in need of occupational or physical therapy or who
provide consultant services as required.
Some suppliers provide both products and services.
Examples include textbook, hardware, and software vendors,
who often provide PD as well as the products they sell.
Product suppliers include companies that provide office
supplies, athletic equipment, school furniture and equipment,
office equipment (such as copiers), and utilities.
Our partners are many and varied. They include NYSED,
the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), local mental health
agencies and substance abuse agencies, local colleges, the
Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Town
of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Dutchess County
Health Department, Utica National Insurance Group, and
Cenergistic (an energy conservation company).
Suppliers of products provide the district with the materials
it needs to perform our key functions of educating students
and keeping them safe. Suppliers of services perform these
two key functions as well, but also play a role in helping us to
maintain our competitive edge. They accomplish this by
making us aware of new resources on the market and better
ways to deliver instruction, and/or by delivering services
directly to students. They also help us to maximize our dollars
so that more money can go directly into student programs.
Innovations are achieved largely through PD our staff
receives, work done with the local education colleges, and the
use of technology. As vendors provide more advanced
hardware and software that better meet student learning needs,
the district changes its way of delivering instruction.
We communicate with our suppliers and partners in a
variety of ways. They include electronic methods—such as via
websites, e-mail, online ordering, and webinars—as well as
via phone calls and face-to-face meetings and workshops.
It is the policy of the BOE that purchasing serve the
educational program by providing necessary supplies,
equipment, and related services. It is the goal of the district to
purchase competitively, without prejudice or favoritism, and
to seek the maximum educational value for every dollar.
Purchases from $2,000–$4,999 require two to three verbal
quotes. Purchases from $5,000–$20,000 require three written
quotes, if feasible. Contracts more than $20,000 require
competitive bidding and are procured in a manner to ensure
the prudent and economical use of public money, in the best
interest of the taxpayers.
P.2 Organizational Situation
P.2a Competitive Environment
P.2a(1) Competitive Position
In NYS, students attend school in the district within which
they reside. SUFSD is viewed as a high-performing school
district of choice in a county of 13 school districts. Realtors
include “Spackenkill Schools” as a selling point in home
listings. SHS has been included in top high school lists
compiled by The Washington Post (past 4 years) and
Newsweek (past 5 years). It made US News and World
Report’s list in 2012. With a 97.6 percent graduation rate,
SUFSD far exceeds the state rates. In a recent report by the
NYS comptrollers’ office, SUFSD is ranked first place in the
county for fiscal stability and is in the top 5 percent of the
state. Only 2.6 percent of students who live in the district
choose to attend private schools (compared with 8.46 percent
in a neighboring district), though we have two such schools
within district boundaries and another two within a 2-mile
radius of the district.
P.2a(2) Competitive Changes
Competitive changes that may affect SUFSD’s competitive
situation and provide opportunities for innovation and
collaboration include our declining enrollment. Because we
have more space available in our buildings, we have begun to
discuss the possibility of beginning a pre-K program at the
elementary level and a post-secondary program at the high
school. NYS has recently begun to establish Pathways in
Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH schools) in
the state, and our SOS has initiated conversations with
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) about the
feasibility of implementing a smaller-scale program in our
district.
P.2a(3) Comparative Data
SUFSD uses comparative and competitive data in several
areas. In 2008, we identified three schools in the county that
we compare ourselves to academically and three schools in
higher achieving counties that we use as exemplars. We are
planning to consider new schools this summer as a result of a
steady increase in the percentage of students receiving free
and reduced lunch over that past several years. (Research
shows a strong correlation between student achievement and
socioeconomic status.)
Most typically, we use these schools’ academic data to
analyze our own academic performance in an effort toward
continuous improvement. This is especially important in NYS
since over the past several years, state tests have changed
multiple times, cut scores used to determine proficiency levels
have changed, and scoring rubrics have changed. Without the
ability to compare ourselves to other similar schools, it would
be difficult to tell whether our students are doing worse or if
they, like those in other districts, are reacting to a tougher test
or a tougher standard. While we most commonly use
academics as an area of comparison, we also use county and
state data to analyze such things as financial standing,
employee salaries and benefits, and staffing ratios. Most of
this data is public information and readily accessible to us
through state databases. Additionally, our BOCES publishes a
comparative financial analysis of the 13 school districts in the
county called Dutchess County Fact Book.
P.2b Strategic Content
Our strategic advantages heighten SUFSD’s sustainability and
achievement of our mission (Figure P.2-1). Figure P.2-1: Strategic Advantages & Challenges
Strategic Advantages Strategic Challenges
Reputation Lack of defined processes
Culture of excellence Reduced workforce
Community support New York State instructional mandates
Engaged workforce New York State finance laws
Class size Changing socioeconomic environment
Educational resources Lack of community shared vision
Small schools Declining enrollment
Fiscal stability Maintaining programs
Reputation
Culture of excellence
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
Preface: Organizational Profile
They influence our core competencies. Strategic challenges
are addressed in our district and building goals. Both the
strategic advantages and challenges are identified in the
Environmental Scan and Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis conducted by the
administrative cabinet (AC) in the summer (Figure 2.1-6).
P.2c Performance Improvement System
Our core competencies are integrated in our performance
improvement system. SUFSD has developed a culture of
continuous improvement by committing to a three-pronged
performance improvement system. First, we systematically
use the Baldrige Framework for Performance Excellence as
our framework for performance improvement. This framework
guides our improvement by:
Focusing on Strategic Plan (SP), goals, and action
plans that guide our academic and support work
processes and help us to better understand, listen to,
and serve all stakeholders;
Using an evidence-based performance measurement
system that utilizes results so we can lead by fact;
Systematically using benchmarking to discover
success, gaps, and growth opportunities.
Second, we achieve performance improvement via a
systems approach to improving our key work processes and by
embedding all key areas in our SP. Our SP is the primary tool
for planning and focusing on action. SUFSD sets performance
goals drawn from national, state, and regional benchmarks as
well as from internal performance results.
Third, our approach to performance improvement is attained
via a strategic deployment of Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA).
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
1.0 - Leadership
1.0 Leadership
1.1 Senior Leadership
1.1a Vision, Values, and Mission
1.1a(1) Vision and Values
The SOS meets each summer with the administrative team
(AT), which consists of two district office administrators
(the SBM and the ASICPPS), six building-level
administrators, and four middle-level managers of
departments (DT, DSL, DFO, and CT). In 2007, we worked
with a consultant to help us define our mission, vision, and
values (MVV). Since then, we have refined these a few
times as a result of discussion at summer meetings, PD
provided by consultants, and feedback from the community.
Any changes being considered to the vision and values are
communicated to the school community via our District
Council (DC), website, faculty meetings, school Board
meetings, PTA meetings, and Site-based Team (SBT)
meetings. Feedback is always considered before asking the
BOE to adopt the changes. Our MVV are as follows:
Mission: Spackenkill schools, inspired by a tradition of
excellence and a spirit of continuous improvement, are
committed to empowering students to succeed in an ever-
changing world.
Vision: All Spackenkill graduates will be lifelong learners
who are inspired to pursue their dreams and contribute to the
global society.
Values: Tradition, Character, Knowledge.
Once the BOE adopts our vision and values, we deploy
them by many of the same means by which we seek
feedback. We publish the changes on our website and notify
staff and parents through faculty meetings, BOE meetings,
and SBT meetings.
A student competition yielded a new logo that we use for
branding on our website, letterhead, presentations, vehicles,
as well as team uniforms and t-shirts.
SLs consider our vision and values in virtually all decision
making. We align our district and building goals with our
vision. PD for administrators, certified staff, and civil
service staff is scheduled to assist us in attaining our goals.
The SOS makes every effort to schedule meetings with
administrators only on Thursdays, so that building
administrators can make commitments to being in classrooms
and available to their teachers, students, and parents on a
consistent basis.
It has been said that what gets measured gets done. To this
end, we provide our BOE and community with a variety of
presentations that address how we are doing (Figure 1.1-1).
Our goals are reported on annually at a BOE meeting. We
present academic audits for the BOE on each building in the
district. These audits give the BOE and community
information about how our students are performing on
NYSED exams and include information about how we
compare to the state average as well as to comparison and
exemplar districts. Another report made annually is a
scorecard presentation (Figures 1.1-2– 1.1-6) that gives the
BOE and our community information about how we are
performing each year on metrics that address our five pillars.
These metrics address not just our commitment to academics,
but our commitment to character as well. All BOE meetings
are videotaped and available for viewing on our website; all
presentations are available on our website as well.
1.1a(2) Promoting Legal and Ethical Behavior
SLs promote an organizational environment that requires legal
and ethical behavior in a variety of ways. First, all personnel
are required to meet all certification requirements for their
employment. All employees must be fingerprinted and cleared
for employment by NYS. All personnel must sign an
acknowledgment annually that they have read the Personnel
Manual, which includes the following documents:
Child Abuse Policy
Sexual Harassment Policy and Investigative
Procedures
Personnel Code of Ethics
Code of Conduct
Policy on Disability Harassment
Policy on Reporting and Investigation of Allegations
of Fraud
Acceptable Use of Technology Policy
Figure 1.1-1 BOE Presentations
BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE 2013–2014
Friday, July 12, 2013 Reorganization/Regular Meeting
Monday, August 26, 2013 Regular Meeting/ Summer School Report and
RTI Manual Presentation
Monday, September 9, 2013
Regular Meeting/New and Tenured Staff
Celebration and Building Use Study Presentation
Tuesday, September 24, 2013 Long Range Planning/Building Goals
Presentation and Olweus Presentation
Monday, October 7, 2013 Regular Meeting/ HES and TMS Audit and
Student Growth Score Presentation
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Long Range Planning/Presentation on Exit
Survey Results and First Community Budget
Forum
Tuesday, November 12, 2013 Regular Meeting/Transportation Update, Baldrige, Scorecard, and SP Presentation
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Long Range Planning/NES and SHS Audits and
State Parent Portal/Dashboard Presentation
Monday, December 9, 2013 Regular Meeting/Roll-over Budget Presentation and Enrichment Program Presentation
Monday, January 13, 2014 Regular Meeting/Budget Discussion, Testing
Discussion, and Grant Service Presentation
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Long Range Planning/Budget Survey Results
Presentation and Second Community Budget Forum
Monday, February 10, 2014 Regular Meeting/Presentation and Discussion of
Budget Forums
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 Long Range Planning/Budget Discussion and AIS Presentation
Monday, March 10, 2014 Regular Meeting/ Budget Discussion and
Student, Parent, Employee Survey Results
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 Long Range Planning/ Budget Presentation
Monday, April 7, 2014 Regular Meeting/Budget Adoption and Tenure Appointments
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 Long Range Planning/BOCES Vote and Energy
Performance Contract Presentation
Tuesday, May 6, 2014 Regular Meeting/Budget Hearing
Tuesday, May 20, 2014 Annual Mtg./Budget Vote/Trustee Election
Monday, June 9, 2014 Regular Meeting/Building Goals Reports
Tuesday, June 17, 2014 Long Range Planning/ Celebration of Successes
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
1.0 - Leadership
Employees also sign annually an acceptable use form for the
use of technology that specifies the conduct required in that
area. The district monitors local, state, and federal changes in
legal and ethical requirements and adopts policies and
regulations accordingly.
The actions of SLs demonstrate their commitment to legal
and ethical behavior in a variety of ways as well. First, they
hire only appropriately certified or civil service–qualified
people. Second, they make the expectations of the district
known through the Personnel Manual, Board policies, and
meetings, as necessary.
Third, they handle infractions that occur in a timely and
appropriate manner. Principals or other SLs report all
improprieties to the SOS. Because most of our employees are
under the jurisdiction of either Dutchess County civil service
laws or NYSED laws, the disciplinary processes for these
employees are highly regulated. While infractions are never
ignored, we must work with our legal counsel to ensure that
Figure 1.1-2 Student Performance
Indicators
Student Achievement
Mean point growth in math and reading
(MAP
State testing--% proficient (math):
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Algebra (grades 8 & 9)
State testing--% proficient (ELA):
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
SHS
SAT average scores:
Critical reading
Math
Writing % earning 3 or better on AP exams
4-year graduation rate
SHS drop-out rate Success after graduation:
% of class of 2010 reporting well prepared
for the future (one year after graduation) Student mobility
Student Engagement Survey results
Teacher Performance
% Effective on annual evaluation
% Highly Effective on annual evaluation
% of teachers participating in staff development
% of teachers at MA +30
% of teachers with multiple certifications
Figure 1.1-3 Community Involvement
Indicators
Community
Satisfaction
Budget vote participation
Budget vote results
Exit Survey % indicating that they would support exceeding the
tax cap to avoid cuts to programs and/ or reduction
in quality of education Satisfaction Survey
Impartial hearings
Appeals to commissioner Lawsuits filed
Community
Engagement
Volunteers
Committee memberships School events
Boosters
Users of District website
Parent Portal
Nutrikids SM
Teacher webpages
Facebook page
Figure 1.1-4 Workforce Engagement
Indicators
Workforce Satisfaction
Survey--% that give workplace an “A” or a “B”
Longevity
Certified % 10–19 years
% more than 20 years
Non-certified % 10–19 years
% more than 20 years
Attendance Certified
Non-certified
Grievances Certified
Non-certified
Workforce Engagement
% participated in PD % participated in 10 or more PD activities
% who serve on committees
% who serve on multiple committees % who chair committees/serve on leadership
team
% who lead PD activities % of teachers at MA+30
% of teachers with multiple certifications
Figure 1.1-5 Operating Efficiencies Cost Effectiveness
Indicators
Fiscal
Responsibility
Fund balances
Reserves Bond rating (Moody’s)
Internal audit
External audit Comptroller’s audit
Operating
Efficiencies
Bids and RFPs
Cumulative Utilities cost avoidance (Cenergistic
reports) Average turn-around time for work orders
Late buses – based on SM calls Average lunch line times
Figure 1.1-6 Safe, Healthy, and Caring Schools
Indicators
Healthy Schools
% of students at healthy body weight
Reports from local Dept. of Health and USDA
Outbreak reports to Health Dept. and comparison data from Health Dept.
Caring Schools
Student Climate Survey (Olweus):
% of students who report not being bullied in the past couple of months
Employee Survey:
% agreed that staff really care about students Bullying/harassment complaints
Safe Schools
Accidents/Injuries
Students Employees (WC)
VADIR (violent incident reports)
Best time on evacuation drills Fire Inspection
Bus accidents
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
1.0 - Leadership
all employee rights are protected and that we are in
compliance with the law. Consequences must be in keeping
with the law as well.
1.1a(3) Creating a Sustainable Organization
SLs create an environment for the achievement of our mission
in a variety of ways. SLs meet together at least monthly to
identify and discuss issues, participate in PD,
and/or make decisions about programs and practices that
affect the achievement of our mission.
SLs also meet at least monthly with their staff. In the
support areas (non-instructional), the SBM meets monthly
with the DFO, the DSL, and the DT. The SBM also meets
weekly with the district treasurer, account payable clerk, and
payroll supervisor. The ASICPPS meets monthly with
curriculum coordinators and principals.
The SOS communicates at least monthly with the CT and
the CD. The concept that these personnel provide services so
that the teachers can achieve the mission of the district is a key
one that is ingrained in peoples’ minds. Therefore, they
understand that issues discussed in these meetings have a
higher purpose than, for example, fixing a broken tile in a
floor or ordering print cartridges.
The SOS also communicates weekly with the building
principals to discuss matters that affect the achievement of our
mission. Examples include
discussions about progress toward
achieving building and personal
goals, talks about curriculum
initiatives and needs, and
conversations about
underperforming personnel and
student performance.
Principals meet at least monthly
with their staff as well, where the
topics focus largely on curricular
and instructional issues. Members
of the staff also serve on SBTs, at
which principals lead the
discussion about how best to
achieve the building goals and
how they are progressing at doing
so.
SLs create an environment for
the improvement of organizational performance through the
strategic planning process (SPP) and the focus on metrics used
in our scorecards, which help us to assess how we are doing.
SLs meet annually to review our scorecards, and the SOS
makes a presentation to the BOE annually about our
performance on our scorecards. SLs also have discussions
with staff about how processes could be improved; those
changes are documented, flowcharted, and put on the district’s
Intranet for all employees.
SLs create an environment for performance leadership as
well. All administrators, from the SOS through the district
office administrators and building administrators, have
language in their contracts that allows the district to reward
them for excellence in leadership. All SLs are also encouraged
to make presentations to their staff, the community, and the
BOE about areas of importance to the organization. Doing this
enables leaders to be regarded as experts in their fields and
garners them a higher standing in the community. Teachers,
too, are encouraged to lead workshops for their colleagues,
present to their colleagues at faculty meetings, serve on and/or
chair building committees, and start new, sometimes
experimental, programs for the schools. Teachers who perform
functions such as these are recognized for their leadership in
their annual performance review as well as by informal notes
from the SOS and formal and informal communications from
the building principals.
SLs create an environment for organizational and personal
learning as well. We utilize the PDSA method of continuous
improvement at all levels of the organization to facilitate
organizational learning. All SLs have been trained in this
methodology by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) or
another SL who was so trained.
SLs encourage personal learning by making workshops and
conferences available to staff and encouraging them to attend
those that are pertinent. All evaluations include some aspect of
personal learning as one of the criteria for performance.
Teachers are further incentivized to participate in learning
opportunities by a clause in their contract that pays them for
graduate credits past their MA degree and for in-service
credits they accumulate. Building administrators have a
contractual provision that provides for district reimbursement
for participation in a doctoral
program. Whenever possible,
teachers’ schedules are organized
in such a way as to allow for
planning time during the day for
teachers who have a common
interest. Such common interests
include a common grade level, a
common subject area, serving on
the same interdisciplinary team, or
serving as a special
educator/general educator team for
a class of students. In discussions
such as these that occur among
colleagues, the learning can be
powerful (Figure 1.1-7).
SLs create a workforce culture
that delivers a consistently positive
experience for students and
parents though communication and concern for the individual.
SLs take many opportunities to communicate and model the
belief that our students and their parents are our customers and
that customer experience and satisfaction are critical to the
success of the organization. Most employees want to perform
their jobs well and need to know what is required to do so.
Communication from the SLs helps employees understand the
expectations the organization has for them. Communication is
also critical in ensuring consistency. Processes need to be in
place and communicated to the staff so that everyone across
the district can respond consistently to similar situations.
Communications take a variety of forms, including written
personnel and policy manuals, e-mails, newsletters, one-to-one
conversations, presentations at meetings, and workshops.
It is also important that SLs show a concern for the
individual employee because employees who enjoy their jobs
and who have a good relationship with their supervisors are
Figure 1.1-7 Professional Development (PD)
Indicators 2011-2012 2012-2013
% participated in PD 70% 73.2%
% participated in 10 or more PD activities 39% 44%
% who serve on committees 60% 45%
% who serve on multiple committees
N/A 26%
% who chair committees/serve on leadership team
3.1% 2.7%
% who lead PD activities N/A .07%
% of teachers at MA+30 13.9% 15.2%
% of teachers with multiple certifications 28% 26.4%
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
1.0 - Leadership
more likely to be engaged in all aspects of district operations.
In taking a personal approach with staff, SLs model how they
want the customers to be treated.
Walking the fine line between treating students and their
parents consistently—yet individually—fosters customer
engagement. While customers need to feel they have been
treated fairly, they also need to feel that consideration of
individual circumstances have been taken into account.
Satisfied customers are more likely to be engaged customers.
SLs capitalize on trusting relationships, a commitment to
the philosophy of continuous improvement, and accountability
to create an environment for innovation and intelligent risk
taking, achievement of strategic objectives, and organizational
agility. SLs hold regular meetings with their staff in which
they seek feedback and ideas regarding how to solve
problems. Likewise, the SOS
meets regularly with other SLs
to do the same. An excellent
example of this is when
building principals meet with
their SBTs to review data,
establish building goals, and
develop action plans to
achieve those goals. The SOS
meets with her SLs in the
same manner to develop
district goals. Issues of all
sorts are discussed in faculty
meetings, cabinet meetings,
and committee meetings.
Innovative ideas are put into
motion and employees receive
recognition for their
contributions in a variety of
ways: praise, the awarding of
a symbolic “puzzle piece”
representing the importance of
the person to the team, a letter
for their personnel files, and/or
feedback in a formal,
summative evaluation. In
some cases, staff receive merit
pay for contributions that
significantly affect the school
and/or district.
Knowing that succession
planning is integral to the
organization, the SOS has
strategically broadened
horizons for staff by
encouraging them to attend
training that would increase
the scope of their knowledge
and skills and make them more
attractive for promotions. When opportunities become
available, an attempt is made to hire from within the district.
In her 11 years in the district, the SOS has promoted a
principal to the position of director of curriculum, an assistant
principal to the position of principal, and a director of pupil
personnel services (PPS) to the position of ASICPPS. She has
also moved a middle school principal to the high school
(giving him both increased responsibilities and a pay raise).
Additionally, she has sent two aspiring administrators for PD
about the superintendency.
Unfortunately, due to the size of the district, opportunities
for a career ladder for the teaching staff are much less tenable,
as we do not have the resources to have several layers of
leadership. However, we do have 10 curriculum coordinator
positions and a minimum of 4 mentor positions in the
teachers’ contract. Such positions certainly assist teachers in
developing a new repertoire of skills that build capacity in our
own organization while proving beneficial to their resumes if
they were to seek an administrative position. Additionally, we
encourage teachers to teach workshops (for which they receive
payment), chair committees, and attend a variety of PD
opportunities outside of the
district (for which they receive
in-service credit is it is after
school hours).
1.1b Communication and
Organizational Performance
1.1b(1) Communication
SLs communicate with the
workforce, students, and other
key customers in a variety of
ways (Figure 1.1-8). Three
days a year, all employees
attend a Superintendent’s
Conference Day. This is an
opportunity for the SOS and
other SLs to address staff and
engage in PD with them.
During the year, principals
hold monthly faculty meetings
(which the SOS occasionally
attends as well), SBT
meetings, and meetings with
the building’s union
representatives. The SOS
meets weekly with the STA
president and monthly with the
administrators union president,
while the SBM meets at least
monthly with the president of
the support staff association.
Four times a year, the SOS,
SBM, and ASICPPS meet with
the president and vice
president of the three unions
and the president and vice
president of the BOE. All of
these meetings are interactive.
SLs also correspond regularly
with employees through
classroom visits, e-mails, articles on the website, entries on the
district’s Facebook page, and via a monthly electronic
newsletter. Conversations occur also at committee meetings,
such as the DSC, DC, and building-level committees, as well
as in impromptu meetings held when paths cross. Minutes of
all district meetings are posted on our website.
Figure 1.1-8 Communication Plan Processes
Deployment
Methods of MVV
and SP
Target Group(s)
Frequency
Publishing/sharing
SP
Employees, students, parents,
community, partners, suppliers, alumni
Annually
Administrative retreat
Administrators Annually
Satisfaction survey
review
Employees, students, parents,
community
Annually
New employee
induction
Employees Annually
12-month district
luncheon
Employees Annually
Budget planning
meetings
Employees, students, parents,
community,
Annually
Annual Meeting Employees, students, parents,
community, partners,
suppliers, alumni
Annually
BOE minutes/videos Employees, students, parents,
community, partners,
suppliers, alumni
Biweekly
Celebration of
Successes
Employees, students, parents,
community, partners, suppliers, alumni
Annually
Employee Newsletter Employees Monthly
Meetings with PTA Parents Monthly
Admin cabinet
meetings
Employees Monthly
Principals’ meetings Employees Monthly
Classroom visits Employees, students Ongoing
Faculty meetings Employees Monthly
Recognition notes Employees, students, parents, community, partners,
suppliers, alumni
Ongoing
Website, Facebook Employees, students, parents,
community, partners,
suppliers, alumni
Ongoing
One-to-one
discussion
Employees, students, parents,
community, partners, suppliers, alumni
Ongoing
Honor roll breakfasts Students, parents Quarterly
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
1.0 - Leadership
Key decisions are usually communicated to employees via a
personal presentation, such as at a conference day, or through
a district e-mail, the website, or the employee newsletter.
SLs also utilize a variety of formats for communicating with
students. The SOS visits the classrooms of all kindergarten
students, 3rd
grade students, and 6th
grade students to
introduce/reintroduce herself and to inquire how the first few
weeks in a new school has been for them. During the school
year, the SOS meets with 5th
grade student leaders, middle
school student leaders, and high school student leaders each
quarter to hear about their concerns and solicit feedback. Two
high school students sit on the DC, which is comprised of a
diverse group of stakeholders who meet quarterly to discuss
matters relevant to all schools. Communications also take
place informally during classroom visits and attendance at
events.
The school principal usually participates in these meetings
as well. Other SLs are brought into the meeting as deemed
appropriate to the topic. Principals have ongoing
communications with students through formal means, such as
assemblies and classroom visits, as well as through informal
interactions in the halls and at events. At the high school level,
students participate on the building SBT as well.
Key decisions are communicated to the students in a variety
of ways. At the elementary level, an assembly would generally
be held or the principal would visit classrooms or ask the
classroom teachers to announce the decision. At the secondary
level, principals may hold assemblies, visit classrooms, make
an announcement over the public address system, or
communicate via the Student Government officers or class
officers.
Communications with other key stakeholders, most notably
parents, occur in many of the same ways. Monthly District
PTA meetings take place at which presentations are made and
SLs and parents engage in discussion. Parents have seats on
the DC and the SBTs. Parents and other community members
also attend our BOE meetings, which usually occur twice
monthly. Participation is invited at these meetings as well. SLs
also use the district and building websites, Facebook, SM, and
letters to share information. SLs are always available to meet
with individual community members who have concerns, and
they are responsive to phone calls and e-mails from
community members. Informal communications occur at
school events and in the community as well. Key decisions are
usually communicated to parents and other community
members via the website, letters, or Board meetings. In the
event of an emergency or school closing and when there are
special events, an automated call/text/e-mail will be sent out
via SM.
SLs motivate the workforce and encourage superior
performance by communicating high expectations, modeling
high performance, providing the workforce with the resources
it needs to be high performing, and recognizing the successes
of students, staff, and community members. At the K–2
buildings, students are awarded gold stars for following the
rules and the stars are posted on a communal bulletin board in
the cafeteria. When they, as a group, achieve a certain number
of stars, they receive a reward. Principals have awards and
honor roll assemblies and breakfasts to recognize students for
high achievements and good character attributes. At the
middle school, staff recognize Students of the Month. At the
high school, a Prisms Award was established to recognize
students who demonstrate exemplary character and/or
improvement. The high school also honors Spartans of the
Month (Spartan is the district mascot) to scholar-athletes who
demonstrate outstanding leadership, sportsmanship, and a
strong work ethic. The high school also hosts a Senior Awards
Night each June. The NYS Public High School Athletic
Association (NYSPHSAA) honored Spackenkill with the 2008
Good Sport Award. Principals recognize employees with
private and public praise, as appropriate, and sometimes with
written letters of commendation.
The SOS has a recognition program in place called the
“Essential Piece”: Employees who demonstrate exemplary
service are presented with a puzzle piece keychain expressing
the message that we are all different but are all essential to the
organization. Parents, students, graduates, and other
community members have also been awarded puzzle pieces at
BOE meetings. Each June, the BOE hosts a Celebration of
Successes at its final meeting of the year. We typically invite
several hundred students, community volunteers, and
employees to attend and be recognized, though the vast
majority of honorees are students. Categories for recognition
include academic ones, such as valedictorian and salutatorian
of the graduating class, science fair winners, and successful
competitions by academic teams such as OM and Science
Olympiad. We also recognize students who won essay,
speech, and art contests, as well as music students who
competed in relevant events. Sports teams that won league or
section championships are invited. Coaches of successful
academic and athletic teams are also honored for competitive
successes as well as good sportsmanship. Finally, since the
district values character, we recognize people who have
demonstrated excellent character traits. For example, we
commended an elementary student who organized a district-
wide cereal collection program to provide economically
disadvantaged students with breakfast when school was not in
session during the summer months.
1.1b(2) Focus on Action
SLs create a focus on action by annually setting goals,
developing action plans, executing the action plans, and
assessing the outcomes. Outcomes are reported to the BOE
and community annually as well. In all of these actions, SLs
involve a variety of stakeholders in the process. Needed
actions are identified most frequently by an analysis of data.
Data include results on state exams and other measures of
student engagement, such as attendance, participation in
school activities, and discipline records. Data from student,
staff, and parent surveys are also used to identify needs. Some
actions are needed in response to new legislation. For
example, the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) requires
that we take actions to comply with the law, as does new
legislation regarding the Annual Professional Performance
Review (APPR) of teachers and principals. When NYSED
adjusted the standards we are to use, changes had to be made
in the areas of curriculum and instruction. SLs must always
balance the cost to the taxpayers with the programs needed to
prepare our students for college and careers. Fortunately, the
community has historically been very supportive of education.
In recent years, with difficult economic conditions
6
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
1.0 - Leadership
surrounding us (including significant layoffs by IBM, a major
employer in the district), a plethora of unfunded mandates
from the government and NYSED, and a tax cap, we have
included the community more actively in budget discussions.
We ask them to participate in budget forums at which they
discuss what they feel are the priorities for the district.
Students and employees are also invited to participate. Thus
far, we have been able to be fiscally responsible while still
providing an excellent array of services to our students. Our
taxpayers have shown their support by passing our budget
each May.
1.2 Governance and Societal Responsibilities
1.2a Organizational Governance
1.2a(1) Governance System
The SUFSD is governed by a five-member elected Board,
with all members serving five-year terms. BOE members are
selected based on a citizen vote in May of each year. By
policy, the BOE strategically deploys a governance system
that reviews and achieves fiscal and management
accountability, transparency in operations, and protection of
stakeholder interests (Figure 7.4-4). The BOE is accountable
to the state and federal government for meeting statutory and
regulatory requirements and to the Spackenkill taxpayers for
protecting their interests while delivering a quality education.
Management accountability is achieved via bimonthly BOE
meetings, BOE oversight, and involvement in the SPP. The
BOE receives academic audits on each school each year, as
well as audits of the five key pillars of our SP. The BOE
conducts an annual evaluation of the SOS. All BOE meetings
adhere to the Open Meetings Law. Notice of meetings is sent
to local newspapers and posted on our website. Agendas and
minutes are posted on our website as well. Though the law
does not require it, virtually all meetings include at least one
public comment segment. Citizens are also included in our SP
development, hiring of professional staff, advisory
committees, and community forums.
The BOE ensures fiscal accountability and transparency in
operations through systemic deployment of extensive policies
and processes that provide specifications for budget
preparation, handling of expenditures, and account
management. The annual budget process culminates with BOE
approval of the budget and a citizens’ vote in May.
BOE policy, NYSED, and Governmental Accounting
Standards Board (GASB) mandate that an independent
external audit be conducted annually, with the findings
reported directly to the BOE by the auditors. The audit is also
required to be sent to the NYS comptroller’s office. In
addition, NYSED requires an internal controls audit to be
conducted by an independent auditor on an annual basis.
Internal controls policies and segregation of duties are
reviewed annually by this independent audit firm. A corrective
action plan of any financial audit to address any finding is
required to be approved by the BOE and submitted to
NYSED. The BOE supports proactive management of
finances with processes to ensure accountability in managing
of SUFSD assets and debt. The BOE supports proactive
management of debt service to take advantage of favorable
interest rates and in 2013 refinanced debt to achieve $203,235
in savings over 14 years. To lessen the possibility of
mishandling funds, internal controls mandate that all checks
are reviewed by an internal claims auditor prior to release. All
bank wires require authorization by two separate individuals,
and banking software only allows wires to be sent to pre-
defined recipients.
1.2a(2) Performance Evaluation
The effectiveness of SLs is evaluated and improved through
our evaluation process. All SL evaluations include goal
setting, a mid-year review of progress, a final written
evaluation, and the establishment of goals for the following
school year. A portion of salary is determined through a
merit/recognition clause of the employees’ contracts. The
BOE completes and annual evaluation of the SOS that is based
in part on goal setting that occurred collaboratively between
the SOS and the BOE the previous summer and also on a
rubric designed by the NYSCOSS.
BOE member behavior expectations are clearly delineated
in BOE policy. Policy outlines specific expectations for their
roles and communication with each other, the community, and
the SOS and her staff. BOE members also participate in PD,
most often provided by NYSSBA. These opportunities take
the form of attendance at workshops, online coursework, and
in-district Board retreats.
1.2b Legal and Ethical Behavior
1.2b(1) Legal Behavior, Regulatory Behavior, and
Accreditation
The SUFSD deploys systematic compliance and risk
management approaches to identify, anticipate, minimize, and
analyze regulatory safety, accreditation, and legal
responsibilities and risks.
Active participation in state organizations by BOE members
and SLs heightens understanding of requirement changes and
fosters agility in the district’s response. Involving parents and
students in the SPP helps the district to anticipate public
concerns, as do satisfaction surveys, public comment at BOE
meetings, and an open-door/call/e-mail policy. The district
meets all regulations in NYS and is monitored by NYSED and
the NYS comptroller’s office without any non-compliance
findings.
SUFSD is systematic in limiting risk for students,
employees, and visitors. Participation in the local BOCES
Cooperative Services (COSER) oversees health and safety for
all users of our facilities. Additionally, inspections by the fire
department and the Board of Health ensure safety in our
buildings and in our food service operations. A transportation
contract with Durham exceeds compliance to all federal, state,
and local regulations. SUFSD’s DSC is enhanced by
stakeholder participation of the Town of Poughkeepsie Police
Department, the Arlington Fire District, the Utica National
Insurance Group, and our insurance broker. Employing
systematic building-wide lockdowns, rigorous inspections, and
automated external defibrillator (AED) and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) drills, the DSC has created multiple
processes that surpass minimum requirements for emergency
preparedness. We have partnered with the Town of
Poughkeepsie Police Department for more than 11 years to
have a full-time SRO in our district.
1.2b(2) Ethical Behavior
SLs systematically deploy BOE policies, regulations, and
training programs to promote ethical responsibility (Figure
1.2-1).
7
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
1.0 - Leadership
The SOS, SBM, and compliance officer monitor the
deployment of ethical training. Promotion of ethical behavior
begins with the hiring process. All potential candidates for
hire must pass a criminal background check conducted by
NYS. New employees receive training regarding SUFSD’s
high standards, requirements, and reporting processes. All
employees receive BOE policies regarding ethical behavior
and annually sign an affidavit of receipt. Processes are in place
for all employees to respond to ethical breaches. Ethical
breaches are handled by the appropriate supervisor in
consultation with the district’s legal counsel. Severe breaches
result in termination of employment.
1.2c Societal Responsibilities and Support of Key
Communities
1.2c(1) Societal Well-Being
The SUFSD views caring for society as part of its
responsibility to teach students; this propels us to model
citizenship, be an environmental steward, and support our
community (Figure 1.2-2).
Citizenship is systematically taught to our elementary
students through a program called Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports (PBIS). At the middle school and
high school levels, this program is followed by the Olweus
approach. The two programs are mutually supportive
of one another while addressing the developmental
differences of the children at these the elementary
and secondary levels. All buildings, as well as the
district, have recognition programs in place for
students who are “caught being good.”
Our commitment to the environment is made
actionable in the SP, which contains a goal of
operating more efficiently. In 2003, the district was a
forerunner in instituting electronic Board agendas
and paperless Board meetings. Since then, we have
eliminated print copies of district newsletters, many
parent communications, and virtually all employee
communications. In 2011, we partnered with Energy
Education Inc. (now Cenergistic) to reduce our
energy usage. At the September 9, 2013, and the June
17, 2014, BOE meetings, the district was presented
with the Cenergistic Award for Energy Stewardship
to recognize the organization-wide effort to
implement an innovative, behavior-based energy
conservation and management program. During the
17 months prior to September 2013, Spackenkill had
conserved energy equal to 618 metric tons of carbon
dioxide emissions, or the equivalent of removing 115
cars from the road. By June 2013, at 20 months into
the program, the district had saved $181,417, or 22%,
in energy costs. We expanded this work to the
student body just this year, with the institution of
Power Partners at the 3–5 building. The energy
manager launched Power Partners with Junior Girl
Scout Troop 10123 at HES. In November and
December of the 2013 school year, the members
promoted the program in the classroom. This resulted
in $400 in saving and a 4,000-kilowatt reduction in
electricity use.
The district partnered with Ameresco to enter into
an Energy Performance Contract (EPC). An EPC is a
concept authorized by NYS Energy Law Article 9. It
allows school districts to partner with an energy services
company (ESCO) to identify and implement energy savings
measures. All project costs must be paid out of future energy
savings the program will generate, with the savings being
guaranteed by ESCO. The district will be completing
approximately $2.8 million worth of upgrades. The scope of
work to be
performed
is illustrated
in Figure
1.2-2.
Figure 1.2-1 Systemic Processes for Measuring Ethical Responsibility
Process Used Requirements Key Measurement Tool SL & BOE
Role
EMPLOYEES
BOE Policy Define ethical
behavior and identify
whom to contact
# of breaches BOE/SOS
BOE Policy Workplace free of harassment
# of harassment complaints filed
SOS/ Compliance
Officer
Hiring process Inform employees of requirements
% of new employees receiving BOE policies
and school handbook
SLs
Hiring Process Hire employees with clean record
% background checks completed for new
employees / # hired with
felony convictions
SLs
Hiring Process Hire appropriately certified employees
% highly qualified SLs
Satisfaction
Survey
Perception of safe
workplace
% employees citing
SUFSD safe place to work
SLs
State Test
Management
Reliable and valid
student data
submitted to state
# of violations ASICPPS/
Principals
Grievance Process Personnel Manual # of union grievances
filed
STUDENTS
Student handbooks/Code
of Conduct
Communicate BOE ethical standards and
consequences
% of students receiving school handbook
annually
Principals
Suspensions Positive student citizenship
Decreasing #/% per year Principals
Acceptable use
policy
Responsible use of
technology
Decreasing # of students
who had technology
privileges suspended
Principals
PARENTS, STAKEHOLDERS, VENDORS
BOE Induction Pledge ethics of
boardsmanship
% new members citing
pledge
BOE/SOS
Vendor contracts Contracts awarded
following BOE
policies
# contracts found to be
awarded inappropriately
BOE/SOS/
SBM
Figure 1.2-2 Steward of the Environment
ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACT (EPC)
SCOPE OF WORK
Interior and exterior lighting upgrades
Lighting controls/occupancy sensors
Energy Management System (EMS)
Demand control ventilation
Vending misers
Walk-in freezer and cooler controllers
De-stratification fans
Pipe insulations
Steam system upgrade
Domestic hot water system upgrades
Computer power management
Boiler replacement
Building envelope improvement
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
2.0 - Strategic Planning
1.2c(2) Community Support
The SUFSD is committed to community service (Figure 1.2-
3). The BOE members model this by committing to a five-year
voluntary position on the Board. The SOS has served as the
president of the Lower Hudson Council of School
Superintendents (LHCSS) and on the Advisory Board for
Marist College’s graduate programs. She currently serves on
both the Marist Advisory Board for Teacher Education and on
the Executive Committee of the Mid-Hudson School Study
Council. Students tutor younger students, provide babysitting
services for district events, and volunteer at local hospitals and
community agencies. Financial support is another way in
which SUFSD demonstrates giving back to the community.
School organizations such as the National Honor Society
(NHS), the LEO Club (which stands for Leadership,
Experience, Opportunity), and Student Government promote
service through food drives and fundraisers during the course
of the year. Examples include Jump Rope for Heart to support
the American Heart Association, participation in the Cereal
Counts cereal drive each summer to be sure children have
access to breakfast during the months that school is not in
session, and walks for causes like autism or suicide
prevention. Athletic teams participate in fundraisers, such as
Coaches Vs. Cancer. The STA participates annually in
charitable fundraisers and presents scholarships to deserving
students each June.
2.0 Strategic Planning
2.1 Strategic Development
2.1a Strategy Development Process
2.1a(1) Strategic Planning Process
The SOS meets each summer with the AT, which consists of
two district office administrators (SBM and ASICPPS), six
building-level administrators, and four middle-level managers
of departments (DT, DSL, DFO, and CT). At this meeting, we
discuss the SP, which includes our MVV, our strategic
challenges and advantages, our district goals, and our building
goals. We perform a SWOT analysis by evaluating the
relevance of each of these areas in light of recent changes in a
variety of areas, including new legal requirements, a change in
demographics in our community, the fiscal environment,
survey results, and student performance.
Once the AT makes revisions to the SP, the plan is
presented via e-mail to the BOE and the staff and is posted on
the website for community feedback. Additionally, a
presentation is made at a BOE meeting for the Board and the
community. It is also brought to the DC, the district-wide
version of the SBTs, for further review and revision. Once all
changes have been made, the BOE is asked to approve the
plan in a public meeting.
While the district has five-year goals (Figure 2.1-1), the
building goals are set annually by each school’s SBT (Figure
2.1-2). The SBTs include the building principal, teachers,
support staff, parents, community members, and, at the middle
school and the high school, students. SBTs became a
requirement for school districts in 1991, under then-
Commissioner Thomas Sobol’s enactment of legislation called
A New Compact for Learning. Building goals are developed
that support the achievement of the five-year district goals and
are aligned to the pillars of the SP (Figure 2.1-3). Last year,
each building set a goal to develop its own mission statement
that would be aligned with that of the district. This involved a
close reading of our plan and discussion about how the
district’s mission translates into one on a building level. The
school mission statement is posted in each buildings’s lobby
for all students, staff, and visitors to see.
The five-year district goals are reviewed annually for their
continued relevance. Annual scorecard presentations at BOE
meetings help the administration, BOE, and community
monitor our progress toward the district goals (Figures 1.1-2–
1.1-6). Building goals are set and evaluated annually. The
SOS meets quarterly with the principals to discuss to their
progress on achieving the building goals. Each June, the
principals report their progress to the BOE.
The annual review of the SP, including the district goals and
the shorter-term building goals, allows the district to address
the need for agility and operational flexibility. Further, the SP
is broad in scope, also allowing for flexibility.
2.1a(2) Innovation
The district creates an environment for innovation through its
partnership with its staff, community, and local agencies. Staff
and community members are regularly included on
committees and have an equal say in how to address problems
and opportunities. Many times, it is a staff member or a
community member who offers an innovative idea for
Figure 1.2-3 SL Support of Key Communities
Support Purpose SL Involvement
Within Town of Poughkeepsie
Chamber of
commerce
Support events Pay membership fees
Boy Scouts & Girl
Scouts, Youth sports clubs
Make campus
available for use
DFO /Principals
Community
Children’s Theater
Make campus
available for use
DFO/
Principals
Town of Poughkeepsie Library
Participate in and support events
Participate annually in “The Big Read,”
distribute flyers about events
Food pantry Provide support and service
Principals support student fundraiser
SUFSD Scholarship
Fund
Provide financial
support
SL participate in fundraisers,
SL make donations
Marist College Make campus available for use
SOS serves on Advisory Board for Teacher Education
State and National
United Way Provide advice and
financial support
SLs meet with
representatives to assist in educational initiatives
SLs supports teacher
campaign drive
American Heart
Association,
American Red Cross, Blood Center
Provide financial
support
SLs support student
fundraisers
LHCSS Provide leadership SOS served as president
NYSASCD Provide expertise ASICPPS writes articles for
publication
Cenergistic Provide expertise SBM participated in panel
MHSSC Provide leadership SOS serves on executive
board
DEHIC Provide leadership SBM serves on executive board
Baldrige National
Program
Provide expertise SOS served as examiner
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
2.0 - Strategic Planning
Figure 2.1-1 Five-Year District Goals, 2012–2017
All goals will be 100% met by June 2017. In the case of the student
performance goals, buildings will provide annual targets toward achieving
the final goal. Our scorecards (Figures 1.1-2–1.1-6) provide the measures for each pillar of the SP.
Student Performance
All students will demonstrate growth annually in reading, language, and math.
All students will achieve or exceed proficiency in all subjects
measured by state assessments. All students will graduate within 4 years of entering the 9th grade.
All students will be offered opportunities to take the most
challenging course of instruction. All students will be offered opportunities to participate in a broad range of
experiences.
Student performance will match the trajectory of performance in those of our comparison schools (Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Pawling, Pleasantville,
Rye Neck, and Pearl River), while narrowing the difference between
our performance and theirs. The district will align rigorous curriculum, delivery of instruction, and
assessment for continuous improvement of student achievement. The district will expand and deliver literacy-based initiatives from K–12
to support student achievement.
The district will use student, staff, school, and system performance data to monitor and improve student achievement.
Community Involvement
The district will increase the percentage of eligible voters who
participate in all school elections.
The district will achieve a sustainable budget, in areas within its power, while seeking higher voter approval margins.
The district will increase the percentage of the community that
responds to the satisfaction survey annually, while also increasing satisfaction.
The district and the individual schools will seek and utilize
stakeholder input to inform, influence, and create policies,
practices, and programs.
The district will continue to seek new methods and opportunities for
increasing parent involvement. The district will collaborate with all families to support student
academic success and healthy development by providing regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so
effectively.
Operating Efficiencies and Cost Effectiveness
When making all decisions, the district will consider operational
efficiencies and cost savings.
The district will, in consideration of the sizable reductions already seen, continue to seek ways to reduce energy consumption and
promote green schools.
The district will develop and deploy a long-range expenditure plan that incorporates technology, capital expenditures, personnel, and benefits
with emphasis on maximizing efficiencies while maintaining
instructional programs. The plan will be updated annually. The district will develop and deploy a long-range financial plan to ensure
adequate reserves in order to maintain the financial health of the
district. The plan will be updated annually.
Safe, Healthy, and Caring Schools
The district will provide all students and staff with a safe, healthy, and caring environment.
The district will promote an inclusive environment that respects all
students, staff, and families.
Workforce Engagement
All employees will work in an environment that promotes employee well-being, satisfaction, and positive morale.
The district will encourage and support employees to take initiative
in assuming leadership roles. All employees will be provided with high-quality PD opportunities
to promote individual and organizational effectiveness.
Figure 2.1-2 2013–2014 Building Goals
Nassau Elementary School (NES)
Each grade (K, 1, and 2) in each subject (reading, mathematics) will meet
the mean projected growth, as provided by NWEA. Maintain and promote a nurturing and caring environment that is compliant
with DASA and maintains our number of bullying complaints at 1 or
reduces them to 0. Increase overall energy savings percentage from 4% to 6%.
Earn an 80% or better on all areas on the Community Satisfaction Survey.
Maintain all areas of employee satisfaction that were at 80% or above; work to improve the following areas that are under 80% satisfaction: facilities
(35.3% dissatisfied), grade- and building-level morale (28.6%
dissatisfied); intrusions/ interruptions (26.6% dissatisfied), and “given the appropriate training to do my job” (20% dissatisfied).
Hagan Elementary School (HES)
Develop rigorous academic achievement goals in the areas of reading,
language usage, and mathematics for all classroom teachers following our fall administration and review of MAP data.
Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will meet or exceed the mean projected
growth in reading and mathematics, as provided by NWEA. Improve percentage of Level 3s and 4s on the Grade 3 NYS exams from 38
% in mathematics and 41% in ELA to 50%, respectively; improve
percentage of Level 3s and 4s on the Grade 4 NYS exams from 36 % in mathematics and 35% in ELA to 50%, respectively; improve
percentage of Level 3s and 4s on the Grade 5 NYS exams from 27 % in
mathematics and 37% in ELA to 50%, respectively. Maintain and promote a nurturing and caring environment that is
compliant with DASA, as evidenced by a decrease in bullying reports
from last year’s number of 11. Maintain all areas of employee satisfaction that were at 80% or above and
improve any areas where employee satisfaction was below 80%: intrusions/interruptions (48% dissatisfied) maintenance of district (HES)
facilities (38.4% dissatisfied); grade- and building-level morale (32%
dissatisfied). Increase overall energy savings from 16% to 20%.
Todd Middle School (TMS)
Each grade (6, 7, and 8) will meet the mean projected growth on ELA
MAP and mathematics MAP scores in order to assist in
facilitating a 15% increase from 1s to 2s, from 2s to 3s and from 3s to
4s on the ELA and math state assessments. Advance anti-bullying efforts to improve school culture, as evidenced by a
5% decrease in bullying reports, which were at 22 last year.
Schedule and facilitate staff PD across the district identified focus areas for walkthroughs and observations over the course of the 2013–2014 school
year. The focus areas include Questioning Skills, Use of Assessment in
Instruction, and Common Core Alignment and Practices. Work with the SBT to investigate the interruptions to instruction and
develop an action plan to decrease them.
Work with the school’s leadership team to identify and investigate factors relating to low morale (63.2% dissatisfied last year) across the building.
Generate ideas and action plans to improve morale through staff ownership
and action.
Spackenkill High School (SHS)
Maintain or improve the graduation rate of 91.3% despite the beginning
of the transition to Common Core Regents Examinations at the high school level for the 2013–2014 school year.
Include all stakeholders in developing an understanding of, and making
decisions regarding, the transition to the Common Core Regents Examinations in Algebra and English 2014.
The newly established SHS Olweus Committee will develop a plan to
implement the Olweus program at SHS and provide the resources needed to establish Olweus Committees at TMS and HES.
Provide staff development in the three areas determined to be a focus
for teacher observations and walkthroughs: Assessment, text dependent questions and Common Core Alignment.
Work collaboratively with ASICPPS and curriculum coordinators to
make decisions regarding adapting, adopting and implementing Common Core curriculum in English and math as evidenced by lessons and
assessments.
The SHS SBT will work to identify and investigate factors relating to low morale (86.8% dissatisfied) across the building. The team will
work on generating action plans to empower teachers, staff, students,
and the SHS community relative to the recent educational shifts through collaboration and communication.
10
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
2.0 - Strategic Planning
addressing a situation, and ideas are often put into action.
Strategic opportunities are identified through our review of
data, discussed with AC members, DC, and SBTs. Those that
appear to have the most chance of adding value are
recommended to the BOE. While cost does enter the decision-
making process, it is not usually the deciding factor in the
process. One of our key strategic opportunities is the provision
of PD for our staff. As one of our key processes is teaching,
PD—particularly in this time of great change in state
curriculum and assessment—is one of
the best opportunities to improve
student performance. Another key
strategic opportunity is our work with
Cenergistic, a partnership that helps us
to save money by conserving energy.
The district is also working with
Ameresco to undertake an EPC of
approximately $2.8 million. The project
will provide lighting upgrades, boiler
replacements, and energy management
systems at no cost to the district. The
energy savings gained will offset the
cost of the project. By saving money in
these ways, we can afford to channel
resources to student programs
and staff development.
2.1a(3) Strategy
Considerations
As a public school district, it is
relatively easy to collect data
that help us to identify our
strategic challenges and
strategic advantages (Figure
2.1-4). Information about other
schools’ budget and
performance is available on
state websites, in the media, and
commonly on each district’s
website. DC BOCES publishes a
book each year that shows the
comparative costs of all the
school districts in the county.
Some of our strategic
challenges are state and federal
issues, which means that
information about these are also readily available. For
example, the health of the state’s economy is a strategic
challenge for us right now. Newspapers, government
websites, and school-related associations provide us with
relevant information. Another challenge for us is NYSED’s
new curriculum and assessment requirements. Performance
data are available on the NYSED website, as well as on the
websites of individual districts and in newspapers.
Additionally, since school districts are not-for-profit entities,
they are typically collaborative rather than competitive in
nature and are quite comfortable sharing any information that
is legal to disclose. Sharing takes place at organized meetings,
through list-serves, and via phone calls and e-mails. All this
availability of information means that it is relatively easy for a
school district to know how it compares to others and the
state. Some information, such as Scholastic
Achievement Test (SAT) and AP scores, can be benchmarked
nationally.
Risks to our organization’s sustainability can be ascertained
primarily through an analysis of our own financial data along
with a knowledge of state laws and access to certain state
information, such as the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI)
and increases in pension costs. Generally, school districts do
not “go out of business”; however, the newly enacted state tax
cap has put pressure on school districts to
dip into reserves while cutting staff and
programs. The fact that the tax cap is
essentially unsustainable means that many
New York school districts are at risk of
becoming insolvent and are considering
consolidating. This is a systemic financial
challenge to all school districts.
There are three major data sources that
help us to determine potential blind spots in
our SPP and information (Figure 2.1-5–2.1-
6). Student performance data are one source.
If our students do not compare favorably to
comparative and exemplar districts and/or
the nation, it is a signal that we may have
missed factors in our plan. Survey data are another important
source: Poor results on student, parent, or employee surveys
are telling. Finally, financial data—such as audit reports, fund
Figure 2.1-3 Strategic Pillars
Pillar 1 Student Performance
Pillar 2 Community Involvement
Pillar 3 Workforce Engagement
Pillar 4 Operational Efficiency and Fiscal Responsibility
Pillar 5 Healthy, Safe, and Caring Environment
Figure 2.1-4 Strategic
Advantages and Challenges
Strategic Advantages:
Reputation
Culture of excellence
Community support Engaged workforce
Class size
Educational resources Small schools
Fiscal stability
Strategic Challenges:
Lack of defined processes Reduced workforce
NYS instructional mandates
(APPR, Common Core) NYS finance laws (property tax
cap, fund balance)
Changing socioeconomic environment
Lack of community shared vision
Declining enrollment Maintaining programs
Figure 2.1-6 Information Analysis for Strategic Planning
Key strategic factor for
future success
Data/Information source/collection
methods
Use in SPP
Student and other
stakeholder needs and expectations
Student and community surveys, focus
groups, community forums, state standards
Update on
progress/ SWOT
Educational programs, offerings, and services
NYSED, student and community input, ASCD, ISTE
Teaching and learning
Changes in student and community demographics
BEDS report to NYSED SWOT
Competitive environment School Meter, conferences SWOT
Technological key
innovations or changes
ISTE standards, conferences,
professional literature
SWOT/
Teaching and learning
Human resource needs Staffing comparisons, workforce
satisfaction survey
SWOT/
Budget plan
Opportunities to redirect resources to priority
services
Staffing plan, professional literature Budget plan
Financial risks State and national media, NYSSBA,
NYSCOSS
SWOT
Regulatory and other risks
or shifts
NYSSBA, NYSCOSS, AASA SWOT
Changes in local/ national/global economy
NYSSBA, NSBA, NYSCOSS, AASA SWOT
Long-term organizational
sustainability
SUFSD financial statistics, state
budget, local economy
Goal setting
Organizational continuity
in emergencies
SUFSD Safety Plan and Safety
Committee, professional literature,
conferences
Goal setting
Figure 2.1-5 Strategic
Planning Process (SPP)
11
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
2.0 - Strategic Planning
balance, and reserve accounts—give us indicators of our fiscal
health and are an important way of assessing the SP’s
viability. These same three data sources help us to execute and
revise our SP.
2.1a(4) Work Systems and Core Competencies
Our key work systems are teaching and assessing, though
there are several ancillary work systems that are extremely
important to those processes. These include PD, curriculum
development, resource procurement, student and parent
engagement, and school safety. Some work system decisions
are dictated for the district by either the law or NYSED. For
example, New York’s Safe Schools Against Violence in
Education (SAVE) legislation sets the requirements for safe
schools. Included in these requirements is the mandate that all
districts and buildings have a safety committee that oversees
the development and revision of district and building safety
plans. These committees are also the driving force behind new
safety programs, drills, and procedures that are put into place.
Another example is that NYSED determines what teaching
standards we are to adhere to, what assessments students must
take, and what qualifies as satisfactory for meeting the
requirements of graduation. While teachers, through
curriculum work and choice of instructional strategies, may
modify how something is taught, what is taught is mandated.
We are mandated to follow the CCLS. Curriculum writing and
choice of instructional strategies is generally left to the
teachers under the supervision of the ASICPPS and the
principals. Teachers follow the NYS Teaching Standards and
the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching (2007)
rubric as the standard for good teaching practice. This
framework was agreed upon by the district in collaboration
with the STA. It forms the basis for our PD as well as the
teacher evaluation system. Administrators follow the Interstate
School Leaders Licensure Consortium Teaching Standards
and Multidimensional Principal Performance Rubric (MPPR)
rubric as the standard for good leadership practice. This
framework was agreed upon by the district in collaboration
with the SAA, and it forms the basis for our PD as well as the
principal evaluation system.
Generally, work system decisions over which we have
control are made at the district level by the administrative staff
in collaboration with other appropriate staff. For example,
conversations might be held at an AC meeting, followed up on
by conversations between building principals and appropriate
staff, and then discussed again and decided upon at another
AC meeting. It is also possible for a matter to be initiated at
the building level and then brought to cabinet for further
discussion and district-wide agreement. While buildings have
a large degree of autonomy, it is important that decisions that
may be relevant to another building or have implications for
another building be addressed at a district meeting. At that
time, the idea may be modified, adopted by other buildings,
discarded, or remain a practice at only one building. What is
key is that a decision to do something differently at individual
buildings is made consciously because of data that support the
action.
Our own employees do all of our teaching. Student support
services (such as social workers, psychologists, and guidance
counselors) are also provided by district employees.
Administrators are all district employees. In the case of non-
instructional services, the district aims to have its own
employees provide the services unless it is financially
imprudent to do so or special expertise is required. This is our
preference because we have better control over our own
employees than those of an outside vendor. District employees
staff our entire food service department. District employees
provide our custodial services. Clerical staff are district
employees.
An excellent example of a service that is provided by an
outside vendor because of financial practicality is our
transportation service for our school-wide runs. As a small
district, we do not have the capacity to keep a fleet of buses,
nor would it be financially prudent to do so. The purchase and
maintenance of the necessary vehicles to provide this service
would cost us more than it would through a vendor. The
district maintains a small fleet of mini-buses and vans for the
transportation of private school students. District employees
provide this service. In the instance of the long runs for small
numbers of students, it is fiscally responsible to maintain our
own service, which also enables us to care for special needs
students.
One example of a service provided by outside vendors
because of the expertise required is the use of consultants to
deliver PD. Another example is facilities work. If the required
work were outside the scope of our own employees’ expertise,
we would hire an outside company to complete the work. It is
in this way that the core competencies of our staff and our
suppliers come into play.
We determine future organizational core competencies by
staying current with educational research and trends by
reading journals, networking with other professionals, and
making school visits. Our core competencies changed most
notably within the last 10 years as a result of rapid changes in
educational technology. We expect that these changes will
continue to drive our use of newer and more technology,
thereby requiring us to have more people on staff who have
expertise in this area.
2.1b Strategic Objectives
2.1b(1) Key Strategic Objectives
Our district’s key strategic objectives, identified in our SP as
the “district goals,” are our most important goals and are
developed as part of the SPP. Our goals are aligned to our
pillars and are intended to be accomplished within five years
(Figure 2.1-1).
2.1b(2) Strategic Objective Considerations
A strategic process aligns strategic challenges to our strategic
objectives. Strategic challenges and advantages emerge from
the SP development and review process. District goals are
developed next, followed by building goals. Opportunities for
innovation in programs, offerings, and services are addressed
by building goals and the budget process. Core competencies
emerge as strategic advantages during our SPP. The culture of
continuous improvement and a systems approach are
embedded in our plan. SUFSD balances the needs of all
stakeholders and students by involving our SBTs, DC,
comprised of members of all stakeholder groups, in the
planning and goal-setting process.
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
3.0 - Customer Focus
2.2 Strategy Implementation
2.2a Action Plan Development and Deployment
2.2a(1) Action Plan Development
Action plans at the building level are developed by the
principal in collaboration with the SBT. These action plans
address the building goals, all of which are one-year goals.
District action plans are developed by the SOS, the ASICPPS,
and the SBM in collaboration with the building principals, the
DFO, the DSL, the DT, the CT, the CD, the DC, and the DSC.
These action plans address the five-year district goals. The
building goals are aligned with the district goals. Each
building’s SBT has developed an action plan for each
building’s goal.
2.2a(2) Action Plan Implementation
District action plans are deployed through the work of the
SOS, ASICPPS, and the SBM. Reports are made at BOE
meetings, DC meetings, and DSC meetings. Those reports are
published on the district website. Building action plans are
deployed by the principal and the work of the SBT. Since the
DC, the SBT, and the DSC are comprised of employees,
parents, community members, students, and partners, these
stakeholders play a key role in both the development of and
the deployment of the action plans.
2.2a(3) Resource Allocation
The district ensures that financial and other resources are
available to support the achievement of our action plans
primarily through the annual budget process. The fiscal year
for a school district is from July 1 through June 30. The
budget process begins as early as October, when the SBM and
SOS prepare the roll-over budget and the BOE begins to seek
community feedback via forums and PTA meetings. The SP
drives the priorities for the budget for the upcoming year.
The SBMs in Dutchess County meet on a monthly basis to
discuss issues related to school finance and operations. Such
topics include state aid, budget development process,
cooperative purchasing, and shared services.
The district belongs to a county-wide transportation
cooperative organized through DC BOCES. The cooperative
meets on a monthly basis. The cooperative provides savings to
the district by consolidating transportation for students placed
in private schools with other districts. Other cooperatives the
district participates in to reduce costs are the Dutchess
Educational Health Insurance Consortium (DEHIC) and the
Workers Compensation (WC) Cooperative.
2.2a(4) Workforce Plans
Our basic key workforce plan to support our short- and longer-
term strategic objectives and action plans is to utilize our own
staff’s time, skills, and talents. However, we also recognize
the need for specialized services. Our workforce plan includes
working with our partner, BOCES, for PD. An analysis of the
goals for the one- and five-year periods tells us in what other
areas we may need to utilize the services of a consultant. For
example, last year we enlisted the help of an educational
planner to begin to look at our space needs over the next 20
years and to make recommendations about building usage.
2.2a(5) Performance Measures
The key performance measures we use to track the
achievement of our goals and action plans are those found in
our district scorecards (Figures 1.1-2–1.1-6). The scorecards
are presented to the BOE and public annually. Our district
goals are re-evaluated annually in our SP review. The building
principals monitor building action plans.
2.2a(6) Action Plan Modification
At the building level, modifications to action plans would be
made by the SBT and then deployed to all staff by the building
principal. At the district level, modifications to an action plan
would be drafted by the district office administrator
responsible and then shared with AC for finalization. The
district office administrator would then deploy the changes by
meeting with the appropriate personnel.
2.2b Performance Projections
Setting performance projections, using benchmarks, and
reviewing SUFSD trend data (relative to comparison and
exemplar school districts) to see patterns of performance are
processes the district uses to identify gaps that will be
addressed in the next SP cycle. In September of 2013, the
district purchased a program called School Meter, which
assists administrators with data analysis (Figure 2.1-6). In a
cycle of refinement, we hired a Baldrige consultant this year to
assist us in creating stronger goals and performance measures.
We expect this work to be complete in the summer of 2014.
The district uses gaps in performance against our comparison
schools districts as a motivator to improve. Improvement is
our aim, and the benchmarking data are critical to achieving it.
This is particularly important in NYS because the state tests
and cut scores by which students are measured have changed
significantly several times over the years. By matching our
trajectory of performance with that of comparison and
exemplar school districts, we are able to tell whether district
performance is suffering or whether the test is particularly
challenging. Also, because we consistently outperform state
averages, these are not useful to us in our attempt to improve.
3.0 Customer Focus
3.1 Voice of the Customer
3.1a Listening to Students and Other Customers
3.1a(1) Listening to Current Students and Other
Customers
Figure 3.1-1 summarizes our key listening and learning
methods, while Figure 3.1-2 documents the listening process.
Teachers are on the front line when it comes to students. At
all grade levels, they gather feedback from students on a daily
basis in a variety of ways. As they watch students work, they
can assess each student’s level of engagement, level of
challenge, and level of frustration. Teachers often overhear
comments students make to one another that relate to their
satisfaction with the educational setting. Students will often
talk to their teachers about their concerns, and teachers will
initiate conversations with students who seem troubled. The
building administrators also receive feedback daily from
students as they watch students interact in the halls, as they
handle discipline issues, and as they review student
performance on report cards and assessments. The SOS also
observes students as they work in their classrooms, engage in
extra-curricular activities, and walk through the halls or eat
lunch. Beginning this school year, the district also had
students in grades 6–12 participate in a student engagement
survey. Through these interactions, all segments of the student
population are “heard.”
In addition, the SOS holds meetings with the student leaders
of three of the four buildings (3–5, 6–8, and 9–12) four times a
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
3.0 - Customer Focus
year. The purpose is to seek feedback from the students
regarding their educational experience, with topics adjusted
to fit the age group of the students. Students are asked
whether their feelings represent those of most of their peers.
If students discuss concerns, the SOS shares them with the
building principal and other relevant administrators (if not
present) and follows up with the students at a subsequent
meeting.
A second, very prominent customer group consists of our
taxpayers, many of whom also have students attending
schools in the district. We listen to this very important group
of customers in a variety of ways. Teachers are, again, on
the front line with parents and communicate quite regularly
via meetings, phone calls, e-mails, and written notes. At the
elementary level, classes have parent volunteers who work
with the teachers and children during the course of the week.
Administrators meet with parents in a variety of formats.
Examples include parent coffees, SBT meetings, PTA
meetings, 504 meetings, and Committee on Special Education
(CSE) meetings. They also interact with taxpayers at student
events, such as concerts, plays, and athletic competitions.
Administrators often receive and respond to phone calls and e-
mails as well.
A more formal way of listening occurs through surveys.
Each year we administer a parent satisfaction survey. We are
also in our second year of administering a budget survey to
assist us in developing a budget that the community can
support when the vote is taken in May.
All community members—students, parents, and taxpayers
without students in the district—are encouraged to
communicate at BOE meetings and forums. In the 2012–2013
school year, we began the practice of hosting forums to get
community members actively involved in discussing critical
issues facing the district, most notably, budgetary cuts and
how to best use our buildings as we face declining enrollment.
All customers can also interact with the district via the
website. Students (and parents) at TMS and SHS can report
cases of bullying through web-based programs. The district
website contains e-mail addresses for teachers and
administrators so that community members can contact
anyone easily via that means. Additionally, 100 percent of our
teachers have webpages. Finally, the district maintains a
Facebook page that some people use to offer comments.
Other customers are workplaces and post-secondary
institutions. We do not receive feedback from either of these
sources, though students who return to the district as visitors
and summer workers report that they feel very well prepared
at college.
Follow-up to listening is a key component of the
communication process and can occur in a variety of ways.
Sometimes it is a matter of simply responding to a person or
group of people. Examples include returning a phone call to
discuss findings or reporting back at the next scheduled
meeting of a group. When surveys are administered, the
results are shared with the appropriate stakeholder groups.
Items about which there is most concern are then developed
into goals to be worked on during the ensuing months.
Progress on the
goals is reported on,
and a re-
administration of
the survey the
following year helps
us to assess our
success with
improving the
situation.
3.1a(2) Listening
to Potential
Students and
Other Customers
The district listens
to former students when they come back to the school to visit
or work in the summer. We also instituted a post-graduate
survey to find out how are students are doing after they leave
us. Since school attendance is determined by the location of
the student’s home, we really do not have a lot of access to
potential customers.
Occasionally, parents who are looking to relocate to our
area will call to find out more about the school district, but
most often this is done through their work with realtors, who
often recommend homes in the Spackenkill School District.
The real estate website Zillow frequently highlights properties
in the district by spelling Spackenkill in uppercase letters or
using the phrase “sought-after Spackenkill schools.”
3.1b Determination of Student and Other Customer
Satisfaction and Engagement
3.1b(1) Satisfaction and Engagement
Teachers, support staff, and principals assess student
satisfaction and engagement through their regular interactions
with the students and, at the elementary level, their parents.
The SOS also meets quarterly with designated student leaders
Figure 3.1-1 Key Listening & Learning Methods
Method Stakeholder Frequency Internal Use
of Data
Direct Communication
Focus groups S Q SL, S, E, I
Classroom observations
S O SL, E, I
PTA meetings P M S, E, C, I
BOE meetings P, S, C B C, I, S,
Hiring committees P, S AN SL
Vendor meetings V AN S, E, I
Open houses/ Parent coffees
P A, M S,E,C I
Parent meetings P O S,E,C,I
Community forums P, S, C AN S,E,C,I
Student registrations
P AN S
6th grade athletics
orientation for parents/students
P,S AN S
Letters S, P, C O S,E,C
Surveys S, A, P A S,E,C,I
Higher ed reports S A SL
Assessments S A SL
Technology
Facebook S, P, A, C O S, E, I
E-mails S, P, C O SL, S, E, C, I
Phone calls P, C O SL, S, E, C
Stakeholders: S=Students, P=Parent, C=Community, A=Alumni, V=Vendors Frequency: O=Ongoing, Q=Quarterly, A=Annually, M=Monthly, AN=As Needed: SL=Improve Student Learning, S=Improve Service, E=Improve Efficiency, C=Resolve Complaint or Individual Concern, I=Enhance Innovation
Figure 3.1-2 Listening Process
Step Input (P)
1 Idea or initiative received
Key Process Steps (S)
2 SLs review merits of idea/initiative
3 Process owner identified or team formed
4 Research and gather data
5 SP action plan developed if needed
Output (S)
6 Idea or initiative is integrated into the system
Continuous Improvement Cycle (A)
7 Benchmark for improvement
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
3.0 - Customer Focus
at three of the four buildings.
(The K–2 students are
deemed too young to engage
in such meetings.) Students
are never shy about reporting
what they like and what they
dislike about their school
experience.
Beginning this year,
students in grades 4–12 are
participating in a school
climate survey (published by
the national Olweus bullying
prevention program), and students in grades 6–12 are
participating in a student engagement survey from the
National Center for School Leadership as well. Engagement is
also measured by a variety of other methods, as delineated in
our scorecards (Figures 1.1-2–1.1-6).
Parents and other taxpayers also participate in surveys. One
is a district-developed budget survey that is in its second year
of administration. The other is a parent satisfaction survey. We
changed the
satisfaction
survey
instrument this
year to one
published by
the National
Center for
School
Leadership so
that we could
compare our
results to
similar
districts across
the nation. Additionally, principals sometimes initiate one-
time surveys as the need for feedback arises. An example of
this is a report card survey that was administered to
elementary parents. Responses to all surveys are analyzed and
reported to the BOE in a public meeting. Results are used in
the next year’s goal setting process. Additionally, our
scorecard cites other measures of community engagement
(Figures 1.1-2–1.1-6).
3.1b(2) Satisfaction Relative to Competitors
There are very few ways to determine customer satisfaction
relative to competitors. For the most part, parents choose a
school district when they decide where to live, as school
attendance is determined by residence in a school district. We
have 2.6 percent who do so, as compared with 8.46 percent in
a neighboring district. In fact, the district regularly utilizes the
services of a private investigator to investigate reported cases
of students attending school here illegally. This past year the
district conducted 14 residency hearings and determined that
eight should not have been attending school in our district.
Anecdotal information is received by the district from
current and prospective families and realtors who
receive school district requests from clients. There are no
charter schools in our county that would draw students from
us. We do have private schools that families may choose to
send their children to, but we
cannot be sure whether parents
are selecting Spackenkill Schools
because of their quality or
because attending them is tuition-
free. Traditionally, however, we
have had a relatively low
percentage of students attend
private schools.
As mentioned above, this year
we decided to administer student
climate and engagement surveys
that will allow us to compare
ourselves to other schools in the nation. This is also the first
year that we will have such data from our parent satisfaction
survey.
3.1b(3) Dissatisfaction
Dissatisfaction is determined by complaints received in a
variety of ways. Students may register complaints with
principals in person or with the SOS when she meets with
them each quarter. Students at the middle school can report
complaints via
a bullying link
on the
school’s
website and
through a new
program at the
high school
called “Talk
About It.”
This is a
mechanism by
which students
can register
concerns via
e-mail and/or text messages to appropriate building personnel.
Parents can register complaints to teachers, support staff,
administrators, and the SOS in person, by phone, or via
written communications. Complaints can also be expressed at
BOE meetings. Generally, persons making complaints are
expected to follow an appropriate chain of command by
speaking first to the person closest to the complaint and then,
if dissatisfied, moving up the chain of command. All
complaints are investigated promptly and followed up on.
3.2 Customer Engagement
3.2a Program and Service Offerings and Student and
Other Customer Support
3.2a(1) Program and Service Offerings
NYSED and the Board of Regents determine a large
percentage of our requirements. We are accountable to the
federal IDEA legislation as well as NCLB and RTTT laws.
The primary regulatory agency, however, is the NYS Board
of Regents, which is a nine-member board appointed by the
state legislature to oversee NYSED and led by the
commissioner of education. We are mandated by NYSED and
the Regents to teach the state CCLS. We are also mandated to
assess our students with state- developed exams at state-
determined grade levels. The Regents pass education laws,
Figure 3.1-3 Satisfaction Determination Process
Segment Satisfaction Determination Approaches Use of Data
Students K-2 In person EE, SI, C
Students 3-5 In person EE, SI, C
Students 6-8 In person, survey EE, IE, SI, C
Students 9-12 In person, survey EE, IE, SI, C
Parents E-mail, phone, letter, in person, survey, Facebook
EE, IE, SI, C
Community E-mail, phone, letter, in person, survey, Facebook
EE, IE, SI, C
Alumni In person, survey, Facebook EE,IE,SI,C
EE=Exceed Student and Stakeholder Expectations, IE=Initiate Engagement, SI=System Improvement, C=Used to Obtain Comparative Data
Figure 3.2-1 Student Diversity
BEDS Day Oct. every year
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
Black Hispanic Asian/ Pacific Islander
Caucasian Multi- racial
2003–04 <.5% 10% 6% 10% 74%
2004–05 1% 10% 7% 10% 73%
2005–06 1% 9% 8% 11% 72%
2006–07 <.5% 9% 8% 7% 75% 0%
2007–08 <.5% 9% 9% 10% 71% <.5%
2008–09 1% 10% 8% 10% 71% <.5%
2009–10 <.5% 10% 8% 13% 67% 2%
2010–11 <.5% 11% 10% 13% 64% 1%
2011–12 1% 9% 10% 14% 65% 1%
2012–13 <.5% 9% 11% 14% 63% 2%
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
3.0 - Customer Focus
mandate curriculum standards, and have extensive
state assessment systems in grades 3–12. A high
school diploma is awarded after a student completes
22 credits in prescribed subject areas. Students must
pass a total of five Regents exams to earn a Regents
Diploma and eight exams to earn a Regents Diploma
with Advanced Designation. The Regents also
regulate certification for all teachers, administrators,
teaching assistants, and coaches. Teachers are also
required to be “highly qualified,” in accordance with
NCLB regulations.
Our SPP is a venue for determining program needs
not mandated by federal or state agencies. Our district
goals speak to the importance of offering a breadth of
program offerings so as to meet the needs and interests
of our diverse student population (Figure 3.2-1).
Our district offers a strong music, art, and physical
education curriculum at all grade levels as well as
courses in Foreign Language, Family and Consumer
Science, Computers, and Health. In recognizing that
not all students learn in the same way or in the same
time frame, we have developed programs that service
SWD as well as accelerated learners.
Examples of the programs that service SWDs are
co-taught classes that contain both special education
and general education students, courses that span a
year and a half to cover the same material some
students master in just a year, study skills classes, and
AIS classes.
Examples of programs that meet the needs of
accelerated learners include College Board AP
classes and Project Lead The Way (PLTW) at
SHS; accelerated math, science, and art classes
at TMS; and an enrichment program at HES.
Coursework is not the only way to address
our students’ diversity of abilities and interests.
We also offer extensive opportunities for
students to participate in extra-curricular
activities and athletics (Figure 7.2-7).
Through our annual budget process, we also
receive feedback from students, parents, and
other taxpayers. Our budget survey (Figure 3.2-
2) asks taxpayers to indicate their level of
support for programs. Through our budget
forums and workshops (Figure 3.2-3), the
community gives feedback about what needs to
be eliminated and what needs to be considered
for additions to the programs. Through these
feedback mechanisms, we have learned that
parents often choose our district for their
residence because of our small class sizes and
the variety of opportunities. Our secondary
schools build extra help time into the school
day, during which teachers are required to be
available to students.
3.2a(2) Students and Other Customer
Support
The district enables students and other
customers to seek information and support in a
variety of ways. At the most basic level,
Figure 3.2-3 Budget Forums
Publication of Notice of Budget Hearing, Annual Meeting, and Election Dates for Poughkeepsie Journal – 1
st notice
2nd
notice 3
rd notice
4th notice
Wed Wed Wed Wed
04/02/14 04/16/14 04/30/14 05/14/14
Board Budget Workshops Mon Tues Mon
01/13/14 25/25/14 03/10/14
Budget Presentation Tues 03/25/14
Adoption of Budget Mon 04/07/14
Finalization of Budget Brochure and send to Print Shop
Thurs 04/10/14
Board Candidate Petitions – Available Last day for submission, no later than 4:30 p.m.
Mon Mon
03/24/14 04/21/14
Request Disabled Voters List from Board of Elections
Mon 04/14/14
School Board Candidate – must file 1st Financial
Statement Mon 04/21/14
Selection for order on ballot for School Board Candidate
Tues 04/22/14
Tax Report Card – within 24 hours of budget adoption but not later than
Fri 04/25/14
Absentee Applications Available Mon 04/21/14
Budget Brochure (includes 6 Day Notice) mailed to residents
Tues 04/29/14
Plain Language Budget Binders placed in all schools
Tues 04/29/14
Budget Hearing Tues 05/06/14
Absentee Ballot Application – mailing deadline Tues 05/13/14
School Board Candidate – must file 2nd
Financial Statement
Tues 05/13/14
Annual Meeting – Budget Vote & Trustee Election 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tues 05/20/14
School Board Candidate – must file 3rd Financial
Statement Mon 06/09/14
Figure 3.2-2 Budget Survey Question Excerpts
3. Assuming the district proposes a budget within its tax levy limit, if the vote were held today, would you:
2013/14 2014/15
Strongly favor it 36% 38%
Favor it 30% 32%
Strongly oppose it 2.6% 6.8%
Undecided/Don’t know 26% 18%
7. The district has recently installed additional security cameras, hired a greeter at the high school and completed infrastructure upgrades at all buildings. Do you feel these safety measures are adequate?
Yes 81%
No 19%
8. Should the district consider closing a school building if the result would be to save teaching positions and programs?
Yes. This year we cannot afford further cuts to staff and programs.
45.4%
Not this year, but possibly in years to come.
39.4%
No 15.3%
12. Let’s assume the district proposes a budget within the tax levy limit. If the vote were held today, would you:
2013/14 2014/15
Strongly favor it 29.5% 34%
Favor it 36.5% 37%
Strongly oppose it 4.5% 3.6%
Undecided/Don’t know 23.7% 21%
13. Have you been a regular voter in school board elections and budget votes over the last two years?
2013/14 2014/15
Yes 87% 83%
No 12% 17%
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
3.0 - Customer Focus
students can go to their teachers, support staff (such as social
workers, school psychologists, and, at the secondary level,
guidance counselors), and the administrators. Parents also
have access to these employees. Taxpayers who do not
have children in the school are best served by contacting
personnel at district office for assistance and information;
however, nothing prevents them from contacting teachers
they may know or other personnel as named above.
If the more fundamental attempts to receive support are
not sufficient to remedy the concern, we have two key
means to support students academically, socially, and
emotionally. The first is through the RTI process, which is
a federal requirement for schools (Figure 3.2-4). Each
building has an RTI Committee that meets regularly. The
RTI Committee develops individualized goals for the
students on the agenda. There are three levels of
interventions: tiers 1, 2, and 3. Progress is monitored while
the student receives RTI supports. When the RTI
Committee has recommended all the interventions
allowable and the student does not make adequate progress,
the student may be referred to the CSE to determine
whether the student has an educational disability (Figure
3.2-5). Although RTI is a federal requirement, parents still
have the right to refer their child to the CSE if they suspect
their child has an educational disability.
These processes are deployed throughout the district in a
ASICPPS requests that the RTI team consider additional supports or the student is referred to the CSE.
ASICPPS requests that the RTI team consider additional supports or the student is referred to the CSE.
School psychologist meets with the ASICPPS to discuss a referral to the CSE.
School psychologist meets with the ASICPPS to discuss a referral to the CSE.
If interventions have been exhausted and the student is not responding:
If interventions have been exhausted and the student is not responding:
After the designated time frame, the student is discussed at a follow-up RTI meeting.
After the designated time frame, the student is discussed at a follow-up RTI meeting.
After reviewing the data decision is made on additional monitoring.
If student is responding: no longer reviewed at
RTI meetings
Student progress monitored using AIMSweb Student progress monitored using AIMSweb
Teacher(s) implement RTI recommendations. Teacher(s) implement RTI recommendations.
Additional tier 1 strategies are implemented
The student is recommended for AIS services
RTI Team schedules follow-up meeting dates RTI Team schedules follow-up meeting dates
RTI team determines progress monitoring tools, instructional strategies, and interventions.
RTI team determines progress monitoring tools, instructional strategies, and interventions.
RTI team inputs both qualitative (teacher reports) and quantitative information (assessment data) into RTIm.
RTI team inputs both qualitative (teacher reports) and quantitative information (assessment data) into RTIm.
Teacher refers student to the RTI Committee when the student needs additional strategies and interventions. Teacher refers student to the RTI Committee when the student needs additional strategies and interventions.
Teacher documents tier 1 interventions provided Teacher documents tier 1 interventions provided
Figure 3.2-4 Referral Process for RTI Figure 3.2-4 Referral Process for RTI
The CSE convenes and eligibility for classification as a student with a disability is determined.
The CSE convenes and eligibility for classification as a student with a disability is determined.
The school psychologist reviews evaluation with the parent(s) prior to the CSE meeting and provides report copy.
The school psychologist reviews evaluation with the parent(s) prior to the CSE meeting and provides report copy.
When testing is completed to review testing results: When testing is completed to review testing results: Elementary: School psychologist
holds a team meeting with teachers and ASICPPS.
Secondary: School psychologist holds a meeting with ASICPPS.
School psychologist completes assessment using a variety of tools, including information provided by the parent.
School psychologist completes assessment using a variety of tools, including information provided by the parent.
When PPS secretary receives the consent forms, a CSE meeting date is scheduled and a lead teacher is assigned.
When PPS secretary receives the consent forms, a CSE meeting date is scheduled and a lead teacher is assigned.
School psychologist makes copies of consent forms for parents and his/her file and sends the originals to PPS office.
School psychologist makes copies of consent forms for parents and his/her file and sends the originals to PPS office.
The 60-calendar-day timeline begins on the day the parent has signed the consent forms.
The 60-calendar-day timeline begins on the day the parent has signed the consent forms.
If referral came from the RTI team the school psychologist makes an appointment with the parents to complete the “consent to evaluate”
forms.
If referral came from the RTI team the school psychologist makes an appointment with the parents to complete the “consent to evaluate”
forms.
If direct parent referral is received: call the student’s teacher/principal/school psychologist to get information about the
child.
If direct parent referral is received: call the student’s teacher/principal/school psychologist to get information about the
child.
The building administrator and ASICPPS will decide on the next course of action.
The building administrator and ASICPPS will decide on the next course of action.
PPS director either requests that the RTI team consider additional supports or the student is referred to the CSE.
PPS director either requests that the RTI team consider additional supports or the student is referred to the CSE.
If a direct parent referral is received it must be forwarded
to the PPS director immediately.
Administrator may request a meeting with parent & student to offer additional education support
services.
RTI Team schedules follow-up meeting dates RTI Team schedules follow-up meeting dates
If the student is responding: no longer reviewed at RTI meetings
If interventions have been exhausted and the student is not
responding:
RTI team determines progress monitoring tools, instructional strategies, and interventions.
RTI team determines progress monitoring tools, instructional strategies, and interventions.
Teacher refers student to the RTI Committee Teacher refers student to the RTI Committee
Figure 3.2-5 Referral Process for CSE Figure 3.2-5 Referral Process for CSE
17
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
3.0 - Customer Focus
variety of ways. First, the processes are available on our
employee Intranet. Second, we provide training on the
processes through PD activities offered in-house and
locally, often through our BOCES. Third, the ASICPPS
meets quarterly with the principals and social workers to
discuss the implementation of RTI in the buildings. She
also meets regularly with PPS staff to ensure that CSE
procedures are followed. In the interim, she monitors the
CSE process via informal communications with the CSE
chairpersons and review of the Individualized Education
Programs (IEPs) that result from the meetings.
Both secondary students and parents are surveyed
annually about their experience with the school/district.
Additionally, students, parents, and other taxpaying
community members are invited to participate in forums
at which they discuss and share their priorities regarding
programs and services. Results from these surveys are
then used to develop improvement goals.
3.2a(3) Students and Other Customer Segmentation
Our customer segments have been relatively stable over
the past 10 years, and we anticipate that they will
continue to be so. While our enrollment is declining, as
it is in many school districts in the state and county, our
demographics have not
changed much. Our ethnic
diversity has increased, as
has our percentage of
students receiving special
education services. The one
difference in our
demographics is the increase
in the percentage of students
receiving free and reduced
price meals. We noticed the
increase several years ago
when the country was near a
recession, and it has
remained mostly stable since
the increase (Figure 3.2-6).
School districts in NYS do not compete for students.
The residence of a family determines the school district
the children attend. School districts do not market their
programs to attract new residents. However, because
property values are, in part, related to the school district,
maintaining an excellent reputation among realtors
keeps families looking for homes in our district.
3.2b Building Relationships with Students and Other
Customers
3.2b(1) Relationship Management
As noted previously, school districts in NYS do not
market to potential students. Spackenkill, in particular,
is not in a position to do so since there is very little land
in the district that could be developed for new
residences. We do, however, retain our share of students
through our strategic advantages: an excellent
reputation, a culture of excellence, community support,
an engaged workforce, small class and school size,
availability of a educational resources, and fiscal
stability.
We increase student engagement via strong athletics
Figure 3.2-6
Free & Reduced Lunch
2001 8.3%
2002 8%
2003 8.1%
2004 7.6%
2005 9.1%
2006 9.4%
2007 10.7%
2008 11.9%
2009 15.4%
2010 15.1%
2011 16.7%
2012 17.7%
2013 17%
Figure 3.2-7 Community Engagement
Instrument Population Results
Target % improvement over (how long)
Comparison Data
Satisfaction Survey
All parents Clear School Mission 79% Frequent Monitoring 75% High Expectations 81% Home-School Relations 73% Instructional Leadership 68% Opportunity to Learn/ Time on Task 73%
Not available
% participation in annual budget vote
All community residents
14.1% Not available
Budget Vote results
All community residents
70.9% Positive
# of Impartial Hearings Requested
All parents 0 Not available
# of Appeals to Commissioner
All parents 0 Not available
# of Lawsuits filed
All parents 1 Not available
Committee Memberships
All parents 50 Not available
Memberships in Booster Organizations
All parents 36 Not available
Membership in PTA
All parents Not available
Participation in Forums
All community residents
Not available
Hits on/Users of: district website
All community residents
495,519 Not available
Hits on/Users of: parent portal
All parents 36% Not available
Hits on/Users of: Nutrikids
All community residents
78% Not available
Hits on/Users of: SM
All community residents
52% Not available
Hits on/Users of: teacher webpages
All community residents
46,918 Not available
Hits on/Users of: Facebook
All community residents
152 Likes Not available
18
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
4.0 - Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge
Management
and extra-curricular programs. This keeps students at school
longer during the day and gives them the opportunity to
interact not only with different students, but also with adults
other than those they have as teachers. Another way that we
engage students is by asking them to complete surveys, as
appropriate. Students in grades 6–12 now take a student
engagement survey annually, and students in grades 4–12
take a school climate survey. At the middle school, high
school, and district levels, students also serve on the shared
decision-making committees and provide feedback
regarding the SP and other topics relevant to their school
experience.
We increase taxpayer engagement by providing them with
a variety of forms of involvement (Figure 3.2-7). We host
forums during the course of the year on topics such as the
budget, district vision, and effective use of building space.
Because our district is experiencing a decrease in
enrollment, the community was engaged in conversations
about possible grade-level reconfigurations for better
utilization of space. BOE meetings are held twice each
month and are open to the public. Comments from the
public are encouraged at each meeting. Parent surveys are
administered annually. Additionally, we encourage feedback
via e-mail with subject-related links on our website. For
example, we have a link for input about our facilities, and
each January we activate a link for budget feedback.
Two years ago we started using Facebook as a means of
engaging the community as well. Our followers are
comprised of students, graduates, and taxpayers.
3.2b(2) Complaint Management
Complaints are handled at the level closest to the issue. If
unresolved, they move up the chain of command rather
quickly. Employees are expected to respond to concerns
within 24 hours, even if it is to report that they will look into
the matter. Sometimes, an investigation is necessary and can
take several days to complete. Once an administrator receives
a serious complaint, he/she notifies the SOS, who then
monitors the situation. It is through prompt and sincere
communication and follow-through that we recover our
students’ and taxpayers’ confidence in the district.
4.0 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management
4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of
Organizational Performance
4.1a Performance Measurement
4.1a(1) Performance Measures
In concert with our overall systemic approach to our work, we
use performance measures in a systemic manner in order to
improve all areas of student achievement. Data and
information are used to analyze and improve student learning
and overall organizational performance. These processes
support decision making and encourage innovative thinking
across our system’s daily operations. Information is collected,
aligned, and integrated to ensure decisions are made in support
of the vision and mission of the district with comprehensive
consideration to all aspects of the confluence of information
available. How this is accomplished can be noted in the
district’s scorecard (Figures 1.1-2–1.1-6). The manner in
which data is identified, shared, and used in decision making
can be found in Figure 4.1-1.
Data are collected from digital sources as well as manually.
Our CD designs the process for data capture with the system
applications and the data warehouses. New or refined
measures are integrated into the School Improvement Plan
(SIP) and placed on the DSC agenda in order to monitor
organizational performance review and related key work
processes. Student achievement results on state assessments
are gathered and collected through the Student Information
Repository System (SIRS) level 0–2 and are disbursed into
BOCES Assessment Reporting System (BARS) written by a
Regional Information Center (RIC) for NY assessment data.
This data can only be viewed by teachers and administrators
for their own district’s data. School Meter, also used by the
district, offers the capacity for administrators to compare their
state assessment results with other schools and districts across
the state. Staff enter information regarding student report card
grades and attendance in eSchoolData, a student information
software system. Teachers and administrators can access it in
order to make inquiries and decisions regarding progress, or
lack thereof, on an individual student, class, grade level, or
school. There is a parent portal available. Parents are able to
see attendance reports as well as report cards through this
portal, from which the teachers and administrators have
anytime, anywhere access. With support from the CD, each
school is responsible for analyzing and disseminating results.
Data alignment and integration are facilitated at the district
level on a routine basis by the ASICPPS with information
Figure 4.1-1 Scorecard Data Use
Who Time Frame/Participants/Purpose
BOE Board calendar; annual review of goals, quarterly
progress review
SLs, district office staff, and community members
Ensure alignment of SP, mission, vision, and goals with
district policies and procedures
SOS Monthly
Department and school leaders
Review mission, vision, and goals
while monitoring key performance
areas and strategic objectives
SLs Weekly
SOS, SBM, ASICPPS, Principals, CD, CT
Assess SUFSD’s progress and performance toward
achieving SP as outlined in Figure 2.1-6.
AC Monthly
Review action plan progress as
outlined in SP, monitor and
implement innovation, identify benchmarking opportunities
AT Once monthly and in Leadership Retreat in summer
AC, directors
Communicate, review, and monitor SP
progress as outlined by action plans
Building/
Department
Leadership Teams &
PLCs
Monthly for SBTs
School/department administrators, teacher leaders, curriculum coordinators
Assess operational performance for
department, division, and school leadership by monito
ring action plan progress and academic/support work processes
All Data Teams Annually
School administrators, teacher leaders
Assess annual progress in achieving goals, including
teaching and learning performance data
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
4.0 - Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge
Management
requested from the CD. This is done annually and is reported
out via the annually scheduled report to the BOE. Results
against stated measures are used to assess progress against
goals and to manage and improve day-to-day academic and
support work processes. During the year, there are scheduled
check-ins each quarter when assigned administrators are
expected to report to the SOS on their progress toward stated
goals. ESchoolData is used to collect information about
student attendance, grades, and state testing results. The SBM
collects and maintains staff data, including education level,
work experience, salary and benefits, attendance, and
demographic information in Finance Manager software.
Finance Manager is used to capture and keep records for
payroll and personnel, including seniority, tenure, teacher
identification numbers, health insurance, teacher rating (from
the NYS required evaluation system), accounts payable, and
general ledger. SUFSD collects, analyzes, aligns, and
integrates results from parent, employee, alumni, community,
and student satisfaction surveys collected using National
Center for School Leadership software. PD data are captured
and maintained by the personnel assistant in My Learning Plan
(MLP) software.
Systematic evaluation of our performance measures has led
to multiple cycles of improvement. In 2007, using PDSA, our
two elementary teams identified the need for performance
improvement in English Language Arts (ELA) on the NYS 3–
5 examinations. After careful study with the two principals,
teams of teachers and the ASICPPS, a decision was made to
implement a shift into the balanced literacy approach to the
teaching of reading and writing. The successful use of the
program across all elementary grades caught the attention of
the middle school principal and faculty. After careful
investigation, they began training and implemented the
program in their ELA instruction while introducing the
concept to their social studies and science teachers as well.
State measures for improvement of student achievement were
changed. Although teacher feedback revealed improved
student abilities in math and ELA, no long-term test results
exist to support that feedback.
In 2011, because of the state’s new requirements to capture
teacher evaluation for the purpose of improved practice,
SUFSD adopted an evaluation process (Charlotte Danielson
Framework for Teaching) and used MLP as the software with
which to capture the information in the best way possible. All
administrators engaged in the evaluation process, teacher
leadership, and district office administrators jointly made this
decision. Because of the changing state curriculum
requirements, the AC determined that the teachers needed
training in the new CCLS and curriculum shifts as well as an
opportunity to agree on changes and adjustments needed in
their curriculum. From 2010 through 2013 training from
outside consultants and the director of curriculum (position
has been changed to ASICPPS) resulted in a deeper
understanding of the CCLS. These trainings took place for
grades K–12. RTIm software was adopted in order to capture
the performance levels and progress of all students enrolled in
academic intervention programs in 2008. Following that, in
2010, AIMSweb, a progress-monitoring software, was added.
This software allows students to demonstrate their progress
toward their academic goals through a series of assessments
available for them to take throughout the school year. In 2011
the district purchased a software program named Naviance for
the high school in order to better streamline the college
admission process and capture the data for further study. In
2009, the TMS principal instituted data walls to bring
attention to student and teacher attendance and highlight a
noted difference between quarter grades and common final
exams. This data was used to create awareness of a disparity
between standards upheld during the school year and at the
end of the academic year.
The results (documented in AIMSweb, RTIm, the NYS
testing program, and eSchoolData) are available to all teams in
the district as they review reports on progress. Elementary
teachers, along with their principals and grade-level teams,
designed, implemented, and monitored intervention plans at
the classroom level, based upon analysis of individual student
results. The integration of innovative data walls led to an
interest in curriculum revisions in our elementary program.
4.1a(2) Comparative Data
When a new or enhanced measure is identified, the AC also
uses the measurement process and criteria to identify and
evaluate applicability of potential benchmarking contenders.
In an effort to benchmark organizational progress, SUFSD
utilizes a variety of sources for comparative data and
information (Figures 7.1-1–7.1-30). Sources for comparisons
include, but are not limited to, national, state, county, regional,
and peer districts. In addition, SUFSD identified regional high
performers to benchmark student achievement against; we call
these “exemplar” schools. When we self-select schools with
which to compare, the districts must be achieving in the top
percentile and must have similar demographics. The key
criteria used by the AC to select comparison data and
information are student enrollment size and similar
socioeconomic and demographic factors. This ensures the
effective use of key comparative data and information.
SUFSD statistically describes data in charts and graphs and
reports results against measures in the scorecards.
4.1a(3) Student and Other Customer Data
SUFSD employs multiple approaches to obtain actionable
information and feedback from current, future, and past
students and stakeholders. This information is used to improve
educational programs, offerings, and services. Approaches
include focus groups, SBTs, surveys, and the district website,
which includes a link to the e-mail address and phone number
of the SOS as well as e-mail addresses of BOE members.
There are also feedback boxes and links for budget input,
facilities concerns, and suggestions and complaints regarding
specific topics. Alumni surveys have been done every other
year for the past five years. Our key tools are our stakeholder
satisfaction surveys, which are given to staff and parents.
Student engagement surveys are given for grades 6–12, and
Olweus surveys are administered in grades 4–12.
4.1a(4) Measurement Agility
We do not use solely lagging data; we strive to identify
leading data to inform us. To ensure deployment of this
approach, review of our SP, action plans, and corresponding
data by the DSC on a quarterly basis integrates this review of
dashboard measures and in-process indicators. This review
prompts flexibility and agility. The SUFSD measurement
system undergoes annual review to keep it current and
20
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
4.0 - Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge
Management
sensitive to
unexpected
organizational and
external changes and
to ensure it is effective
in supporting our fact-
based management
system. In a cycle of
learning, our CD
recently updated our
school scorecards.
Participation by the
CD in national, state,
and local professional
organizations keeps
SUFSD informed
about external changes
that require a change
in our measurement
system. This is an
important way to
remain ahead of
change and be
prepared for what is
expected of us.
4.1b Performance
Analysis and
Review
Organizational
performance reviews
are conducted on a
systematic basis as
outlined in the SPP
(Figure 4.1-2). These
reviews include members of the DSC, BOE, SBT, and faculty
meetings. The use of data is a crucial element of our core
value of continuous improvement. SUFSD integrates the use
of our scorecard as our systematic approach to fact-based
performance analysis and review. The purpose of the reviews
is to assess organizational performance against goals and to
identify the need for improvement or mid-course adjustments
in plans. Prior to performance reviews, analyses are conducted
by the DC, data teams, including the AC and departments, to
develop findings. After the findings are identified, results are
used to provide a fact-driven basis for performance reviews.
Results are also shared internally and externally through BOE
assessment reports, webpages, and e-mail. Annually, as part of
our SPP, we review progress toward our district and building
goals, action plans, and SWOT.
Quarterly each school and department reviews improvement
goal progress using the “study” phase of the PDSA process.
Each PDSA action plan monitors in-process measures to help
determine progress. Each SP action plan includes delineation
of responsibility, tasks, resource needs, and completion dates
to enhance accountability. SP action plan reviews are
integrated in the AC meeting agenda schedule to further
enhance accountability.
At BOE business meetings, monthly treasurer’s reports and
extra classroom treasurer’s reports are reviewed. Annually, the
internal and external audits are reviewed by the BOE. SUFSD
established a DSC to
help review
organizational
performance in the
security and safety
areas. This committee
meets bimonthly to
review trends in
workplace safety, fire,
and lockdown drill
data. Each school has
a building-level safety
team as well. The
SOS, CD, DSC,
faculty, and SBTs
work together to
analyze workforce
satisfaction and
engagement results.
Analysis includes the
use of survey,
flowcharting, and
action planning. The
SOS and AC conduct
comparative analysis
with high-achieving
districts and report to
the BOE annually.
The DFO and SBM
monitor facility
performance daily,
monthly, quarterly,
and annually. They
conduct comparative
analysis reports on energy performance and preventative
maintenance prioritization and also map out work process
flowcharting. Customer satisfaction review occurs on a regular
basis. The AC monitors complaints for trends to help identify
potential improvement and organizational innovation. Data are
collected through surveys of internal and external
stakeholders. AC and BOE members analyze results, and
action planning follows.
The monitoring of individual student achievement occurs
daily through classroom assessments and every five weeks via
progress reports and quarterly report cards. Cohort
achievement data— including results from MAP assessments,
teacher-made assessments, and state tests—are monitored on a
quarterly and/or annual basis. AC, data teams, and SBTs
deploy comparative analysis, trend analysis, and action step
planning at regularly scheduled meetings.
The information technology (IT) department monitors
systems performance on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly,
and annual basis. Data are analyzed for trends and levels, and
customer satisfaction results undergo a comparative analysis.
Improvement planning and innovation opportunities are
identified from the analysis. The SOS and the ASICPPS meet
biweekly with the CD and CT to review performance and
address pro-active measures. Quality performance reviews
enable the organization to review progress in a timely fashion
so that we can identify opportunities for innovation and make
Figure 4.1-2 SUFSD Organizational Performance Reviews
Performance
Review Frequency
Purpose Type of
Analysis
Participants
Strategic Plan – A OP, LTG, OS, I CA, CS All
CIRs reviewed by BOE
‐ A
I, LTG, OP, IM, LTG CA, CS, S AT, SL, SBT, CT, BOE
SP Action Plan Updates
– Q
OP, OC, OS, I, IM, STG, C CA,T,GC SBT, SL
Financial – O, A OC, RT CA, T BOE, SL
Safety/Security – O, A,
M
OS, IM, FC, T, S SL, CT, DSC
Workforce – O, A OS, OP, OC, IM FC, S, T, H SL, CT
Curriculum – O, A, Q I, IM P, T, CA, T AC, SBT, BOE, CM, CT
Facilities – O,A OC GC, P SL, CT, DSC
Customer satisfaction –
A, O
OP, OS, IM S, T AC, BOE, SBT, CT
Student achievement –
O, Q, A
IM CA, PA, P, T AC, BOE, SBT, CT
Technology – A, M, D OC, OS, I CA, PA, T, CS AT, CM, SBT, CT
Frequency: O=ongoing, D=daily, M=monthly, Q=quarterly, SA=semiannually, A=annually
Purpose: OP=organizational performance; OC=organizational capabilities; OS=organizational success; I=innovation; IM=improvement; STG=short‐ term goal progress; LTG=long‐ term goal progress; C=ability to address changing organizational needs
Type of analysis: CA=comparative analysis; CS=action step progress check; FC=flowchart; GC=Gantt chart; P=prioritization; H=histogram; PA=predictive analysis; S=survey; T=trends. Participants: SL=senior‐ leaders; CM=community members; SBT=building leadership team; S=students; CT= classroom teacher; AC=administrative cabinet; AT=administrative team; BOE= Board of Education; DSC=district safety committee, ALL=all participants listed
21
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
4.0 - Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge
Management
mid-course adjustments to respond to changing needs and
achieve goals.
4.1c Performance Improvement
Performance goal setting is integrated in the SPP. SUFSD uses
performance review findings to identify best practices and
review lessons learned so that they can be shared with other
departments and schools. Each school in grades 4–8 receives a
rating from the state in the areas of Achievement, Student
Growth, Closing Performance Gaps, and Postsecondary
Readiness. In grades K–2 the school uses MAP testing, the
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), AIMSweb, and
other assessments to monitor progress. In the 9–12 grades,
NYS Regents Exam grades and quarter grades are used. As a
result of the data, principals use faculty meetings to share best
practices. K–5 teachers have common prep time by grade level
at which they may review common unit assessments to
identify best practices. Middle school teachers also have
shared planning time to perform the same function. The
findings from performance reviews are put into operation
through action plans and SIPs designed by the principal of
each school.
4.1c(1) Best Practices
SUFSD uses previous year student performance data to project
upcoming achievement data. Using MAP, DRA, and state
results, teachers, counselors and administrators create
intervention programs for underperforming students using the
RTI process. Cohort student data are tracked in the SIRS to
better manage future achievement predictions. Financial and
facility performance findings help predict future expenditures
and potential cost increases for upcoming years, including
debt service payments, energy consumption, and salary
changes. Comparative analysis is the most commonly used
type of analysis in the organization but scattergrams and
histograms also receive attention during these reviews and
predictions. Figure 4.1-2 outlines further details to the types
of analysis used in performance reviews. Forecast5 Analytics
software was purchased this school year to facilitate financial
analysis.
4.1c(2) Future Performance
4.1c(3) Continuous Improvement and Innovation
To enable effective support for decision making and to ensure
organizational alignment, priorities and opportunities for
improvement (OFIs) are identified through the AC, SBTs,
department/grade-level teams, the curriculum coordinators
meetings with the ASICPPS, and other work groups
bimonthly. This approach informs and guides planning
processes, thereby supporting our innovation forward. Once
innovations and OFIs are defined, resulting action plans are
deployed internally. Common planning times and frequent
faculty meetings are used to work toward the goals set.
Monthly meetings with key suppliers feature performance data
review. For example, the SBM meets regularly with Durham
School Services, our transportation provider, to review student
discipline and route and timeliness safety issues. This
recurring meeting reinforces the practice of reporting incidents
to school principals and continues to develop a working
relationship with the transportation provider. The meeting also
results in setting and monitoring performance targets as well
as the installation of more cameras on our buses for
monitoring behavior.
4.2 Knowledge Management, Information, and
Information Technology
4.2a Organizational Knowledge
4.2a(1) Knowledge Management
SUFSD is committed to integrating systematic processes that
generate value from our intellectual assets. Our talented
workforce has critical knowledge that we must capture to
heighten student learning and organizational efficiency and
effectiveness. This system maximizes how we continually
learn and improve. The district website and eSchoolData, our
student management system (SMS), are the primary
technological tools for managing and transferring knowledge.
SUFSD’s website warehouses district, school, and teacher
information, subject/grade-level program information, and
course information. The SMS allows for access via secure
logins for staff, students, and parents to view attendance and
quarterly grades. A variety of approaches are used to transfer
information to faculty and staff, including e-mail, shared
network drives, professional staff development meetings,
surveys, SM, and the district website. Knowledge is shared
internally via various methods. In the fall of 2010, SUFSD
deployed Google Apps for Education (GAFE) for all staff.
GAFE offers a comprehensive suite of tools that enables
collaborative, shared access to documents and resources, with
the ability to share, edit, and work collaboratively in one
virtual workspace. Staff on school- and district-level teams
can collaborate more efficiently on projects using these web-
based tools, which allow for real-time sharing and editing. In
addition, teaching and learning knowledge management is
done through shared file access and Atlas Curriculum
Mapping, a web-based curriculum management tool, available
anywhere via appropriate passwords.
In other employee categories, teams manage critical
knowledge through shared files, job responsibility folders, and
related collection systems. Faculty and staff use a program
called SchoolDude to report their facilities and IT work
orders. In addition to using the program for the submission of
work orders, the DFO and the DT review the submissions
daily. They meet weekly with their supervisors and monthly
with their supervisors and the principals to review open items,
solutions, follow-up times, and other key issues. IT support
technicians and facilities employees carry mobile devices that
allow anytime, anywhere access to the work order system.
As part of the district’s effort to increase student
opportunities for knowledge transfer, students in grades 3–12
are issued district Gmail accounts. Teachers and students can
access resources and collaborate more efficiently on projects
using web-based tools that allow for real-time access, sharing,
and editing. Stakeholders receive updates from SUFSD
through a variety of access methods, including social media, e-
mail, and the Internet. Due to increasing environmental and
emergency issues, a need was identified by the AC for a rapid
communication and knowledge-sharing tool. After a
systematic evaluation of available applications, in 2008 SM
was deployed, allowing for mass distribution of automated and
timely communication and knowledge sharing.
The AC is primarily responsible for the rapid identification,
sharing, and implementation of researched-based instructional
practices (best practices). During AC meetings, research and
literature reviews occur. Principals follow up by bringing
22
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
4.0 - Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge
Management
information back to their schools for further examination and
decision making in order to best implement appropriate new or
revised practices to their schools.
During the annual SPP meeting, the team completes an
analysis. To guide this analysis, the AC provides evidence for
the team to review in the form of reports, updates, and
evidence of current levels of performance. The AC holds
primary responsibility over this important step. From the
review process come renewed strategies, goals, and key
measures that guide further work on action plans.
As part of the SPP, a Technology Plan is developed to
ensure the IT infrastructure is aligned to the district goals and
capable of keeping data and information availability and
accessibility mechanisms current with educational service
needs and directions as well as with technological changes in
our operating environment. Leading the development of the
annual and long- term goals, the K–12 District Technology
Committee—whose membership includes key teachers from
each school, as well as a school-level administrator, input
from stakeholder groups, including students and parents, is
solicited.
Each school has a Technology Committee that is
responsible for making recommendations for technology
improvements for instructional and communication purposes.
The IT Department represents participation with school
committees to identify and fund major hardware and software
licensing purchases. Teacher leaders and IT staff attend
regional, state, and national conferences to network as well as
obtain current educational technology information and
research-based practices.
4.2a(2) Organizational Learning
Faculty meetings, shared planning times, and two-hour PD
sessions scheduled after school hours are used as teacher
collaborative time in all schools. This fosters problem solving
between grade-level and subject-area teachers. During these
meetings teachers share best practices to improve instruction
along with increasing understanding of curriculum,
assessment, and intervention strategies. It is a scheduling
priority to attempt, as best as possible, to create opportunities
for teachers to work together to maximize sharing
opportunities. In addition, our three scheduled
Superintendent’s Conference Days focus on opportunities for
teachers to learn together and share tacit knowledge through
data, curriculum teams, task force meetings, and, of course,
PD. Sharing of school and district action plan updates builds
administrative organizational learning. Increasingly we are
exploring how to leverage technology to enhance
organizational learning via GAFE.
4.2b Data, Information, and Information Technology
4.2b(1) Data and Information Properties
A systematic process is used by the IT department to ensure
data accuracy, quality, and confidentiality. The confidentiality
of data is protected through the use of a password login system
that restricts access to approved users. Passwords have a
complexity mask and must be a minimum length of characters.
On an annual basis, security audits review and update system
rights and permission to access data. Figure 4.2 -1 identifies
the many approaches used by the IT department to ensure data
properties.
The CD manages all levels of student data as needed to meet
the needs of the district in driving student achievement and
aligning with strategic goals. During an initial review of
district data sets, the CD identifies inconsistencies and errors.
Data integrity and reliability are ensured via data backups,
which occur nightly and weekly. Full backups of other servers
are conducted during the off-hours of the weekends to
maximize system availability during the week. Data are
initially streamed via a disk-to-disk backup and then streamed
again to additional disks for off-site storage. Our SMS,
eSchoolData, contains all student data. SMS data are housed
and backed up at the RIC. Timeliness of data is ensured by the
use of real-time data systems, including the SMS, which
includes an electronic grade book and a parent and student
portal. Student data—including demographics, attendance,
state testing, and course grades—are uploaded to SIRS
regularly.
To ensure data confidentiality, student, staff, and proprietary
information is housed on internal servers. Parents are provided
with external access to their child’s information using a secure
login protocol and password. SUFSD uses Microsoft
Exchange e-mail software, in conjunction with anti-spam
gateways from Barracuda Networks, to filter in-bound and
out-bound e-mail. Anti-virus and anti-spam heuristics, as well
as custom filtering options, are used to protect the reliability of
data. The network is protected by a firewall that does standard
port filtering as well as provides deep packet inspection
capabilities, Internet content filtering, and intrusion protection.
To fulfill Children’s Internet Protection Act regulations, we
use Lightspeed Systems Total Traffic Control software to
provide granular access to websites, differentiating access to
content for staff and students. Lightspeed Systems also
provides remote filtering of Internet content on laptops issued
to the students as part of the district’s dedication to
maximizing student access to technology and the Internet. The
same filtering is used on all desktops and laptops issued to
students and staff.
The physical security of our network is handled either by a
direct, hard-wired connection or wireless access using Wi-Fi
Protected Access ® 2 (WPA2™) security and Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES) with pre-shared keys installed on
Figure 4.2-1 SUFSD Mechanisms to Ensure Data Properties
Data
Properties
Mechanisms
Data accuracy Data entry standards; quality data analysis;
automated data capture
Data integrity/ reliability
Anti‐ spam and anti‐ virus software; gateways,
heuristics, and e-mail filtering; granular access to websites
via software; data backups; redundant data
Data
timeliness
Real‐ time data systems; on‐ demand reporting
Data security/ confidentiality
Secure login protocol and password; systems security application; encryption firewall intrusion protection; security
audits; monthly data security dashboard reviews
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
4.0 - Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge
Management
client computers. Virtual private network (VPN) access is
secured using AES encryption with pre-shared keys and
password protection as well. Personal devices are allowed
access to the public wireless networks on campus, which does
not allow for Intranet access.
The CT receives electronic reports throughout the day
outlining network activity, thereby allowing timely monitoring
of network security and performance. Server logs and statistics
are reviewed on a monthly basis for the purpose of tracking
and improving the effectiveness of the systems and forecasting
trend data.
4.2b(2) Data and Information Availability
SUFSD makes needed data and information available via a
campus-wide network that includes servers, system
applications, and VPN. The network consists of 1,200 network
computers that communicate to centralized servers via wired
100 megabits per second (Mbps) client connections or secure
wireless connections up to 300 Mbps that feed into a gigabit
fiber connection to the entire campus network. Data are made
available to employees, students, parents, and stakeholder
groups as appropriate. Data are accessible through various
mechanisms, including desktop and laptop personal computers
(PCs), the Internet, and the SUFSD Intranet. All teaching staff
have access anytime, anywhere to the district servers via a
virtual desktop infrastructure.
Information is provided externally to stakeholders and
suppliers via the district website, school websites, electronic
mail communication, and secure web and VPN access (Figure
4.2-2). Access to data is disseminated by role; different roles
are granted access to applications and data appropriate to that
role. Both the district website and e-mail are used to distribute
such information as building and classroom news, as well as to
communicate directly with stakeholders and collaborators. In
addition, parents and students can also access data and
consume information from the school websites, including
teacher webpages. Parents can access student information
through the parent portal of e-SchoolData, the district’s SMS,
which allows for real-time viewing of attendance and
quarterly grades.
4.2b(3) Hardware and Software Properties
Figure 4.2-3 identifies the system approaches to ensure the
reliability, security, and user-friendliness of hardware and
software. To ensure hardware reliability, servers, PCs and
laptops are rotated out of production on a scheduled basis,
reducing the risk of unexpected failure due to age. Annual
cleaning, diagnostics of PC components, and the replacement/
repair of failed equipment ensure effective operation of
hardware. Updates to firmware ensure effective operation and
security of the hardware. Network servers are physically
secured in locked computer rooms with limited staff access.
Staff computers have password-protected screen savers, and
locking can be implemented manually when leaving a
computer unattended. BOE policy prohibits the sharing of
access to network computer accounts. To ensure the user-
friendliness of hardware, demo units are evaluated by the end-
users prior to purchasing. Training and help desk support are
provided by IT staff to ensure that hardware is user-friendly.
Upon receiving a request for new software, the IT
department reviews its compatibility on the network to ensure
reliability. Software is then deployed for further evaluation
using a prescribed review process. If the software meets the
desired requirements, it is then deployed. Software
applications are packaged for deployment to the desktop with
Altiris. Because of this, applications
are implemented on campus
computers with limited technician
involvement. The application
installation can be verified by the end-
user allowing for the re-installation
and reliable use of the application.
The IT department also monitors daily
system logs and reviews server data
and help requests to ensure reliability
of systems and software.
Software patches and upgrades also
ensure security and
reliability of operation. Software security is further addressed
by audits and access controls to most applications, including
e-mail. User guides and online help are accessible. Training on
all new software/system applications ensures user-friendliness.
Recently the IT department began to make short videos
available to the staff. These instructional videos are targeted at
the most commonly occurring technical issues and are
intended to increase user knowledge and reduce work orders.
For the purpose of tracking, assessing, and improving the
management of hardware and software, the IT department
measures end-user satisfaction of help desk support and turn-
around time for hardware/software issues. To refine the
collection of these measures, a new help desk tracking system
was implemented in 2013. This is reviewed monthly as part of
the IT review.
Figure 4.2-2 Data Accessibility
Availability Accessibility
Network Servers Sys Apps VPN Internet Intranet
Employees ● ● ● ● ● ●
Students ● ● ● ● ●
Stakeholders ● ● ● ●
Suppliers ● ●
Figure 4.2-3 Hardware and Software Management
Hardware management Reliability:
Hardware rotation Preventive maintenance Redundant hardware systems
Security: Firmware updates Physically secured computer rooms
User‐ friendliness: Evaluation of demo units Training
Software management Reliability:
Software preview process Patches and upgrades
Security: Access controls including passwords Audits
User‐ friendliness: User involved in design/ review
Online help User guides Training
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
5.0 - Workforce Focus
4.2b(4) Emergency Availability
Data continuity of district IT systems is addressed based on
the type and severity of the disruption. In the event of a partial
hardware failure, parts would be replaced, often with
components we have in inventory. Our most critical data are
stored in multiple secured locations on the campus and off-
site. In the event of a disaster, such as a weather-related or
other catastrophic event that prevented the data center from
being able to function, remote data can be restored by a local
vendor who restores SUFSD data onto its server and makes
the data available remotely. In the event of total facility loss,
this backup data would be restored on newly purchased
hardware.
The failure of a physical server is minimized for SUFSD
production servers because SUFSD has implemented virtual
server technologies. A physical server can host multiple
virtual servers. These servers share a common drive resource,
which allows virtual servers to be quickly migrated from one
physical server to another, resulting in continued access to and
availability of critical data. The storage area network (SAN) is
comprised of 16 disks in a redundant array of independent
disks, level 5 (RAID 5) that allows for a single disk failure
without loss of data. Two hot spare disks are in the chassis as
well, and in the event of a drive failure, the hot spare takes the
place of the failed drive and starts the process of taking the
failed drive's place. The AC has conducted tabletop exercises
as part of emergency preparedness training for data access and
continuity. These tabletop exercises are designed to identify
and solve problems, review operational plans, and evaluate
systems and procedures already in place. 5.0 Workforce Focus
5.1 Workforce Environment
5.1a Workforce Capability and Capacity
5.1a(1) Capability and Capacity
The SUFSD recognizes that building and maintaining a
talented workforce is critical to achieving our mission. Nearly
80 percent of our annual budget is allocated to salaries and
benefits.
An annual review of staffing occurs during our budgeting
process. The budget conversations begin as early as the fall for
a May vote (Figure 3.2-3 ). As one of our strategic challenges
is a declining enrollment, we look closely at our teacher-to-
student ratios each year. Another strategic challenge of ours is
a relatively newly legislated property tax cap. For the past
several years, we have been required to reduce our rollover
budget by approximately $1 million each year. As
personnel costs constitute the majority of our
expenses, this is an area that requires close analysis
each year by the administration and the BOE.
While these conversations have always been held
in open BOE meetings that include ample
opportunities for public comment, the district has
increasingly taken to hosting community forums
and administering community surveys to gather
input about stakeholder priorities. At this time, the
BOE also discusses programs that need to be added
to address revised NYSED requirements and the
changing world. As discussions are held about
programs to cut or add, our mission and our goals
guide the BOE and administration. Discussions are
also guided by information about district initiatives, student
learning needs, class size expectations, and staff retirements.
One of the ways that the district assesses the capability of
our workforce is through an annual evaluation process. While
we have always evaluated certificated and supervisory staff,
two years ago, our legislature enacted a highly regulated
APPR requirement for teachers and principals. This legislation
(Education Law 3012c) requires that teacher and principal
evaluations consist of three components: a rubric from a state-
approved list of options that counts for 60 percent of the
person’s evaluation, a state growth score that counts for 20
percent of the person’s evaluation, and a local growth score
that counts for the remaining 20 percent of the evaluation. In
areas where an employee has a state exam linked to his/her
course, the state provides the growth score for that component
of the evaluation.
PD needs are determined in primarily two ways. One is by
an analysis of certificated and supervisory staff evaluation
results. The other is driven by state and/or district initiatives.
The ASICPPS chairs a PD committee that meets regularly to
assess PD needs and to plan for our three Superintendent’s
Conference Days each year. This committee, as well as
feedback from administrators, also informs needs for after-
school workshops. PD is provided at off-site trainings, by
outside consultants in the buildings, and during the school day,
as well as after the school day. Teachers who participate in PD
outside of the school day are awarded clock hours for their
time, which accumulated, can result in an increase in pay.
Participation in PD activities is approved and monitored
through MLP. This software also enables the district to run
reports that can inform evaluations and future PD needs.
5.1a(2) New Workforce Members
Recruitment of employees begins with the placement of
advertisements in the appropriate local newspaper, internal
postings, and on our website. Because of the reputation of the
district, applicants often come to us as a result of informal
networking and word of mouth. Occasionally, if we have a
particularly difficult or specialized position to fill, the district
will also place an advertisement in The New York Times. All
administrative staff follow our hiring process (Figure 5.1-1).
Building principals are trusted to make the appropriate hiring
recommendation to the SBM or SOS. Two techniques that are
critical to the process of teacher hiring are the interviewing of
candidates by a committee of stakeholders and an observation
of each finalist teaching a lesson to a class. The appointment is
Posting Authorization
Posting Authorization
Position Posted Externally &
Internally
Position Posted Externally &
Internally
Application screening with
job
Application screening with
job
Multistep interviewing
process
Multistep interviewing
process
Background & References
Background & References
Offer Extension Offer Extension BOE Approval BOE Approval
Onboarding & Induction
Onboarding & Induction
Figure 5.1-1 Hiring Process
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
5.0 - Workforce Focus
then brought to the BOE for approval. The district ensures that
our workforce represents the diverse ideas, cultures, and
thinking of our community by involving staff and community
members on the interview committee. At the secondary level,
students are also invited to participate on the interview
committee.
Retaining new employees is not generally a problem for the
district (Figure 5.1-2). Employees want to remain in the
district because of competitive salaries and benefits, safe,
clean, and friendly working environments, and the district’s
attention to employee satisfaction. Satisfaction is determined
through dialogue with individual employees, conversations
with union leadership, and, more formally, through the
administration of an annual satisfaction survey.
5.1a(3) Work Accomplishment
The district organizes and manages the workforce and
capitalizes on core competencies by emphasizing a focus on
excellence and by providing the resources necessary for the
employees to achieve excellence. The SP is communicated to
all employees at conference days and via e-mail and can be
found on our website. Each building reinforces the plan
through its school mission and annual building goals.
Through the evaluation process, administrators can cite
areas in which staff are doing well or are in need of
improvement. Probationary teachers receive a minimum of
three observations a year and tenured teachers receive a
minimum of one observation a year. Building administrators,
as well as the DPEHA and the ASICPPS, formally observe
teachers, while the SOS visits classrooms informally.
Conversations with staff about their evaluations focus them on
how they can improve their performance the following year.
Opportunities for relevant PD play a role in improving
performance of individuals and the district.
Our workforce understands that we are all here for students
and, indirectly, their parents and the larger community.
Students are a central focus in three of our five pillars: student
performance, community involvement, and a healthy, safe,
and caring environment. The message that students are
important is reinforced by the SOS meeting with student
leaders in grades 5–12 four times a year and through attention
to results on student and parent surveys. The focus on students
is also conveyed through the district’s recognition of staff
members who go above and beyond their job description for
the good of students. Such recognition is accomplished
through complimentary letters that are kept in personnel files,
a personal note or conversation, recognition in the staff
newsletter, or the bestowal of a puzzle piece by the SOS at a
public meeting. The puzzle piece is a keychain that
symbolizes our belief that we are all a part of the puzzle that
makes the SUFSD a special place.
The focus on student learning is communicated in a variety
of ways. First, we have district and building goals that address
student performance. Second, administrators talk with teachers
about student learning on a regular basis—in pre-observation
conferences, at faculty meetings, in workshops, and in data
meetings. PD addresses student learning and performance.
Finally, 40 percent of teacher and principal evaluations are
based on student performance.
Employees are encouraged to exceed performance
expectations in a variety of ways. All contracts offer
incentives for excellence. These provisions include monetary
incentives for outstanding attendance as well as merit pay
provisions for excellent performance. Teachers who achieve
National Board certification receive a stipend. At retirement, a
teacher who has accumulated a minimum of 150 sick days and
who has received overall ratings of “effective” or “highly
effective” in his/her last three years of service is entitled to a
payment of $5,000. The administrators’ contract pays for all or
part of an administrator’s doctoral program, depending on the
institution they attend. Several employee contracts also
include attendance incentives. Employees are also encouraged
to excel through daily supervision. Supervisors regularly
praise employees for work well done and have conversations
with employees about areas in need of improvement. These
conversations then contribute to the annual evaluation. Finally,
there is the recognition process mentioned previously, through
which employees are recognized for outstanding service to the
district.
5.1a(4) Workforce Change Management
Appropriate and meaningful PD is our key tool for managing
changing workforce needs. Needs have changed most recently
due to the new APPR legislation and by NYSED’s adoption of
the CCLS. The adoption of these new standards has required a
major shift in the materials teachers use and the methods they
use to instruct children.
Staffing needs have changed over time in two ways. First,
because of a decline in enrollment of 9 percent in the past four
years and the tax cap legislation, we have been reducing our
workforce consistently. In May of 2008, for example, the
district employed 318 workers. In May of 2013, that number
was reduced to 306.5 workers, totaling a 3.6 percent reduction
in staff. The nature of our staffing has changed as well.
Within the teaching staff, we have maintained the number of
special education and AIS teachers while decreasing the
number of general education teachers. One way that we have
managed the reduction in teaching staff was by changing our
grade configurations in the elementary schools. Up until
September of 2012, we had two elementary schools that
housed grades K–5. Attendance was based on area of
residence. In 2012, we created one K–2 school and one 3–5
school. This has enabled us to better utilize staff while
balancing class sizes. Changes to the administrative
Figure 5.1-2 Workforce Satisfaction Indicators 2011-
2012 2012-2013
Survey--% that give workplace an “A” or a “B”
85.0% 81.0%
Longevity Certified %10–19 years % more than 20 years Non-certified %10–19 years % more than 20 years
42.0% 9.0% (Both certified and non-certified combined)
53.2% 9.3% 29.2% 9.4%
Attendance Certified Non-certified
96.0% (Both certified and non-certified combined)
96.0% 96.0%
Grievances Certified Non-certified
0 0
0 0
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
5.0 - Workforce Focus
configuration have also enabled us to address declining
enrollment and the need for financial savings. In 2010, we
reduced the dean of students at TMS to half time. In 2012, we
reduced the SHS assistant principal position from 12 month to
11 month and made the summer school program part of that
regular job responsibility. In 2013, when the director of
curriculum retired, we combined the director of curriculum
and director of PPS positions into one job, ASICPPS.
On an almost daily basis, the district requires substitute
workers to fill in for absent employees. We maintain a list of
qualified individuals in each area to call upon in the need of
coverage. Each school building has a resident teacher
substitute who is paid at the daily substitute rate for the full
length of the school year. This substitute reports to the
assigned building daily and is the first to be used when a
teacher calls in sick. Beyond that, the district systematically
uses Aesop, an online substitute staffing service, to place
our substitute teachers and teaching assistants.
We minimize the reduction of staff in several ways.
These include retraining/repurposing of remaining staff,
higher class sizes in favor of maintaining a breadth of
programs, and prioritization of tasks. If we were to face a
need for a growth in staffing, we would begin the
recruitment process early so as to attract the best candidates
before they are hired elsewhere.
5.1b Workforce Climate
The BOE has established policies and regulations regarding
workplace safety, security, accessibility, and wellness. The
SUFSD is in compliance with local, state, and federal safety
and accessibility regulations for staff, students, and visitors.
The district contracts with the local BOCES to provide
training for all employee groups. For example, BOCES
presents “Right to Know” and “Bloodborne Pathogens”
trainings for all staff each fall. BOCES also
provides specialized training for custodial staff in
the handling of chemicals and works with our
science teachers to oversee the chemical storage
for their programs. Additionally, BOCES offers
training in DASA, child abuse identification, and
school safety. The nurse coordinator regularly
sends health alerts and notices of food recalls to
all staff in the district when she receives them.
SUFSD has been a leader in the county regarding
school safety. The district has an active DSC comprised of
employees, parents, a school Board member, union
representatives, insurance representatives, and local fire and
police representatives. The committee has developed an
extensive DSP as well as a Crisis Management Plan (CMP)
and holds regular drills and simulations. The DSC audits the
results of these drills and reviews them to identify and correct
issues noted. All accidents and injuries by staff, students, and
visitors are reported, and the DSC examines claims to identify
the success of preventative measures and OFIs. Each school
building also has a building-level safety team, a full-time
registered nurse to serve staff and students in need of medical
attention, and a medical emergency response team. Several
members of each building’s staff receive CPR/AED training.
Surveys of parents and staff identify their measures of
satisfaction with school safety, and the DSC addresses any
issues identified. In a cycle of improvement, enhanced
security systems were installed in all of our buildings. The
system requires visitors to announce themselves to office staff
before being electronically allowed entrance to school
buildings. In both 2013 and 2014, the district was awarded the
titanium-level School Safety Excellence Award by Utica
National Insurance Group.
5.1b(1) Workforce Environment
The SUFSD supports our workforce via a package of benefits
as illustrated in Figure 5.1-3. We benchmark with
other school districts in the county to offer a competitive
benefits package. Employee contracts or terms and conditions
of employment specify salary and benefits for each segment of
the workforce. The Personnel Manual and BOE Policy Book,
both available online, describe other, non-contractual benefits
and working conditions.
5.2 Workforce Engagement
5.2a Workforce Performance
The administration and the BOE identified key indicators of
workforce engagement. These indicators are monitored
annually (Figure 1.1-4). In addition, this is the third year that
we have administered an employee satisfaction survey and
have used the results to develop district and building goals
(Figure 5.1-4).
5.2a(1) Elements of Engagement
SUFSD fosters an organizational culture that is characterized
by open communication, high performance work, and an
engaged workforce. Figure 5.1-5 describes the types of teams
utilized by the district to foster a culture of open
communication, high performance work, and engagement.
Open communication is fostered through collaborative
meetings with employee groups, union leadership, and
building staff. An example of this is the three days during the
school year that students are not in attendance and all
employee groups participate in meetings and PD. An open-
door work environment is present in each building and at
district office.
5.2a(2) Organizational Culture
SUFSD employs a systematic employee evaluation system to
support high performance work expectations. Evaluations are
differentiated for each segment of the employee population;
Figure 5.1-3 Workforce Services, Benefits, and Policies
Services Fitness Center, EAP, Sports Events, Student Events (sports & concerts), Drama Productions, Cafeteria Lunch
All employees
Benefits Health, Dental, Long-term disability insurance, Short-term disability insurance , Life Insurance, Vision
Employees eligible for benefits as identified in employee contracts
Policies BOE Policy Book, Personnel Manual All employees
Figure 5.1-4 Workforce Engagement Measures Survey Excerpts
Key Elements of Workforce
Engagement Sample Question
Overall satisfaction I am proud to be an employee of the Spackenkill School District.
Leadership My supervisor(s) is/are responsive to my concerns.
Communication Administration keeps me well informed.
Work environment Staff feels safe in this district.
Involvement Staff at this school really cares about students.
27
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
5.0 - Workforce Focus
all employees are evaluated annually. For teachers and
administrators, goal setting is part of the evaluation process.
All evaluations have, in some manner, a criterion related to
“demonstrating initiative.”
Collective bargaining defines compensation for our support
staff, teachers, and administrators. Other work groups are
granted increases based on SL recommendations to the BOE.
Recognition is a key component of fostering high work
performance standards. One formal method of recognizing an
employee’s quality work is the opportunity to serve as a
mentor and/or as a curriculum coordinator, for a stipend. E-
mails, notes, and letters are frequently sent to employees who
have done something noteworthy. Other methods of
recognition include celebrating an employee’s contribution at
the June “Successes” Board meeting and, throughout the year,
the presentation at a public meeting of a puzzle piece key
chain by the SOS to an employee who has done exceptional
work in contributing to the teamwork of the district, as
described previously. Employees are also recognized
periodically at BOE meetings and in our monthly employee
newsletter. Recognition also comes from parents many times.
Whenever a parent sends a complimentary e-mail or letter
about an employee, the
correspondence is put into
the employee’s personnel
file.
5.2b Assessment of
Workforce Engagement
Workforce engagement is
assessed via a systematic
process using multiple
approaches that include staff
surveys, individualized goal-
setting meetings, and
walkthroughs by building-
and district-level
administrators. Engagement
is also measured by
personnel data, such as
attendance and retention
(Figure 7.3-3).
5.2b(1) Assessment of
Engagement
The district believes that
workforce engagement is
extremely critical to
achieving our mission and
goals because, as a service
industry, it is the workforce
that will make us or break
us. A workforce audit is
presented to the BOE each
year, and district and
building goals are developed
to address areas in need of
improvement.
5.2c Workforce and
Leader Development
5.2c(1) Learning and
Development System
The SUFSD systematically
identifies learning needs of the staff each year through a
variety of mechanisms. Identifying staff skills and
competencies needed to meet strategic challenges and achieve
goals is also part of our annual SPP. Our learning and PD
address the following factors:
Core Competencies, strategic challenges, and
accomplishment of action plans: Each school and
department develop action plans annually and each teacher
and administrator sets annual goals based on either the
district’s focus for the year or needs identified during the
evaluation process. This is accomplished via in-house staff
development activities, independent learning, and or off-site
conferences and workshops.
Organizational performance improvement/innovation:
goal-setting activities, performance evaluations, and the SP-
defined PD needs. PD activities are kept track of and
monitored via MLP, a web-based program. A recent
improvement to the evaluation process is the use of individual
teacher goals to drive personal improvement.
Ethics and ethical practices: Ethical behavior is a
performance expectation for all employees; this is reinforced
through the hiring and supervision processes. All employees
Figure 5.1-5 Collaboration in Teams
Type of Team Team Members Purpose of Team
SP BOE, admin, district council Review previous year’s plan and identify changes after a SWOT
DC Parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, SOS, community member, students
Discuss items relevant to all buildings, review shared decision-making plan biennially
District Leadership Team
BOE officers, SOS, SBM, president and vice president of teachers union and administrators union, president of support staff union
Engage in open dialogue about issues facing the district
SBT Building-level teams consisting of parents, teachers, principal, support staff, and, at SHS, students
Discuss items relevant to the building
Joint Teacher Administrator Committee
Teachers, administrators Discuss issues related to the teachers’ APPR
DSC Parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, SOS, community members, emergency services, insurance representatives, town board representatives
Discuss district safety and security protocols and make recommendations for improvement of schools safety plans and training opportunities
Building Safety Committees
Principal, teachers, support staff, parents
Discuss building safety issues and make recommendations for improvement
District Health and Wellness Committee
Parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, SOS, community members
Discuss district health and wellness issues and make recommendations for improvement
AC SOS, administrators, middle managers
Discuss issues relevant to the district, advise SOS on such matters
CSE CSE chairperson, teachers, parents
Multidisciplinary team, including parents, determines eligibility of educational disabilities for students who qualify. Formal process for amending IEPs, as well as process for reviewing IEPs annually.
CPSE CPSE chairperson, teachers, parents
Multidisciplinary team, including parents, determines eligibility of educational disabilities for preschool students who qualify. Formal process for amending IEPs, as well as process for reviewing IEPs annually.
RTI Principal, teachers, support staff
Discussion and development of tiered interventions (tiers 1, 2, and 3) for students who are at risk of not meeting the CCLS due to academic concerns, social/emotional concerns, and/or both. Goals are developed and progress is monitored via this committee.
28
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
6.0 - Operations Focus
have access to our policies online and are asked to sign
acknowledgment of these policies each year. SUFSD is
audited by external auditors for ethical behavior.
Student and customer focus: SUFSD systematically instills
our commitment to students and our other customers through
the interview and orientation process as well as through PD
and ongoing supervision.
Transfer of knowledge: SUFSD recognizes the value of the
knowledge of departing employees. Whenever possible, the
district arranges for an overlap of exiting employees with their
replacements to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and a
smooth transition. Additionally, we have begun to document
the work of each staff member in order to facilitate changes
that need to happen quickly, such as, for example, with the
sudden death of an employee.
Reinforcement of new knowledge and skills: Once
knowledge and skills have been learned, SUFSD utilizes
multiple approaches to
reinforce it. Evaluation forms
are completed after training
sessions. Monitoring of new
learning occurs through
observations, such as walk-
throughs, classroom
observations, and inspections.
The evaluation system
provides yet another
mechanism to address areas
of success and OFIs.
5.2c(2) Effectiveness of
Learning and
Development
The effectiveness of
workforce and leadership
development learning
systems is assessed through
training evaluation feedback
forms and through the
evaluation process. Classroom observations utilize reflective
feedback after administrators visit the classroom.
Administrators use meeting time to evaluate past PD and
identify additional needs. 5.2c(3) Career Progression
Employees at every level of the organizations are informally
monitored for potential for advancement. Food service
workers who perform well often become cooks. Custodians
who perform well advance to head custodian positions.
Monitors have been given opportunities to become clerical
workers. Teaching assistants have had opportunities to
become teachers, if certified to do so. Teachers have
opportunities to become curriculum coordinators or
administrators, if certified. Psychologists have recently been
given the opportunity to chair CSE meetings. Finally, several
administrators have been given opportunities to advance to
higher level positions: a middle school principal became the
high school principal, an assistant principal became a
principal, and a director of PPS became the ASICPPS. All
positions are posted to all staff via e-mail, and anyone
qualified may apply. All positions also require participating in
an interview process.
6.0 Operations Focus
6.1 Work Processes
6.1a Program, Service, and Process Design
SUFSD organizes its work into two large systems with
multiple key processes supporting each one. We have four
academic work processes encompassing all our learning-
centered work processes: curriculum management, instruction
management, assessment management, and student services
management. Our support processes manage the operations of
the school district: financial management, human resources
(HR) management, technology management, facilities and
grounds management, communication management,
transportation management, and school lunch management.
For integrations, owners of the key work processes meet
monthly and report to either the SOS or the SBM.
The PDSA approach is used to systematically add
innovation to our work processes (Figure 6.1-1).
In step 1, SLs identify the need to design a new process or
bring innovation to an existing process. In step 2, inputs and
requirements are used to determine how key work processes
are to be accomplished, how they can be integrated into
existing processes or systems, what organizational knowledge
is to be used, which work process tools are to be used, what
the reporting relationships will be, what the OFIs are, and
what best practices look like. During this stage, SLs gather
input from key stakeholders, as appropriate. During step 3,
work process design improvements are developed and the
opportunity to outsource a key work process is explored. This
determination is made based upon a strategic review using the
following identified criteria: strategic contribution of the key
work process to mission, cost-benefit, risk analysis, and
viability of managing the outsourced service. SUFSD does not
outsource leaning-centered processes because they are critical
to the achievement of the district mission, though we do
partner with institutions of higher learning to provide
additional courses. The district does outsource student
transportation because it is cost effective, efficient, and less
learning focused. In step 4, the final work system design
innovation is implemented. In step 5, SUFSD monitors how
Figure 6.1-1 Work Process Improvement Using PDSA
PDSA Description Example of Use in
Plan (review, purpose, goals, inputs)
Identify need Legislature passed APPR law for teachers and principals
Teachers and administrators met to discuss a plan for implementation
Do (create and deploy plan)
Design requirements Explore technology Develop measures
Teachers and administrators designed the evaluation instruments and the plan for implementation
MLP was selected as the software
Rubric and measures were developed
Board approved plans
Superintendent and principals implemented the plan and evaluated certificated and supervisory staff using appropriate rubric
Study (analyze results)
Conduct design Teachers and administrators identified concerns with plan
Changes made to plan and teacher evaluation form
Act (make improvements)
Pilot/test design Implement Standardize
Changes were deployed following year
Administrators discussed at cabinet meetings to ensure standardization
29
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
6.0 - Operations Focus
well the work system is performing by regular collection and
review of data. For example, SLs review student performance
data and, if appropriate, develop new action plans. In step 6,
standardization of the innovation occurs.
6.1a(1) Design Concepts
6.1a(2) Program, Service, and Process Requirements
Key requirements for academic and support process areas are
presented in Figure 6.1-2. The method of determining these
key processes is informed substantially by NYSED and
federal regulations, though stakeholders do have some voice in
the processes. Teacher involvement and student and parent
input give voice to customer requirements. Requirements for
the support process areas are determined by reviewing
regulations as well as by gathering input from stakeholders
and staff regarding service and efficiency.
6.1b Process Management
6.1b(1) Process Implementation
SUFSD uses both leading and lagging indicators for our
academic and support processes to monitor how we are doing.
Student learning is enhanced by the four key work processes.
There is strong integration between these processes as they are
linked by four questions that guide our work to meet our
mission:
Curriculum: What do students need to know and be
able to do?
Instruction: How will students learn what they need
to know and be able to do?
Assessment: How will students demonstrate what
they know and can do?
Intervention/Student Services: How will we respond
if students don’t learn or if they already know it?
Teaching and learning processes are our key tools for
implementing and innovating our academic work system in
tandem with our curriculum review and design process. We
begin with the development of curriculum that meets New
York State statutes, NYSED state standards, and BOE and
stakeholder identified requirements. The academic work
system delivers value to students and stakeholders by
maximizing student learning potential that, in turn, delivers on
our mission while meeting and exceeding regulatory
requirements.
While a high-quality curriculum helps students learn, we
know that students learn at different rates and in differing
ways. That is why we have a student services management
area. This process is key to making certain that all students’
learning needs are supported. RTI is our key work process tool
for this. SUFSD uses evidence-based methods to anticipate
and address individual differences in learning, capabilities,
rates, and styles. Our comprehensive system (Figure 3.2-4)
proactively and comprehensively addresses the diverse needs
of students. The pyramid ensures that resources and services
are made available for students needing assistance.
Modifications intensify for students not demonstrating
targeted progress. Classroom teachers, counselors,
administrators, and/or parents identify students. Identified
students then receive additional and more targeted resources
and interventions to address specific learning needs while
increasing frequency and intensity to see results. While
interventions may begin with classroom innovations, they may
be increased to include such things as individualized reading
tutoring. We seek to exhaust interventions before pursuing a
referral to the CSE. Progress is documented through RTIm
and a follow-up meeting after six to eight weeks of
intervention. To foster excellence in student achievement, SLs
and teachers collaborate in a systematic review of student
performance data through ongoing grade-level or subject-level
meetings. Each school presents an academic audit to the BOE
annually. This audit demonstrates student performance over
the past five years and compares the school’s performance to
comparison schools and exemplar schools identified by SLs.
This audit informs the building and district about goals that
need to be set for the upcoming year, as well as staffing needs,
program changes, and PD needs. Because each school is
relatively small, principals are able to work with their teachers
to analyze the performance of individual students as well. The
NWEA MAP assessment provides results within a few days
and allows differentiation to be delivered more quickly to
address specific student needs. Data are also used to regroup
students in AIS as appropriate each quarter.
6.1b(2) Support Processes
SLs determined the district’s support processes based on the
following requirements: to provide value to students and
stakeholders while enhancing financial return, heighten
efficiency, and leverage organizational success and
sustainability. These services, if managed appropriately, allow
the district to funnel more funding to the area of teaching and
learning. Inputs include state statute, NYSED regulations,
federal regulations, local ordinance and codes, county
regulations, and internal policies and regulations. They are
also guided by stakeholder requirements, such as safe schools
and effective communication. Changes to requirements are
made as part of the SPP. SLs and the BOE monitor and review
performance against key requirements.
6.1b(3) Program, Service, and Process Improvement
SUFSD employs PDSA to improve our processes.
Improvement of our work processes is conducted by SLs at
our monthly cabinet meetings as well as at our annual retreat.
Leading measures are monitored by building principals, the
SBM, and middle-level directors. Lagging indicators are
reviewed annually by the DSC. Preventing variability in our
processes is attained via the deployment of a standard
curriculum and well-defined processes. To improve our ability
to accomplish this, we purchased the Atlas Curriculum
Mapping program this year. By employing common key
formative and summative assessments, SUFSD reduces
variability in student learning.
6.2 Operational Effectiveness
6.2a Cost Control
The overall costs of SUFSD are managed by:
Development and management of a detailed staffing
plan to allocate staffing efficiently.
Our support processes tools identified in Figure 6.1-
2 to reduce costs and standardize service.
Cooperative purchasing is used for health insurance, WC,
supplies, and service contracts when available to reduce costs.
Centralized bidding and supplier selection processes reduce
the overall cost of procurement. The district’s web-based work
order system and computerized bus routing software offer
effective turn-around time while maintaining safety and
efficiency for our staff and students.
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
6.0 - Operations Focus
SUFSD views this as cost effective, in that we allocate scarce
resources in the most efficient manner to meet the needs of
customers while controlling the overall cost of operations.
Balancing the need for cost control with students’ needs is
achieved by our budget and staffing plan as well as the
creation of the SP.
Figure 6.1-2 Key Academic & Support Work Processes, Requirements, and Performance Measures
Work
Process
SP
Pillar
Key Process Tools Key Requirements Key Performance Measures Contribution Delivered by Work Process
Key Academic Processes
Curriculum
Management
SP CRDP Meet SUFSD and
NYSED standards;
BOE requirements; increasing rigor
Leading: % of SUFSD curriculum BOE
approved in advance of implementation year;
Lagging: Compliance with NYSED; % of SUFSD curriculum BOE approved in advance of
implementation year; % of SUFSD curriculum
BOE approved by end of implementation year
SLs and teachers design rigorous and relevant
curriculum and assessments to enhance student
learning; ensure accountability to content/learning standards
Instruction
Management
SP PD plan
Performance Evaluation System
Meet NYSED and
SUFSD standards for
days/hours of instruction;
Meet state and district
requirements for teacher evaluation;
Meet NCLB
requirements for highly qualified
teachers
Leading: Hiring of new employees who are
highly qualified
Lagging: % compliance with instruction meeting state requirements; % of teachers
deemed highly qualified via NCLB;
100% evaluations submitted on time.
SLs and teachers deploy instructional methods
that reflect diverse learning needs and best
practices
Assessment Management
SP CRDP
Annual Audit
Valid, fair, equitable testing; academic
proficiency that meets
NCLB and NYSED requirements
Leading: % of students meeting or exceeding RIT target growth on MAP;
Lagging: Meeting AYP by district, schools, and
subgroups; # of NYSED violations for test security/proper administration
SLs and teachers evaluate learning progress and proficiency against standards using
formative/summative assessment methods
Student Services
Management
SP
HSC
Response to
Intervention
Grade Level/
Department
Meetings
Compliance with
regulatory
requirements set by state and federal law
Leading: # of students referred to CSE
Lagging: # of students classified by CSE;
% of classified students receiving a diploma; % of students dismissed from AIS
SLs and teachers evaluate and support student
learning needs; create improved capabilities to
learn
Financial
Management
OEFR Budget Planning
Cycle
Budget and Staffing
Plan
Meet required
calendar deadlines;
Efficient fiscal reporting; Effective
fiscal management;
staffing with contractual guideline
Leading: BOE meeting minutes reflecting
approval of treasurer’s reports:
Lagging: Maintaining 4% fund balance; Maintaining bond rating; NYSED annual
financial reports filed timely
Ensure accountability in use of district finances;
employ budget methods for sustainability of
district
Human
Resource Management
WE
HSC
Performance
Evaluation System
Recruitment and
Retention
PD Plan
Meet regulatory
requirements
Leading: % Positions Filled by Sept. 1;
Lagging: Performance Appraisal Submission; % teachers deemed Highly Qualified;
Employee retention
SLs hire, develop, engage, and retain talented
employees; Administer performance evaluation to all
employees
Technology Management
OEFR Technology Plan Systems availability: Compliance with
Internet Child
Protection Regulation
Leading: Cycle time for work order completion Lagging: Customer satisfaction survey
Enhance student learning; manage IT infrastructure to support decision making
efficiency and learning
Facilities and Grounds
Management
OEFR HSC
5-Year Capital Plan;
Emergency
Response Plan
Meet federal, state, and local requirements
for work place safety
and security; operational efficiency
and fiscal
responsibility
Leading: Cycle time for work order completion; Energy cost avoidance and savings.
Lagging: Facility use by community, # of fire
inspection violations, emergency drills data
Manage safe and healthy plant operations
Communication
Management
CI Communication
Plan
Meet federal and state
requirements; clear
and timely information
Leading: # of uses of SM; # of hits on website; #
of friends on Facebook
Lagging: community reliance on district sources of information (Figure 7.?)
Ensure accessibility of information and
transparency; Engage stakeholders and obtain
input
Transportation
Management
OEFR
HSC
Contract with key
vendor
Meet federal and state
regulatory
requirements
Leading: transportation timelines
Lagging: number of transportation accidents
Provide safe and efficient transportation
School Lunch
Management
OEFR Food Service Menu
Plan
Meet federal, state,
and local regulatory
requirements
Leading: food service participation
Lagging: food service profitability (Figure 7.1-
40)
Provide nutritious and cost-effective meals
SP= Student Performance, CI=Community Involvement, WE=Workforce Engagement, OEFR=Operational Efficiency and Fiscal Responsibility, HSC=Healthy, Safe,
& Caring Environment
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
6.0 - Operations Focus
6.2b Supply Chain Management
Supply chain is managed by the identification of key
requirements that are placed in contract of our key suppliers.
These are evident in our user requirements. For example, on-
time delivery and departure of students is a supply chain
requirement placed in the contract of our transportation
contractor. We set a goal for this and monitor performance on
this measure in monthly transportation meetings. Our
transportation contract also provides that if the district is not
satisfied with the performance of a particular bus driver, that
individual can be removed from SUFSD without a reason
given. We also use the qualification-based selection matrix
process to select strategic partners for specific projects. This
includes an assessment of financial strength, customer
references, experience with NYS school districts, and industry
reputation. The district works to ensure that we partner with
firms that are financially stable and can complete the work
timely and as outlined in a competitive bid or contract in
accordance with BOE purchasing policies. Feedback is
provided though performance review project meetings, with
improvement plans developed as necessary. Contractors
failing to meet performance contracts will have their contracts
terminated.
6.2c Safety and Emergency Preparedness
6.2c(1) Safety
SUFSD is viewed as a leader in emergency management, with
safety integrated in our SP. The district has partnered with the
Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department for more than 11
years to have a full-time
SRO in our district. The
district has a DSC consisting
of parents, fire officials, the
SRO, insurance
representatives, union
officials, nurses, social
workers, and administrators.
The DSC brings information
to and from the building-
level committees. The DSC
specifies procedures to
implement in the event of a
natural or man-made disaster
and threats or acts of
violence against students,
the workforce, or district
property. In a cycle of
learning, emphasis has been
placed on prevention and
inspections for district safety
(Figure 6.2-1). All of these
items are addressed at DSC
meetings, and if an item is
not satisfactorily completed,
the root cause is identified
and corrected immediately
6.2c(2) Emergency
Preparedness
Emergencies in school must
be addressed in an
expeditious and effective
manner. Schools are at risk of acts of violence, as well as
natural or man-made disasters. To address these threats, the
State of New York has enacted the SAVE legislation. Project
SAVE is a comprehensive planning effort that addresses
prevention, response, and recovery with respect to a variety of
emergencies in schools. Our DSC is dedicated to crisis
prevention and emergency preparedness. Each school
developed a building-level Emergency Response Plan (ERP)
in order to prevent or minimize the effects of serious violent
incidents and emergencies and to facilitate the execution of the
building-level plan with local and county resources in the
event of such incidents or emergencies.
The SRO performs both tabletop drills and mock lockdowns
with each building several times throughout the year with the
assistance of local and state law enforcement and fire officials.
Risk analyses are conducted to secure the district grounds and
facilities against intrusion. Evacuations and lockdowns are
conducted with all employees to ensure effective training in
exiting the building to a safe zone and identify opportunities to
improve emergency preparedness. In the event of an
emergency, the ERP is executed by the incident commander.
After the emergency has been mitigated, the building-level
School Safety Team is reconvened to discuss OFIs.
The SRO attends each monthly safety meeting at each
building. The SRO and SBM are members of the Dutchess
County School Safety Advisory Committee, which consists of
representatives from law enforcement and school districts
throughout Dutchess and Ulster counties.
Figure 6.2-1 Safety Prevention/Inspection/Root-Cause Analysis
Activity Frequency
Feedback Method
Responsible W
O IP E P
Staff Safety Training Annually * * * DFO
Indoor/Outdoor Safety Checklist Daily * * Head Custodian
Preventative Maintenance Quarterly * * Maintenance Personnel,
Custodians
Auditorium Safety Checklists Monthly * * DFO, Head Custodian
Traffic Management/Bus Safety Monthly * DT
Safety Walks Weekly * DFO
Ergonomic Assessments Weekly DFO
Reporting Hazards Daily * * * All Staff
Reporting Indoor Environmental Quality Concerns
Immediately * * * All Staff
Incident, Accident & W/C Review Alternate
Months * * * DSC
Fire Inspection – every 11 months Annually * DFO
Boiler Inspection Annually * DFO
Fuel Tank Inspection Annually * DFO
Work Order Review Monthly * DFO, Principal, Head
Custodian
Right to Know Training Annually * DFO
Annual Visual Inspection Annually * DFO
Elevator Inspection Semi-
annually * DFO
Fire Alarm Inspection Annually * DFO
BOE Building Walk-through Annually * SOS
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
Annually * DFO
Playground Inspection Semi-
annually * DFO
Bus Driver Medical Clearance Annually * DT
Feedback Method Key: WO = work order, IP = in person, E = e-mail, P = phone
32
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
6.2d Innovation Management
SUFSD uses the PDSA process described in
section 6.1a to design and create innovations in our
work processes. Innovation of Academic Work
Processes is integrated in the Teaching & Learning
Strategy area of the SPP. SP action plans create
innovations in our curriculum, instruction, and
assessment work process areas. Internally, our
Curriculum Renewal and Design Process (CRDP)
is the primary work process tool used to bring
innovation to our curriculum, instruction, and
assessment. With each SP and each curriculum
renewal, we prioritize and then commit to leverage
new initiatives designed to improve student
learning. We manage innovation by the prioritized
decisions our AT make as to what action plans are
included in our SP. In our summer AC SP session,
we weigh risk and cost/benefit.
SP action plans and identified work process
tools proactively and systematically bring
innovation to the support work process areas.
SUFSD utilizes PDSA throughout our organization
to design and add innovation to work processes to
meet key requirements. In the planning phase and
with agility in mind, SUFSD utilizes research, best
practices, efficiency and productivity data, cycle-
time analysis, and piloting of programs to innovate
work processes. One example of this is the
establishment of a summer credit recovery
program for students in grades 7–12. This was
piloted in the summer of 2012 and has since
become a regular offering (Figure 7.1-34). It has
also helped us share organizational knowledge as
we now place all work on our computer system via
such tools as BoardDocs, MLP, Atlas, and our
computerized work order system. This systematic
process of work process design and innovation is
rare in education, and SUFSD has been asked by
many national organizations to share our
processes.
We fund our priorities by holding our SPP prior
to our budget cycle so we can make certain we can
fund the new initiatives that come forth. SLs
prioritize and make decisions to support
implementation of our SP in the name of meeting
our mission.
7.0 Results
7.1 Student Learning and Process Results
7.1a Student Learning and Student-Focused
Process Results
SUFSD measures college- and career-readiness by
analyzing the graduation rate. With a 97.6 percent
graduation rate, SUFSD far exceeds the state rates
(Figures 7.1-1–7.1-2). Our SWD and
economically disadvantaged subgroups compare
favorably as well (Figures 7.1-3–7.1-6). Of those
students who graduated, 97 percent earned a
Regents Diploma. Of that 97 percent, 56 percent of
the students earned a Regents Diploma with
Advanced Designation and 29 percent earned a
2006/2010 2007/2011 2008/2012
NYS 73.4% 74.0% 74.0%
Spackenkill HS 89.5% 91.5% 97.6%
Millbrook HS 97.0% 92.9% 95.0%
Pawling HS 94.0% 94.2% 87.9%
Red Hook HS 86.0% 88.5% 91.4%
Rhinebeck HS 92.0% 92.6% 91.2%
70.0%
75.0%
80.0%
85.0%
90.0%
95.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
nts
gra
du
ati
ng
in
4 y
ears
Figure 7.1-1 Graduation Rate Cohort/School Year - Comparison Schools
2006/2010 2007/2011 2008/2012
NYS 73.4% 74.0% 74.0%
Spackenkill HS 89.5% 91.5% 97.6%
Pearl River HS 98.0% 96.8% 98.1%
Pleasantville HS 98.0% 97.9% 96.5%
Rye Neck Sr HS 93.0% 93.9% 96.0%
70.0%
75.0%
80.0%
85.0%
90.0%
95.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
nts
gra
du
ati
ng
in
4
years
Figure 7.1-2 Graduation Rate Cohort/School Year - Exemplar Schools
2006/2010 2007/2011 2008/2012
NYS 44.0% 44.6% 44.7%
Spackenkill HS 75.0% 68.4% 100.0%
Millbrook HS 100.0% 71.4% 88.9%
Pawling HS 100.0% 100.0% 78.6%
Red Hook HS 56.0% 65.0% 64.3%
Rhinebeck HS 81.8% 63.6%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
nts
gra
du
ati
ng
in
4 y
ears
Figure 7.1-3 SWD Grad Rate Cohort/School Year - Comparison Schools
33
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation with
Honors.
Another key measure of college-career readiness
is our percentage of students attending a 2- to 4-
year college. (Figures 7.1-7–7.1-10 ). In June 2013,
100 percent of our graduates, including SWDs,
attended college, up from 91 percent in 2012. Of
these, 33 percent attended a very selective college
and 22 percent attended a somewhat selective
college (selectivity is based on College Board
ratings). We are proud of our accomplishment, as a
post-secondary education raises the expected
standard of living throughout our students’
lifetimes. SHS has also been included in the
2006/2010 2007/2011 2008/2012
NYS 44.0% 44.6% 44.7%
Spackenkill HS 75.0% 68.4% 100.0%
Pearl River HS 100.0% 92.6% 92.0%
Pleasantville HS 94.0% 90.9% 75.0%
Rye Neck Sr HS 75.0% 100.0% 100.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Pe
rce
nta
ge
of
stu
de
nts
gra
du
ati
ng
in
4 y
ea
rs
Figure 7.1-4 SWD Grad Rate Cohort/School Year - Exemplar Schools
2006/2010 2007/2011 2008/2012
NYS 44.0% 44.6% 44.7%
Spackenkill HS 75.0% 68.4% 100.0%
Pearl River HS 100.0% 92.6% 92.0%
Pleasantville HS 94.0% 90.9% 75.0%
Rye Neck Sr HS 75.0% 100.0% 100.0%
0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
nts
gra
du
ati
ng
in
4
years
Figure 7.1-4 SWD Grad Rate Cohort/School Year - Exemplar
Schools
2006/2010 2007/2011 2008/2012
NYS 64.0% 64.2% 63.3%
Spackenkill HS 67.0% 73.3% 94.4%
Millbrook HS 86.0% 83.3% 81.8%
Pawling HS 73.0% 90.0% 57.1%
Red Hook HS 44.0% 85.7% 81.8%
Rhinebeck HS 100.0% 75.0% 77.8%
0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
nts
gra
du
ati
ng
in
4
years
Figure 7.1-5 Ec Disadvantaged Grad Rate Cohort/School Year - Comparison Schools
2006/2010 2007/2011 2008/2012
NYS 64.0% 64.2% 63.3%
Spackenkill HS 67.0% 73.3% 94.4%
Pearl River HS 100.0% 75.0% 72.5%
Pleasantville HS 100.0% 85.7%
Rye Neck Sr HS 40.0% 90.9% 90.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
nts
gra
du
ati
ng
in
4 y
ears
Figure 7.1-6 Ec Disadvantaged Grad Rate Cohort/School Year - Exemplar Schools
2010 2011 2012
NYS 33.0% 32.0% 32.0%
Spackenkill HS 47.0% 39.0% 37.0%
Millbrook HS 51.0% 46.0% 43.0%
Pawling HS 36.0% 28.0% 27.0%
Red Hook HS 35.0% 28.0% 35.0%
Rhinebeck HS 34.0% 29.0% 34.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
50.0%
55.0%
60.0%
Perc
en
tag
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f stu
de
nts
Figure 7.1-7 Students Attending a 2-Yr College - Comparison Schools
2010 2011 2012
NYS 33.0% 32.0% 32.0%
Spackenkill HS 47.0% 39.0% 37.0%
Pearl River HS 28.0% 23.0% 26.0%
Pleasantville HS 9.0% 11.0% 9.0%
Rye Neck Sr HS 22.0% 13.0% 15.0%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
50.0%P
erc
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tag
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Figure 7.1-8 Students Attending a 2-Yr College - Exemplar Schools
34
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
Washington Post’s Top High School list for the past four years
and on Newsweek’s equivalent list for the past five years. SHS
also made US News and World Report’s top high school list in
2012. Inclusion on these lists is determined, in part, by the
number of AP courses the school offers (Figure 7.1-11). For a
small high school of fewer than 600 students, this is truly an
accomplishment. More significant, however, is our students’
performance on these exams (Figure 7.1-12). Yet another
measure of college- and career-readiness is our student
performance on the SAT (Figures 7.1-13–7.1-15). In fall
2004, we partnered with the Princeton Review to institute an
Figure 7.1-11 AP Courses Offered
AP Biology
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP Computer Science A
AP European History
AP French Language And Culture
AP Language And Composition
AP Literature And Composition
AP Physics C (covers both Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism exams)
AP Spanish Language And Culture
AP Studio Art
AP United States History
2010 2011 2012
NYS 47.0% 46.0% 47.0%
Spackenkill HS 49.0% 56.0% 54.0%
Millbrook HS 41.0% 42.0% 48.0%
Pawling HS 56.0% 65.0% 53.0%
Red Hook HS 52.0% 56.0% 59.0%
Rhinebeck HS 59.0% 62.0% 58.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
50.0%
55.0%
60.0%
65.0%
70.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
nts
Figure 7.1-9 Students Attending a 4-Yr College - Comparison Schools
2010 2011 2012
NYS 47.0% 46.0% 47.0%
Spackenkill HS 49.0% 56.0% 54.0%
Pearl River HS 68.0% 69.0% 70.0%
PleasantvilleHS
88.0% 80.0% 86.0%
Rye Neck SrHS
77.0% 84.0% 84.0%
40.0%
45.0%
50.0%
55.0%
60.0%
65.0%
70.0%
75.0%
80.0%
85.0%
90.0%
Perc
en
tag
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f stu
de
nts
Figure 7.1-10 Students Attending a 4-Yr College - Exemplar Schools
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Spackenkill 69.0% 70.0% 81.0% 75.0% 84.0%
NY State 65.0% 64.0% 64.0% 66.0% 66.0%
National 58.0% 58.0% 58.0% 59.0% 59.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Mean S
core
Figure 7.1-12 Advanced Placement Exam Pass Rate
2011 2012 2013
SHS 531 538 525
NYS 485 483 485
National 497 496 496
450
500
550
600
Mean S
core
Figure 7.1-13 Comparison of Mean SAT Critical
Reading Score - Class of 2013
2011 2012 2013
SHS 548 572 561
NYS 499 500 501
National 514 514 514
450
500
550
600
Mean
Sco
re
Figure 7.1-14 Comparison of Mean SAT Mathematics Scores - Class of 2013
35
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
SAT preparation program as an elective during the school day.
We chose to do this to give all of our students, even those who
could not afford to participate in a program on their own, the
opportunity to be better prepared for college. Our teachers are
trained and certified by Princeton Review, and the company’s
materials are used for instruction. Students take a sample SAT
three times during this half-year course to track performance.
Scores typically increase by approximately 300 points from
the first administration of the test to the last (Figure 7.1-16).
In fall 2012, SUFSD began using the NWEA MAP, a
nationally normed test, in grades K–10 for assessment of
students in math and reading. Students are assessed in the fall
and spring in grades 6–8 and in fall, winter, and spring in
grades K–5. Using the MAP assessment we can measure
individual student growth, customize instruction, predict
student performance on state assessments, and evaluate
program effectiveness (Figures 7.1-17–7.1-18 ). MAP
performance also figures significantly in our provision of AIS
services and in our RTI process.
NYS annually administers exams in grades 3–8 in the areas
of ELA and math as well as NYS Regents Exams at the high
school level. For the past several years, however, it has been
difficult for the district to utilize longitudinal data on these
assessments because the state has changed the cuts scores that
determine performance level and, most recently (in the spring
of 2013), changed the content of the tests to align with the
CCLS adopted by NYS. This is one of the reasons that we
began using the MAP assessment. It is also the driving force
for our identification of comparison schools (those similar to
us in our county) and exemplar schools (those we aspire to be
like) so that we can see how our trajectory of performance
compares with theirs. Our area of greatest weakness is grade
4, but even at that grade level we perform equal to or better
than the state (Figures 7.1-19–7.1-30). To address the 4th
grade performance, the district implemented a new math
program, GO Math!, and increased PD in ELA for the 2013–
2014 school year.
2011 2012 2013
SHS 545 551 534
NYS 476 475 477
National 489 488 488
450
500
550
600
Mean
Sco
re
Figure 7.1-15 Comparison of Mean SAT Writing Scores - Class of 2013
324 292 374
0
200
400
Fall 2012 Spring 2013 Fall 2013To
tal
Po
ints
G
row
th
Figure 7.1-16 SAT Growth in Prep Class
Grade 4 Grade 8
Spackenkill-2013 209 221
National-2012 205 220
195
200
205
210
215
220
225
Mean
RIT
Figure 7.1-17 2013 End-of-Year MAP - Language
Grade 4 Grade 8
Spackenkill-2013 216 237
National-2012 210 232
190
200
210
220
230
240
Mean
RIT
Figure 7.1-18 End-of-Year MAP - Math
2011 2012 2013
NYS 56.7% 59.4% 30.3%
Spackenkill 66.3% 70.3% 34.6%
Millbrook 59.4% 71.8% 34.4%
Pawling 56.6% 62.9% 42.3%
Red Hook 73.3% 82.0% 44.5%
Rhinebeck 70.5% 64.2% 34.1%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
nts
sco
rin
g 3
or
4
Figure 7.1-19 4th Grade ELA - Comparative Schools
36
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
2011 2012 2013
NYS 66.6% 69.2% 36.4%
Spackenkill 72.9% 71.7% 36.2%
Millbrook 69.8% 74.6% 47.6%
Pawling 61.7% 71.2% 51.5%
Red Hook 76.8% 83.1% 40.6%
Rhinebeck 79.4% 75.6% 38.2%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
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f stu
de
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sco
rin
g 3
or
4
Figure 7.1-21 4th Grade Math - Comparative Schools
2011 2012 2013
NYS 66.6% 69.2% 36.4%
Spackenkill 72.9% 71.7% 36.2%
Pearl River 77.7% 91.2% 56.9%
Pleasantville 93.1% 96.7% 70.8%
Rye Neck 93.9% 91.2% 62.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
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sco
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or
4
Figure 7.1-22 4th Grade Math - Exemplar Schools
2011 2012 2013
NYS 46.9% 50.3% 33.8%
Spackenkill 55.3% 61.2% 50.4%
Millbrook 61.3% 66.0% 47.7%
Pawling 60.0% 67.2% 47.6%
Red Hook 63.6% 70.3% 33.6%
Rhinebeck 69.2% 66.1% 59.4%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
e o
f stu
de
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sco
rin
g 3
or
4
Figure 7.1-23 8th Grade ELA - Comparative Schools
2011 2012 2013
NYS 46.9% 50.3% 33.8%
Spackenkill 55.3% 61.2% 50.4%
Pearl River 69.2% 75.4% 51.7%
Pleasantville 73.8% 84.3% 66.2%
Rye Neck 80.0% 76.2% 62.4%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
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f stu
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sco
rin
g 3
or
4
Figure 7.1-24 8th Grade ELA - Exemplar Schools
2011 2012 2013
NYS 56.7% 59.4% 30.3%
Spackenkill 66.3% 70.3% 34.6%
Pearl River 71.5% 85.6% 51.6%
Pleasantville 93.2% 89.4% 61.3%
Rye Neck 91.2% 87.6% 54.7%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
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f stu
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sco
rin
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or
4
Figure 7.1-20 4th Grade ELA - Exemplar Schools
2011 2012 2013
NYS 59.8% 61.3% 27.5%
Spackenkill 73.1% 81.5% 44.1%
Millbrook 53.7% 67.0% 41.5%
Pawling 69.0% 51.3% 32.6%
Red Hook 65.0% 71.5% 31.3%
Rhinebeck 91.2% 79.6% 61.6%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Pe
rce
nta
ge
of
stu
de
nts
sc
ori
ng
3 o
r 4
Figure 7.1-25 8th Grade Math - Comparative Schools
37
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
Beginning this school year, SUFSD has also begun to measure
student engagement via a survey administered to students in
grades 6–12 (Figure 7.1-31). Figure 7.1-31 Student Engagement Survey Excerpts
Statement
2013-2014 % SUFSD Favorable
Responses
2013-2014 % National Favorable
Responses
I understand that getting an education is important
93% 92%
I know how I am supposed to behave in school
93% 90%
I understand the academic expectations that the school has for me
72% 73%
My teachers encourage me to do well at school
82% 75%
I feel safe at school 71% 64%
2011 2012 2013
NYS 59.8% 61.3% 27.5%
Spackenkill 73.1% 81.5% 44.1%
Pearl River 87.7% 90.0% 56.6%
Pleasantville 96.6% 100.0% 59.5%
Rye Neck 84.6% 85.9% 60.8%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Perc
en
tag
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sco
rin
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or
4
Figure 7.1-26 8th Grade Math - Exemplar Schools
2010 2011 2012
NYS 83% 84% 82%
Spackenkill 92% 96% 96%
Pearl River 98% 97% 96%
Pleasantville 99% 99% 99%
Rye Neck 99% 100% 98%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
Perc
en
tag
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5 o
r b
ett
er
Figure 7.1-28 English Regents Exam - Exemplar Schools
2010 2011 2012
NYS 72% 73% 72%
Spackenkill 94% 95% 95%
Millbrook 81% 79% 88%
Pawling 88% 90% 90%
Red Hook 100% 97% 96%
Rhinebeck 95% 94% 93%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
Pe
rce
nta
ge
of
stu
de
nts
sc
ori
ng
65
or
be
tte
r
Figure 7.1-29 Integrated Algebra Regents - Comparative Schools
2010 2011 2012
NYS 72% 73% 72%
Spackenkill 94% 95% 95%
Pearl River 99% 98% 96%
Pleasantville 96% 98% 97%
Rye Neck 97% 96% 93%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%P
erc
en
tag
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sco
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g 6
5 o
r b
ett
er
Figure 7.1-30 Integrated Algebra Regents - Exemplar Schools
2010 2011 2012
NYS 83% 84% 82%
Spackenkill 92% 96% 96%
Millbrook 95% 100% 100%
Pawling 91% 93% 89%
Red Hook 98% 100% 98%
Rhinebeck 96% 94% 95%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
Perc
en
tag
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sco
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5 o
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ett
er
Figure 7.1-27 English Regents Exam - Comparative Schools
38
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
7.1b Work Process Effectiveness Results
7.1b(1) Process Effectiveness and Efficiency
This section relays performance of our academic key
processes and support key work processes identified in
Figure 6.1-2. Results show evidence of increased productivity and
program growth. All work processes are compliant with BOE
policy and meet timeline review requirements.
Curriculum Management: SUFSD has exceeded
NYSED graduation requirements for over 10 years by
requiring a year of computer studies in addition to the already
rigorous requirements of the state. We also document growth
in our AP course offerings and AP enrollment Other courses
added over the last 10 years include PLTW at the middle
school and then the high school, Project Adventure, a
personal finance course, SAT prep, a Nazi Germany elective,
drama electives, and dual enrollment courses with DCC.
Instruction Management: We are consistently 100 percent
staffed at the start of the school year and continually have high
percentages of teachers meeting the federal standard of being
“highly
qualified”
(Figure 7.1-
32 ).
In the fall of
2012, we
implemented
a more
rigorous
evaluation
process for
both teachers
and
principals. The principals’ evaluation now requires the
establishment of two goals related to academic achievement as
part of the MPPR rubric. We implemented the Charlotte
Danielson Framework for Teaching for the teacher rubric and
MPPR from Learner-Centered Initiatives for our principals.
One hundred percent of evaluations are completed on time
annually and we have had no appeals. In our last contract
negotiation with the teachers, we received six additional hours
of after-school PD time for all teachers. This year, for
example, the six hours were used to provide PD on the CCLS,
assessment practices, and questioning techniques.
Assessment Management: MAP is used as our in-process
assessment for students in grades K–10. We have had no state
test violations or security breaches (Figure 7.1-33).
Student Services Management: SUFSD closely monitors
indicators regarding the success of our student intervention
services. The RTI team at each building meets weekly; AIS
providers meet quarterly, and annual reviews are held for all
of our SWD. The district has a policy that requires a student
receive tutoring after his/her sixth consecutive day absent due
to illness. At the secondary level, the teacher day is extended
so that they would be available to offer students extra help. At
the high school, we have an after-school tutorial program for
students who have been suspended. A certified teacher is
present each afternoon for two hours to provide assistance.
Over the course of the week, a student who has been
suspended five days would have the opportunity to be tutored
by a teacher in each of the five core academic areas (math,
science, English, social studies, and foreign language). At the
secondary level, students must meet academic eligibility
requirements to participate in high school athletics. If a
student is failing a course, he or she is required to remain after
school to receive teacher assistance. This past school year, 16
of our 18 varsity athletic teams earned NYSPHSAA Scholar-
Athlete Team designation. Last summer, we instituted an in-
house summer credit recovery program for students who failed
courses. The program features blended learning, with students
doing independent computer work (Compass Learning) while
also having direct access to teaching staff. This fall, SHS also
allowed students to use Compass Learning to make up units
for a class they might otherwise have failed (Figure 7.1-34).
Financial Management: The key indicator of money
management is to have revenues exceed expenditures at the
end of the fiscal year (Figure 7.1-35). Since 2006, this has
been the case in SUFSD each year. SUFSD’s goal is to have 4
percent in unappropriated fund balance at the end of the fiscal
year. (This is the highest percentage allowed by NYSED.) We
are also proud that NYSED has not reported violations for late
submissions.
Figure 7.1-32 Workforce Capability – Teachers
Indicators 2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
% of teachers highly qualified
98% 99% 98%
% of teachers with multiple certifications
N/A 28% 26%
% of teachers with MA + 30 credits
N/A 14% 15%
% of teachers who participate in 10 or more PD activities during the year
N/A 39% 44%
Figure 7.1-33 Academic Work System Measures
Measure Work System
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
% of SUFSD Curriculum Board Approved
C 100% 100% 100%
% of New Courses Board Approved
C 100% 100% 100%
Met NYSED Required Days I Yes Yes Yes
% Teachers Deemed Highly Qualified
I 98% 99% 98%
% Certificated and Supervisory Staff Evaluated Annually
I 100% 100% 100%
Test Security Violations A 0 0 0
IDEA Non-Compliance Violations
SS 0 0 0
C=Curriculum I=Instruction A=Assessment SS=Student Services
80.0% 92.0%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
201240 Total Students
201324 Total Students
Stu
de
nts
Passin
g
Figure 7.1-34 Summer School Credit Recovery
80.0% 92.0%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
201240 Total Students
201324 Total Students
Stu
de
nts
Passin
g
Figure 7.1-34 Summer School Credit Recovery
39
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
Health insurance is one of our most volatile expenses, which
can vary greatly from year to year. By participating in DEHIC,
a consortium of educational institutions, to purchase health
insurance, we have driven down costs when compared to the
national average since 2005 (Figure 7.1-36).
Technology Management: The IT dashboards monitor
multiple IT work process results, since the use of technology
is essential to the delivery of a robust and challenging
curriculum and an indicator of operational efficiency. Since
1999, SUFSD has seen dramatic growth in our fleet of
computers; this allows us to better meet our strategic
challenges of teaching 21st century skills. As we transition
away from textbooks to electronic sources, it is important we
have our technology available at all times. SUFSD is
committed to customer service and closely monitors the cycle
time to resolve the over 3,000 IT work tickets received per
year; this is notable given the increase in the fleet. With our
commitment to integrating 21st century skills and our SP Goal
in Technology, we are preparing our workforce to better serve
students. Figure 7.1-37 documents that we are seeing
tremendous advancement in teachers’ participation in
technology PD over the past three years.
HR Management: Open positions are posted throughout
the district and at DC BOCES to attract a healthy candidate
pool. We use this leading indicator to make certain we are
fully staffed, a key lagging indicator. As part of our
commitment to technology, SUFSD’s teacher evaluation
system is logged
electronically,
beginning in
2012. Our
leading indicator
of our
Performance
Evaluation
System is that all
goal setting and
an anecdotal is
input by the end
of the first
semester. We met
this goal this year
at 100 percent.
We meet lagging
indicators in this
key area. HR also
measures efficiency and cycle time to improve operations. We
expect and attain 100 percent completion of performance
evaluations; Figure 7.4-4 documents dramatic improvement
in submission of performance evaluations on time. The use
of MLP enables us to retrieve this information efficiently
and to produce timely reports on staff PD activity.
Workforce capability and capacity depends on ensuring
sufficient licensed certified teaching and paraprofessional staff
in all classrooms every day. Aesop, an online absence
reporting/substitute calling service instituted this year is
closely monitored to make certain substitute teachers are in
place in each classroom when needed (Figure 7.1-38).
Figure 7.1-38 Substitute Report 2012–2013 & 2013–2014
2012-2013 2013-2014
Total Absence/Vacancy needing a substitute
2,024 1,398
% Filled 88.8% 90.6%
% Not Filled 11.2% 9.4%
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
DEHIC 15.3 4.7 6.1 9.6 4 14.9 2.5 2.2 3.9
National 12.7 12.7 12.8 12.8 12.8 14.6 12.1 10.7 10.7
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Perc
en
t In
cre
ase
Figure 7.1-36 Health Insurance Increases
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
DEHIC 15.3 4.7 6.1 9.6 4 14.9 2.5 2.2 3.9
National 12.7 12.7 12.79 12.82 12.78 14.61 12.11 10.69 10.69
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Perc
en
t In
cre
ase
Figure 7.1-36 Health Insurance Increases
0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
30,000,000
35,000,000
40,000,000
45,000,000
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 201398.99% 95.51% 95.17% 94.05% 94.88% 95.26%
Figure 7.1-35 General Fund Budgeted Expenditures vs. Actual Expenditures
Budget
Actual
23
12
19
41
10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14
School Year
Figure 7.1-37 Growth in Technology PD
Num
ber
of
PD
40
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
Facilities Management: SUFSD partnered with Cenergistic
in November 2011 in order to conserve energy throughout the
district. During the 20-month period ending on June 30, 2013,
energy savings amounted to $181,417, or 22 percent. The
savings equated to 9,671 MMBTUs in energy savings and is
equivalent to the following:
Greenhouse gas reduction (metric tons) carbon dioxide
(CO2) = 641
Tree seedlings planted, grown for 10 yrs = 16,400
Passenger cars not driven one year = 115
The district implemented SchoolDude work order system in
2013 for both technology and facilities management use. It is a
web-based program that allows for a more streamlined
approval process. The system allows for the monitoring and
reporting of work orders, resulting in time efficiencies. We are
seeing a dramatic service-level improvement in the area of
work order completion.
Communications Management: SUFSD analyzes how
effective we are at disseminating information to our
stakeholders. SUFSD sees a steady increase in the number of
parents and residents utilizing our website. The district has
expanded upon the website to provide current and relevant
news to the community. This dramatic growth in the use of
our website as a source of SUFSD information affords us the
ability to spread need-to-know news more effectively and
efficiently (Figure 7.1-39). Additionally, the district readily
uses the automated SM phone system to send urgent or timely
news to parents via home, work, or cell phones using
voicemail, texts, and e-mail. Parents are reassured knowing
the district can reach out to all with general or emergency
information within a matter of minutes.
Contracted Services Management: SUFSD annually
assesses the effectiveness of the contract services provided by
DC BOCES Shared Maintenance. These services supplement
the needs of our district without going to outside trade
contractors for the maintenance of our school buildings.
SUFSD analyzes the participation and profitability of our
food service program (Figure 7.1-40). 7.1b(2) Emergency Preparedness
Special attention is given to the emergency-readiness of the
campus. Biannual lockdown drills, annual tornado drills, and
monthly fire drills all meet requirements of state and local
authorities. To further prepare for an emergency, building
safety teams conduct tabletop drills with their members. The
team consists of representatives of both teaching and non-
teaching staff. As campus safety is a strategic advantage,
proactive processes are in place to ensure it.
7.1c Supply-Chain Management Results
Managing supply chains allows us to maintain student
learning taking place in all classrooms. The timeliness of our
transportation program is a key supply chain measure for us.
We monitor this closely at the beginning of each school year
until route timing stabilizes, after which we follow only those
routes that have timeliness issues.
SUFSD’s core server up-time currently shows the computer
network operational at a 95.3 percent efficiency level.
7.2 Customer-Focused Results
7.2a Student- and Other Customer-Focused Results
7.2a(1) Student and Other Customer Satisfaction
SUFSD has been measuring customer satisfaction (parents,
students, and alumni) for a few years. Just this year, we found
what we believe to be the most viable surveys to use for parent
and staff satisfaction and student
engagement. They are published by the
National Center for School Leadership
and provide national data than we can use
for comparison. Prior to this year, we did
not have a student survey at all; we used a
district-created survey for staff, and we
used the Center for Effective Schools
survey one year for parents. Our alumni
survey began in 2008 and is published by
Lifetrack.
Figure 7.1-39 Number of Website Hits
April 2014 April 2013 Percent Change
Visits 184,672 140,325 31.60%
Unique Visitors 62,912 43,020 46.24%
Pages views 504,552 440,940 14.43%
Pages / Visit 2.73 3.14 -13.05%
Average Visit Duration 00:02:38 00:02:47 -5.39%
Bounce Rate 33.96% 31.75% -6.94%
% New Visits 31.93% 30.62% 4.27%
�2004-05 �2005-06 �2006-07 �2007-08 �2008-09 �2009-10 �2010-11 �2011-12 �2012-13
Revenue 489720 540850 568215 595581 570602 576551 531074 557161 531561
Expenses 547974 556558 563543 552945 570602 576551 528362 527266 533434
400
450
500
550
600
650
Do
llars
in
Th
ou
san
ds
School Year
Figure 7.1-40 Food Service Profitability
Revenue
Expenses
41
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
Parent Satisfaction: One of the
indicators we use for parent
satisfaction is the percentage by
which they approve our annual
budget (Figure 7.2-1).
Another measure we use is a
satisfaction survey (Figure 7.2-2). Since we have only
administered a survey for two years and changed the survey
instrument after the first year, the results are difficult to
compare.
Alumni Satisfaction: Every other year, beginning in 2008,
seniors were administered a survey regarding their perception
of their readiness for life after high school. Beginning in 2010,
we began surveying alumni after they were out of high school
two years. See results in Figure 7.2-3.
Student Satisfaction: For the first time this winter, we
administered student engagement surveys to grades 6–12
(Figure 7.1-31).
7.2a(2) Student and Other Customer Engagement
Student engagement is measured by our state by using drop-
out/graduation rates and attendance (Figures 7.2-4–7.2-6).
Figure 7.2-1 Percent By Which Budget Passed
Year %
May 2011 64.4%
May 2012 55.7%
May 2013 70.9%
May 2014 77.9%
Figure 7.2-2 Parent Satisfaction Survey Excerpts
Statement
2013-2014 % District Favorable
Responses
2013-2014 % National Favorable
Responses
My school does an excellent job of educating students. 70 78
The school offers its students a safe environment to learn.
79 85
The school provides its students with a high quality of education. 71 78
School staff is accessible. 78 81
I feel welcome at my child’s school. 81 85
School facilities are well maintained. 79 86
The school sets high learning standards for its students. 77 80
The school’s staff is committed to my child’s education. 77 82
My child’s school is well-regarded in the community. 78 78
Figure 7.2-3 Student Alumni Survey Excerpt
Statement Class of 2010 Class of 2012
Do you feel you were properly prepared for your future?
80% 76%
Figure 7.2-4 Drop-out Rate
2010 2011 2012
NYS 2.7% 2.7% 3.5%
Spackenkill HS 1.0% 1.0% 1.0%
Millbrook HS 1.0% 1.0% 1.0%
Pawling HS 0.0% 1.0% 0.0%
Red Hook HS 1.0% 1.0% 1.0%
Rhinebeck HS 1.0% 1.0% 1.0%
Pearl River HS 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Pleasantville HS 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Rye Neck Sr HS 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
2009–10 2010–11 2011-12
NY 93% 95% 94%
Spackenkill 95% 95% 96%
Millbrook 95% 94% 95%
Pawling 92% 95% 95%
Red Hook 95% 96% 96%
Rhinebeck 95% 95% 95%
85%
90%
95%
100%
AD
A
Figure 7.2-5 District Average Daily Attendance - Comparison Schools
2009–10
2010–11
2011-12
NY 93% 95% 94%
Spackenkill 95% 95% 96%
Pearl River 96% 96% 96%
Pleasantville 96% 96% 96%
Rye Neck 95% 96% 97%
85%
90%
95%
100%
AD
A
Figure 7.2-6 District Average Daily Attendance - Exemplar Schools
42
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
We also use participation in extra-curricular activities and
athletics to gauge
engagement (Figure
7.2-7).
Student volunteerism
is also a measure of
engagement (Figure
7.2-8). While most
volunteer work occurs in
our schools and the
community, thousands
of dollars have been
raised for such organizations
as the
American Red Cross; the
American Heart Association;
Special Olympics; Gay,
Lesbian & Straight Education
Network (GLSEN), and
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
The number of volunteers who assist in our schools each year
(Figure 7.2- 9) and the donations made by parent
organizations such as the PTA and booster clubs (Figure 7.2-
10) measure
parent
engagement.
Local organizations, citizens,
the PTA, and the STA contribute
over $20,000 in scholarships each
year (Figure 7.2-11).
Figure 7.2-11 Scholarships from PTA, STA, and Local Sources
Year 2010–2011
2011–2012
2012–2013
Total $21,350 $21,400 $30,930
7.3 Workforce-Focused Results
7.3a Workforce Results
7.3a(1) Workforce Capability and Capacity
SUFSD measures workforce capability in several ways. The
first is by our student-to-
staff ratio (Figure 7.3-1).
Our budget process results
in careful allocation of
staff to meet
the needs of students,
allowing SUFSD to
maintain a favorable student-to-staff ratio despite state funding
cuts, unfunded mandates, and a property tax cap.
Planning effectively for staff absences is crucial in ensuring
that school operations run smoothly. In a cycle of
improvement, SUFSD implemented Aesop, an online
substitute service, to provide daily and multiday substitutes for
teachers and teaching assistants (Figure 7.1-38).
Other measures include the percentage of teachers who are
“highly qualified”; the percentage of teachers who have
multiple teaching certifications, the percentage of teachers
who have an MA plus an additional 30 credits, and the
percentage of teachers who participate in 10 or more PD
activities during the year (Figure 7.1-32 ).
7.3a(2) Workforce Climate
An active DSC, an active Health and Wellness Committee, a
CMP for emergencies, wellness programs, and competitive
benefits all contribute to creating a safe, healthy, and positive
work environment for SUFSD employees.
Safety is a top priority at SUFSD, with a high percentage
of staff reporting feeling safe (Figure 7.3-2 ). The DSC
proactively addresses staff concerns and seeks ways to
improve safety. Examples include modified building
entrances, the addition of security cameras, access controls,
and regular safety inspections. For two consecutive years, in
spring of 2013 and 2014, we were awarded the titanium-
level School Safety Excellence Award by Utica National
Insurance Group.
As a result of the work done by the Health and Wellness
Committee, the district received HEARTSafe Silver
recognition in 2010. The goal of the HEARTSafe Program is
to improve the chances of anyone suffering from sudden
Figure 7.2-7 Student Participation in Extra-curricular Activities*
YEAR EXTRA-
CURRICULAR SPORTS
2013-14 660 472
2012-13 608 490
2011-12 776 507
2010-11 737 475
*Number of students is greater than school enrollment, representing students who participate in more than one activity.
Figure 7.2-8 Students Who Participate in Community Service
2013–14 39%
2012–13 26%
2011–12 34%
2010–11 35%
Figure 7.2-9 Parent Volunteers
2011-2012 2012-2013
Committees 49 50
School events N/A 210
Boosters N/A 36
Figure 7.3-2 Workforce Satisfaction Survey Excerpts
Statement 2011–2013/2013–2014 % Favorable 2011–2012
% Favorable 2012–2013
% Favorable District
2013-2014 *survey changed
% Favorable National
2013–2014
Staff feel safe in this school/I feel safe at work 94.1 86.4 86 88
My work environment is conducive to me performing my job/I work in a positive/professional work environment 88.8 79.5 67 74
I have confidence in my immediate supervisor/I have trust and confidence in our school leadership 75.6 73.4 66 70
As a place of employment, what grade would you give this school/ Considering everything, I am satisfied working at my school 85.3 (A or B) 81.2 (A or B) 81 81
I am proud to be an employee of SUFSD/I consider my school/district to be an excellent school/district 87.7 88.5 83 75
Figure 7.3-1 Student-to-Staff Ratio
Year Student-to-Staff Ratio
2010-2011 5.01
2011-2012 5.00
2012-2013 4.88
2013-2014 5.04
$-
$2,000.00
$4,000.00
$6,000.00
$8,000.00
$10,000.00
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Figure 7.2-10 PTA Donations
Donations
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
cardiac arrest to have the best possible odds for survival. This
program recognizes and honors the efforts of organizations
that have met the following criteria:
Personnel who are trained in CPR. (Silver-level
recognition requires 50–74% of staff trained);
AED readily available on-site that is regularly
monitored and strategically placed with proper
signage;
Public Access Defibrillator Notice of Intent;
Orientation of enhanced 911 included in program
training; and
Availability of ERP.
SUFSD proactively monitors WC claims and student
accident data. The Dutchess County WC Cooperative meets
quarterly with the third party administrator, and The
WorkPlace at St. Francis Hospital also reviews claims at each
meeting to review root causes. The WorkPlace nursing staff
follows up with claimants to ensure that they are receiving
proper treatment and to help them with return-to-work plans.
SUFSD proactively monitors employee wages and benefits.
The SBM, treasurer, and payroll clerk meet on a monthly basis
to review staff salaries and benefits for accuracy. Invoices
received for benefits are reviewed by the payroll clerk,
accounts payable clerk, and internal auditor before payment is
made.
DEHIC meets on a monthly basis to manage the
health insurance program. The SBM serves on a
subcommittee of DEHIC that researches new
product development in the health insurance
industry in order to maintain efficiencies. Recently,
the SUFSD negotiated two new health insurance
plans with the Spackenkill Support Staff
Association that resulted in a cost savings for both
the district and the employees.
Workforce satisfaction is monitored
through measures such as longevity, attendance,
and grievances filed (Figure 7.3-3). We also measure
satisfaction via the annual administration of a satisfaction
survey. The first two years, the survey was one that had been
developed by the district. As explained previously, this year
we administered a survey administered by the National Center
for School Leadership. 7.3a(3) Workforce Engagement
Workforce engagement is measured by this survey as well.
Additionally, we look at factors such as percentage
participating in 10 or more PD activities each year and the
percentage serving on committees each year (Figure 7.3-4).
7.3a(4) Workforce Development
SUFSD values continuing education: 98 percent of our staff
possess an MA and 44 percent possess an MA plus 30 credits.
Beginning in 2006, teachers receiving certification are
mandated by NYSED to participate in 175 hours of PD every
five years in order to maintain certification. Beginning in
2008, administrators receiving certification are mandated by
NYSED to participate in 175 hours of PD every five years in
order to maintain certification. The district requires teachers to
participate in three Superintendent’s Conference Days each
year and three 2-hour after-school sessions while encouraging
participation in college courses and outside workshops as well.
Participation is encouraged by the awarding of clock hours for
participation, which translates into salary increments after
enough credits have been accumulated. The administrators’
contract pays for all or part of an administrator’s doctoral
program, depending on the institution they attend.
Figure 7.3-3 Workforce Satisfaction Indicators
Indicator 2011–2012 2012–2013
% of certified staff in district 10–20 years N/A 53
% of certified staff in district more than 20 years N/A 9
% of non-certified staff in district 10–20 years N/A 29
% of non-certified staff in district more than 20 years
N/A 9
% certified daily attendance 96 96
% non-certified daily attendance 96 96
# of grievances by certified staff 0 0
# of grievances by non-certified staff 0 0
Figure 7.3-4 Workforce Engagement
% who participated in PD 70% 73.2%
% who participated in 10 or more PD activities 39% 44%
% who serve on committees 60% 45%
% who serve on multiple committees N/A 26%
% who chair committees/serve on leadership team 3.1% 2.7%
% who lead PD activities N/A .07%
% of teachers at MA +30 13.9% 15.2%
% of teachers with multiple certifications 28% 26.4%
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
7.4 Leadership and Governance Results
7.4a Leadership, Governance, and Societal Responsibility
Results
7.4a(1) Leadership
For the past three years, the workforce has been surveyed
regarding SL communication and engagement with them in
the areas of vision and values, the encouragement of two-way
communication, and the focus on action. The results can be
found in Figure 7.4-1 . (Note: the survey instrument changed
in 2014.)
Parents have been similarly surveyed for the past two years
(Figure 7.4-2). (Note: the survey instrument changed in
2014.)
Beginning in 2008, high school seniors were surveyed every
other year (Figure 7.4-3).
Beginning this year, all students in grades 6–12 participated in
an engagement survey (Figure 7.1-31).
7.4a(2) Governance
7.4a(3) Law, Regulation, and Accreditation
7.4a(4) Ethics
Measures of governance, legal compliance, regulation,
accreditation, and ethics are presented in Figure 7.4-4.
7.4a(5) Society
SUFSD recognizes the importance of societal responsibility.
Our students and staff regularly perform service that helps the
community and our environment. The
district has a policy that allows not-
for-profit community groups to use
our buildings and fields for no charge
or for only the charge of additional
staff hours. Groups using our facilities
each year include the Boy Scouts of
America, Girl Scouts of the USA, the
Children’s Community Theater, St.
Martin’s Catholic Youth Organization,
the Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club,
Town of Poughkeepsie Soccer, and the
Marist College Track Team.
For more than 20 years, STA
participated in a fundraising effort for
the United Way. Our staff has also met
with local United Way personnel to provide feedback and
assistance with their educational goals.
The district has embraced many conservation efforts as well,
as Figure 7.4-5 illustrates.
Figure 7.4-1 Workforce Satisfaction Leader Communication Survey Excerpts
Statement 2011–2013/2013–2014 % Favorable 2011–2012
% Favorable 2012–2013
% Favorable District
2013–2014 *survey changed
% Favorable National
2013–2014
My supervisor(s) value(s) staff opinions and ideas/I am able to share my ideas and opinions with school leadership. 84.5 86 79 72
My supervisor(s) is/are an effective communicator/Overall, school information is communicated effectively to me. 71.5 76.5 66 72
Administration keeps me well-informed/I get the information I need to perform my job effectively. 65.3 64.6 76 75
Figure 7.4-2 Parent Satisfaction with Leader Communication Survey Excerpts
Statement
2013–2014 % District Favorable
Responses
2013–2014 % National Favorable
Responses
I am kept up-to-date on school activities and events. 70 84
I know how to get school information when I need it. 79 87
My child’s school makes effective use of technology as a means of communication. 72 80
I understand the school’s expectations for my child. 80 87
Figure 7.4-3 Senior Exit Survey Excerpts
Statement Class
of 2008
Class of
2010
Class of
2012
Did you have a positive learning experience at SHS
% yes 95 93 92
How prepared do you feel for transition to college, the workplace, or military
% good and excellent
90 90 89
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Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
Figure 7.4-4 Results for Key Governance, Fiscal, Regulatory, Ethical, Safety, Accreditation, and Legal Compliance
Process/Method Purpose Measure Results 10-11
Results 11-12
Results 12-13
Strategic Planning G BOE and SL participation/BOE Approval of SP Y/Y Y/Y Y/Y
Policy Review G BOE policies on governance/BOE adding new policies and reviewing existing policies
Y/Y Y/Y Y/Y
BOE Action on Student Achievement
G A R Minutes showing BOE discussion of student achievement/Minutes showing BOE approval of new courses
Y/Y Y/Y Y/Y
Financial Oversight G F BOE policy and acceptance of independent audit report in minutes/BOE involved in negotiations
Y/Y Y/Y Y/Y
Advocacy G Membership in NSBA, NYSSBA, DCSBA, AASA, NYSCOSS, LHCSS, NYSASBO, ASBO International, SAMPO
Y Y Y
Performance Evaluation System
G LC % SLs evaluated annually by SOS Minutes reflect BOE discussion of evaluations to set compensation BOE–approved contracts
100% Y Y
100% Y Y
100% Y Y
Professional Growth G BOE and SL participation in professional organizations 100% 100% 100%
Recruitment and Retention G E R BOE policies on hiring, job descriptions, evaluations BOE approval of all hires and resignations % certified
Y Y 100%
Y Y 100%
Y Y 100%
Accountability to Stakeholders G F R Receipt of annual report and meeting notice/Citizen vote at annual meeting
Y/Y Y/Y Y/Y
BOE Induction G E Induction/ethical pledge for new Board members/ BOE Training
Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y Y/Y/Y
Open Meetings Law G R E LC # Open Meetings violations All BOE agendas & minutes posted online Postings meet posting requirements Citizens’ comments heard at BOE meetings
0 Y Y Y
0 Y Y Y
0 Y Y Y
Communication Plan G E Website kept up-to-date/Annual budget information mailed to all residents
Y/Y Y/Y Y/Y
Election Laws G E R # of violations in election voting, canvassing, posting 0 0 0
Ethics Management G E BOE policy on ethics/% employees receiving policy Y/100% Y/100% Y/100%
Contract Management G E LC # of employee grievances 0 0 0
Harassment Policy G E LC # of harassment complaints filed 0 1 0
Bullying Policy G E LC # of bullying complaints filed N/A 63 35
Satisfaction Surveys E S % employees citing SUFSD as safe place to work % parents citing SUFSD as safe place to learn
94% N/A
86% 76% *in Dec. 2012,,a local incident may have affected %
86% 79%
Test Management G E R # violations in test security 0 0 0
HIPPA E R # sanctions due to HIPAA violations 0 0 0
Student Handbooks G E % handbooks given to students annually 100% 100% 100%
Student Suspensions E LC # of out of school suspensions # of violent incidents (VADIR report) # of drug related incidents
42 68 7
42 63 1
35 57 0
Criminal Background Checks G E S R % employees fingerprinted prior to hire 100% 100% 100%
Vendor Contracts G F E # of vendor contracts found to be awarded improperly 0 0 0
Budget Cycle, Planning, and Approval
G F E S R Minutes show BOE adoption of budget/staffing 5-Year Capital Plan submitted to NYSED
Y Y
Y Y
Review of Budget Activity G F E Minutes show monthly BOE approval of financial reports/Revenues exceed expenditures at end of year
Y/Y Y/Y Y/Y
IRS Violations F E # violations 0 0 0
NCLB Compliance R % teachers highly qualified 98% 99% 98%
Kitchen Inspections S R # of Department of Health violations 0 0 0
Fire Inspections S R # of (minor) fire inspection violations 23 24 22
Special Education E R # of impartial hearings initiated by parents # of suits filed due to IDEA non-compliance
0 0
0 0
0 0
Accidents F S # of WC claims # student accidents
24 6
21 10
24 3
Safety Training S R % participating in “Right to Know”/”Bloodborne Pathogens” training % certified in CPR/AED (voluntarily)
100% 6.6%
100% 8.9%
100% 5.2%
Litigation LC # of lawsuits 1 1 1
46
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
7.4b Strategy Implementation Results
Accomplishment of our SP goals shows a steady increase in
the last several years (Figure 7.4-6).
7.5 Budgetary, Financial, and Market Results
7.5a Budgetary, Financial, and Market Results
7.5a(1) Budgetary and Financial Performance
SUFSD’s strong financial condition allows us to support
organizational excellence. This is a SUFSD strategic
advantage. Bond rating is a significant indicator of fiscal
strength and a national benchmark. Our bond rating improved
in 2011, a time when many decreased in NYS and throughout
the nation. According to Moody’s Rating Methodology,
SUFSD moved to an Aa2 level, placing it in 3 of the 10
ranking levels (Figure 7.5-1).
Moody’s wrote: [T]he Aa2 rating
reflects the district’s sound financial operations
with a satisfactory reserve position, its limited
tax base with above average wealth levels, and
manageable debt burden. Spackenkill Union
Free School District is expected to maintain a
healthy financial position given conservative
budgeting and availability of sound reserve
levels. The district has achieved operating
surpluses for the last four fiscal years.
Following the conservative budgeting of
revenues and special education expenditures,
the district’s General Fund balance increased
by $238,000 to represent 31.2 percent of
revenues in fiscal 2012. The fiscal 2013 budget
contains a 3% increase in expenditures,
reflecting rising instruction costs typical of New
York school districts.
Figure 7.4-6 Innovation Attained Due to SP Commitment to Organizational Strategy
Key Work Process SP Area Examples of innovation attained due to SP commitment to organizational strategy
Curriculum SP WE PLTW at HS
Instruction SP WE Common Core strategies, questioning skills, data review; grade configuration change at elementary schools
Assessment SP Assessment PD, data review, MAP
Student Services SP WE HSCS
RTI process
Financial Management OECE Enrollment projections, fund balance management, change in health insurance plan, refinancing debt
Technology Management OECE Online work order system, Nutrikids
Facilities Management OECE Fob access, security cameras, energy conservation program, online work-order system
HR Management OECE MLP, OASYS, APPR, staff survey
Communication Management WE CI Website training, community survey, SM, “Talk About It”
Contracted Service OECE Transportation routing software, improved cameras
Figure 7.4-5 Environmental Measures
Department Conservation Measure
Facilities The district partners with Cenergistic to engage all staff in energy conservation efforts.
The district follows guidelines set by the SED and DEC and does not use pesticides on the fields, grounds, or in the buildings (except for emergency situations).
The upcoming EPC will include changing over to more energy-efficient lightbulbs, ballasts, motors, and LED lighting. A district-wide Temperature Control System, steam trap replacement, and doors and windows with weather-stripping are all energy conservation measures.
The district recycles paper, plastic, and metal in every room of each school.
The district recycles all fluorescent lightbulbs and lighting ballasts.
The district uses Green Seal–certified cleaning chemicals.
Each school is supplied with ionized water spray units that kill bacteria on contact using only water.
The district reclaims all refrigerant before discarding appliances.
The district recycles all old motor oil and used tires.
Trees have been planted near the tennis courts to help control flood water and reduce erosion, and a retainer wall was built at NES to help reduce erosion (in cooperation with Vassar College).
All air ventilation filters in the district are replaced 4 or 5 times each school year for improved indoor air quality.
A recently unannounced DEC Hazardous Waste inspection resulted in a positive evaluation.
The facilities use only water-based, low–VOC latex paint.
School Lunch The Lunch Program recycles bottles, cans, and some plastics.
Technology The district has utilized an eGovernance system (BoardDocs) since 2003 to conduct paperless Board meetings.
Computers and SMART Boards® are programmed for automatic shutdown at the end of the day.
Ink cartridges are recycled at the school level.
All electronic equipment is brought to an electronics recycling company; we offer this as a service to our community as well.
Staff Activities The STA participated in the Adopt A Highway program for several years, which involved members collecting trash from a local stretch of the main road.
Educational Activities
The district energy manager enlisted students in grades 3–5 to be Power Partners.
SHS has an Environmental Club whose members are responsible for the high school recycling program.
Our DFO gives a scholarship annually to a senior involved in the club.
47
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
SUFSD recognizes fiscal integrity is based upon having fund
balance to utilize as working capital. In June 2007, our fund
balance was just below $6 million. At the end of the 2013
fiscal year, our fund balance was $11,955,849 and represents
approximately 29% of the general fund budget (Figure 7.5-2).
A strong fund balance is insurance in uncertain times and
addresses a key strategic challenge, uncertain fiscal state
funding.
Figure 7.5-3 illustrates the instructional cost per student for
the SUFSD compared to the other similar districts in Dutchess
County and the state as a whole. SUFSD achieves higher
results in student success and pushes resources into the
instruction budget.
To increase sustainability and address strategic challenges,
SUFSD has pursued more grants and gifts and has been
successful at steadily increasing these funds while improving
our fiscal stability and improving SUFSD programs (Figure
7.5-4). This also demonstrates partnerships becoming stronger,
addressing another strategic challenge. While overall
donations are down, this is due to the two-year window
when we received American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act funds, a one-time federal grant.
The Board and SLs are conscious about not placing
new costs on the shoulders of parents via school fees.
We proactively survey to as certain area school fees and
strategically set our school fees to be slightly lower than
those of our Dutchess County competitors. SUFSD has
instituted several measures to contain or reduce costs:
The district serves as the catalyst and fiscal
agent for a multidistrict cooperative purchasing pool
for health insurance to reduce the long-term cost of
health insurance premiums for member districts.
This has reduced health insurance premiums in excess of
2.5% for some member districts.
Figure 7.5-1 NYS District Global Scale Rating Medians (Moody’s)
Aaa Aa1 Aa2 Aa3 A1 A2 A3 Baa1 Baa2 Baa3
# of NYS districts with rating 8 2 110 105 145 51 7 3 2 0
% of total NYS districts 1.77% 4.65% 24.34% 23.23% 32.08% 11.28% 1.55% 0.66% 0.44% 0.00%
Source: Moody’s Investor Services, Inc.
Figure 7.5-3 Total Expenditures Per Student Comparison for 2008/2009 to 2012/2013
District 2008/09
Enrollment 2008/09 Total Expenditure
2008/09 Student
Total Expenditure
2012/2013 Enrollment
2012/13 Total
Expenditure
2012/13 Student
Total Expenditure
Total Exp Per Student
Increase
% Increase Per Student Expenditure
Rank
A 2,285 $40,069,023 $17,536 2,014 $45,459,890 $22,572 $5,036 28.72% 1
Spackenkill 1,675 33,132,931 19,781 1,552 38,873,610 25,047 5,267 26.62% 2
B 1,188 23,412,788 19,708 1,106 25,219,028 24,822 5,114 25.95% 3
C 1,229 22,887,331 18,623 1,093 25,575,763 23,400 4,777 25.65% 4
D 10,129 159,387,771 15,736 9,486 179,492,751 18,922 3,186 20.25% 5
E 1,662 25,975,523 15,629 1,506 28,040,564 18,619 2,990 19.13% 6
F 12,481 173,682,509 13,916 11,890 195,732,591 16,462 2,546 18.30% 7
G 1,194 25,872,282 21,669 1,122 28,306,600 25,229 3,560 16.43% 8
H 859 17,772,203 20,689 738 17,741,416 24,040 3,350 16.19% 9
I 3,380 52,871,349 15,642 3,257 58,716,502 18,028 2,385 15.25% 10
J 4,266 76,081,243 17,834 3,881 78,698,485 20,278 2,444 13.70% 11
K 1,421 31,815,288 22,389 1,304 33,080,836 25,369 2,979 13.31% 12
L 4,718 78,418,396 16,621 4,778 82,918,274 17,354 733 4.41% 13
$0
$2,000,000
$4,000,000
$6,000,000
$8,000,000
$10,000,000
$12,000,000
$14,000,000
$16,000,000
Figure 7.5-2 Fund Balance General Fund
FundBalance
$0.00
$100.00
$200.00
$300.00
$400.00
$500.00
$600.00
$700.00
$800.00
$900.00
$1,000.00
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Th
ou
san
ds
Figure 7.5-4 Federal Funds, Grants and Donations
48
Spackenkill Union Free School District A tradition of excellence with a vision for tomorrow
7.0 - Results
-16
-14
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
Dis
trict A
�D
istric
t B
Dis
trict C
Dis
trict D
Dis
trict E
�S
packenkill
Dis
trict F
Dis
trict G
Dis
trict H
Dis
trict I
�D
istric
t J
Dis
trict K
Dis
trict L
Figure 7.5-6 Change in Student Enrollment 2008-09 through 2012-13 The district has increased
intermunicipal partnerships to
reduce future costs and
improve efficiency of service
through the cooperative
purchasing of commodities,
such as salt for winter road
and walkway de-icing,
custodial supplies, lighting
supplies, micro-computer
supplies, office equipment
and supplies, copy paper, and
office furniture through DC
BOCES.
7.5a(2) Market Performance
To meet our strategic challenge of
monitoring enrollment growth, we
closely examine our enrollment by
grade level and by school year
(Figures 7.5-5–7.5-6). Enrollment
projections, available on our
website, predict enrollment for the
next 10 years.
SUFSD is holding
market share, retaining
a higher percentage of
resident school-age
students in the public
school than
homeschooled or
private/parochial school
options. Only 2.6
percent of students who
live in the district
choose to attend private
schools (compared with
8.46 percent in a
neighboring district), though we have two such schools within
district boundaries and another two within a two-mile radius
of the district. Only .5 percent of our students are
homeschooled, compared with an average of 1.77% in seven
other neighboring districts that participate in sharing data. Our robust financial condition enables us to uphold our
tradition of excellence and address strategic challenges while
enhancing educational programs and services in the spirit of
continuous improvement. It reflects how we capitalize on our
strengths to empower students to succeed in an ever-changing
world.
Figure 7.5-5 Enrollment History
Grade 2011 2012 2013
K 98 102 101
1 99 101 104
2 102 106 102
3 93 104 107
4 115 94 105
5 132 119 93
6 121 135 128
7 146 121 137
8 142 150 126
9 140 144 145
10 143 129 139
11 137 134 131
12 145 134 131
$0.00
$200.00
$400.00
$600.00
$800.00
$1,000.00
Th
ou
san
ds
Figure 7.5-5 Federal Funds, Grants and Donations
Recommended