Mayor Bill de Blasio details plan to fix 94 of the worst performing schools

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a sweeping plan Monday to fix 94 of the city's struggling public schools.

During the summer, education officials gave the mayor a plan to improve about 20 failing schools, but de Blasio reportedly pushed for a bigger plan, covering more schools, with more resources and accountability.

De Blasio unveiled what he's calling the School Renewal Program in a speech before hundreds of parents and community leaders.

The School Renewal Program will fundamentally change the direction of and accelerate progress in 94 struggling schools, in stark contrast with the old approach of simply closing or phasing out schools. Each Renewal School will transform into a Community School, knitting together new services that support children's families, as well as their mental health and physical well-being. Each Renewal School will provide an extra hour each day of extended instruction and could offer additional after-school, weekend and summer learning opportunities, as needed. And each will receive additional resources for academic intervention and professional development to create a better learning environment for students.

De Blasio says the plan will invest $150 million to fundamentally build each school's education capacity for rigorous instruction, supportive environment, collaborative teachers, effective school leadership, strong family-community ties and trust.

The Department of Education will develop tailored implementation plans, closely track every school's progress and hold schools accountable to meeting strict goals over the next three years. Schools that do not meet targets for each academic year would face a leadership and faculty change, as needed, and possible reorganization.

"We believe in strong public schools for every child," de Blasio said. "Getting there means moving beyond the old playbook and investing the time, energy and resources to partner with communities and turn struggling schools around. We're going to lift up students at nearly one hundred of our most challenged schools. We'll give them the tools, the leadership and the support they need to succeed, and we'll hold them accountable for delivering higher achievement."

Among the 94 schools participating in the School Renewal Program, 43 are located in the Bronx, 27 in Brooklyn, 12 in Manhattan and 12 in Queens. The 94 schools include schools that were identified by the State as Priority or Focus Schools and have demonstrated low academic achievement for each of the past three years, ranking in the bottom 25 percent of City schools on Math and ELA state exam scores or graduation rates, and showed limited capacity for improvement with a rating on their most recent Quality Review of "proficient" or below.

"Today marks an unprecedented commitment to deliver for our schools that need extra support, and I know this will translate into real improvements in student outcomes," Schools Chancellor Carmin Farina said. "With the right leadership, rigorous instruction, community partnerships, family engagement, and ongoing support, every school can be great. We will ensure our school communities are anchored in trust, and with the cooperation of all major stakeholders, we will support our schools-our students deserve no less, and I'm determined to get this right."

The research-based Community School model has a proven track record of improving academic achievement. It provides vital mental health and social services and engages families and community as partners in students' education, as part of a holistic approach towards elevating educational outcomes. Based on individual circumstances and challenges, each of the 94 schools will be matched to one or more community-based organizations and a full-time resource coordinator, who will organize the delivery of resources like optometrists, dentists, mentors, and mental health professionals.

In addition to adopting the Community School model, each school will offer one hour of extended time each day for student learning. Additional supports could include more after-school, weekend, and summer programming.

Each school will develop its own School Renewal Plan by Spring 2015, in partnership with its school leadership team and school community.

Aggressive Supports and Reforms for 94 Low-Performing Schools

Each school-specific School Renewal Plan will outline the school's approach to transforming into a Community School and offering extended time, as well as feature the following supports and reforms:

--Additional resources, such as academic intervention specialists, guidance counselors, social workers, small group instruction and individualized plans to meet the academic and emotional needs of every student
--Extensive professional learning and development for school staff, including intensive coaching for principals
--Enhanced oversight from superintendents who all recently completed a rigorous interview process
--Frequent visits from DOE trained staff to provide feedback and closely monitor progress

Additional targeted supports tailored to each school, based on its individual needs, may include:
--Modified curriculum to maximize school improvement
--New master and model teachers who can share their craft with other educators at the school
--Operational support, enabling principals to focus on supporting their teachers to ensure rigorous classroom instruction
--Additional resources for school safety and social service programs designed to address the specific identified needs of the student population

Accountability and Transparency in the School Renewal Program

The 94 struggling schools will be expected to meet clear and strict benchmarks in their first three years under the program.

The goals for the coming years are:
2014-2015: Each school must develop and put in place a School Renewal Plan for transformation by Spring 2015
2015-2016: Each school must meet concrete milestones defined in its School Renewal Plan and improve on targeted elements of the capacity framework, as identified in the needs assessment; each school must demonstrate measurable improvement in attendance and teacher retention
2016-2017: Each school must demonstrate significant improvement in academic achievement; each school must demonstrate continued improvement on targeted elements of the capacity framework