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John Sipple

Professor, Department of Global Development

John Sipple headshot

Contact Information

261 Warren Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853

(607) 255-3005

jws28 [at] cornell.edu

Outreach Activities

  • Sipple, J. W., Fiduccia, P. & LeBeau, K (2019, July). #RuralReality in NY State in 2019. The culmination of a 12-part series of data/maps/charts depicting the current reality of rural schools and the communities they serve in NYS. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335793379_Rural_Reality_in_NY_State_in_2019
  • Szuberla, C. & Sipple, J. W. (2018, October). Continuing Progress: 2018 Annual Report on the East Ramapo Central School District. A report to the New York State Education Department and New York State Board of Regents.
  • Szuberla, C. & Sipple, J. W. (2017, October). A Balanced Budget: 2017 Annual Report on the East Ramapo Central School District. A report to the New York State Education Department and New York State Board of Regents.
  • Szuberla, C. & Sipple, J. W. (2017, January). A New Beginning: A Report on the East Ramapo Central School District, January 24, 2017. A report to the New York State Education Department and New York State Board of Regents. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.13545.70245
  • Wolcott, D., George-Fields, M. &  Sipple, J. W. (2015, December). Opportunity Deferred: A Report on the East Ramapo Central School District, December 2015. A report to the New York State Education Department and New York State Board of Regents DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.17020.54403
  • Sipple, J. W. & Dilani-Miller, A.C. (2014). Shared School Services: A Common Response to Fiscal Stress. Policy Brief published by the New York State Center for Rural Schools. Ithaca, NY.
  • Sipple, J.W. & Blakely, R.M. (2009). School Consolidation: What do New Yorkers Think?  Rural New York Minute, Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI) and the NYS Center for Rural Schools, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W., McCabe, L. M, & Ross-Bernstein, J. (2008). The Capacity of Early Childhood Care & Education in Rural New York State. Albany, NY: Legislative Commission on Rural Resources & Rural Education Advisory Committee.
  • Sipple, J.W., McCabe, L.A., Ross-Bernstein, J, Casto, H. G. (2008). Educational Services for Preschool Children in Rural New York State: Links among Community-based Organizations, Pre-kindergarten programs, and School Districts. New York State Rural Education Advisory Committee. July 2008.
  • Blakely, R.M. & Sipple, J.W. (2008). Are New Yorkers Satisfied with the Public Education in their Communities?  Rural New York Minute, Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Sipple, J.W., McCabe, L.A., & Ross-Bernstein, J. (2007).  Assessing Capacity: Early Childhood Education in Rural New York State. Published report for the Rural Education Advisory Committee. Albany, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W. & Casto, H. G, (2007). School-Based Health Centers in NYS, Research and Policy Brief, Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2006). School-Based Health Care in New York State. Newsletter of the Rural Schools Association of New York State: Ithaca, NY
  • Ithaca City School District (2006). Equity Report Card: Holding ourselves accountable. A report co-sponsored by the ICSD and the Village at Ithaca: Ithaca, NY.
  • Killeen, K. M. & Sipple, J. W. (2006). The challenge of regional geography in upstate school reform. The Brookings Institution: Washington, DC.
  • Sipple, J. W., Benjamin, L., Faessler, L. (2003). Status of NYS Rural Schools in Meeting the NYS Regents and the Federal NCLB Standards. A Study prepared for the Rural Schools Association of New York State: Ithaca, NY. (Available at http://education.cornell.edu/rsp.htm).
  • Killeen, K., & Sipple, J. W. (2002). How have performance standards changed school district practice? Results from a statewide survey of New York State school districts. Educational Finance Research Consortium: Albany, NY. (available at http://www.albany.edu/edfin).
  • Killeen, K. & Sipple, J. W. (2000). School Consolidation and Transportation Policy: An Empirical and Institutional Analysis. A Working Paper for the Rural School and Community Trust. http://www.RuralChallenge.org.
  • Sipple, J.W. (2000). A study analyzing the relationships among school district staffing of teachers, district wealth, and higher learning standards in New York State. A Report prepared for the Rural Schools Association of New York State: Ithaca, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W., Avery, L., Meyer, D. (2000). A final report on the evaluation of the Environmental Community of Scientists (ECOS) Project. Submitted to the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and forestry, Syracuse, NY.
  • Killeen, K. & Sipple, J. W. (1999). Preliminary Analyses of rural school transportation costs. Report for the Rural School and Community Trust Policy Program. Sipple, J. W. (1999).
  • Matheney, T. M., Sipple, J. W., & Miskel, C. G. (1996). Corporate business leaders for education excellence, 1989 - 1996: A history. Commissioned manuscript for the Michigan Business Leaders for Educational Excellence, University of Michigan.
  • Sipple, J. W. (1993). Goal 2: Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In Shank, P. (ed.) Major federal programs supporting the National Education Goals: An analysis. University of Virginia. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 366 060).
  • Sipple, J.W. (2020, June 9). Getting Back to School: Collaborative Strategies for Reopening K–12 Public Schools in a Fiscal Crisis. Invited panelist along with Randi Weingarten (President of the American Federation of Teachers), Dan Domenech (Executive Director, AASA), and John McCarthy (Prof., ILR School). https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/work-and-coronavirus/online-training/webinar-getting-back-school-collaborative-strategies-reopening-k-12-public-scools-fiscal-crisis
  • Sipple, J. W. (2019, July). Enhancing and Studying School-Based Health Centers. Invited presentation to the Rural Schools Association of NYS.
  • Sipple, J.W. (2019, February). Data Enhanced Planning and Decisionmaking: Democratizing data for school and district leaders. Invited workshop for the Ulster BOCES. 19 Districts participated.
  • Sipple, J.W. (2018, December). The Democratization of Data: Serving BOCES, Districts, and Schools Across New York State. Keynote presentation to the New York State Data Analysis Technical Assistance Group (DATAG). Albany, NY. 250 participants.
  • Sipple, J.W. (September, 2018). Data Enhanced Planning and Decisionmaking: Democratizing data for school and district leaders. Invited workshop for the Nassau BOCES (am) and the Eastern Suffolk BOCES (pm). 28 districts participated.
  • Sipple, J.W. (September, 2018). Opioid Crisis in Rural Schools. Invited presentation to the Parent Education In-Service, organized by the Parenting Project at Cornell University. Ithaca, NY
  • Sipple, J. W. & Szuberla, C. (2018, March). Program and Budget Update on the East Ramapo Central School Distinct. Invited presentation to the New York State Board of Regents. Albany, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W. & Fiduccia, P. C. (2018, March). Data-Enhanced Planning and Decisionmaking. Invited Keynote presentation to the Winter Meeting of the Staff and Curriculum Development Network of New York State (S/CDN): The Instructional leadership arm of the thirty-seven Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and the Big 5 Cities in New York State. Albany, NY
  • Sipple, J. W. (2017, November 7). Historical Perspectives on Contemporary School Reform. Guest Lecture for Cornell Prison Education Program. Auburn State Penitentiary, Auburn, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2017, September). The Future of Rural Schools: Rust, Renewal or Revolt? Invited presentation to the NYS Council of School Superintendents’ Fall Leadership Summit. Saratoga, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W., Kristen, B., Samantha, A., Bubble, T. (June, 2017). IVY-Plus Biannual Meeting of Admissions Officers, "The Long, Winding, Unpaved Path from Rural Schools to Higher Education", Invited, IVY-Plus, Ithaca, NY. (June 14, 2017.
  • Szuberla, C. & Sipple, J. W. (2017, January). A New Beginning: A Report on the East Ramapo Central School District, January 24, 2017. A presentation to the New York State Education Department and New York State Board of Regents. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.13545.70245
  • Sipple, J. W. (2017, January 17). Enhancing Data to Strategically Enhance Planning. Invited presentation to the Erie 2 BOCES District Superintendent Mtg. Angola, NY.
  • Sipple, J.W. (2016, August 18). Invited speaker at the Annual Retreat of the Herkimer BOCES. “Strategic Data Use & Planning. Blue Mountain Lake, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2016). Cornell Municipal Clerks Institute, "Education Pipelines & Community Vitality”. CaRDI, Ithaca, NY. (July 16, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W., Blakely, R. & Kay, D. L. (2016). University-Community Intermediaries: Supporting Informed Decision-Making in a Polarized Context. Invited presentation to the New York State Association of Counties Legislative Conference, Albany, NY. Feb 2.
  • Wolcott, D.W., George-Fields, M., Sipple, J. W. (2015). Opportunity Deferred: A Report on the East Ramapo Central School District. A report and presentation to the New York State Board of Regents, December 14, 2015.
  • Sipple, J. W., East Ramapo Monitor Public Forum, "Updates and Listening Session", Invited, NYS Education Department, Spring Valley, NY. (October 1, 2015).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2015, October). “Informed Decision Making in Highly Contentious Arenas.” Presentation given at the National Conference of County Association Executives, Point Clear, AL. October 22.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2015). Leadership Meeting of the Orange-Ulster BOCES, "Data tools to inform local planning", Invited, Orange-Ulster BOCES, Goshen, NY. (May 3, 2015).
  • Sipple, J. W., Schultz, E., Slifkin, E. (2015). GST Regional School Board Mtg., "Student Performance Data in the GST BOCES: Assessing the Past, Preparing for the Future", Invited, Greater Southern Tier BOCES, Corning, NY. (April 30, 2015).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2015). Horseheads CSD Board of Education Retreat, "Informed Decisionmaking: Development and use of data tools", Invited, Horseheads CSD, Horseheads, NY. (January 5, 2015).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2014, December). Local Fiscal Stress: State Austerity Policy and Creative Local Response. Invited Talk ”Schools and Fiscal Stress in NYS”. CaRDI, NYSUT, Saratoga Springs, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W., Rural Research Symposium, "Trading Fiscal Insolvency for Educational Insolvency", Invited, Northeast and Islands Regional Lab, Concord, NH. (October 30, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W., Four Counties School Board Association Fall Meeting, "Linking School District and Community Responses to Fiscal Constraint", Invited, Four Counties School Board Association, Geneva, NY. (September 30, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W., New York State Association of Counties Fall Conference, "Fiscal Constraint and Creative Local Response", Invited, NYS Association of Counties, Buffalo, NY. (September 24, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W. & Mouilleseaux-Kunzman, H., Cornell Municipal Clerks Institute, "Municipal Clerks Conference - Workshop on education pipelines and community development. CaRDI, Ithaca, NY. (July 16, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W., Annual Conference of the Rural Schools Association of NYS, "Trading Financial Insolvency for Educational Insolvency and other Sticky Trends. Keynote talk at RSA conference. Cooperstown, NY (150 people)", Invited, Rural Schools Association of NYS, Cooperstown, NY. (July 14, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W., Municipal Exchange (MIX) Summit on Fiscal Stress, "Shared municipal and school services in NYS: Recent Evidence", Invited, MIX (NYS Association of Counties, NYS Association of Towns, NYS Conference of Mayors, NYS School Boards Association), Albany, NY. (June 17, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W., Chautauqua County School Boards Association Spring Dinner, "Educational Insolvency & Fiscal Stress", Invited, Chautauqua County School Boards Association, Jamestown, NY. (May 8, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W., State of Upstate Cities Conference, "Demographic Change and School Fiscal Stress", Invited, CaRDI, Ithaca, NY. (March 25, 2014).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2013, October). “Shared Municipal and School Services.” Presentation given at the National Conference of County Association Executives, Florida Keyes, FL. October 24.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2013, October). “Educational Insolvency.” Keynote presentation, Rockefeller Institute of Government symposium on Fiscal Stress, Albany, NY. October 13.
  • Sipple, J. W. (Author Only), Annual Meeting of the NYS Council of School Superintendents, "Shared School Services", NYS Council of School Superintendents, Saratoga, NY. (October 2013).
  • Sipple, J. W. (Presenter & Author), Rockefeller Institute of Government Symposium on Fiscal Stress, "Educational Insolvency", Rockefeller Institute of Government @ U-Albany, Albany, NY. (October 13, 2013).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2013, September). Shared School Services.” Presentation to the NYS School Board Association, Saratoga, NY. September 22.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2012, October), RELNEI Executive Leadership Meeting, "App Development to Maximize Utility of State Data", Regional Education Lab of the Northeast and Islands, Boston, MA. (October 23, 2012).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2012, October), "Shared Services, Data Tools, and Communities", Presentation at the National Conference of County Administrators and Executives, Williamsburg, VA. (October 17, 2012).
  • Sipple, J.W. (2013, July). “Responses to Fiscal Stress in New York State: Data Tools and Shared Services.” Keynote presentation of the Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress Symposium on School Closures, Kingston, NY. July, 31.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2012), NYS Comptroller's Leadership Institute, "NYS's Schools and Communities in Times of Fiscal Stress", NYS Office of the State Comptroller, Syracuse, NY. (June 20, 2012).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2011, December). Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Settings.  Keynote address at the Capital Area School Development Association Rural Summit. Albany, NY. (100 local education and community leaders)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2011, December). “Economic Impacts of Schooling in Rural Communities.” NYS Educational Conference Board, Annual Meeting. Albany, NY. (200 academic, state and local education and community leaders)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2011, September). Participant in a NYS Board of Regents/State Education Department School Finance Symposium. Albany, NY (100 state and local leaders)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2011, December). Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Settings.  Keynote address at the Capital Area School Development Association Rural Summit. Albany, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2011, August). Participant in a NYS School District Reorganization Conference, Syracuse, NY (100 state and local education leaders)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2009, August). Participant on a panel at the NY State Comptrollers Conference for Local Municipal Leaders. Ithaca, NY (25 municipal leaders).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2009, 2010, 2011, July). Presentation at the CaRDI’s Summer Clerks Institute. Ithaca, NY (20 municipal clerks).
  • Kiley, L. K. & Sipple, J. W. (2009, July). Leading During Times of Scarcity: Changing Conditions at the Top of the State. Presentation to 250 rural school leaders, Lake Placid, NY, July.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2009, June). Current Challenges for Rural Schools in NYS. Keynote presentation to the Greater Southern Tier BOCES Annual School Board Dinner. Watkins Glen, NY. (100 school board members and Superintendents).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2009), REAC Showcase, "REAC Funded Study on Early Childcare and Pre-K Education: Policy Recommendations", Rural Education Advisory Committee, Albany, NY. (March 12, 2009).
  • Sipple, J. W. & Kiley, L. (2009, March). Small School District Summit, Sponsored jointly by the NYS Center for Rural Schools, NYS Rural Schools Association, and REAC. Syracuse, NY. (120 school leaders, members of the Board of Regents, and REAC). I was the principal organizer.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2008), National Rural School-Based Health Symposium, "Schools, Communities, and the Need for Collaboration", Basset Hospital, Cooperstown, NY. (October 18, 2008).
  • Sipple, J. W., McCabe, L. M. & Casto, H. G. (2008). Annual Meeting of the Rural Schools Association of New York State, "The Push toward Universal Pre-K in Rural Schools: Trends, Successes, and Challenges", Rural Schools Association of New York State, Cooperstown, NY. (July 12, 2008).
  • Sipple, J. W., Eberts, P.,  Brady, S., Kiley, L., (2005-2007). Dropout prevention: Information and Caution. Two-day workshop for superintendents, principals, and teachers at BOCES throughout the state, organized by the Rural School Association of NYS. (18 workshops to date, with audiences ranging from 25 to 90 administrators and teachers).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2007, October 23). Invited presentation to the Ithaca High School PTSA. “NCLB: What is it and why should be care.” (30 parents, teachers, and administrators).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2007, July 11). Broadening the Boundaries of Rural K-12 Schooling Invited presentation at the Annual Conference of the Rural Schools Association of New York State, Cooperstown, NY. (150 superintendents and school board members)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2007, February). Public Schools, Communities, and Institutions:  A Decade of Reform in New York State. Department of Development Sociology Faculty Colloquium.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2006, July 11). School-Based Health Centers: What are they and how do I get one? Invited presentation at the Annual Conference of the Rural Schools Association of New York State, Cooperstown, NY. (150 superintendents and school board members)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2005, July 12). NYS Rural Schools: how are we doing? Invited presentation at the Annual Conference of the Rural Schools Association of New York State, Cooperstown, NY. (150 superintendents and school board members)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2004, July 13). Staffing trends in an era of heightened state and federal standards, 1992-2002. Invited presentation at the Annual Conference of the Rural Schools Association of New York State, Cooperstown, NY. (150 superintendents and school board members)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2004, April 23). Invited discussant comments at one-day conference, Now What? Affirmative Action and Higher Education in 2004 and Beyond, co-sponsored by the Cornell Center for the Study of Inequality and the Cornell Law School.
  • Sipple, J. W. & Killeen (2003, December 12). The implementation of Academic Intervention Services in New York State public schools. Meeting of the Data Analyst and Testing Analysis Group (DATAG). Albany, NY. (60 data analysts and school administrators)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2003, November 11). The implementation of New York State learning and graduation standards, 2000-2003. State University of New York, Cortland, NY. (150 student-teachers and faculty)
  • Sipple, J. W. (2003, November 11). The implementation of New York State Learning and Graduation Standards, 2000-2003. State University of New York, Cortland, NY. (100 student teachers and faculty)
  • Sipple, J. W. & Killeen, K. (2003, September 26,). The implementation of Academic Intervention Services in New York State public schools. Fall Symposium of the Educational Finance Research Consortium, Albany, NY. (75 statewide organization leaders, State Education Department Officials, Regents, Faculty).
  • Sipple, J. W. (2003, July 15). A Statewide study of rural school districts: Implications for standards reform. Annual Conference of the Rural Schools Association of New York State, Cooperstown, NY. (100 superintendents and school board members)
  • Sipple, J W. (2003, April 11). Presentation to the Organizations Working Group, Department of Sociology, Cornell University.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2003, March). New York standards reform: Implications for new teachers. Keynote Address, Syracuse University School of Education Professional Symposium: “Meeting the challenge of No Child Left Behind.” (300 student-teachers, teachers, and faculty)
  • Sipple, J. W., Killeen, K. M. (2002, May). How have performance standards changed school district practice? Results from a statewide survey of New York State school districts. Spring symposium of the NY State Educational Finance Research Consortium. Albany, NY
  • Monk, D., Sipple, J. W., Killeen, K. (2001, December). Presentation to the New York State Board of Regents on the state of school district response to the new learning and graduation standards.
  • Sipple, J.W. (2001, October). Invited address for the Rural Schools Association of New York State Annual Breakfast at the Annual Meeting of the New York State School Boards’ Association, Buffalo, NY. (500 school board members and superintendents)
  • Sipple, J. W., D. Monk (2001, May). Adoption and adaptation:  New York State school districts' responses to state imposed high school graduation requirements: An eight year retrospective. Spring symposium of the New York State Educational Finance Research Association, Albany, NY. (100 people – Agency Leaders, SED officials,
  • Sipple, J. W. (2001, May) Panel presentation for Leadership Tompkins on the "The Future of our School Systems”.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2001, April). Panel Presentation at the Alternative Community School (ACS), Ithaca City School District, Ithaca, NY.
  • Sipple, J. W. (2001, March). Panel presentation at the New York State Education Department symposium on the Achievement Gap in Rural Schools, Ithaca, NY. (200 school leaders and Regents)
  • Sipple, J.W. (2000, September). Applying research to administrative problems. Workshop presentation at the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning's (McREL) Rural Symposium, Aurora, CO.
  • Sipple, J. W. (1999). New York State Standards and Assessments: Impact on the Board of Education's role in the community. Keynote presentation given at the Annual Dinner of the Cayuga-Onondaga School Board Association (May 27) and the Cortland-Madison School Board Association (October 5).

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