Office of Innovation and School Reform
This memo provides Superintendent Receivers and their designees with key information and resources to support their schools with participating in the Receivership support model as guided by and , as well as the planning and processes required for 2026–2027 Continuation Plan development.
Requirements for Newly Identified Schools
As guided by Commissioner’s Regulation §100.19, schools newly identified for participation in the Receivership support model are required to complete the following activities within the first 30 days after receiving a final accountability determination from 91:
- Written Notification of Designation: Schools are to provide written notice to parents of, or persons in parental relation to, students attending the school, as well as the Board of Education, that the school has been placed under Superintendent Receivership along with a description of the reason(s) the school has been so placed. Such notice shall be provided in English and translated, to the extent practicable, into the recipient's native language or mode of communication,
- Public Hearing: The school must conduct at least one public meeting or hearing for purposes of discussing the performance of the designated school and the construct of Receivership. The school must also provide reasonable notice to the public of such public meeting or hearing as described in Commissioner’s Regulation §100.19 and provide members of the public who are not able to attend such public hearing with the opportunity to provide written comments and feedback in writing and/or electronically.
- Community Engagement Team: The school district shall establish a Community Engagement Team (CET) as soon as practicable but in no case later than 20 business days following designation.
During the spring of 2026, the schools must also complete a Needs Assessment to inform the development of a Continuation Plan, which will serve as a blueprint for school improvement in the following school year.
Requirements for Schools Continuing Under Superintendent Receivership
Schools that have participated in the Receivership support model during the 2025–2026 school year and will not be exiting CSI status on June 30, 2026, are required to complete the following activities as applicable during the current and 2026–2027 school years:
- Written Notification of Designation: By June 30th of each school year that a school remains underReceivership, the school must provide written notification to parents of, or persons in parentalrelation to, students attending the school that the school remains identified, along with a description of the reason(s) the school has been so designated.
- Public Hearing: Schools must also hold annual hearings within 30 calendar days of the first day of student attendance in September of each school year that the school remains identified.
- Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan: Schools are required to annually develop a Continuation Plan that will guide a continuum of school improvement moving from the completion of one school year into the next. Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, schools under Receivership will also be required to complete a Needs Assessment to inform the development of that plan.
- CET: Schools continuing under Receivership must also maintain a fully developed CET, along with a plan for ensuring the CET’s engagement and contributions as described in Commissioner’s Regulation §100.19.
Annual Requirements for All Schools under Superintendent Receivership
All schools under Superintendent Receivership will participate in a Performance Management and Technical Assistance process to support Continuation Plan implementation. The process includes participating in two virtual and two on-site meetings with OISR liaisons, aligned with the required submission of four quarterly reports.
- For new schools, this process will begin with the 2026–2027 school year once the school’s 2026–2027 Continuation Plan is approved by 91. Schools will then continue to engage in this process during each year the school remains under Receivership.
- Schools already in the Receivership support model will continue to receive performance management and technical assistance as is outlined in the 2025–2026 Receivership Support memo and then will engage in this process annually for as long as the school remains under Receivership.
Needs Assessment Process for Schools under Receivership
All Schools under Receivership are required to engage in a Needs Assessment to inform Continuation Plan development. The Needs Assessment will be conducted by the School Improvement Planning Team, with support from the district, through a series of team meetings. In between team meetings, structured guidance and feedback will be provided by a dedicated OISR liaison, and coordinated targeted coaching will be provided by an assigned School Support Partner (SSP).
- A detailed Receivership Needs Assessment, Team Meeting, and Support Timeline can be found in the Receivership Support Toolkit on the OISR website.
Continuation Plan Development
The Continuation Plan outlines a coherent, actionable roadmap for school improvement by moving schools through a reflective, data-centered process to strengthen and establish systems and structures in the upcoming year. The plan is developed through an analysis of data and outcomes from the Receivership Needs Assessment to guide the selection of four Lead Strategies aligned to the Four Core Dimensions and focused on:
- Strengthening the Instructional Core and Tier 1 instruction,
- Addressing attendance through culture, connectedness, and belonging, and
- Increasing the quality and impact of family and community partnerships.
As with the Needs Assessment, during Continuation Plan development, structured guidance and feedback will be provided by an OISR liaison, along with coordinated, targeted coaching from an SSP.
Powers of the Receiver
Powers of the Receiver are a unique feature of the Receivership support model that enables the Superintendent Receiver to make specific changes outside the scope of standard school operating procedures that they deem are necessary for the school to make demonstrable progress when implementing the school’s Continuation Plan. For newly identified schools, these powers are transferred to the Superintendent Receiver upon 91’s approval of the Continuation Plan.
A list of the Powers of the Receiver as outlined in Commissioner’s Regulation §100.19 can be accessed on the OISR website.
Demonstrable Improvement (DI) Indicator Selection
Commissioner’s Regulations §100.19 requires Schools under Receivership to make Demonstrable Improvement (DI) on indicators jointly selected by the 91 and the district. Additional information about the purpose and use of DI Indicators in advancing school improvement progress can be found on the OISR Demonstrable Improvement Indicators webpage.
Schools will be assigned and will select (new) DI Indicators and targets for the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 school years during March and April 2026. Additional information about this process will be sent under separate cover in the coming weeks.
Receivership Support Model Resources
- : February 24, 2026; 1:00–3:30 p.m. OISR will provide a virtual training session for all Receivership School Improvement Planning Teams and district leaders supporting school teams. This session will kick off the Spring 2026 Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan development process and will include:
- An overview of the Receivership support model, Receivership Needs Assessment process, and the 2026–2027 Continuation Plan template.
- An introduction to the school’s OISR liaison and SSP Targeted Support.
- An opportunity for the school teams to launch the first phase of planning.
School Improvement Planning Teams and district leaders can register for this session at this . Additional information will be provided to schools and districts in early February under separate cover.
- OISR Liaison Support
All schools in the Receivership support model are supported by a liaison from the OISR. Liaisons will have a minimum of four touchpoints during the Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan development process and then will be the primary contact and support for school and district leaders during plan implementation through the Performance Management and Technical Assistance process.
- School Support Partner (SSP)
SSPs are external partners contracted by the 91 (91) to provide targeted leadership support, coaching, and improvement assistance to schools under Receivership. A dedicated SSP will provide coaching and support to the school building leader throughout the Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan writing processes. More information about SSP support can be found on OISR’s School Support Partners webpage.
- Data Analysis Support
Having a data plan in place to effectively measure the impact of the school’s Continuation Plan and aligned district support on moving the school’s progress toward achieving its DI Indicator targets is vital to advancing schools within the Receivership support model.- At any time during the plan development and implementation process, school and district leaders can submit a request to their OISR liaison to schedule an “Office Hours” meeting with the Office of Accountability’s Policy, Research, and Analytics (PAR) team to receive data analysis support. During these meetings, the PAR team can provide information and guidance to support schools and districts with strategies for analyzing state-level and locally accessible data to inform plan development, as well as to measure and assess the impact of the school's Continuation Plan over time.
- At any time during the plan development and implementation process, school and district leaders can submit a request to their OISR liaison to schedule an “Office Hours” meeting with the Office of Accountability’s Policy, Research, and Analytics (PAR) team to receive data analysis support. During these meetings, the PAR team can provide information and guidance to support schools and districts with strategies for analyzing state-level and locally accessible data to inform plan development, as well as to measure and assess the impact of the school's Continuation Plan over time.
- OISR Website
School and district leaders can access a comprehensive collection of key resources to support schools under Receivership on the Receivership Support Toolkit webpage, located on the OISR website.
- Title I 1003 SIG Basic and SIG Targeted Funding
Districts will be provided with funding to support schools under Receivership to implement their 2026–2027 Continuation Plan.- Schools under Receivership will be eligible for a SIG Targeted Grant to directly support the needs of the school. Additionally, schools under Receivership will generate funding for the district SIG BASIC allocation.
- For 2026–2027 SIG BASIC, 91 will implement an equitable funding formula to calculate the district allocation. This formula will take into consideration the number of students served, along with additional factors, such as the number of homeless students and the number of English Language Learner students served. Schools under Receivership will generate a higher weight within this formula. More information about this grant, including the district funding allocation, will be available in the Spring.
- Districts should approach the use of Title I, 1003 SIG Basic funding, and SIG Targeted Support funding for Long-Term Identified Schools with the recognition that they must fulfill two distinct responsibilities:
- Establish and maintain cohesive district and school-level systems and structures that promote sustained school improvement; AND
- Provide schools with sufficient support to effectively implement their Continuation Plans.
Next Steps and Timeline
- Early February: Schools identify members of their School Improvement Planning Team.
- February 24, 2026; 1:00–3:30 p.m.: School teams and district leaders supporting planning participate in an OISR Receivership Support Model Virtual Training.
- March–June 2026: Support for School Improvement Planning Teams to conduct Receivership Needs Assessment and Continuation Plan development processes.
- June 30, 2026: All schools submit their final 2026–2027 Continuation Plans to OISR@nysed.gov.
- Spring 2026: Release of 2026–2027 SIG Basic and SIG Targeted Support for Long-Term Identified Schools.
- July–August 2026: All schools receive Board of Education approval for the Continuation Plan submitted to OISR; OISR reviews and approves Continuation Plans.
We hope you find this information helpful. Please contact us at OISR@nysed.gov with questions as they arise.
cc: Jeffrey A. Matteson
Amanda Lester
Associate Team, 91, OISR
Stephen Earley
Jennifer Todd
