As experienced principals can attest, a complete and efficient school budget is the end result of a collaborative process that combines a comprehensive understanding of student data and achievement results with clear, measurable goal setting and targeted, thoughtful instructional planning. Contracts for Excellence funds are one of many strategic and important resources available to principals as they seek to align the dollars with the instructional initiatives that they and their school communities identify as effective strategies to improve student achievement.

In order to facilitate better integration of C4E-funded activities with overall school instructional plans, the Contracts for Excellence program plan will be included in the 2008-09 Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) process. Schools will be asked to outline their planned uses of C4E funds both as a part of their Action Plans and in a C4E Appendix intended to capture details about preliminary school-level spending within the six eligible C4E program areas. 

The C4E Appendix will be available in hard-copy form as part of the 2008-09 CEP template. However, in the interest of maximizing planning time given SED submission deadlines, schools will be asked to submit the Appendix electronically via a web survey. The URL for this tool will be posted on the NYCDOE Contracts for Excellence website and announced in an upcoming edition of Principals’ Weekly.

Key C4E Dates

Planning Supports

The Department of Education is offering the following supports to schools as they work towards building their preliminary 2008-09 C4E spending plans:

General

Training for School Leadership Teams (SLTs): In recognition of the key role that SLTs play in the CEP development process, the Office of School Improvement is offering a series of trainings designed to help SLT members better understand how they can effectively contribute to school-level planning. Sessions will address the role that C4E funds can play in supporting strategic supplemental educational programming.

SSO and ISC Support:  Schools have been advised to reach out to their SSO and ISC teams as they plan for allocation of 2008-09 C4E funds. These teams will in turn work with DOE liaisons to the State Education Department to answer specific school questions about program eligibility, approved fund uses, etc.

Additionally, schools may reference Chapter 1 of the Resource Guide to School Budgets for advice about:

§         Setting up a process that integrates C4E planning with all other school planning activities.

§         Brainstorming ways that C4E funds can be effectively and creatively deployed to support overall educational goals.

Class Size Reduction

General Guidance: The DOE recognizes that effective class size reduction varies on a school-by-school basis. Please consult the 2008-09 Class Size Reduction Guidance Memo for information on strategies that may be used to reduce class size and/or reduce pupil-teacher ratios. Schools that wish to pursue reduced class size or reduced student-teacher ratio should consult with their ISC representatives to determine if a particular initiative is eligible for C4E funding.

Coaching Program: Schools included in the 2008-09 DOE class size coaching program are expected to prioritize class size reduction with any available resources – including Contracts for Excellence funds - unless they have an alternate and justifiable plan for improving student achievement. Schools should consult with their SSO teams to ensure proper alignment of educational goals with class size targets. A list of schools included in the 2008-09 DOE class size coaching program will be available here.

Middle Schools

Outreach and Support: The Office of Teaching & Learning will be reaching out to all schools with middle grades (6-8) that are receiving C4E discretionary allocations to offer guidance around developing programs in the area of Middle School Restructuring. (Details to be posted as soon as they are available.)