East has been under the management of the University of Rochester as an educational partner organization (EPO) since 2015 when the school was placed in receivership by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) due to low performance.

Over nine years of partnership and collaboration, the University of Rochester's EPO model for East brought significant improvements to the school's academic, social, and emotional outcomes, as well as increased collaboration and engagement with staff, families, and community partners. In March 2024, the Rochester Board of Education voted to return East to the District when the EPO contract expires in June 2025.

A transition plan for East is being developed and monitored by District-East teams to ensure a successful transition back to the District. The goal of the transition plan is to ensure that East continues to provide a high-quality education and a supportive environment for its students and staff and to maintain the strong partnerships and collaborations that have been developed through the University of Rochester EPO with East families and the community.

To ensure a smooth and successful transition, a core transition team and six tenet teams have been formed to address the key elements of the East EPO model and align them with the RCSD policies and practices. This team, led by the RCSD Deputy of Teaching and Learning Dr. Demario Strickland, consists of representatives from RCSD administration, East Lower and Upper Schools, East EPO, the Association of Supervisors and Administrators of Rochester (ASAR), the Board of Education Non-teaching Employees (BENTE), and the Rochester Teachers Association (RTA). The teams will meet regularly and provide updates and progress reports to the Board of Education and the community.

Six tenet teams are aligned with the NYSED framework for school improvement and focus on the following areas: 

• Systems and organization
• School leadership
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Social and emotional learning
• Parent and community engagement

Tenet teams are led by a member of the East EPO leadership team and includes representatives from the RCSD, East Lower and Upper Schools, ASAR, BENTE, RTA, parents, scholars, and community partners. The teams will discuss and align the current practices and expectations with the RCSD policies and procedures while identifying new opportunities and challenges for the transition.

The core transition team and tenet teams will meet monthly.  Progress updates will be shared every other month with the Rochester Board of Education and the community. This website will serve as a platform to share information and resources related to the transition plan.