Jump to:   Board–Superintendent Services • Human Resources Consulting and Training Services • School Efficiency Studies and Surveys • School Counseling and Student Support Team Studies • School Literacy Audits • School Curriculum and Progam Audits • School Information Technology (IT) Audits

The Western New York Educational Service Council understands that the effective collaboration and positive relationship between a Superintendent and Board of Education is paramount to achieving the educational mission. That is why we have designed a customized service to assist school leaders either develop, enrich or repair an effective leadership team.

Despite all best intentions, effective collaboration is not automatic. Any number of barriers, including communication styles, personal interests, and a natural tension between the chief executive and the policy makers can negatively affect the overall mission and well-designed goals.

Since there are a finite number of Superintendents as well as a limited number of citizens willing to serve as Board Members, why not work proactively to create a successful Board-Superintendent Relationship?

Our consultant services are tailored for your District over a specific period of time; they are not a packaged, one-size-fits-all model or one shot contract. Cost of the services, therefore, depends upon the extent and duration of the services you needs.

This service, conducted by Thomas Ramming, Ed.D, has several components in four major categories:

• Recruitment and Selection of Staff: This includes the most effective processes and procedures for interviewing and reference checking for all staff. He can train your leadership staff in addition to recommending policy and procedure updates.
• Evaluation: This can include a review of everything from policy review to labor agreements. It will help you make informed decisions about retention and tenure as well as improving employee performance.
• Professional Staffing Studies: Dr. Ramming will review your class size, teacher-to-student ratio and the alignment of staff to support your mission and goals. He will recommend a cost-effective number of staff by tenure area and unique special areas.
• Personnel Audits: An examination of employee personnel files will ensure your district’s compliance with Commissioner’s Regulations, federal and state laws, board policies and collective bargaining agreements. Dr. Ramming can also check seniority lists to avoid costly mistakes when cutbacks are necessary.

In addition to an initial meeting with the Superintendent, several on-site visits will be scheduled to collect data and interview personnel. Cost for this service will depend on the scope and the size of the district.

The "Special Education Efficiency Study," is designed to give participating schools a longitudinal data and anecdotal analysis of their Special Education programs.

All Superintendents know that Special Education is the most expensive of instructional programs by far, and it has subtle ways of growing even when other areas are being cut. We believe many Superintendents would like to get a handle on the following questions for long range planning:

• Are you over or under staffed in relation to your population?
• Are there some way you can operate more efficiently?
• Is your program successful instructionally?

Our consultant, Tim O'Neill, will gather data from over the last five years to compare patterns and relationships. After an initial meeting with the Superintendent for an overview, the consultant(s) will collect the data not available elsewhere and meet with staff members to analyze the organizational and cultural structure. The study will result in a detailed report that ends with recommended economies, program strengths, and areas in need of improvement.

The cost of the report depends on the size of the district and whether or not the district is a member of the WNYESC. Districts will be able to use a portion of their grant allocations to fund the report.

An extensive three phase study of your School Counseling Program includes an analysis of the content and record-keeping of the Guidance Plan, graduate follow-up and school-to-work transition study, and a review of orientation materials, budget data, and other pertinent statistics. It will involve meetings with all constituents and result in a final report that compares your existing practice to Best Practice Standards.

The Pupil Personnel Services review includes all of those items in the Counseling Program Service, plus school nursing, school psychology, and school social work programs.

Fees for services are dependent upon the type of review and size of district. BOCES aid can be used to partially fund this study. Dr. Janice DeLucia-Waack, Associate Professor in Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, at the University at Buffalo is the chief consultant for these studies.

We all know that reading and writing literacy is the core of our students' achievement and learning capacity. We also know that the state and federal expectations for achievement are higher than many of our children – especially AIS and special education – are performing.

This "School Literacy Audit" is designed to give Superintendents an independent and comprehensive analysis of their literacy program, instruction and assessment. It will be conducted by our Reading Specialist and Canisius College Instructor, Jen Reichenberg.

The first step involves a meeting with the Superintendent and other management staff to explain the study's options and determine the scope of the study: PK–6, PK–12 or Special Education. Next, our consultant will analyze current curriculum maps, instructional materials and assessment tools. Questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations will provide the balance of information.

The study will result in a detailed report to the Superintendent that includes specific (research-documented) suggestions and recommendations for improvement as well as identification of program strengths.

The cost of the audit will depend on the size of the district and the scope of the study, and if the district is a member of the Western New York Educational Service Council.

Curriculum and Program Audits are designed to give Superintendents and their staffs an independent and comprehensive analysis of their curriculum process and documents. They can include a specific program, like Math or Social Studies, or a more extensive review of the entire K–12 curriculum.

We have several consultants with extensive career work in curriculum and instruction who look for a bottom line that builds capacity for improved student performance. They will review all pertinent documents, interview personnel, and observe teaching. They will submit recommendations for the improvement of teaching and learning as well as improved student performance.

At the forefront of this study are several questions: Is the Curriculum...

• Aligned to the NYS Standards and Benchmarks?
• Aligned to what is written, taught, and tested?
• Influential in teacher decision making?
• Meeting the needs of a diverse population?
• Enabling improved student performance?

The review may be customized to last anywhere from a few days to several months, and the cost will depend on the scope of each review.

Information Technology Audits are designed to give Superintendents and their staffs an independent and comprehensive analysis of their investment in computers, ancillary hardware, software, and instructional use. The audit can include a specific building or a more extensive review of the entire K-12 technology resources.

We have consultants with extensive career work in technology use in the curriculum, and in central office management systems, who look for a bottom line that builds capacity for improved teacher use, student learning, and district-wide efficiency. They will review all pertinent documents, interview personnel, and observe teaching. They will submit recommendations for the improvement of teaching and learning as well as technology acquisition and disposal.

Based on the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Technology in Schools: Suggestions, Tools, and Guidelines for Assessing Technology in Elementary and Secondary Education, the possible topics of this study are:

• Technology Planning and Policies
• Finance
• Equipment and Infrastructure
• Technology Applications
• Maintenance and Support
• Professional Development
• Technology Integration

The review may be customized to last anywhere from a few days to several months, and the cost will depend on the scope of each review.