release date: November 17, 2010
Contact: Dr. Charles Dedrick, District Superintendent, 518-862-4901
Dr. Kathryn Gerbino, Assistant District Superintendent for
Instruction, 518-862-4930
Twenty-one school districts from Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga and Schoharie counties have pooled their funding from the Race to the Top federal monies — nearly $3 million — and expertise to create an unprecedented consortium aimed at raising student achievement.
The group, which will be run by the districts and supported by the Capital Region BOCES, is called the Capital Region Network Team. The districts participating range from large city districts to small rural districts.
“Race to the Top includes some hefty requirements, and by joining together, these 21 districts will be able to make the broad range of change New York State is requiring.” said Capital Region BOCES District Superintendent Charles Dedrick. “Individually districts’ Race to the Top funding was as low as $6,500, but by working together, these districts will maximize the funding they received and tap everyone’s expertise for the good of the region and our students.”
“This is a really exciting time,” said Capital Region BOCES Assistant District Superintendent for Instruction Kathryn Gerbino. “Never before have we had so many districts working together to think about teaching and learning.”
“All the districts have the same needs, and the Network Team levels the playing field so that all those needs can be met,” said Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School District Superintendent Lynn Lisy-Macan. “If Cobleskill-Richmondville hadn’t joined, we wouldn’t be able to provide all the services on our own.”
Districts had the choice of forming their own in-house network team, or joining together to meet the Race to the Top requirements. (See details below.) In the region, such a large number of districts working together is unprecedented.
“We have a sizeable lift ahead of us, in our goal of preparing students to learn and utilize 21st century skills in an era of shrinking resources,” said North Colonie Central School District Superintendent D. Joseph Corr. “Collaborating with our colleagues throughout the Capital Region will allow us all to realize the benefits that result from sharing our collective expertise.”
An Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives from each of the participating districts, will run the Network, deciding what support it needs (in terms of training and staffing), what direction it will take and how to use the pooled funds. Capital Region BOCES will attend all NYSED-mandated trainings and provide consultation and training to districts in the areas of curriculum, instruction and data.
“This is an opportunity that will absolutely be beneficial to student learning,” said Scotia-Glenville Central School District Superintendent Susan Swartz. “Use of the Network Team will enable districts to develop and share best practices, troubleshoot difficult situations, and maximize districts’ access to a pool of expertise and resources.”
Race to the Top application team requirement
New York State was notified that it had received nearly $700 million in federal Race to the Top funds in August. A major component of the state’s application was to build teams for every school in the state — like the Capital Region Network Team — that will be responsible for:
Assisting
schools in implementing common core standards and aligning
instruction to the new standards and curricula.
Supporting
schools in implementing the state's assessment program and adapting
to more rigorous performance-based assessments.
Supporting
school-based inquiry teams to analyze student performance data and
make adjustments to instructional practices.
Assisting
schools in interpreting and using/designing formative assessments
closely tied to the curricula.
Working
closely with principals and key faculty leaders to provide
school-based and network-level intensive, ongoing, real-time
coaching and professional development, according to the needs of
each school.
Helping
principals find outside service providers based on the needs of each
school's faculty and students.
Supporting
Joint Intervention Teams in evaluation of persistently
lowest-achieving schools, and facilitate professional development to
support the implementation of a turnaround plan.
The Network’s Advisory Committee will begin meeting in December, and the goal is to begin releasing content to districts in early 2011.
The districts comprising the Network Team are:
City
School District of Albany
Berne-Knox-Westerlo
Central School District
Burnt
Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District
Cobleskill-Richmondville
Central School District
Cohoes
City School District
Duanesburg
Central School District
Green
Island Union Free School District
Menands
School
Middleburgh
Central School District
Mohonasen
Central School District
North
Colonie Central School District
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk
Central School District
Schalmont
Central School District
Schenectady
City School District
Schoharie
Central School District
Scotia-Glenville
Central School District
Sharon
Springs Central School District
Shenendehowa
Central School District
South
Colonie Central School District
Voorheesville
Central School District
Watervliet
City School District
