Title I

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) assesses knowledge and skills based on New York State learning standards each year for students in grades 3-8 and high school.

These assessments measure students’ achievements in specific subjects. Districts and their component schools must meet required targets in the New York State Accountability System and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

According to the New York State Education Department, the designations for the 2025-26 school year, based on 2024-25 data:

• The Middle School is now an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement School for the Hispanic student subgroup.
• The Middle School was also designated as a Potential TSI school due to the achievement of our students with disabilities.
• The Elementary School also remains designated as a Potential TSI School, based on the achievement scores of our Hispanic student subgroup.
• Liberty High School remains a Local Support and Improvement school, formerly known as a “School in Good Standing.”
• The District continues to be a Targeted Support and Improvement District because of the Middle School designation.

The district follows expectations from the Office of Accountability with the goal of closing achievement gaps for all students.

The district has completed a five-year Strategic Plan to “cultivate lifelong lead learners who empathetically achieve as students and global citizens,” according to LCSD Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan. This plan will guide the District’s systems and practices through 2027. Each school also created an improvement plan, regardless of the accountability designation.

School Building Designations (2025-26)

• The Middle School is an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement School and a Potential TSI school
• The Elementary School remains designated as a Potential TSI School
• Liberty High School remains a Local Support and Improvement School.

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How Designation is Determined

The driving force behind the designations is the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The designations are largely based on student performance and growth on the NYS English Language Arts and Math assessments administered each spring to students in grades 3-8. Other factors include the number of students participating in the assessments, chronic absenteeism, and the graduation rate.

The designations are:

• Recognition School: A school that is high-performing or rapidly improving.
• Local Support and Improvement (LSI) (formerly School in Good Standing): A school that does not have any underperforming student subgroups.
• Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI): Schools that had been identified as TSI in the previous year are performing at or below the criteria for the lowest 5% of Title I schools for the latest school year.
• Targeted Support and Improvement School (TSI): TSI schools have at least one low-performing subgroup for consecutive years.
• Potential Targeted Support and Improvement School (PTSI): PTSI schools have at least one low-performing subgroup that has not met expectations for a single year.
• Comprehensive Support and Improvement School (CSI): CSI schools have an “all students” subgroup with underperformance in the bottom 5 percent of all schools in the state and, for high schools, a four-year graduation rate below 67 percent.

TSI schools are required to develop a School Comprehensive Education Plan which identifies needs and evidence-based intervention solutions and seeks input from parents, staff, and students through an annual survey.

• Elementary School Priority Plan
• Middle School Comprehensive Education Plan
• High School Priority Plan

These designations provide an opportunity to grow and learn. Administrators and faculty continue to develop, assess, and enhance curricula and will continue to monitor performance data and provide targeted professional development to ensure that all students achieve at their highest level, progress every year, attend school every day, graduate on time, and are ready for college or careers.

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How ESSA Measures Student Performance

ESSA measures student performance in these categories:

• Composite Performance: A measure of how well elementary and middle school students perform on the state’s English Language Arts (ELA), math, and science exams. For high schools, it is a measure of student performance in ELA, math, science, and social studies exams.
• Student Growth: A measure of student improvement on statewide assessments in ELA and math for students in grades 4-8. Scores are compared to similar scores in prior years.
• Academic Progress: Measured by looking at progress on ELA and math state assessments against the long-term and short-term goals assigned by the state.
• Graduation Rates: A measure of the 4-, 5-, and 6-year cohort graduation rates, compared to the long-term and short-term goals assigned by the state.
• English Language Proficiency: Measures the progress of English Language Learners in meeting their individual goals on the NYS English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT).
• Chronic Absenteeism: Chronic Absenteeism is determined by comparing the percentage of students who miss 10 percent or more days of instruction against long-term goals and short-term goals set by the state for each school and district.
• College, Career and Civic Readiness: Determined by the percentage of students who leave school prepared for college, career and civic readiness. The number of diplomas, credentials, advanced course credits, and enrollments a school has, as well as the number of career and technical education certifications, compared in long-term and short-term goals, are factored into the school’s score.

The law categorizes and assesses student performance into 10 subgroups:

• All students
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Black or African American
• Hispanic or Latino
• Asian or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
• White
• Multiracial
• English Language Learners
• Students with Disabilities
• Economically Disadvantaged

ESSA reviews the data over a two-year period. A school’s subgroups must have success for two consecutive years to be considered an LSI, formerly “School in Good Standing.” After two years of one or more subgroups failing to meet expectations, that school and district are no longer in “good standing.”

• Visit the NYSED website to learn more.

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LCSD Title I Written Complaint and Appeal Procedures

For Title I, Parts A, C, and D or Section 100.2 of the Commissioner’s Regulations Regarding Academic Intervention Services, the Liberty Central School District will disseminate, free of charge, this information about the State Complaint and Appeal Procedures to parents of students and appropriate private school officials or representatives.

A complaint may be filed by a public or non-public school parent or teacher; other interested persons, or agencies.

How to Submit a Complaint

All Complaints Must:

• Be written
• Be signed by the person or agency representative filing the complaint
• Specify the requirement of law or regulation being violated and the related issue, problem, and concern
• Information supporting the complaint; and
• The nature of the corrective action desired.

An Appeal Must Contain:

• A copy of the original signed complaint
• A copy of the district’s response to the original complaint or a statement that the school district failed to respond in 30 business days.
• A copy of the local school district and the Department of Education’s response to the original complaint or a statement that the Department of Education failed to respond within 30 business days
• A statement identifying those parts of the local school district’s response which the party wishes to appeal.

Where Should it be Sent?

Complaints and appeals should be sent first to:

The district has a 30 business day period in which to resolve a complaint.

If the district fails to resolve the complaint within 30 business days, or fails to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the complainant, the complaint should be sent to:

The State Education Department will review complaints when the complaint pertains to: The State’s administration of the ESEA Title I Basic Grant, Migrant Education, or Neglected or Delinquent Program, and an appeal from the decision of a local school district regarding an action by the district.

Complaints which do not meet any of the above criteria, including complaints concerning the LEA’S administration of its Title I Program, will be referred for possible resolution to the local school district against whom the complaint is made.

Within 60 business days of the receipt of the complaint/appeal, the Department staff will complete an on-site review (if necessary) and/or records examination and will notify all parties of its findings. An extension of the 60-day complaint resolution period is permitted for exceptional circumstances.

Where Can Complaints or Appeals to the Education Department be Sent?

Complaints/appeals regarding Title I LEA’s outside of New York City should be sent to:

What Will the Education Department’s Response Contain?

The response will contain:

• The names of persons interviewed
• The records or other evidence examined
• Relevant dates/times/location/events
• Summary of findings; and
• Nature of corrective action to be taken, including applicable timelines.

Failure of the local school district to take corrective action within the time period stipulated in the complaint resolution shall be cause to withhold all, or a portion of, the ESEA Title I allocation to the district.

Does NYSED Maintain Records?

Copies of correspondence, related documents, investigative reports, and summary reports involved in the complaint/appeal resolution will be maintained at the New York State Education Department for five years. Records will be made available to interested parties in accordance with the provisions of the New York State Freedom of Information Law.

What Constitutes Exceptional Circumstances for Extending the 60-day Limit for the Review of Complaints and Appeals?

Exceptional circumstances may include, but need not be limited to:

• Illness of involved parties
• Cancellation of scheduled on-site reviews due to unscheduled school closings
• The need for extended review activities beyond those specified in the written notification; and/or
• Any other mutual agreement to changes in review scope or activity.

When exceptional circumstances are identified, the revised date for the completion of the complaint review will be provided in writing to all parties involved in the complaint or appeal. All parties to the complaint have the right to initiate a request for an extension beyond the 60 business day complaint resolution period based on exceptional circumstances. All such requests must be presented to the State Education Department.

Can the Education Department’s Decision be Appealed?

Parties dissatisfied with the State Education Department’s complaint resolution may file an appeal directly with the United States Department of Education at:

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