Commissioner Elia Identifies 144 Struggling and Persistently Struggling Schools to Begin Implementation of School Receivership in New York State

State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia announced today that the Department has identified 144 schools in 17 school districts as Struggling Schools or Persistently Struggling Schools. Of the schools identified, 124 were identified as Struggling Schools and 20 were identified as Persistently Struggling Schools.

“In those schools designated as Persistently Struggling, there will be an unprecedented infusion of resources to support school turnaround efforts,” said Board of Regents Chancellor, Merryl H. Tisch. “This is an opportunity that communities must seize to come together to fundamentally rethink how these schools carry out their obligations to students and families.”

“In these schools, whole generations of students have been left behind,” said Commissioner Elia. “As a former school superintendent, I know how important it will be for superintendents to use their new authority to develop robust plans to improve student performance. Superintendents have an obligation to act on conditions that have persisted for too long in these schools.”

In April 2015, the legislature and governor created a new section of State Education Law pertaining to school receivership. In June, the Board of Regents approved new regulations to implement the provisions of the law.

Struggling Schools are defined as schools that have been identified since 2012-13 as Priority Schools (i.e., among the lowest performing five percent of schools in the state). Priority Schools that have been in the most severe accountability status since the 2006-07 school year have been identified as Persistently Struggling Schools.

Under the receivership law, a school receiver is granted new authority to, among other things, develop a school intervention plan; convert schools to community schools providing wrap-around services; expand the school day or school year; and remove staff and/or require staff to reapply for their jobs in collaboration with a staffing committee.

In the 20 schools identified as Persistently Struggling, the superintendent first serves as the receiver and is given an initial one-year period to use the enhanced authority of a receiver to make demonstrable improvement on annual goals established by the Commissioner, including student performance. Absent demonstrable improvement, the Commissioner will direct the school board to appoint an independent receiver within 60 days. The Commissioner will work closely with the school board to ensure that the most qualified individual is identified and the appointment of all independent receivers must be approved by the Commissioner. Additionally, the school will be eligible for a portion of $75 million in state aid to support and implement its turnaround efforts over a two-year period.

Struggling Schools will be given two years under a “superintendent receiver” to make demonstrable improvement or the district will be required to appoint an independent receiver and submit the appointment for approval by the Commissioner. Independent receivers, who can be an individual, a not-for-profit organization, or another school district, have sole responsibility to manage and operate the school and have all of the enhanced authority of a school receiver. Independent receivers are appointed for up to three school years and serve under contract with the Commissioner.

As with Persistently Struggling Schools, the independent receiver appointed by the district must be approved by the Commissioner, and the Commissioner will make the appointment if an acceptable receiver is not selected by the district.

The table below shows the distribution of Struggling Schools and Persistently Struggling schools by district.

District	Persistently Struggling Schools	Struggling Schools	Total
ALBANY CITY SD	1	2	3
AMSTERDAM CITY SD	-	1	1
BUFFALO CITY SD	5	20	25
CENTRAL ISLIP UFSD	-	1	1
HEMPSTEAD UFSD	1	1	2
MT VERNON SD	-	1	1
NEWBURGH CITY SD	-	1	1
NEW YORK CITY	7	55	62
POUGHKEEPSIE CITY SD	-	2	2
ROCHESTER CITY SD	4	10	14
ROOSEVELT UFSD	-	1	1
SCHENECTADY CITY SD	-	2	2
SYRACUSE CITY SD	1	17	18
TROY CITY SD	-	1	1
UTICA CITY SD	-	1	1
WYANDANCH UFSD	-	1	1
YONKERS CITY SD	1	7	8
TOTAL	20	124	144

Superintendents will now begin the process of creating community engagement teams to advise the superintendent regarding development and implementation of improvement plans. Superintendents will also hold public hearings regarding receivership and notify parents of the students who attend these schools regarding the school’s receivership status.

Attached is a list of Struggling and Persistently Struggling Schools as of July 2015.

More information on school receivership can be found at: http://p1232.nysed.gov/accountability/de/SchoolReceivership.html.

-30-

Visit EngageNY.org

List of Struggling and Persistently Struggling Schools as of July 2015

District	School Name	Identification Status
ALBANY CITY SD	ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
ALBANY CITY SD	P J SCHUYLER ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMY	Struggling
ALBANY CITY SD	WILLIAM S HACKETT MIDDLE SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
AMSTERDAM CITY SD	WILLIAM B TECLER ARTS IN EDUCATION	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	BENNETT HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	BILINGUAL CENTER	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	BUFFALO ELEM SCH OF TECHNOLOGY	Persistently Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	BUILD ACADEMY	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	BURGARD VOC HIGH SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	DR LYDIA T WRIGHT SCH OF EXCELLENCE	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	D'YOUVILLE-PORTER CAMPUS	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	EAST HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	FRANK A SEDITA SCHOOL #30	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	HARRIET ROSS TUBMAN ACADEMY	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	HARVEY AUSTIN SCHOOL #97	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	HERMAN BADILLO COMMUNITY SCHOOL	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	HIGHGATE HEIGHTS	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	INTER PREP SCH-GROVER CLEVELAND #187	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	MARVA J DANIEL FUTURES PREP SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	MCKINLEY VOC HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	PS 17	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	PS 59 DR CHARLES DREW SCI MAGNET	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	PS 66 NORTH PARK ACADEMY	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	PS 74 HAMLIN PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	RIVERSIDE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	SOUTH PARK HIGH SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	WATERFRONT SCHOOL	Struggling
BUFFALO CITY SD	WEST HERTEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
CENTRAL ISLIP UFSD	RALPH REED SCHOOL	Struggling
HEMPSTEAD UFSD	ALVERTA B GRAY SCHULTZ MIDDLE SCH	Struggling
HEMPSTEAD UFSD	HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
MT VERNON SCHOOL DISTRICT	DAVIS MIDDLE SCHOOL	Struggling
NEWBURGH CITY SD	TEMPLE HILL SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 1 - MANHATTAN	HENRY STREET SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 1 - MANHATTAN	MARTA VALLE HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 1 - MANHATTAN	PS 15 ROBERTO CLEMENTE	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 3 - MANHATTAN	FREDERICK DOUGLASS ACADEMY II	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 5 - MANHATTAN	PS 123 MAHALIA JACKSON	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 7 - BRONX	ALFRED E SMITH CAREER-TECH HIGH SCH	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 7 - BRONX	FOREIGN LANG ACAD OF GLOBAL STUDIES	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 7 - BRONX	JHS 162 LOLA RODRIGUEZ DE TIO	Persistently Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 7 - BRONX	NEW EXPLORERS HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 7 - BRONX	YOUNG LEADERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 8 - BRONX	BANANA KELLY HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 8 - BRONX	BRONX MATHEMATICS PREP SCH (THE)	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 8 - BRONX	HERBERT H LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 8 - BRONX	HUNTS POINT SCHOOL (THE)	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 8 - BRONX	MS 301 PAUL L DUNBAR	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	BRONX HIGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	DREAMYARD PREPARATORY SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	IS 117 JOSEPH H WADE	Persistently Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	IS 219 NEW VENTURE SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	IS 313 SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP DEV	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	IS 339	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	JHS 22 JORDAN L MOTT	Persistently Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	NEW MILLENNIUM BUSINESS ACAD MS	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST # 9 - BRONX	PS 64 PURA BELPRE	Persistently Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #10 - BRONX	ANGELO PATRI MIDDLE SCHOOL (THE)	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #10 - BRONX	DEWITT CLINTON HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #10 - BRONX	FORDHAM LEADERSHIP-BUS/TECH	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #10 - BRONX	JHS 80 THE MOSHOLU PARKWAY	Persistently Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #10 - BRONX	PS 85 GREAT EXPECTATIONS	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #11 - BRONX	BRONX HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE VISUAL ART	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #11 - BRONX	BRONXWOOD PREP ACADEMY (THE)	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #11 - BRONX	GLOBE SCHOOL-ENVIRNM RESEARCH	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #11 - BRONX	SCHOOL OF DIPLOMACY	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #12 - BRONX	FANNIE LOU HAMER MIDDLE SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #12 - BRONX	MONROE ACAD FOR VISUAL ARTS & DESIGN	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #12 - BRONX	PS 92	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #12 - BRONX	SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #13 - BROOKLYN	MS 596 PEACE ACADEMY	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #14 - BROOKLYN	AUTOMOTIVE HIGH SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #14 - BROOKLYN	FOUNDATIONS ACADEMY	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #14 - BROOKLYN	JUAN MOREL CAMPOS SECONDARY SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #16 - BROOKLYN	BOYS AND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #16 - BROOKLYN	MS 584	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #17 - BROOKLYN	W E B DUBOIS ACADEMIC HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #18 - BROOKLYN	EAST FLATBUSH COMM RESEARCH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #19 - BROOKLYN	CYPRESS HILLS COLLEGIATE PREP SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #19 - BROOKLYN	FDNY HIGH SCHOOL-FIRE & LIFE SAFETY	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #19 - BROOKLYN	PS 328 PHYLLIS WHEATLEY	Persistently Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #23 - BROOKLYN	ASPIRATIONS DIPLOMA PLUS HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #23 - BROOKLYN	PS 165 IDA POSNER	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #23 - BROOKLYN	PS 298 DR BETTY SHABAZZ	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #24 - QUEENS	GROVER CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #25 - QUEENS	FLUSHING HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #26 - QUEENS	MARTIN VAN BUREN HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #27 - QUEENS	AUGUST MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #27 - QUEENS	JOHN ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #27 - QUEENS	MS 53 BRIAN PICCOLO	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #27 - QUEENS	RICHMOND HILL HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #28 - QUEENS	JHS 8 RICHARD S GROSSLEY	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #30 - QUEENS	PS 111 JACOB BLACKWELL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #32 - BROOKLYN	BUSHWICK LEADERS HS-ACAD EXCELL	Struggling
NYC GEOG DIST #32 - BROOKLYN	JHS 291 ROLAND HAYES	Struggling
POUGHKEEPSIE CITY SD	POUGHKEEPSIE HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
POUGHKEEPSIE CITY SD	POUGHKEEPSIE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	EAST HIGH SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	JAMES MONROE HIGH SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	NORTHEAST COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	NORTHWEST COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 17-ENRICO FERMI	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 22-LINCOLN SCHOOL	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 34-DR LOUIS A CERULLI	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 3-NATHANIEL ROCHESTER	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 41-KODAK PARK	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 44-LINCOLN PARK	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 45-MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 8-ROBERTO CLEMENTE	Struggling
ROCHESTER CITY SD	SCHOOL 9-DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR	Persistently Struggling
ROOSEVELT UFSD	ROOSEVELT MIDDLE SCHOOL	Struggling
SCHENECTADY CITY SD	HAMILTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
SCHENECTADY CITY SD	LINCOLN SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	BELLEVUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	DANFORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	DELAWARE ACADEMY	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	DR KING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	DR WEEKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	FOWLER HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	FRAZER K-8 SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	GRANT MIDDLE SCHOOL	Persistently Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	HENNINGER HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	HUGHES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	HURLBUT W SMITH K-8 SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	LINCOLN MIDDLE SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	NOTTINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	PORTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	SEYMOUR DUAL LANGUAGE ACADEMY	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	VAN DUYN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Struggling
SYRACUSE CITY SD	WESTSIDE ACADEMY AT BLODGETT	Struggling
TROY CITY SD	PS 2	Struggling
UTICA CITY SD	MARTIN LUTHER KING JR ELEM SCH	Struggling
WYANDANCH UFSD	MILTON L OLIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Struggling
YONKERS CITY SD	CROSS HILL ACADEMY	Struggling
YONKERS CITY SD	ENRICO FERMI SCHOOL-PERF ARTS	Struggling
YONKERS CITY SD	MLK JR HIGH TECH & COMPUTER MAGNE	Struggling
YONKERS CITY SD	MUSEUM SCHOOL 25	Struggling
YONKERS CITY SD	ROBERT C DODSON SCHOOL	Struggling
YONKERS CITY SD	ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL - EARLY COLLEG	Persistently Struggling
YONKERS CITY SD	SCHOLASTIC ACAD FOR ACAD EXCELLENCE	Struggling
YONKERS CITY SD	SCHOOL 13	Struggling