Notes from the field:

Elements of Sustainability

One type of New York

Another type of New York

#1 Cabbage Producer in US

New York State Demographics

•3rd largest by population (20,000,000)–NYC largest urban (8.5 million)

•27th largest by area•3.3 million students K-12–1.1 m in NYC

NYS SPDG experience

• Identifying and validating successful implementation of evidence based effective practices in literacy, behavior, and special education instruction

•No one model imposed by the project; schools nominate practices and provide evidence of their effectiveness

•Site visits validate the practice

What are we seeing that suggests sustainability?

•Community investment

•Contingency planning

•“Collateral impact”

•Dynamic, “organic” growth and development

The “trails” of community investment

• Has the school pushed out and pulled in to “grab” the community?

• What are the tell-tales of community investment? How do we determine if:

– The vocabulary of the practice “oozed” into the community?

– Elements of the practice have become embedded in parents’ behavior?

– The discussion has become an open, two way exchange of feedback for improvement of the practice?

Contingency planning

• Has the school considered how to weather significant changes in resource availability?

• Has the school considered how things will change when the “energizer bunnies” move to other jobs?

• Has the school integrated elements of the practice into decisions about hiring and promotion?

What is the collateral impact, and is it recognized and

celebrated?•Does the school reflect on

the collateral benefits?

•Does the school communicate and build on these benefits?

How does the school grow the practice?

•When the practice is well established:

–How does the school consider the “next steps” to continually advance?

–How does the school consider the relationship of the practice to other school improvement practices, creating compatible implementation strategies?