Reports

NYSSBA Report Tackles School Violence
Focus on Mental Health in Schools

Will tougher gun control laws and police officers in schools help improve safety – or must schools also address the mental health and social well-being of students in order to reduce school violence in the long term?

That question is answered in NYSSBA’s new report, “Tending to Our Youth.”

The report recommends specific actions that school districts can take to increase school safety, including ways to identify possible warning signs of students at-risk and provide support to students who do not feel that they belong in the school community.

Full Report (8 pages - 884 KB) 

A Closer Look at Model Teacher Evaluation Plans

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has again proposed linking school aid increases to approval of Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) plans.

Full Report (5 pages - 326 KB) 

Lessons from Year 1 of the Tax Levy Cap

This year, school districts for the first time ever held budget votes under New York’s new property tax levy cap. A new NYSSBA report details four key lessons from the first year of the tax cap that school board members and superintendents should take note of as they prepare budgets for the 2013-14 school year. 

Full Report (4 pages - 131 KB) 

As the start of the school year draws near, the New York State School Boards Association’s new research brief, “Five Steps to Higher Student Performance,” outlines ways that school districts can improve the quality of their educational programs, given limited dollars to improve student performance. 

School leaders today are facing new challenges both academically and financially, including implementing new teacher and principal evaluation systems, adopting a national Common Core curriculum, and developing budgets under a tax levy cap.  Through this new research brief, we hope to provide decision makers with cost-effective options to help improve education in their districts.

5 Steps To Higher Student Performance :
Full Report (12 pages - 7.24 MB) 

Supplement:
Change Leadership: Digging Deeper (3 pages - 887 KB) 

On May 15, school districts in New York will present their budgets to voters for the first time ever under the state’s new property tax cap – and those spending plans will not be pretty.

Full Report (4 pages - 367 KB) 

The New 3 Rs analyzes the impact of the state’s new property tax cap on school districts, provides recommendations for state lawmakers to allow schools to operate more efficiently, and suggest ideas for local school boards to consider in order to survive in the tax cap era.

Full Report (20 pages - 6.67 MB) 

Property Tax Cap: Pass or Fail for School Districts - highlights the impact of a tax cap and offers seven alternatives that would be more effective than a property tax cap at lowering the cost of public education and reducing the property tax burden. 

Full Report (12 pages - 5.52 MB) 

Welcome to the Health Insurance Consortiums section of the NYSSBA website! Health insurance is on everyone's mind these days. School board members and administrators know full well that the costs of employee health insurance have soared. Here, NYSSBA provides you with informed research on health insurance consortiums with our new research report, “Condition Critical.” 

Website:Condition Critical: Research Report on Health Insurance Consortiums

Full Report (16 pages - 562 KB) 

It's not just the in-thing anymore. Cloud Computing is gaining traction among businesses and employers due to its cost savings potential - especially in this tight economy.

School districts are using cloud computing to enhance student learning, save money and communicate more effectively with the public.

What do school board members and administrators need to know about cloud computing?

NYSSBA's new research report explores the ins-and-outs of this technology.

Website:Cloud Computing for Schools

Full Report (12 pages - 1.58 MB) 

New York State schools are poised to lay off some 14,800 teachers if the governor’s proposed state education cuts are enacted.  Another 5000+ jobs could be lost through a combination of teacher retirements and attrition, as well as layoffs, retirements and attrition of non-teaching staff. 

“Shortchanging Schools,” a report issued jointly by the New York State Council of School Superintendents and the New York State School Boards Association, illustrates the impact of the state aid cuts on New York’s schools.  The report is based on a survey of school superintendents, and includes a regional breakdown of cuts and impacts on schools.

Full Report (8 pages - 243 KB)