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From Senior Deputy Commissioner Johanna Duncan-Poitier
June 19, 2009

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June Meeting of the New York State Board of Regents

The next meeting of the New York State Board of Regents will be held in Albany on June 22 & 23, 2009. Meeting agendas and advance materials are available on the Web at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/.

Grant Opportunities

  • Teacher Quality Partnership Grants: The U.S. Department of Education has announced the availability of $143 million in regular 2009 appropriations and funding under the American Recovery and Rehabilitation Act of 2009 to support new awards under the Teacher Quality Partnership Grants program. The grants are being awarded to help strengthen the preparation of new teachers through partnerships among colleges and universities and high need schools and districts. If you are planning to apply for the grant, you must submit a notice of intention to apply by June 26, 2009. Applications are due by July 23, 2009.
  • 2009-2012 Statewide Learning Technology Grants (LTG): Learning Technology Grants are being made available to help schools and BOCES expand the use of technology in classrooms and media centers to help improve student performance and support student success. Grants are being awarded to schools and BOCES to expand instructional technology in classrooms and library media centers and to provide professional development to help teachers use new technologies to support student achievement.

Examples of learning technologies that could be funded through the grants include:

  • Information delivery systems and services to provide distance learning;
  • Interactive telecommunications, including equipment and services;
  • Computer technology integrated into classroom or school library media center instruction;
  • Networking among schools and libraries, including network equipment;
  • Multimedia equipment and data storage;
  • Services to access the Internet;
  • Education related materials, services and software.

More information on the grants is available on the Web at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/funding/200912ltg.html. Public school districts and BOCES, or consortia of districts and BOCES, are eligible to apply. To be considered for funding, applicants must give nonpublic schools of all denominations within their regions the opportunity to participate and must include at least one SURR or SINI school building in the application. Completed applications must be postmarked by August 21, 2009.

Please send questions you may have about this RFP to emscltg@mail.nysed.gov by June 26, 2009. Answers to these questions will be posted by July 10, 2009.

New Office of Educational Technology Policy & Programs in State Education Department and Request for your Input on Draft Technology Plan


The new Office of Educational Technology Policy and Programs (ETPP) has been established in the State Education Department to coordinate the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of the USNY Statewide Educational Technology Plan. The office also coordinates State Education Department programs and initiatives to foster and implement educational technologies across learning environments statewide. For more information on the educational technology plan, please visit the new office web site at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/technology/. This site will be expanded to include more resources as the educational technology plan is further developed.

Also, in May, Board of Regents discussed the draft USNY Statewide Educational Technology Plan and would like to invite you to complete a brief survey to share your reactions to the proposed vision and goals which will be the foundation of the educational technology plan, and to share your best ideas for using technology to transform teaching and learning. The draft plan and the survey are available on the Web at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/edtech/. Please take a moment to share your thoughts with us by completing the survey between now and July 31, 2009.

Important Reporting Requirements and New Tool to Assist You with Title I Reporting

  • New Tool to Assist You with No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) Title I School Status Reporting: A new online tool is now available for filing the 2009-10 Title I School Status Reports. Beginning June 1, 2009, school districts and charter schools can access the report through the State Education Department’s Web Business Portal at http://www.nysed.gov. The due date for completing the 2009-10 report is July 23, 2009. New this year - reports are only required to be completed if the status of a building within a district or a charter school has changed. Additional details are available at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irts/title1/home.html.

    User IDs and passwords necessary for access to the SED Web Business Portal are managed by the SED Delegated Account System (SEDDAS). Information regarding SEDDAS can be found at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/seddas/seddashome.html or by calling the SEDDAS help desk at (518) 473-8832.
  • 2009-2010 Comprehensive Plan and Reporting Requirements for the Education of English Language Learners: It is important that all districts receiving Total Foundation Aid, including community school districts, develop a two year Comprehensive Plan to meet the educational needs of the English Language Learners/Limited English Proficient students in their schools and submit an annual Data / Information Report, consistent with Part 154 of Commissioner’s Regulations.

Part 154 requires that English Language Learners receive appropriate services needed to acquire and develop English language skills and meet all standards in the core subjects expected at their grade and age levels. In completing the comprehensive plan, districts identify all programs and services available for English Language Learners. The plan can be used as a resource guide for administrators, teachers and parents.

Instructions for completing the 2009-2010 Part 154 Comprehensive Plan and Data / Information Report have been posted to the following links: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/ under "Featured News - Hot Topics or http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/bilinged/NEWCRPT.154.html, under CR PART 154 Information"

If you have any questions, please contact the Office Bilingual Education -Foreign Language Studies office at (518) 474-8775.

  • Violent and Disruptive Incident Reporting (VADIR): School districts, BOCES, and charter schools may report 2008-09 violent and disruptive incident data to the Department beginning September 8, 2009 through the SED Web Business Portal accessible at http://www.nysed.gov. The due date to complete 2008-09 VADIR reporting is September 30, 2009. The format of the report and the data collected is the same as the 2008-09 VADIR form – no changes or revisions have been made. Forms, instructions, and a glossary of VADIR terms are available at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irts/vadir/vadir-reporting.html.

User IDs and passwords necessary for access to the SED Web Business Portal are managed by the SED Delegated Account System (SEDDAS). Information regarding SEDDAS can be found at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/seddas/seddashome.html or by calling the SEDDAS help desk at (518) 473-8832.

Professional Development Standards for Teachers Now Available

New statewide standards are now available to serve as a tool for all educators engaged in professional development. The statewide professional development standards emerged from work of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching and were recently endorsed by the Board of Regents. The new standards are available on the Office of Teaching Initiatives Web site.

Response to Intervention - Reading First Connections Statewide Conference - June 29-30, 2009 - Albany, New York


Are You Ready for Response to Intervention? What Do You Need to Know and What Do You Need to Do?

A Response to Intervention- Reading First Connections statewide conference is scheduled to be held at the Desmond Hotel in Albany on June 29-30 and will feature national-recognized Response to Intervention (RtI) implementers as well as provide guidance on establishing a systemic and multi-tiered approach to evidence-based instructional practice in curriculum, instruction and assessment in literacy. Speakers include Doug and Lynn Fuchs of Vanderbilt University; Daryl Mellard and Michael Hock, University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning; Wayne Callendar of the University of Oregon; additional presenters from the National Center on RtI and the New York State RtI Technical Assistance Center, as well as practitioners of note from Reading First and other schools.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Long Island Regional School Support Center, the Special Education Training and Resource Center of Suffolk County, the New York State Reading Resource Center and the New York State Education Department RtI Technical Assistance Center at Buffalo State College.

For registration information, please go to the following website: http://www.mikogroup.com/events/ external link icon
[At the Mikogroup website, you will need to create a profile and register as a new user. Once logged in, you will be directed to a page with a listing of events - select the RtI-Reading First Connections Conference by clicking on the title. Then just follow the directions on the page to register].

Magnet Aid: Information for Public School Districts that previously Received Grants for Magnet Schools

Effective with the 2007-08 school year, magnet school grant funding has been combined into Foundation Aid. Your district will not receive a separate magnet school grant again this year. However, consistent with Section 49-a and b. of Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2008, your district is required to set aside an amount as specified on the attached chart, for developing, maintaining, or expanding magnet schools or magnet school programs for the 2008-09 school year.

The funds you set aside may be used for:

  • instruction or instructional support associated with operating a magnet school;
  • instruction or instructional support associated with implementing an alternative approach to reduce racial isolation and/or enhance the instructional program;
  • raising standards in elementary and secondary schools in school districts with a substantial concentration of minority students.

If you have any questions or need additional guidance, please contact Janet Bruce at (518) 486-1544.

Credentialing of Athletic Coaches

New steps are being taken regarding the credentialing of coaches to assist school districts to better insure student safety. A memorandum detailing these steps is available on the Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI) Web site at: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/memos.html

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Last Updated: September 23, 2010