Principals Weekly March 10, 2009

Principals’ Weekly March 10, 2009 Table of Contents • •

Chancellor’s Memo Calendar of key dates and deadlines

Which schools?

Description

When?

***REQUIRED/HIGH PRIORITY*** Elem, mid All

Updates on State Math Test Administration Submit Principal Performance Review Mid-Year Summary

March By 4/6

Other Administrative Announcements Middle Elem Mid, high All All All All All All

Specialized High Schools Institute Applications Delivered Extended Phone Interpretation Hours for Parent/Teacher Conferences Order Regents Exams Updates on Periodic Assessments Updated Special Education Standard Operating Procedures Special Education Service Delivery Reports Posted Computer Security Updates Extended Use Permits Costs for PA/PTA Events New Payroll Administration Memo

This week 3/18 By 3/23 FYI FYI FYI FYI FYI FYI

Reminders (Announced in Previous Issues) All All All Elem Elem All All High All All All All

Apply for Budget Surplus Rollover Program Submit Summer School Affiliation Online (and Read the First Fact Sheet) Complete Winter Compliance Checklist Return New Middle School Choice Forms Pre-Kindergarten Admissions Core Curriculum Showcase Reminders about NCLB/SED Accountability Order Late-Testing Advanced Placement Exams Progress Report Feedback Sessions Updated Inquiry Target Tool in ARIS Additional ARIS Training Opportunities for Teachers CEC Election Process

By 3/12 By 3/13 By 3/13 By 3/13 FYI 3/23-24 By 3/24 By 3/31 March FYI FYI FYI

Grants, Workshops, and Other Opportunities (New) Mid, high All Elem All Middle Elem

Students Can Enter Contest for Opportunity to Meet Nelson Mandela Paraprofessionals Can Register for Wilson Training Colloquia for Elementary School Principals and Art Teachers Register for Autism Education Series Middle School Principals Association Meeting Teachers Can Register for Workshop on Classroom Management Systems 1

By 3/27 By 3/16 3/18 By 3/18 3/18 By 3/18

Elem High Mid, high Middle High All

Teaching Study Skills to Students with Disabilities and SETSS Register Staff for Health Resource Room Training NYC Young Women’s Volunteer Summit Apply for Museum of Natural History’s Science Leadership Team Program Nominate Students for School Art League Medals and Scholarships Apply to Participate in New York Cares Day

3/27 By 3/27 4/4 By 4/24 By 4/30 By 5/8

Grants, Workshops, and Other Opportunities (Reminders) All All All Middle All Elem Elem, mid Mid, high Elem All Elem High High All All Middle Mid, high Elem, mid All Elem All All All All All

Deadline to Register for Professional Development from Teaching & Learning Professional Development Across All Content Areas External Opportunities, Grants and Resources for Students and Educators Closing the Achievement Gap Forums Apply for Grant to Start Bilingual Education or Dual Language Program Using Data to Design Effective Reading Instruction for ELLs Aligning Native Language Arts with ELA Instruction Free Workshop on New SIFE Diagnostic ELL Math for the Early Grades Teachers Can Register for Workshop on Dance Education Register for Schools Attuned Generalist Path Core Course Demonstration on Best Practices in the Arts for High School Administrators Students Can Apply for Ghetto Film School Fellowship Program ELL Identification and Parent Information Workshop 2009 Dual Language Symposium Blueprint for Middle School Success Professional Development Series QTEL Institutes Connecting ELLs to the Moral Choices of Change Makers Participate in Learning Leaders’ Great School Volunteer Week Workshop on Fundations Levels K and 1 Science Symposium for Teachers of ELLs Unlocking the Potential of Mathematics Instruction for ELLs ELL Best Practices Conference Workshops for Administrators on Teacher Development Professional Development on Periodic Assessments

By 3/18 Spring FYI 3/18, 24 By 3/16 3/16 3/16-17 3/16 3/17 By 3/18 By 3/20 3/20 By 3/20 3/23 3/25 Spring April 4/6 4/20-24 4/23, 24 5/6 5/13 6/4 Winter Winter

Chancellor’s Memo Dear Colleagues, Each day, our schools are finding new ways to use technology to support instruction and streamline administration. Earlier this year, teachers began logging into ARIS, where they can find all of their students’ information online, gathered in one single place. Last month, we announced that the Community Education Council election process will take place entirely online, saving time and reducing waste. We also launched the third annual Learning Environment Survey, and 486 schools have chosen to participate in online only survey administration. As we integrate more new technology into our schools, I encourage you to take a moment to consider the paperwork tasks that you and your teachers complete, and ask yourself and your school community which ones are necessary and which ones might be updated or made more efficient. I want to remind you of the following suggestions, which we identified in partnership with the UFT:

1. Review routine tasks. Identify monthly grade reports, handwritten IEPs, handwritten weekly 2

updates of students’ strengths, weaknesses, and reading level, voluminous portfolios built for the sole purpose of Promotion in Doubt, and other documentation that you ask your teachers to provide. The decision in each case is yours, but consider eliminating tasks that are not critical to the functioning of your school. Whenever possible, use electronic records, many of which are already available online.

2. Evaluate the information you gather and reduce redundancy in reporting. Consider whether information on student and school performance that is now being made available to your school through ARIS, your Progress Report, Quality Review, Learning Environment Survey, Inquiry Team Tool (ITT), and your Periodic Assessment reports makes it unnecessary for your school to continue gathering information in other, more time-consuming and less effective ways. In particular, consider whether it is effective to print out and assemble binders of assessment results. In many cases, assessment information is available in ARIS or in other places on the Internet, and can be more easily accessed and analyzed in an online format. And, as you know, you need not create any binders or other documents for the sole purpose of preparing for the Quality Review. Quality Reviewers focus only on data and reports that schools actually use in the regular course of the day and the school year. For example, you can show reviewers how you use the “student groups” function in ARIS to track the progress of groups of your students throughout the year.

3. Examine your school’s goal setting process. Goal setting is a powerful instructional and improvement strategy, and setting clear goals and monitoring and evaluating progress is a central element of the inquiry process. As your teachers set goals and track progress towards their goals, consider how they can use ARIS to support the process, and whether the format and timeline they’re using are realistic enough to help teachers keep their focus on student progress, not on paperwork compliance.

4. Consider other ways to reduce paperwork. Another way schools have found to reduce paperwork is by using the “student group” function in ARIS. This function allows teachers to create a group of students to which they can return anytime, to track the students’ progress throughout the year. This group is stored online, and updated with new information at the same time as it enters the source system, so teachers do not have to hunt down or print out new data. And, other schools are using ARIS Connect to collaborate on documents and share information— keeping resources in one place, accessible anytime, from any computer. As you know, our schools have made great strides in using student data to make informed instructional decisions. And under your leadership, teachers are using powerful diagnostic tools to advance student achievement. As we continue to introduce new data and tools to our schools, let’s work together minimize unnecessary paperwork, and keep our focus where it belongs: on the children. Sincerely,

Joel I. Klein Chancellor Go back to the top

***REQUIRED/HIGH PRIORITY*** 3

State Math Test Administration Elementary and middle schools / Event: March You should administer the state math test for grades 6-8 on March 10 and 11. Make-up days continue through March 13 for grades 3-5 and will be March 12-20 for grades 6-8. Please review assessment memo #8 (available at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/YearlyTesting/TestAdministration/Test+Memoranda/default.htm) with your school’s testing team. This memo outlines specific instructions for administering the test. Please also review the guide to reducing data exceptions (available at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/YearlyTesting/TestAdministration/default.htm) with your testing team. You can also access the State Education Department’s 2008 Manual for Administrators and Teachers for the math test at http://emsc33.nysed.gov/osa/sam/3-8mathsam-09.pdf. Teacher’s directions for the grades 3-5 tests are available at http://emsc33.nysed.gov/osa/mathei/gr3-5td09.pdf, and directions for the grades 6-8 tests are available at http://emsc33.nysed.gov/osa/mathei/gr68-td09.pdf. You can share this information with proctors in advance of the test days. Multiple choice documents are due to designated ISC offices on March 10 for grades 6-8. For this assessment, please package the documents in the testing black and white boxes that were delivered to your school. For additional information, please contact your assessment implementation director. Go back to the top Submit Principal Performance Review Mid-Year Summary All schools / Deadline: April 6 The “Academic Performance” section of the Principal Performance Review (PPR) requires you to provide an update on the progress you are making toward meeting your goals and objectives for the year. We have revised the mid-year PPR summary process and ask that you provide a brief narrative summary on the progress you have made toward meeting each one of the goals and objectives approved by your superintendent for the 2008-09 academic school year. You may invite your School Support Organization representative, senior achievement facilitator, inquiry team, and other relevant advisors to support you in preparing your summary. Since you may not yet have data for goals that are aligned to student academic outcomes, please provide your best assessment of the progress you have made toward meeting those goals and objectives based on the information you do have. You should e-mail your mid-year PPR summary to your superintendent by April 6. For additional information and the summary template, please review the guide to the 2008-09 PPR midyear summary. Go back to the top

Other Administrative Announcements Specialized High Schools Institute Applications Delivered Middle schools / Event: This week Public School Applications

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Pre-populated Specialized High Schools Institute (SHSI) applications for eligible students will be delivered to schools with 6th grade students this week. Families should submit completed applications to their schools by March 23. Please return completed student applications to your local borough enrollment office by March 27. Non-Public School Applications The non-public school application is available at http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/Middle/SHSI. Non-public school applications must be completed and mailed directly to 52 Chambers St Room 415, NY, NY 10007. Non-public school applications require documentation to verify that the applicant meets the Title I eligibility requirements for “free lunch.” For more information, read the SHSI memo posted on the Enrollment page of the Principals’ Portal. If you have questions, e-mail [email protected]. Go back to the top Extended Phone Interpretation Hours for Parent/Teacher Conferences Elementary schools / Event: March 18 Over-the-phone interpretation services will be available until 8:30 p.m. for evening elementary school parent/teacher conferences on Wednesday, March 18. Interpretation is available in more than 150 languages. You can access this service by calling the Translation and Interpretation Unit at (718) 7527373, extension 4. Go back to the top Order Regents Exams Middle and high schools / Deadline: March 23 If you have not already done so, please place your order for New York State Regents examinations using the State Education Department’s online examination request system. The deadline to submit requests for June secondary-level examinations – including exams for eighth grade students in accelerated courses – is March 23. You will receive a confirmation notice via e-mail within two business days of submitting your request indicating the number of examinations to be shipped to your school. Please carefully check the confirmation notice for accuracy to ensure that the correct quantities are shipped. Additional information is available at www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/08-09memo/jun-aug-09/det500.pdf. Middle schools with questions about accelerated courses can contact [email protected]. Go back to the top Updates on Periodic Assessments All schools 1. Acuity English and Integrated Algebra April Predictive (High Schools) The Regents-year predictive administration window for high school students taking the Regents exam in June is March 30-April 6. For more information on this upcoming administration, please read the high school predictive pre-administration memo at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments. Materials for this administration will begin arriving March 20. Please check your materials upon arrival. If 5

you need additional materials, please contact the Acuity Helpdesk at (866) NYC-6550 and press 1 for assistance. The last day for ordering additional materials for this administration is April 2. 2. Acuity 3-8 Math & ELA ITA Window 2 The second instructionally targeted assessment (ITA) administration window for grades 3-8 is March 30April 6. For more information on this upcoming administration, please read the pre-administration memo at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments. Materials for this administration will begin arriving March 20. Please check your materials upon arrival. If you need additional materials, please contact the Acuity Helpdesk at (866) NYC-6550 and press 1 for assistance. The last day for ordering additional materials for this administration is April 2. 3. Acuity Integrated Algebra & English ITA Window 2 (High Schools) Results from the high school Integrated Algebra & ELA ITAs are now available in Acuity. All educators can access the system by using their DOE Outlook username as the username and the last six digits of their file number as the password. If you are interested in having a DOE staff member conduct a free workshop at your school about using data from these assessments, visit http://events.abcsignup.com/nycdoe to select a date and time. Reminders: 1. English Language Learners Periodic Assessments (Grades 3-12) The second administration window for the English Language Learner (ELL) periodic assessments is March 23-30. Materials will be delivered to schools that opted into the assessment by March 19. If your school did not opt in but you would like to administer the assessment, please contact your assessment implementation director. Please see the ELL March Administration Memo for more details regarding the administration of this assessment. 2. Acuity Item Authoring Starting in April, all educators will have access to a new item authoring tool in Acuity. This new resource will allow you to write and publish your own items directly into a shared New York City educator-authored item bank. You can use the items from this bank to create your own customized assessments in Acuity. To be able to author their own items before April, educators need to attend the "Item Authoring Pilot" professional development session. To sign up for a live webinar or view a recorded version, please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments/Periodic+Assessment +Professional+Development.htm. 3. Periodic Assessment Feedback Meetings We invite you to send a representative to a periodic assessment feedback meeting in March to explore key questions about how we can improve the periodic assessments. These meetings will be held through March 19 at locations in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens. Please visit https://schoolsnyc.webex.com to view the list of sessions and to register. Any educator with experience in periodic assessments is invited to attend, but participants must register in advance. ***

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For more updates and general program information about periodic assessments, please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments/default.htm. Go back to the top Updated Special Education Standard Operating Procedures All schools Federal and state regulations relating to the provision of special education services have been amended to add that parents of students with disabilities may elect to withdraw their consent for IEP special education services at any time after consenting to special education services. When consent is withdrawn, it is withdrawn for all IEP special education and related services. Parents cannot withdraw consent for only a portion of the IEP special education and related services. Once consent is withdrawn, schools may not continue to provide special education and related services to the student, but must provide prior written notice to the parent before ceasing the provision of special education and related services. We have updated the Special Education Standard Operating Procedures Manual to include the steps schools should take when a parent revokes consent (see pages 41, 140, 193 and 194). Copies of the new parent letters relating to withdrawal of consent in all languages are available on the DOE Intranet. In The Parents Right Notice (Procedural Safeguards Notice) has also been updated. For additional information, contact your ISC. Go back to the top Special Education Service Delivery Reports Posted All schools Special education delivery reports for all schools are now posted on their DOE Web sites. The report provides information on a number of special education issues, including enrollment, timely special education evaluation, provision of special education services, movement of students to “least restrictive environment” (i.e., spending the majority of the school day in general education classes), initial referral rate, and declassification rate. You can find your school’s report by selecting “statistics” on the left side of your school’s DOE Web site. For additional information, contact Quin Werthauer at [email protected]. Go back to the top Computer Security Updates All schools 1. Changes to Password Reset Tool To use the password reset tool, you now need to provide some additional information to confirm that the e-mail account you are using is, in fact, your e-mail account. This is an important step towards protecting your identity and improving the quality of the data in our systems. You will only need to validate your account once. To validate your account, you will need to enter your last name, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and your Employee ID number. Your Employee ID number is not your file number; it is the sevendigit number listed as the “reference number” on your pay stub. The password reset tool will tell you how to find your Employee ID number, but if you need additional help, call HR Connect at (718) 935-4000. As part of the validation process, you will also need to review and accept the DOE’s Internet Acceptable Use Policy.

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If the tool does not recognize the information you enter, you will be able to automatically create a help desk ticket, and someone will contact you to help you resolve the issue. 2. Antivirus Software To guard against computer viruses, we install security software, including Cisco Security Agent and Symantec Antivirus (or, on newer computers, Symantec Endpoint Protection) on all DOE computers. Please do not disable or uninstall this software. Doing so can infect your computer or the DOE network with a virus. If the security software prevents you from installing another piece of software, please contact your borough technology manager, who can help you solve the problem. Go back to the top Extended Use Permits Costs for PA/PTA Events All schools Please note that the Standard Operating Procedures on “Extended Use of School Buildings” has been revised to conform to Chancellor’s Regulation A-660. Section 3.11.1, regarding extended use permits costs for PA/PTA sponsored events, now reads: “PTA’s/PA’s are entitled to free use of school buildings, including school safety or security coverage for one hundred ten (110) hours per year outside of school hours. These hours apply 12 months a year and are not transferable. If more than one PA is in the building, each is entitled to the full one hundred ten hours per year. See Chancellor’s Regulation A-660.” For additional information, contact your ISC. Go back to the top New Payroll Administration Memo All schools Please ensure that your payroll secretary has reviewed payroll administration memo #22, which provides details about the recurring increment payment contractual increase for active DC 37 employees. For additional information, contact Brian Weekes at (718) 935-2201. Go back to the top

Reminders (Announced in Previous Issues) Apply for Budget Surplus Rollover Program All schools / Deadline: March 12 Schools with surpluses in select tax levy allocation categories can apply to have these funds rolled into FY 10 by scheduling them into the surplus rollover set aside title in Galaxy. The deadline to apply is 3:30 p.m. on March 12. Please read the program guidelines for more details about the application process and eligibility criteria. You can now check your school’s surplus roll eligibility status on the Principals’ Portal. The portal shows your school’s status as of the morning of Tuesday, March 10 on each of the 15 criteria used to determine eligibility. This information will not change until after the program is complete. Therefore, it will not reflect any changes you make to your budget on or after March 10, even though these actions will ultimately impact your eligibility. 8

Surplus funds will be removed from the 2008-09 budgets of participating schools on March 13. On that day, we will remove all amounts set aside for the rollover from Galaxy. After the amounts are removed, the surplus rollover title and items associated with it will be deleted. You may see a negative condition on your TO between the time the funds are removed and the set aside title is deleted from Galaxy; this condition is temporary and will not affect your eligibility. For additional information on the surplus rollover program, contact your ISC/CFN. Go back to the top Submit Summer School Affiliation Online (and Read the First Summer School Fact Sheet) All schools / Deadline: March 13 For summer school 2009, you will continue to have the opportunity to select sites and self-affiliate to determine the site of your summer program. The site selection and affiliation process began March 3. The deadline to submit your affiliation online is the close of business on Friday, March 13. You can access the Summer School 2009 Recommended Site List and the Summer School 2009 Site Affiliation and Selection Parameters in the “spotlight” section of the Principals’ Portal. In addition, the first installment of the Summer School 2009 Fact Sheet is available on the Summer School page on the Principals’ Portal. For additional information, please contact your SSO summer school liaison. Go back to the top Complete Winter Compliance Checklist All schools / Deadline: March 13 Please note the extended deadline. Please complete the Winter 2008-09 Compliance Checklist by March 13. You can access the checklist at http://intranet.nycboe.net/DOEPortal/Principals/LegalServices/GeneralCounsel/default.htm (log in using your DOE user ID and password). Once you have completed the checklist, be sure to click the “submit” button. Before completing the checklist, you may find it helpful to review the “Compliance Data Sources/Helpful Hints” and “Compliance Guide” document, both available at the link above. For additional information, contact your compliance officer or e-mail [email protected]. Go back to the top Return New Middle School Choice Forms Elementary schools / Deadline: March 13 Please continue to collect completed New Middle School Choice Forms. You should return these forms to your local borough enrollment office by March 13. New middle school decision letters will be distributed in May along with the main round middle school choice decision letters. For more information, please contact your local borough enrollment office or e-mail [email protected]. Go back to the top Pre-Kindergarten Admissions Elementary schools 9

Pre-Kindergarten Directories were delivered to elementary schools last week. Please distribute the directories to families upon request. Translated versions of the directory are available at http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK. For additional information, e-mail [email protected]. Go back to the top Core Curriculum Showcase All schools / Event: March 23-24 On March 23 and 24, the DOE will host its annual Core Curriculum Showcase, featuring materials and components from the various core curriculum programs. This is an opportunity for you and your staff to explore the materials before placing your core curriculum order in April. The showcase will be held at the Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway). Pre-registration is required and is now open at www.learningtimes.net/curriculumshowcase. For additional information about the showcase, visit http://intranet.nycboe.net/TeachingLearning/Curriculum/. Go back to the top Reminders about NCLB/SED Accountability All schools / Deadline: March 24 1. Enter Secondary Exam Data and Graduation Data (High Schools) High schools are encouraged to complete their entry of all August 2008 secondary exam data, January 2009 secondary exam data, and all data for January 2009 graduates by Friday, March 20 to ensure that accurate records are included in the 2009-10 accountability verification reports that will be available later this year. 2. Review Information in nySTART Reports The state has released the following reports on nySTART. Release notes, which include important information about each report, are posted at www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/nystart/release-notes.shtml.

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The 2008-09 BEDS Day Enrollment Report: You will need to review this report by March 24. Verification instructions and answers to frequently asked questions about this report are available on the Principals’ Portal at http://intranet.nycboe.net/DOEPortal/Principals/Accountability/Evaluation/default.htm.

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The Grades 3-8 ELA Tested/Not Tested Report: This report will include only those students who were on your register on any day of the official state testing window (January 12-23 for grades 3-5; January 20-30 for grades 6-8). Testing statuses will be updated only once more, on March 10.

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Social Studies Grade 5 Tested/Not Tested Report: While we have released the scores for the grade 5 social studies exam in ATS, we have not yet submitted the scores to SED. Please review the exam reports in ATS (RMSR) and notify your assessment implementation director of any discrepancies in test statuses by March 20. The testing statuses for grade 5 social studies are scheduled to be updated in nySTART by the first week of April.

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Social Studies Grade 8 and Grades 3-8 Mathematics Tested/Not Tested Report: This report will be updated each Tuesday and indicates the students whom the state has listed on register as of Tuesday of the previous week. A Frequently Asked Questions document for this report will be available in the Principals’ Portal within the next few weeks.

Elementary and middle schools are encouraged to compare the BEDS Day Enrollment Report with the Grades 3-8 ELA Tested/Not Tested Report, since schools will be held accountable for the performance of students who were enrolled on BEDS day and appear on the tested/not tested report. For additional information about these reports, visit http://intranet.nycboe.net/DOEPortal/Principals/Accountability/Evaluation/default.htm. 3. Verification Processes This Spring In response to feedback from schools, we are working on improving our data verification processes. We will update you on these improvements throughout the spring. We are anticipating that a substantial portion of verification activities will be completed by July 17 even if the state’s timeline runs later. We will publish final timelines later this spring so that you can plan accordingly. *** For additional updates, please visit http://intranet.nycboe.net/DOEPortal/Principals/Accountability/Evaluation/default.htm. If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please contact the nySTART support hotline at (212) 374-5765 or [email protected]. Go back to the top Order Late-Testing Advanced Placement Exams High schools / Deadline: March 31 The College Board is waiving the $40 late fee for New York City public schools administering Advanced Placement exams at later dates. Public schools that would like to order late-testing exams should place their order on the AP Exam Ordering website and select “AP Services Approved” from the dropdown menu. The deadline to order these exams is March 31. For more information, visit http://schools.nycenet.edu/offices/teachlearn/120908waiver.pdf. Go back to the top Progress Report Feedback Sessions All schools / Events: March Principals can participate in feedback sessions on the Progress Reports in preparation for the release of this year’s reports. These sessions will give you an opportunity to provide direct feedback on each component of the Progress Report. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions, please RSVP to [email protected] with "Progress Report Review Session RSVP" in the subject. Space is limited to 25 people per session. If you cannot attend one of the sessions but would like to provide feedback, please e-mail us directly at [email protected] or contact your SAF or Network Leader. Sessions for elementary/middle/K-8 schools:

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Wednesday, March 11, Manhattan ISC, 333 7th Avenue, 7th Floor Conference Room, 4-6 p.m. Thursday, March 12, Queens ISC, 28-11 Queens Plaza North, Room 510, 4-6 p.m. (make-up for cancelled session on March 2) Tuesday, March 17, Brooklyn ISC, 131 Livingston Street, Room 508A, 4-6 p.m. 11

Sessions for high schools:

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Monday, March 16, Manhattan ISC, 333 7th Avenue, 7th Floor Conference Room, 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, Brooklyn ISC, 131 Livingston Street, Room 508A, 4-6 p.m. Monday, March 23, Queens ISC, 28-11 Queens Plaza North, Room 510, 4-6 p.m.

Sessions for transfer schools:

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Tuesday, March 24, Bronx ISC, 1 Fordham Plaza, Room 838, 4-6 p.m. Thursday, March 26, Manhattan ISC, 333 7th Avenue, 7th Floor Conference Room, 4-6 p.m. Monday, March 30, Brooklyn ISC, 131 Livingston St., Room 508A, 4-6 p.m.

Go back to the top Updated Inquiry Target Tool in ARIS All schools Your Inquiry Target Tool (ITT) has been refreshed with updated RESI data as of February 25. You can access your updated ITT in ARIS. To access the files in ARIS, click on the “Connect” tab, and locate your school's private community listed under "My Communities" in the left-hand navigation bar. Your ITT and Progress Report files are located on the “Resources” tab in your school's private community. The private community for your school is accessible to any members of your staff to which you have granted schoolwide access to student data. For a reminder on how to grant this access in Galaxy, please click here. If you have any questions about accessing your ITT or Progress Report files in ARIS or experience difficulty downloading them, please contact the OA Service Desk at (212) 374-6646 or [email protected]. Go back to the top Additional ARIS Training Opportunities for Teachers All schools In-Person Training Sessions: You are invited to select two more teachers from your school to attend a half-day ARIS training session to learn how to use ARIS to view student data and use the new reporting features that will be available this winter. Your teachers will also learn how to access and contribute to a library of instructional resources and collaborate with colleagues. On January 23, you received an e-mail with details about the date and location of the session scheduled for your school. Please use the link in the e-mail to confirm or change your session, and identify the two teachers from your school who will attend the training session. You should select educators in your school who have not yet attended an ARIS training session. For more information about ARIS training, please visit the Principal's Guide to ARIS Training at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/SchoolReports/ARIS/principalsguidetoaristraining.htm. If you have additional questions or need assistance registering, please contact [email protected]. Online Training Sessions: To help teachers at your school learn more about how to use the information and tools in ARIS, you can invite them to attend an ARIS online training session. Teachers, coaches, inquiry team members, and other educators are invited to participate. Pre-registration is not required, and you can log on to the training session from a school or home computer. These sessions are live, with trainers ready to answer all of your questions. March online training sessions are now available. For a schedule of training sessions and more information about how to sign up, you or your staff can visit 12

http://schools.nyc.gov/Teachers/QuickLinks/aristraining.htm. Go back to the top CEC Election Process All schools Note the extended deadline for nominations. The Chancellor recently announced changes to the election process for Community and Citywide Education Councils. For the first time, all parents will be able to cast a "straw vote" in April that will be considered in the May election by Parent Association and Parent-Teacher Association leaders, whose votes, according to State law, determine the new council members. The nomination process for candidates and the election process have been streamlined and moved online (to www.powertotheparents.org) so that parents can vote from any computer with Internet access. Please identify a computer with Internet access for use by parents at your school who wish to nominate themselves and vote. The CEC election will take place in four stages:

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Parents interested in running for a Council seat will be able to nominate themselves until Thursday, March 19.

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From March 23 through April 6, the DOE will partner with district parent leaders to host forums for parents to meet and ask questions to Community and Citywide Education Council candidates.

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Parents will be able to cast an advisory "straw vote" online between April 6 and April 12 using an identification number that will be mailed home in March. The ID number will be used to provide all voters with secure online ballots for their district. Parents can also contact their children's schools to obtain their identification numbers to access the Web site.

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From May 12 through May 14, the president, secretary, and treasurer of each school's PA/PTA will cast the official vote. While the "straw vote," open to all parents, is not binding, it will provide important information for selectors to take into consideration.

Starting this week, you will receive posters about the CEC election process in English and Spanish. Please work with your parent coordinator to remove all older CEC election posters at your school and replace them with these new election posters. Election materials will be available in nine languages online. In addition, Chancellor’s Regulations D-140, 150, and 160 have been updated to reflect this new process and will be available online this week at http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/ChancellorsRegulations/default.htm. For additional information about the CEC election process, contact the Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy at (212) 374-2323. Go back to the top

Grants, Workshops, and Other Opportunities (New) Students Can Enter Contest for Opportunity to Meet Nelson Mandela Middle and high schools / Deadline: March 27

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The Nelson Mandela Foundation and the DOE invite all New York City public school students in grades 6 through 12 to submit original works to qualify for a chance to travel to South Africa to meet Nobel Peace Prize winner and former South African president Nelson Mandela. This contest will:

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offer a once-in-a-lifetime chance for students to meet a global leader for freedom and change; encourage young people to learn about Nelson Mandela’s philosophy of fighting injustice, helping others, and practicing forgiveness; and inspire young people apply Mandela’s legacy to their lives and communities as well as to problems that face the world – from poverty to disease to violence.

Each submission must:

• • •

demonstrate knowledge of Mandela’s life and understanding of his ideals; convey a clear vision of how one person can act to make the world a better place by fighting injustice, helping others and practicing forgiveness and reconciliation; and provide creative ways to apply Mandela’s ideals to one’s day-to-day life and local community, as well as to the biggest problems they believe face the world today.

Students may submit their entries as essays, photographs, or visual or performance art. All entries must be submitted electronically. This means visual and performance-based works must be scanned or digitally recorded. Teachers or other school officials should visit www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228WNVWFYMK to submit their students’ entries. The entry deadline is March 27. The Mandela Foundation will announce the winners in April. Go back to the top Paraprofessionals Can Register for Wilson Training All schools / Deadline: March 16 / Event: March 20 The DOE is sponsoring a Wilson Reading System training for paraprofessionals. The full-day session will take place on Friday, March 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the DOE offices at 1780 Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn. The workshop is designed for paraprofessionals who are working with teachers currently implementing the Wilson Program. Workshop participants will be trained to provide individualized support for struggling readers in grades 2-12. The training will focus on explicit fluency instruction and reading practice to develop application skills in connected text. Participants will learn assessment procedures and how to provide phonetic and high-frequency word practice to improve accuracy and automaticity. The cost of the workshop is $100 per participant. To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org (Protraxx activity code 051-09-015-062) and submit your payment on FAMIS (S48010213). Registration is limited to 15 participants. Additionally, you will need to purchase a Wilson Fluency/Basic Kit for $139.82. You can purchase this item in FAMIS directly from Wilson Language System. The registration deadline is March 16. For additional information, contact Larry Buckman at [email protected] Go back to the top Colloquia for Elementary School Principals and Art Teachers Elementary schools / Event: March 18 The DOE and Studio in a School are presenting a two-part colloquia for principals, APs, and art teachers on implementing the “Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Visual Arts” on March 18 and April 2 at PS 14

255K. PS 255 is a model site for school wide visual arts instruction in partnership with Studio in a School. The visual arts are infused into every subject area to support the objectives of the Blueprint, the overall goals of the school, and the needs of its students. The two-part colloquia offers participants the opportunity to observe instruction, participate in gallery walks and assessment sessions, and attend workshops to develop strategies for strengthening visual arts instruction in their own schools. For more information and to register, please contact Anne Wright at (212) 459-1455, ext. 235 or [email protected]. Go back to the top Register for Autism Education Series All schools / Deadline: March 18 / Event: May 13 The DOE is sponsoring a full-day workshop featuring Dr. Brenda Smith Myles, an internationally known speaker and researcher of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Dr. Myles will provide attendees with an easy-to-use, comprehensive tool to plan and implement effective educational programs for students with ASD. A variety of interventions will be offered to participants to address the complex needs of students with ASD in the academic, behavior, social/emotional, and sensory areas. Emphasis will be placed on addressing the challenging behaviors exhibited by these students. Teachers and related service providers who work with students with ASD are encouraged to attend. The workshop will take place on May 13 in Brooklyn at 131 Livingston St., Room 610, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The cost of the program is $125 per participant (FAMIS items number S48010218). To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org and use activity code 051-09-015-061. For additional information, contact Paula Magdalena at [email protected] or Phyllis Weill at [email protected]. Go back to the top Middle School Principals Association Meeting Middle schools / Event: March 18 The New York City Middle School Principals Association will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, March 18 at the Brooklyn Marriott. Lunch will start at 11:00 a.m., followed by the general meeting at noon. Deputy Chancellor Marcia Lyles will present on the topic of “Grade 8 Promotion” and will answer questions on this and other topics. Space is limited, so please RSVP to William Moore at [email protected]. Go back to the top Teachers Can Register for Workshop on Classroom Management Systems Elementary schools / Deadline: March 18 / Events: April 3, May 22 The DOE and the Teachers College Inclusive Classroom Project are offering a one-day workshop opportunity focused on classroom management. During the workshop, participants will be provided with a variety of whole classroom management systems that assist in fostering independence through classroom setup, material placement, and charts. Participants will also examine individualized behavior plans that are both effective and easy to manage. This workshop will take place at Teachers College on April 3 and May 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The cost of the workshop is $200 per teacher and includes all materials and handouts used in the workshop. Teachers should register for one of the sessions below at http://pd.nycoit.org. Payment and registration are due by Wednesday, March 18. For additional information, contact Gail S. Korenthal at [email protected] or (917) 754-5773. Topic

Date and Time

Cost per Participant 15

Location

Protraxx Activity Code

Classroom Management Systems Classroom Management Systems

(FAMIS Item #) April 3, 2009 $200 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 (S48010231) p.m May 22, 2009 $200 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 (S48010232) p.m

Teachers College, 051-09-015-063 Columbia University Teachers College, 051-09-015-064 Columbia University

Go back to the top Teaching Study Skills to Students with Disabilities and SETSS Elementary school / Event: March 27 The DOE is offering a workshop for teachers working with students with disabilities that will enhance learning of content area subject matter in ELA, math, science, and social studies in grades K-6. By using hands-on activities, participants will be able to help students integrate information learned through sequencing, categorizing, comparing/contrasting, similarities/differences, cause/effect relationships, and analogies. Participants will receive a toolkit of strategies to meet students' varied educational needs to improve their study skills. The workshop will be held March 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Barnes and Noble at 1972 Broadway in Manhattan. The cost of this workshop is $100 per participant (FAMIS # S48010212). Participation is limited to 25 people. SETSS Academy alumni will receive registration priority. To register, please visit http://pd.nycoit.org and use activity code 051-09-015-047. For additional information, contact Ann Anesta at [email protected] or (212) 374-2495. Go back to the top Register Staff for Health Resource Room Training High schools / Deadline: March 27 / Event: April 3 The DOE is offering a full-day health resource room training for teachers and support staff who have not been previously trained. It is DOE policy that all health resource room staff members attend a full day of training before making condoms available to their high school students. Health resource room staff must include both a trained male and trained female staff member. Each high school is invited to send up to two participants to the training, which will be held Friday, April 3 from 8:50 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Manhattan Comprehensive Night & Day High School (240 2nd Ave., Manhattan). Register your staff by fax by Friday, March 27. Space is limited, and all participants must pre-register to attend. For additional information, please contact Amrita Harbajan at [email protected]. Go back to the top NYC Young Women’s Volunteer Summit Middle and high schools / Event: April 4 Students aged 12-18 are invited to the second annual NYC Young Women’s Volunteer Summit on Saturday, April 4 at the Renaissance Leadership Academy at 509 West 129th Street in Manhattan. Spearheaded by the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues, the Mayor’s Volunteer Center of NYC, and the non-profit organization Children for Children, the summit is designed to offer young people the opportunity to learn more about the ways they can positively impact others, develop leadership skills, and transform the world around them. Participants will learn about women’s issues in their communities through a series of morning workshops on a range of topics, including health and body image, job readiness, and college prep. Summit attendees will then engage in hands-on service projects that will benefit women and families throughout the five 16

boroughs of New York City. Visit www.nyc.gov/html/mvc/html/home/young_womens_volunteer_summit.shtml to register classrooms, groups, or individuals. For additional information, please contact the Mayor’s Volunteer Center of NYC at (212) 788-7550. Go back to the top Apply for Museum of Natural History’s Science Leadership Team Program Middle schools / Deadline: April 24 Working with The American Museum of Natural History, 13 middle schools will form Science Leadership Teams that will develop a long-term plan for improving the teaching and learning of inquiry-based science in their schools. A series of professional development sessions will help build a common vision for inquirybased science education and provide strategies for analyzing data. Urban Advantage schools have already been selected. Non-Urban Advantage middle schools that are interested in applying to the program should form a team and together complete the application. Teams should consist of three science teachers (one each from 6th, 7th and 8th grades), a principal or assistant principal, and the parent coordinator or a parent volunteer. Save the form electronically with you school’s name in the filename and e-mail it to Sheldon Young at [email protected] or fax it to (212) 3745901. Applications are due by April 24. Go back to the top Nominate Students for School Art League Medals and Scholarships High schools / Deadline: April 30 / Event: June 5 High school principals can select three students to receive School Art League medals that will be presented at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday, June 5. Schools also may nominate graduating seniors for School Art League Scholarships. For additional information and the online application, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/competitions.html. If you have any questions about the program, contact Edward Morgano at [email protected]. Go back to the top Apply to Participate in New York Cares Day All schools / Deadline: May 8 / Event: October 17 The 18th annual New York Cares Day will take place Saturday, October 17. This one-day, citywide servea-thon will utilize thousands of volunteers to revitalize more than 100 public schools throughout New York City. We invite your school to apply to be a part of this day. For your school to be considered, you will need to fill out an application and return it to New York Cares by Friday, May 8. If you have any questions, please call or email Melissa Bieri at (212) 228-5000 or [email protected]. Go back to the top

Grants, Workshops, and Other Opportunities (Reminders) Deadline to Register for Professional Development from Teaching & Learning All schools / Deadline: March 18

17

March 18 is the last day to register in Protraxx for all remaining fee-based FY 09 professional development workshops from the Division of Teaching and Learning (T&L). This includes all professional development workshops, from now through June 30, from the offices of Arts & Special Projects, Early Childhood Education, Math and Science, English Language Learners, Intervention, Instructional Technology, and Special Education. March 20 is the last day to mod funds to object code 998, which is required to complete payment in FAMIS for fee-based professional development. There is one exception to this deadline. The deadline to register for professional development from the Office of ELA, Social Studies, and Gifted & Talented is April 1. This deadline does not apply to free professional development workshops. For a complete list of the remaining professional development opportunities remaining from T&L in FY 09 and more information about how to register for them, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/TeachLearn/PD/default.htm. Go back to the top Professional Development Across All Content Areas All schools / Events: Spring The Office of Curriculum and Professional Development is providing professional development to principals and school teams to support them in improving student achievement across the content areas. The professional development will take place from March through June at various locations throughout the city. Due to FAMIS encumbrance deadlines, the last day to register for all for-cost professional development is March 18. A few sample offerings are listed below; there are many more. For a full schedule, costs, locations and registration information, download the OCPD Professional Development Bulletin at http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/PD. Some courses begin as early as this week. Academic Intervention / Support for Struggling Students •

Assessments to Guide Academic Intervention (March 10)

English Language Arts / Literacy

• • •

Phonics, Fluency and Proficient Reading with Dr. Timothy Rasinski (April 3) Content Area Reading Comprehension Sharon Taberski (March 26, 27) Writing seminars, including Assessment in Writing with Carl Anderson (April 21) and Writing Organization, Grammar and Mechanics with Janet Angelillo (April 27, 28)

Mathematics • • •

Multiple seminars on strategies to improve middle school math achievement (various dates through May) Integrated Algebra (April 1, 22; May 12), and Algebra 2/Trigonometry (April 27, May 4) for high school Neurodevelopment and Learning for inquiry teams (March 27, April 6)

Science • • •

Science Core Curriculum series (various dates through May) Best Practices in Lab Instruction (March 6 and 12 for middle schools; March 16 for high schools) Genetics and Biotechnology at the Harlem Dolan DNA Lab (ongoing)

Social Studies 18

• • • •

Social Studies Core Curriculum series for Grades 4 and 7 (various dates in March) Content Area Reading in Social Studies with Janet Allen (May 11, 12) A variety of course on the use of primary source materials Many topic-specific seminars on subjects such as the Civil War, the Black Panthers, US History through a Local Lens, Slavery in New York, and Latina Leaders in New York (various dates through June)

Fitness and Health Education • • •

Comprehensive health education trainings for elementary, middle and high school teachers (including seminars focused on puberty, mental and emotional health, and drugs) (various dates in March) HIV/AIDS Prevention seminar for elementary school (March 12) No Gym? No Problem! (March 12)

Go back to the top External Opportunities, Grants and Resources for Students and Educators All schools The DOE regularly learns about exciting opportunities, grants, and resources for New York City students and educators being offered by various external organizations or educational institutions. You can access a weekly roundup of these opportunities at http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/ExternalOpportunities. This week’s opportunities include summer fellowship and scholarship opportunities for teachers and students; educational opportunities at the Center for Space Science Education; and free trees for your school in celebration of Arbor Day. For more information, contact Anita Cassity at [email protected]. Go back to the top Closing the Achievement Gap Forums Middle schools / Event: March 18, 24 Middle school principals and their teams are invited to attend the following March forums in the DOE’s year-long “Closing the Achievement Gap” series: Date and Time

Forum

Location

Registration URL

March 18 5:00 7:30pm

How Explicit Attention to Culture Helps us Address the Achievement Gap and Improve Educational Opportunity for All A Conversation with Dr. Carol D. Lee, Northwestern University

Francis College http://tinyurl.com/CarolLee Auditorium (180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn)

March 24 5:00 7:30pm

Indicators to Assess our Work in Closing the Achievement Gap: A Conversation with Dr. Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins University

St. John’s University http://tinyurl.com/Balfanz Manhattan Campus, Auditorium (101 Murray Street, Manhattan)

Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. For more information, visit 19

http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CAG or contact Anita Cassity at [email protected]. Go back to the top Workshops for Teachers to Launch Middle School Film Festival Middle schools / Events: March Which of your students will be the next Steven Spielberg or Ron Howard? Find out by encouraging them apply for the NYC Middle School Film Festival 2009. This initiative, in collaboration with the DOE and the New York Film Academy (NYFA), gives middle school students the opportunity to explore their personal stories, win a summer student film production scholarship from NYFA, make their own short films, and have their films showcased in NYCMSFF screenings in Fall 2009. Hundreds of film production scholarships will be awarded. Seventh and eighth graders of all levels, interests, and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Students will be asked to submit a film story as part of their application; applications will be released in early March and will be due in late April. Interested educators can sign up for a launch workshop to be trained in teaching students how to write a film story and successfully apply for a summer film production scholarship. The next three-hour workshops will take place on March 12 and 19, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at various locations throughout the city. Teacher and student curriculum resources on how to write a film story will be provided. Please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/OCPD/MSFF for additional information about the NYC Middle School Film Festival 2009 and to register for one of the workshops. You can also download a flyer to share with your staff. For additional information, e-mail [email protected]. Go back to the top Apply for Grant to Start Bilingual Education or Dual Language Program All schools / Deadline: March 16 Schools planning and implementing transitional bilingual education or dual language programs for the 2009-10 school year can apply for up to $20,000 to be used in preparation for the new program by August 28. Grant recipients will be required to attend a series of spring workshops focused on implementing an effective program. The grant application is available at http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/ELL/EducatorResources/Resources+for+Administrators.htm at the bottom of the page (in PDF and Word format). The application deadline is March 16. For more information, contact Martine Santos at [email protected] or (212) 374-6868. Go back to the top Using Data to Design Effective Reading Instruction for ELLs Elementary schools / Event: March 16 Elementary school teachers of English Language Learners can attend a three-day institute entitled “From Analysis to Achievement: Using Data to Design Effective Learning Instruction for ELLs” and focusing on developing literacy skills across all content areas and preparing ELLs in grades 3-6 for the state ELA test. Participants will examine ELL performance data, analyzing the prerequisite skills needed to pass these tests, the challenges for ELLs, and instructional implications. Teachers will learn effective strategies for using data to differentiate instruction for ELLs. This institute will be held March 16, April 29, and June 3 in Manhattan and costs $300 per participant (FAMIS # TLELL0028). To register, visit ProTraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using activity code 051-09-014-095. For more information, contact Yuqing Hong at [email protected]. Go back to the top

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Aligning Native Language Arts with ELA Instruction Middle and high schools / Event: March 16-17 Teachers can attend a two-day institute entitled “An Inquiry into Aligning Native Language Arts with ELA Instruction” and designed to strengthen Spanish NLA instruction through inquiry and resource development. Participants will review content materials, use the target language in a professional context, and expand their knowledge of state ELA standards-based instruction and assessment by collectively examining and deconstructing the state ELA exam. This institute will be held March 16-17 at Instituto Cervantes and costs $200 per participant (FAMIS # TLELL0049). To register, visit ProTraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using activity code #051-09-014-049. For more information, contact Odalys Igneri at [email protected]. Go back to the top Free Workshop on New SIFE Diagnostic Middle and high schools / Event: March 16, 17, 26 The Office of ELLs, in collaboration with the CUNY Graduate Center, has developed a diagnostic tool to identify Spanish-speaking Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) called the Academic Language and Literacy Diagnostic. Technical assistance sessions on this new diagnostic will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the dates below. Participants will review components of the assessment and guidelines for administration while learning to interpret and use data for instructional decision making for Spanish-speaking SIFE. The institute is free for school-based personnel, but participating schools must use the ALLD to identify Spanish-speaking SIFE. Register online at http://pd.nycoit.org. For more information, contact Rachel Hoff at [email protected] or (212) 374-0295. Date Monday, March 16 Tuesday, March 17 Thursday, March 26

Locations Office of Informational Technology Court Square - Room 252 Bronx ISC One Fordham Plaza - Room 853 Manhattan ISC 333 7th Avenue

Go back to the top ELL Math for the Early Grades Elementary schools / Event: March 17 K-2 teachers of English Language Learners can attend a three-day institute on number sense to develop content knowledge and the routines and instructional strategies that can strengthen academic language. The goal is to provide early elementary teachers of ELLs with best practices and research-based approaches to facilitate students’ access to essential number sense concepts. This institute will be held March 17, April 7, and May 12 and costs $300 per participant (FAMIS # TLELL0051). To register, visit ProTraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using activity code #051-09-014-066. For more information, contact Dionisio Rodriguez at [email protected]. Go back to the top Teachers Can Register for Workshop on Dance Education for Diverse Learners All schools / Deadline: March 18 / Event: May 22 Dance teachers and special education teachers who teach dance and movement can register for “Dance Education for Diverse Learners: Strategies for Special Needs Students in Your Dance Class,” to be held Friday, May 22 from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ailey Studios, Joan Weill Center for Dance. Participants in the workshop will be introduced to a variety of positive behavior supports useful in teaching dance to both general and special needs students, engage in role-playing techniques to practice applying the strategies and explore potential applications for their own instructional practice. The cost for this full-day workshop is 21

$100 per participant to be paid by the school. Teachers should register at http://pd.nycoit.org by using activity code 051-09-022-007 no later than Wednesday, March 18. Space is limited. School payment is due by Friday, March 20. For further information on this workshop, please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/pd_dance.html. Go back to the top Register for Schools Attuned Generalist Path Core Course Elementary schools / Deadline: March 20 / Event: April 3 The Office of Special Education Initiatives will be offering Schools Attuned generalist path core courses. The course starting on April 3, for elementary schools, focuses on early elementary to early adolescent developmental challenges across all content areas. The rationale is to provide educators with knowledge, skills, and strategies to assist struggling students and create successful learners in the classroom. Using a neurodevelopmental framework, participants will receive service delivery program to meet the diverse learning needs of students. The course is six full days plus two follow-up workshops. Participants will receive comprehensive materials and a certificate of completion from Schools Attuned at the end of the course. The course will be held at P.S. 76Q (36-36 10th Street, Long Island City) on April 3, April 24, May 1, May 8, May 15 and May 22 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $750 per participant with a suggested minimum of two teachers per school (FAMIS # S48010203, Protraxx Activity 051-09-015 – 037). Each participant should register on Protraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org by Friday, March 20. The maximum participation for each course is 25 participants. For additional information, e-mail Bill Stone at [email protected]. Go back to the top Demonstration on Best Practices in the Arts for High School Administrators High schools / Event: March 20 High school principals and assistant principals can attend a half-day demonstration at the Bronx High School for the Visual Arts from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on March 20. The inter-visitation will demonstrate best administrative and instructional practices in the visual arts and address issues involving budget, personnel, course sequence and best practices in developing a high school art program. Strategies for creating partnerships with arts and cultural organizations, arts accountability and the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Visual Arts will be discussed. Space is limited. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. RSVP at www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228U9BMYM2J. Go back to the top Students Can Apply for Ghetto Film School Fellowship Program High schools / Deadline: March 20 Ghetto Film School is now recruiting for their 2009-10 fellowship program. Participants make their own short during an 8-week foundations course on the art of filmmaking, meet and learn from prominent filmmakers and industry professionals during hands-on workshops, travel to an international location for a thesis project, and participate in a competitive, real-world media industry internship. Interested students should visit www.ghettofilm.org to apply by March 20. Go back to the top 22

ELL Identification and Parent Information Workshop All schools / Events: March 23, May 21 All school staff can register for a three-hour workshop on how to identify ELLs and inform parents of ELL program choices. This workshop uses an updated ELL Parent Information Case (EPIC), an important resource to help schools establish strong relationships with ELL parents. The cost is $250 for the EPIC and three participants from your school (FAMIS # TLELL0038). The institute is scheduled for March 23 (Manhattan), and May 21 (Manhattan). To register, visit ProTraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org. For more information, contact Lissette Colon at [email protected] or (212) 374-0265. Go back to the top 2009 Dual Language Symposium All schools / Event: March 25 Join the Office of ELLs at the annual Dual Language Symposium for the latest research, best practices and instructional resources for the expanding dual language community. The symposium will include a keynote address, workshops, panel discussions, and exhibitions. It will also feature a panel discussion from seasoned dual language practitioners and an exhibition hall showcasing schools’ best practice projects and resources from educational publishers and community-based organizations. This event will be held March 25 and costs $100 per participant (FAMIS # TLELL0055). To register, visit ProTraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using activity code #051-09-014-093. For more information, contact Martine Santos at [email protected]. Go back to the top Blueprint for Middle School Success Professional Development Series Middle schools / Events: Spring The DOE is offering a series of professional development opportunities to middle school principals and school teams to support them in implementing the key elements identified in the Blueprint for Middle School Success. The workshops address: • •

• • •

providing rigorous opportunities for all studies, with a focus on acceleration effectively managing human capital, through the development of professional learning communities supporting adolescent development (workshops on adolescent development and advisories) integrating parent and community Involvement creating a supportive school structure, with a focus on strategic scheduling

For more information, including dates, costs, and how to register, download the Blueprint for Middle School Success Series at http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/Blueprint. Please note that due to FAMIS encumbrance deadlines, the last day to register for all for-cost professional development is March 18. For more information, contact Verone Kennedy at [email protected]. Go back to the top QTEL Institutes Middle and high schools / Events: April ELL educators can register for a Bronx-based “Building the Base,” the first series in the Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) institute. Staff from the Office of ELLs will lead this popular institute designed to help teachers become better equipped to educate secondary students who are ELLs. This institute is scheduled for April 1-3 and May 6-7 and costs $500 per participant (FAMIS # TLELL0102). To register, visit ProTraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org. For more information, contact Rosita Costas at [email protected]. 23

In addition, ELL educators can register for several QTEL institutes that will be held during spring recess, April 13-17. Options include content-specific courses in science, math, social studies, and ELA for high school. More information about these institutes is available at http://pd.nycoit.org. Registrants must have their schools process payment before registration can be confirmed. Confirmed registrants are required to attend all sessions and will receive a confirmation e-mail that includes the institute’s location. For more information, contact Yamaris Vazquez at [email protected] or (212) 374-6072. Go back to the top Connecting ELLs to the Moral Choices of Change Makers Middle and high schools / Event: April 6 Middle and high school principals and teachers of ELLs can attend a four-day institute, entitled “Civil Rights, Justice, and Our Lives Today: Connecting ELLs to the Moral Choices of Change Makers,” offering multiple ways to connect history to the moral questions inherent in the study of topics like violence, racism, and the struggle for human and civil rights. Participants deconstruct the Facing History Civil Rights unit to explore how it can be scaffolded for ELLs using QTEL strategies, with the opportunity to develop their own lessons and units. This institute will be held April 6 and 7 and May 19 and 20 and costs $400 per participant (FAMIS # TLELL0024). To register, visit ProTraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using activity code #051-09-014-097. For additional information, contact Annamaria Mule at [email protected]. Go back to the top Participate in Learning Leaders’ Great School Volunteer Week All schools / Event: April 20-24 Learning Leaders’ Great School Volunteer Week (April 20-24) is a week-long celebration of 300 events in 300 schools to promote volunteering in the public schools and to recognize schools that have opened their doors to parent and community volunteers. To register your school to participate, visit www.learningleaders.org or call (646) 519-8356. Go back to the top Workshop on Fundations Levels K and 1 Elementary schools / Events: April 23, 24 The DOE is offering a one-day training in the implementation of Fundations Level K and Level 1. This training is designed for teachers in grades K and 1 and provides an overview of the Fundations program and procedures. At each session, teachers will receive practice in grade-specific activities and lesson plan building in order to facilitate implementation of the program. Please select a series and register at http://pd.nycoit.org. The cost of the workshop is $100 per participant. You will need to purchase teacher and student materials separately from Wilson through FAMIS. For additional information, contact Sharon Grunfeld at [email protected]. Series Level K

Activity Code 051-09-015048

FAMIS # S48010220

DATES April 23

Level 1

051-09-015049

S48010221

April 24

Go back to the top

24

LOCATION PS 48M 4360 Broadway, Room 531 PS 48M 4360 Broadway, Room 531

Science Symposium for Teachers of ELLs All schools / Event: May 6 Principals, administrators, school support organization staff, ESL teachers and science teachers of ELLs can register for a full-day institute, “Invest in What Works: A Science Symposium for Teachers of ELLs,” on strategies to increase the academic achievement of ELLs in science. The institute features a keynote address from Dr. Janet Zadina of Tulane University School of Medicine, an experienced high school and community college instructor, reading specialist, and neuroscientist. Dr. Zadina’s keynote focuses on how brain research can be used to enhanced and energize instruction. Workshops focus on brain research, academic language, Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) strategies, notebooking and journaling, and best practices from the field. This institute will be held May 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the New York Hall of Science (47-01 111th Street, Queens). To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org. The cost is $100 per participant (FAMIS# TLELL0022). For additional information, contact Odalys Igneri at [email protected]. Go back to the top Unlocking the Potential of Mathematics Instruction for English Language Learners All schools / Event: May 13 All educators and administrators can register for this one-day conference on closing the achievement gap and raising the overall performance of ELLs through mathematics. Keynote remarks, panels and breakout sessions by leading experts in the field, local teachers and educational leaders, will provide participants with a solid theoretical framework, research-proven approaches, and a network of resources to improve ELL mathematical achievement. The event will be held Wednesday, May 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Registration is on Protraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org. The cost is $100 per participant (FAMIS # TLELL0035). For more information, contact Dionisio Rodriguez at [email protected]. Go back to the top ELL Best Practices Conference All schools / Event: June 4 Language and content-area teachers can register for the Office of ELLs annual best practices conference Thursday, June 4, at Washington Irving High School in Manhattan from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Featuring two nationally renowned keynote speaker, specialized workshops throughout the day, and materials from educational publishers, participants can deepen their understanding of the latest researchbased practices that promote academic achievement among ELLs in the classroom. Register is on Protraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org. The workshop costs $100 per participant (FAMIS # TLELL0021). For more information, contact Stela Radovanovic at [email protected]. Go back to the top Workshops for Administrators on Teacher Development All schools / Events: Winter The Office of Teacher Development is offering seminars to provide school-based administrators with strategies for using the Professional Teaching Standards (PTS) and the Continuum of Teacher Development as frameworks for supporting student achievement through a focus on teacher development. Topics that will be covered include: • • • •

identifying teaching strengths and areas needing instructional improvement collecting specific evidence of instruction having evidence-driven conversations which improve teaching practice working with teachers to set professional goals

•

preparing for the reflection phase of the Quality Review

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To register for a workshop, visit Protraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org. Go back to the top Professional Development on Periodic Assessments All schools / Events: Winter/Spring Free Professional Development at Your School The DOE is now offering free school-based support around using periodic assessment data to inform instruction. DOE staff members are available to visit individual schools to facilitate sessions on a variety of topics – at grade-level team or department meetings, Inquiry Team meetings, or according to your school’s needs. Staff members are also available to present to data specialists or other educators at network meetings. Visit http://events.abcsignup.com/nycdoe to select a date and session topic. P-Credit Courses Your teachers can register for a p-credit course on periodic assessments this semester, “Periodic Assessment and Data-Driven Instruction." To register, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/teachers/aspdp. For additional information, e-mail Emily Weiss at [email protected]. mClass Pilot Program New spring professional development opportunities for the mClass program are now available. These sessions will focus on using benchmark and progress-monitoring data to drive instructional decisions. To register, please visit www.eventville.com/wireless. Acuity You can sign up for live webinars to learn more about Acuity at www.regonline.com/nycacuitywebinars. Recorded webinars and professional development materials are also available at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments. Performance Series On-site professional development is available during the 2008-09 school year to help support your implementation of Performance Series. To register for these sessions, please visit www.performanceseries.com/nyc . Go back to the top

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Key Dates and Deadlines March/April 2009 Su 8

M 9 Submit confirmation form for ELA test booklets (ES/MS)

T 10 State math test (grades 6-8)

W 11 State math test (grades 68)

Review enrollment projections

Th 12 Last day to apply for surplus rollover program

F 13 Last day for state math test makeups (grades 3-5)

S 14

Complete winter compliance checklist Last day to submit summer school affiliation 15

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16

23 Last day to order Regents exams

30 Evening parentteacher conferences (D75)

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24 Review BEDS day report in nySTART

31 Afternoon parentteacher conferences – early dismissal (D75)

18 Evening parent-teacher conferences (ES) Last day to register for fee-based T&L workshops 25

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19 Afternoon parentteacher conferences – early dismissal (ES)

20 Last day for state math test makeups (grades 6-8)

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26 Evening parentteacher conferences (HS)

27 Afternoon parentteacher conferences – early dismissal (HS)

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Go back to the top

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Last day to order admin. forms 3

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Contact Us • •

By email: [email protected] On the web: http://intranet.nycboe.net/DOEPortal/Principals/PrincipalsWeekly/

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