Gates Chili Schools - Redistricting Elementary Attendance Zones

Gates-Chili School District in suburban Rochester confronted a problem that recurs among most school districts: The attendance boundaries for its 4 school buildings no longer matched the capacities of the individual schools. CGR was engaged to advise the district on the boundaries, measure the impact on the demographics of the...

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Rochester's Department of Recreation and Youth Services - Maximizing the City's Supports for Children and Youth

CGR was engaged by the City of Rochester to provide an inventory and resource analysis of its Department of Recreation and Youth Service (DRYS), compile information on similar programs and services offered by local nonprofits and governments, and benchmark the department’s operations to other cities. CGR found that, compared to...

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The Context for Assessing the Role of Charter Schools

The Farash Foundation, considering providing support for charter schools in the Rochester NY region, asked CGR for a brief background overview. CGR’s report summarizes the arguments supporting and opposing charter schools; recounts the history of charter school development in the nation, NYS, and Rochester; and cites recent studies of charter...

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Rochester's Communities and their Public Libraries - 2012 and Beyond

To provide the foundation for the Rochester NY Public Library’s strategic planning process for 10 community branches, CGR documented how patrons use each branch. Key findings included: a) branches fill different roles in different locations and need flexibility to be responsive, b) since 1999 circulation was down but door count,...

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What Supports 3rd Grade Reading in Rochester?

To support the launch in Rochester NY of a “cradle to career” initiative called ROC the Future, CGR documented the community supports that contribute to children reading on grade level by Grade 3, which the initiative targets as a critical indicator of children’s success in life. With funding from...

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Summer Youth Employment in the City of Rochester: A Review and Benchmarking of the Summer of Opportunity Program

Rochester NY engaged CGR to review its Summer of Opportunity (youth jobs) Program. Key issues explored included overall cost, administrative expenses, how impact is measured, and whether the city should continue its own program. CGR identified benchmark programs in New York City, Buffalo, Hartford, and Oneida County NY, and made...

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Potential Opportunities and Actions for ROC the Future As heard by CGR and The Children's Agenda

To support the launch in Rochester NY of a “cradle to career” initiative called ROC the Future, CGR documented the community supports that contribute to children reading on grade level by Grade 3, which the initiative targets as a critical indicator of children’s success in life. With funding from...

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Ontario County Regional High Schools Feasibility Study: Options for Addressing Rising Costs and Shrinking Enrollment

Eight of the nine districts in Ontario County have decreasing enrollment, a trend that is projected to continue through the next decade. The districts agreed to explore how regional high schools and/or regional collaborations could save taxpayer dollars and expand educational opportunities. CGR presents several models and finds that...

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Coming Home to Caring Communities: A Blueprint for Serving Veterans and Families

After more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and years of combat in Iraq, thousands of returning service members struggle with injury, post-traumatic stress or other challenging problems. The lives of more than 6,200 families changed forever when they lost family members in these wars. The Rochester NY nonprofit...

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Read to Succeed Buffalo - Focusing and Aligning Resources

A Buffalo NY nonprofit at a crossroads turned to CGR to design and facilitate its strategic planning process. CGR involved board, staff and community stakeholders in the work of planning Read to Succeed’s future in a way that aligns staff’s day-to-day work with organizational mission. CGR deliverables included developing the...

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RCSD New Schools Evaluation: Year One

CGR completed an implementation evaluation of five secondary schools opened in the Rochester NY City School District in 2010-11. CGR found the schools have successfully established generally positive environments where students feel cared about and teachers are proud to work. Some academic outcomes are higher that the district as a...

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An Evaluation of the Greater Rochester Health Foundation's Community Mini-Grants Initiative

The Greater Rochester (NY) Health Foundation has a 10-year plan to combat childhood obesity and its Mini-Grant Initiative is part of this plan. Under the iniitiative, 129 community organizations (e.g., daycare centers, faith-based groups, schools and neighborhood programs) were awarded funding to increase physical activity and improve nutrition...

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Veterans in Rensselaer County: Understanding Needs and Local Solutions

CGR was engaged to conduct a county-wide needs assessment for veterans in Rensselaer County NY. As the veteran population changes so do their needs, and local communities are increasingly called upon to collaborate with the Veterans Administration (VA) to provide a network of support. CGR combined surveys and...

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The Impact of AmeriCorps Builds Lives through Education (ABLE): Getting Things Done for Buffalo

An evaluation of Western NY AmeriCorps’ ABLE program (AmeriCorps Builds Lives through Education) found evidence of a strong community impact on the Buffalo region. CGR’s evaluation, which included surveys, focus groups, interviews, site visits, and data analysis, met requirements of the Corporation for National & Community Service. CGR also provided...

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Voices Together: A Community Conversation on Veterans' Reintegration in the Syracuse Region

Funding from Harris Beach law firm enabled CGR to conduct a day-long summit in fall 2009 on veteran’s reintegration issues in the Syracuse NY area. CGR's report on local priorities, service gaps and solutions are based on input provided by about 70 participants.

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How Well Are We Doing? A Plan for Evaluation of 2-1-1 Service in New York State

NYS is implementing a regional network of 2-1-1 call centers. Part of a national movement, 2-1-1 will serve as the number to call to access community information and referral services for non-emergency situations. Working collaboratively with regional and state leaders, CGR identified 8 desired outcomes to provide 2-1-1 with...

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