Geographic Variability. New York State boasts counties that run the spectrum of geographic variability, from concentrated urban environments to scattered rural communities. Some districts are very large in square miles (St. Lawrence County with over 2,800 square miles), while others are quite small in comparison (Putnam County with 246 square miles). In addition, populations are also quite diverse with Nassau County at 1.3 million residents and Seneca County with just over 34,000 residents. The size, location, and population determine the make up of the counties with a range of metro, urban, and rural areas.

CPS Experience. CPS staff within the districts that participated in the Pilot, varied in years of CPS experience. About half of the districts had CPS staff with below five years experience while the other half had staff with more than five years experience. The range spanned from one district having approximately 1.3 years average experience to another that averaged 9.3 years experience. Four districts had between 1.3 and 2.9 years experience, five districts had between 3.5 and 4.8 years experience, six districts had between 5.7 and 6.6 years experience, and three districts had between 9.2 and 9.3 years experience.