Planning for Additional Elementary School Seats: Advancing Equity and Excellence in the Rochester City School District (RCSD) Preliminary Recommendations Draft Prepared by RCSD Zone Reconfiguration Task Force May 11, 2021 - ESA Committee Meeting EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction School Enrollment Changes Districts frequently use enrollment projections to predict increases or decreases in enrollment to make projections about change in school zoning. There is extensive research that suggests that a key factor for effective planning is accurate enrollment projections. Using five year enrollment projections along with other elements of planning are best practice when planning for zones. When determining recommendations, the Task Force reviewed a minimal view of five-year historical trends for enrollment to better understand our district’s demographic cycles, and did not rely on long-term (i.e., twenty-year projections) for future enrollment predictions, as these projections could be limited by too many unknown economic and demographic factors. The Task Force also considered our Rochester Schools Modernization Program (RSMP), impact of COVID pandemic actions, the RCSD Strategic plans, the State Monitor’s Academic and Financial Plans, as well as other initiatives that may affect demographics. A 2011 article on enrollment projections recommends a “rolling five-year strategy to bring together programs, demographics, and facilities.” 1 1 Carey, K.D. “Why Enrollment Projections Go Wrong.” School Superintendents Association, April 2011. http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=18586 [2] Carey, K.D. “Planning for Integration.” American School Board Journal, 194:10, October 2007. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=508004396&site=ehost-live [2] Enrollment and Student Assignment Planning Practices, Op. Cit.
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Planning for Additional Elementary School Seats: Advancing Equity and
Excellence in the Rochester City School District (RCSD)
Preliminary Recommendations Draft
Prepared by
RCSD Zone Reconfiguration Task Force
May 11, 2021 - ESA Committee Meeting
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
School Enrollment Changes
Districts frequently use enrollment projections to predict increases or decreases in enrollment
to make projections about change in school zoning. There is extensive research that suggests
that a key factor for effective planning is accurate enrollment projections.
Using five year enrollment projections along with other elements of planning are best practice
when planning for zones. When determining recommendations, the Task Force reviewed a
minimal view of five-year historical trends for enrollment to better understand our district’s
demographic cycles, and did not rely on long-term (i.e., twenty-year projections) for future
enrollment predictions, as these projections could be limited by too many unknown economic
and demographic factors. The Task Force also considered our Rochester Schools Modernization
Program (RSMP), impact of COVID pandemic actions, the RCSD Strategic plans, the State
Monitor’s Academic and Financial Plans, as well as other initiatives that may affect
demographics. A 2011 article on enrollment projections recommends a “rolling five-year
strategy to bring together programs, demographics, and facilities.”1
1 Carey, K.D. “Why Enrollment Projections Go Wrong.” School Superintendents Association, April 2011. http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=18586 [2] Carey, K.D. “Planning for Integration.” American School Board Journal, 194:10, October 2007. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=508004396&site=ehost-live [2] Enrollment and Student Assignment Planning Practices, Op. Cit.
The State Monitor’s Academic and Financial plan requests the Superintendent to conduct a
Feasibility Study to complement the work of the Managed Choice elements of the Task Force.
This study is critical to provide necessary information for recommendations and decision-
making. This study will include computer mapping of school zones and student demographics,
integrated with proven five-year enrollment projections by grade and school. These data will be
combined with data related to building renovation needs and capacities, as highlighted in the
Rochester Schools Modernization Program and budget. Additional data that may inform the
recommendations from the task force to the Board of Education include birth rates and cohort
survival projections, charter, private, and parochial enrollment trends, local transportation and
land use plans, and zoning policies. In the Rochester City School District, the policy that
oversees the decisions relating many of the related zoning decisions is Parent
Preference/Managed Choice Policy 5153.
The Scope and Purpose of this policy includes:
• Student Enrollment
• School Improvement
• Student Mobility
• “Home” Schools
• Transportation
This policy addresses:
• School Zones
• Efficient and effective use of facilities
• School choice
• Sibling Preference
• Proximity to School
• Socio-economic diversity
• Student Mobility – “grandfathered” into a school
• Placement Lottery
• Voluntary Transfer
• Citywide schools
• Specialized Programs – Special Education and ELL
• School Accountability Status
Rochester City School District
Background Information on the Rochester City School District
The city of Rochester is located in upstate New York. The city is situated on the southern shore
of Lake Ontario. The Genesee River bisects the city. Rochester is the third most populous city
after New York City and Buffalo. Rochester is located in Monroe County. The city is part of a
region known for science, technology, research, and development. The University of Rochester
and the Rochester Institute for Technology along with notable smaller colleges like St. John
Fisher College also support the economy of the city and region.
The Rochester City School District (RCSD) services 31,334 students, including a growing
population of charter school students. The population of the school district is composed almost
entirely of students of color, with Black students making up 53.1%, Hispanic / Latino students
making up 32.7% of the student population, White students comprising 9.6%, and Asian
students representing 2.9% of the RCSD student population. Rochester has seen the growth of
communities of Bhutanese, Nepalese, and Sudanese, among other immigrant groups moving to
Rochester as part of refugee resettlement programs. RCSD students speak 65 different
languages. There are 3,716 teachers and administrators supporting students and their families
in 55 Pre-K sites, 46 schools, and 10 alternative programs.
THE RCSD STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
The RCSD Strategic Plan has purposefully aligned the tenets of the State Monitor’s
Academic and Financial Plan to the District’s Goals. This alignment provides a focus for our
work for our scholars, families, and the District community. Superintendent Myers-Small
launched the initial planning process in Summer 2020 with engagement activities designed to
expand and strengthen relationships among teachers, administrators, students, parents,
stakeholders, board members, alumni and the businesses and other organizations in the region.
Planned for “impact,” the process had several other objectives:
• Broad community and institutional alignment and commitment to the Rochester City
School District’s future direction
• Focus on and delivery of key goals critical to student, institutional, and regional
economic success
• Maximizing RCSD’s value to students, stakeholders, and the region
RCSD MISSION STATEMENT
Foster students' individual talents and abilities in a nurturing environment of equity.
RCSD VISION STATEMENT
Ensure all students equitable access to a high-quality education and graduate each
student as a productive member of society.
RCSD CORE BELIEFS:
• Students are our first priority and will drive each decision.
• Each student has recognizable and untapped potential that we strive to discover and fulfill.
• We embrace diversity and commit to the eradication of racism and all forms of
discrimination and oppression.
• We provide students, families and staff with equitable access to resources for learning.
• We respect and honor the dignity of all individuals.
• Educating the whole child requires high-quality learning that is safe, loving and rigorous.
• Our work is centered in respect, trust, integrity and accountability.
• Education is a partnership of families, school, and the community.
• We make each fiscal and resource allocation decision equitably, transparently and in the
best interest of our students.
Rochester City School District: 2020-23 Priorities
Engage: Provide high-quality learning experiences
• Implement student-centered learning to improve academic success for all and to close the
achievement gap of our students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students,
and Black, Latino and English language learners.
• Establish a uniform, clear and transparent procedure for curriculum development and
implementation.
• Use data purposefully and collaboratively to drive decisions and to improve student
outcomes.
Lift Up: Ensure an inclusive, caring and safe learning environment
• Use restorative practices to promote inclusiveness, relationship-building and problem-
solving.
• Deliver trauma-informed practices through a culturally responsive lens to provide a safe,
positive learning environment.
• Establish training norms for cultural responsiveness, antiracism, diversity and inclusion.
Collaborate: Build strong community
• Create non-traditional, innovative opportunities for family engagement.
• Partner with businesses, higher education and other community organizations.
Lead: Foster dynamic leadership
• Manage school and district resources effectively.
• Develop leaders at the school and district levels to achieve each school's targeted
outcomes.
• Highlight and communicate the great accomplishments in our schools and district.
• Build high-performing teams to drive implementation of our strategic priorities.
Directional Excerpts from the State Monitor’s Academic and Financial Plan
By December 30, 2020, Deputy of Teaching and Learning shall establish a task force to study 1)
District
geographic zone configurations and 2) District school zone configurations.
2. By April 15, 2021, the Task Force shall share recommendations for new Zone configurations.
3. By May 2023, funding for Phase I of a Board approved implementation plan to change the
geographic configuration and the staffing of RCSD Zones shall be included in the district budget.
4. Restructure Central Office by reducing staff and reassigning key staff positions to schools and
zone offices. This will provide greater resources in better alignment with school needs. This will
also improve the timeliness of responses to school needs. This will help to alleviate reported
frustration from school level teachers and administrators regarding the support received from
the Central Office. Zone offices shall include content specialists trained using a research or
evidence based coaching model.
1. By December 30, 2020, Deputy of Teaching and Learning and the Deputy of Student Support
shall establish a task force to study 1) District geographic zone configurations and 2) District
school zone configurations. 2. By May 15, 2021, the Task force shall share recommendations for
new Zone configurations. 3. Phase I of a Board approved implementation plan to change the
geographic configuration and the staffing of RCSD Zones will be budgeted in the 2023-24 RCSD
budget.
2. Based on the feasibility study for district reconfigurations establish school models (i.e. pk-5,
6-8, 9-12) to increase opportunities for vertical and horizontal articulation, academic
acceleration, facilities consolidation, and fiscal efficiency
Deputy of Teaching and Learning and the Deputy for Student Support Services shall establish a
task force to study: a. District geographic zone configurations and b. District school zone
configurations by December 30, 2020. 2. Taskforce shall share recommendations for new Zone
configurations by April 15, 2021. Should the Board approve recommendations for new Zone
configurations, Phase I of the implementation plan to change the geographic configuration and
the staffing of RCSD Zones will be budgeted in the 2023 RCSD budget.
Pending feasibility results, establish neighborhood community model elementary and middle
schools
Deputy of Teaching and Learning and the Deputy of Student Support shall establish a task force
to study 1) District geographic zone configurations and 2) District school zone configurations by
December 30, 2020. 2. Taskforce shall share recommendations for new Zone configurations by
May 15, 2021. 3. Pending Board approval using a phased approach, recommendations for a
new Zone configuration, will be budgeted in the 2023 RCSD budget
Revamp or eliminate the Managed Choice Policy
Deputy of Teaching and Learning and the Deputy of Student Support shall establish a task force
to study 1) District geographic zone configurations and 2) District school zone configurations
and the Managed Choice Policy by August 30, 2021.
2. Task force shall share recommendations for the policy by September 30, 2021.
3. Phase I of a Board approved implementation plan to change to transition to neighborhood
community model elementary schools will be budgeted in the 2023 RCSD budget.
Research and Best Practices in Zoning for Districts and Schools
Accurate enrollment projections are vital for effective long-term planning and enrollment
management. Districts can ensure accurate projections by using five-year projections
integrated with data from multiple sources, such as local housing plans, land use, and
transportation plans.
Literature Review
As we conducted our research to present recommendations to the Board of Education, the Task
Force considered existing research and best practices present in the literature. Much of the
existing research on grade reconfigurations relates to either middle schools or rural
communities with a K-12 school. The State Monitor requested that the Task Force review
“feasibility study data for district reconfigurations in school models (i.e. PK-5, 6-8, 9-12) to
increase opportunities for vertical and horizontal articulation, academic acceleration, facilities
consolidation, and fiscal efficiency.” There is some relevant research related to early childhood
and elementary school organizations, as well as examples of how other districts have
considered elementary school grade reconfigurations.
This section provides secondary information to enhance the recommendations of the Task
Force, and focuses on three themes:
• Past research related to grade configurations,
• Examples of how other districts approach grade reconfiguration, and
• Considerations for implementing a new grade configuration.
Past Research Related to Grade Configurations
Rochester Research – Neighborhood Zone Demographic Analysis
This 2020 by the RCSD Accountability department analysis looked at the spread of Rochester’s
student demographic subgroups across its schools and its neighborhoods. The demographics
selected included SED ethnic and race subgroups, ENL and Immigrant. Additionally, included in
the analysis are students receiving ENL Services, ENL students enrolled in Bilingual
programming, and students receiving special education services. The percentage of Rochester
students in these demographic areas were calculated and displayed in the analysis.
Private/Parochial, Charter Schools, Urban/Suburban and Homeschooled students were not
considered in the analysis since these students’ subgroups cannot be verified.
Neighborhoods were defined by an outdated map. It is outdated due to the following:
• School 43 is a neighborhood zone;
• School 22’s neighborhood zone is around its original location on Zimbrich Street;
• School 25 does not have a zone even after its move to Freddie Thomas Learning
Center.
• In completion of the analysis, the School 43 neighborhood was assigned to
School 54, School 22 neighborhood stayed as its original location rather than the
area around, and School 25 was omitted from the analysis.
Below are some bulleted points that emerged from the analysis:
• The School 22 neighborhood, around its original location, has the highest percentage of
RCSD students living there, as well as the most ELLs, most ENL only and most bilingual
students.
• Two schools with bilingual programming, Schools 28 and 35, have the lowest
percentages of ENL students residing in its neighborhood.
• The subgroup with the least consistent range of percentages across neighborhoods is
the Immigrant subgroup, which spikes at 17.6% of all immigrants reside in the School 46
neighborhood. This spike explains the high percentages of ENL and ENL Only students in
the neighborhood.
• The most consistent spread of percentages across all neighborhoods was with special
education students.
• The schools that provide services which best match its neighborhoods are Schools 52, 42
and 19. It should be noted that all of these schools have a low percentage of ENL
students.
• The schools that have the most discrepancy between the services that are provided and
the demographic of their associated neighborhoods are Schools 22, 45 and 34. It should
be noted that all of these schools have a high percentage of our students, and a high
percentage of our ENL students in the neighborhood.
Criteria For Determining School Boundaries and Assignments
Research shows that district priorities play a large role in creating school boundaries and
student assignment plans. Districts typically consider factors such as costs of busing students to
school; desire to maintain neighborhood cohesion; need to ensure that siblings attend the
same schools; and desire to maintain racial and socioeconomic balance across schools.2 While
priorities have helped to shape the conversation for setting school and district boundaries,
there is not a consensus in the educational field regarding best practices as they relate to
district and school rezoning. Our Task Force therefore relied on the initial charge, which was to
study District geographic zone configurations and District school zone configurations.3
A 2003 study of school boundary and school assignment methods in 15 urban school districts
found that districts considered the criteria listed below, as well as a variety of other criteria to
create boundaries for school assignments.4
• School capacity and enrollment;
• Natural boundaries or physical barriers such as railroads or highways;
• Neighborhood population and size of residential buildings;
• Anticipated growth;
• Students’ proximity to schools and bus/travel time;
• Sibling enrollment at schools;
• Census tract and geo-code data;
• Existing student feeder patterns;
• Districts’ capital plan for school-related facilities and capital expenditures; and
• Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other demographic data.
2 Pathak, P.A. “The Mechanism Design Approach to Student Assignment.” Annual Review of Economics, 3, 2011. http://economics.mit.edu/files/9414 3 2020. State Monitor’s Academic and Financial Plans. www.rcsdk12.org 4 Brown and Knight, Op. cit.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GUIDANCE FOR RACE-BASED SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT POLICIES
The Task Force noted that a 2007 Supreme Court Case Parents Involved in Community Schools
Inc. v. Seattle School District limited the use of race as a deciding factor for school assignment.
The decision invalidated programs in Seattle and Louisville that considered race as a primary
factor in assigning students to schools, saying that the school districts had not demonstrated
that they had seriously considered race-neutral alternatives to their policies.5
In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice released guidance to
assist K-12 schools in interpreting the Court’s decision.
EXAMPLES OF SCHOOL CHOICE IN OTHER URBAN DISTRICTS:
• Home-Based Student Assignment Policy/ Boston Public Schools, MA: Boston Public
Schools’ Home-Based student assignment policy is used for K-8th grade students; all high
schools are citywide options for students. The Home-Based policy offers a list of school
choices for every family based on their home address, as well as several citywide
options. Every family has a choice of at least six schools, including: schools within one-
mile of their home, nearby high quality schools, and option schools with selective
enrollment. English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities are offered a
community cluster of school options based on their address.
• District Feeder Pattern/ Syracuse City School District, NY: Syracuse City School District’s
Feeder Pattern determines the movement of students between schools as they advance
in grades. Syracuse is split into four quadrants; each quadrant has its own feeder
pattern. There are a variety of grade configurations, feeder, and non-feeder selective
enrollment schools.
5 “Guidance on the Voluntary Use of Race to Achieve Diversity and Avoid Racial Isolation in Elementary and Secondary Schools.” U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice, 2011. http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/guidance-ese-201111.pdf
RCSD Zone Reconfiguration Task Force Zone Reconfiguration Subgroup
Timeline and Benchmarks
Dates Benchmarks
Meeting - Public Hearing
5-Apr-21 By April 15, 2021, the Task Force shall share recommendations for new Zone configurations.
Meeting - Public Hearing Feedback
14-Apr-21
Meeting - Community Advisory Team
26-Apr-21
Finalize Board recommendation
8-May-21 Taskforce shall share recommendations for new Zone configurations by May 15, 2021.
ESA Board recommendation 11-May-21
Taskforce shall share recommendations for new Zone configurations by April 15, 2021. Should the Board approve recommendations for new Zone configurations, Phase I of the implementation plan to change the geographic configuration and the staffing of RCSD Zones will be budgeted in the 2023 RCSD budget.
Phase I of a Board approved implementation plan to change the geographic configuration and the staffing of RCSD Zones will be budgeted in the 2023-24 RCSD budget.
Pending Board approval using a phased approach, recommendations for a new Zone configuration, will be budgeted in the 2023 RCSD budget.
RCSD Zone Reconfiguration Task Force - Managed Choice
Timeline and Benchmarks
Dates Benchmarks
Parent Survey 12-Mar-21
Survey parents to determine what they would need for their children to attend their neighborhood school and their involvement with managed choice, by March 15, 2021.
Virtual Focus Groups Complete by June 30, 2021
Conduct virtual focus groups of parents to determine what they would need for their children to attend their neighborhood school and their involvement with managed choice by June 30, 2021.
Multiple strategy development
Complete by September 30, 2021 Find multiple strategies for meeting the needs of families identified through the survey by September 30, 2021.
Policy Recommendations
Task force shall share recommendations for the policy by September 30, 2021.
Feasibility Study Beginning 1/31/2021
By January 31, 2021, the Superintendent shall initiate a feasibility study to dismantle or modify the RCSD Managed Choice Policy completed October 1, 2021.
ESA Board recommendation
11-May-21
Create a report to present to the Board during a work session. A decision should be established to determine if the Managed Choice Policy should remain the same, be modified, or eliminated by January 31, 2022 recommendations for new Zone configurations by April 15, 2021. Should the Board approve recommendations for new Zone configurations, Phase I of the implementation plan to change the geographic configuration and the staffing of RCSD Zones will be budgeted in the 2023 RCSD budget.
Phase I of a Board approved implementation plan to change to transition to neighborhood community model elementary schools will be budgeted in the 2023 RCSD budget.
Superintendent shall complete the transition of elementary schools to the neighborhood community model schools, contingent on recommendations of a feasibility study by September, 2023.