In which we get Principals' Weekly so you don't have to

Principals’ Weekly is the newsletter that Chancellor Joel Klein sends to principals every week, to keep them in the loop on internal policy news and updates. (Here’s a workshop.) It used to be available online for the world to see. Then it disappeared. Only principals can access it on the Internet now.

But we have this week’s copy, and we’re uploading it. Click here to read the full newsletter, in Word document form, or look below the jump for a transcription.

Principals’ Weekly November 5, 2008 Note: Because of Veterans Day, the next issue of Principals’ Weekly will be published Wednesday, November 12. Table of Contents •    Calendar of key dates and deadlines Which schools?    Description    When? ***REQUIRED/HIGH PRIORITY*** All    Preparing Your School to Use ARIS FYI Other Administrative Announcements All    Fall Principals’ Satisfaction Survey November Middle    High School Admissions Information Sessions 11/5-13 All    BEDS Opens 11/12 Elem, mid    Order State ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies Tests 11/20 High    Order High School Dance and Theater Comprehensive Examination Materials By 11/26 Elem    Training on Gifted and Talented Assessments 12/1-5 CTE    Verify CTE Data By 12/1 All    Complete Bilingual Education Student Information Survey in ATS By 12/16 Middle    Submitting Middle School Open House and Audition Dates FYI All    Displaying McKinney-Vento Posters (Students in Temporary Housing) FYI All    Monthly Highlights for Student Support Staff and College Advisors FYI All    New Teachers Available in Shortage Subject Areas FYI All    LAB-R Exam Scores Posted in ATS FYI Reminders (Announced in Previous Issues) All    Complete Special Education Integration Survey By 11/14 All    Reminders about nySTART Data Verification FYI All    Reminders about Periodic Assessments FYI Grants, Workshops, and Other Opportunities (New) Middle    Teaching & Learning’s Closing the Achievement Gap Series 11/10 High    Teachers Can RSVP for Opportunity from Richard Avedon Foundation By 11/14 High    Workshop on Differentiating Instruction in the ELA Classroom 11/20 Middle    Workshop on Differentiated Instruction for Middle School ELA 11/20 Mid, high    Students Can Enter Green Light Contest By 12/1 Mid, high    Teachers Can Apply for Mathematics Teacher Transformation Institutes By 12/3 Elem    Workshop on Comprehension Strategies in the Early Childhood Classroom 12/4 High    Free Seminar on Jewish Rescue during the Holocaust 1/21 Mid, high    Students Can Enter Science and Technology Competition By 1/31 Grants, Workshops, and Other Opportunities (Reminders) All    Early Support and Outreach for Level 1 and Level 2 Eighth Grade Students FYI All    Parent Coordinators Should RSVP for Best Practice Fair By 11/5 Mid, high    Free Technical Assistance Session on New SIFE Diagnostic 11/6-14 Elem, mid    Workshop on Supporting Students who Struggle with Decoding 11/7 Mid, high    Workshops for Counselors on High School Application Processing System 11/10-21 Middle    Workshop on Differentiating Math and Science Instruction in Eighth Grade 11/10 All    Workshops to Support Arts Education Liaisons 11/12 All    Apply for Free Dance Costumes for Students By 11/14 Middle    Workshop on Project-Based Learning and Middle School Exit Projects 11/17 All    Workshop on Using Self-Questioning Strategies to Boost Comprehension 11/18 Middle    Register for Workshop on Building Schoolwide Model of Comprehension Strat. By 11/18 Middle    Apply for Shubert Foundation Broadway Junior Musical Program By 11/19 Elem, mid    Workshop on Content Area Reading in Science and Social Studies 11/21 All    Upcoming ELL Professional Development Opportunities Fall All    Professional Development on Periodic Assessments Fall ***REQUIRED/HIGH PRIORITY*** Preparing Your School to Use ARIS All schools This fall, all New York City educators will be able to log on to the updated Achievement Reporting and Innovation System (ARIS). Your school will be able to use ARIS to view student data, explore instructional resources, share effective practices, and collaborate with colleagues in your school and across the city. There are two important steps you can take now to prepare your teachers to take full advantage of this powerful resource: 1. Participate in and select teachers to participate in training sessions. Principal Training Sessions: You are invited to register for a half-day training session, designed to introduce you to the new data and tools in ARIS and to help you develop a plan to enable teachers at your school to get the most out of this new resource. The updated version of ARIS, available online now, includes new data and tools to help teachers improve student outcomes, access instructional and other resources, and collaborate online. During the year, data sets will expand to include complete profiles of students across grades and learning objectives, and tools will grow to provide a full set of customizable functionality that supports exploration of data and content, collaboration, and innovation by educators and families. For more information about how these data and tools will grow throughout the year, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/SchoolReports/ARIS/whatsnext.htm. To preview what you and your staff can explore in greater depth at training, you can log on to ARIS now at www.nyc.gov/schools/ARIS using your DOE e-mail username and password. Later this month, you will receive postcards you can use to invite your staff to log in, too. But first, we suggest that you log in, check out the student information and collaboration tools already available, and think about what kind of support your teachers will need to begin using this resource to improve their instruction and help your students. Training is an important part of that support. Participating in principal training will enhance your ability to provide instructional leadership to your teachers, who will soon have access to ARIS for the first time. At training, you’ll have a structured opportunity to evaluate how ARIS can support your school’s work this year and a chance to learn more about how you can use Web 2.0 tools to pool knowledge and problem solve with colleagues. On October 14, you received an e-mail inviting you to register for ARIS training. If you have not already done so, please use the link in the email to confirm your session or request a new session. If you have any questions or need to request another copy of that link, please contact ARIStraining@schools.nyc.gov. “School Expert” Training Sessions: Later this week, you will receive an e-mail inviting you to select up to two members of your school staff to serve as “school experts,” partnering with you to help teachers at your school begin using ARIS to view student data and improve instruction. School experts will participate in a full day of training this fall and a half day of training this spring. School experts should be members of your staff who are influential among their colleagues and have some experience working with computers and data. We strongly encourage you to consider selecting classroom teachers as your school experts and to include at least one Inquiry Team member. To view suggested school expert selection criteria, and for more information about training opportunities for teachers at your school, visit the Principal’s Guide to ARIS Training, available online at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/SchoolReports/ARIS/principalsguidetoaristraining.htm. At school expert training sessions, your teachers will learn how to use ARIS to: •    Examine school, classroom, and student data to improve outcomes •    Access and contribute to a library of instructional resources contributed by educators citywide •    Get involved with communities of practice throughout the city •    Identify educators who have similar interests and face similar challenges, and collaborate on solutions •    Organize and share work documents with team members and colleagues 2. Manage student data access for your staff. In ARIS, principals have access to student-level data for all students, and teachers with official classes in ATS and HSST have access to student-level data for their official classes only. All other school staff do not have access to student-level data. However, you can manage the data access that you and your staff have in ARIS by using the “Assign ARIS Role” function in Galaxy. You can take the following steps to manage the data that you and your colleagues can see appropriate student data in ARIS: •    Confirm your student-level data access by verifying that you are coded in Galaxy as a “Head of School” or “Interim Acting Principal.” If you are coded as one of these roles, you will have access to data for all students in your school. If you are not coded as one of these roles, you can click on the “assignment” link and to your assignment to “Head of School” or “Interim Acting Principal.” The change will be forwarded to your ISC for approval before it goes into effect. •    Grant schoolwide data access to appropriate staff, including Inquiry Team members, your data specialist, and other members of your school staff who have an instructional need to see student-level data for your whole school (e.g., assistant principals, guidance counselors, and other staff who work with students across the student population at your school). Detailed instructions are in the “Guide to Assigning ARIS Roles,” available online at http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/756AF58E-BC59-42DF-8FE8-3CC5181164B3/46856/GuidetoAssigningARISRoles102108.pdf. If you have any questions about using the “Assign ARIS Role” function, please contact OAServiceDesk@schools.nyc.gov or (212) 374-6646. Go back to the top Other Administrative Announcements Fall Principals’ Satisfaction Survey All schools / Event: November The Fall Principals’ Satisfaction Survey will launch in approximately two weeks. You will receive an e-mail from the Chancellor that contains a link to the survey and instructions. Please do not forward this link to your colleagues; it is customized for your school. Your feedback on the services and support that you receive from your SSO, ISC, and the central offices is very important and will help us continue to improve services, so we encourage you to participate in the survey. If you have any questions regarding the survey, e-mail schoolsupport@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top High School Admissions Information Sessions Middle schools / Events: November 5-13 High school applications are due back to guidance counselors by December 2. Students and their families still have a chance to attend an information session about the high school admissions process. Sessions are scheduled from November 5-13 throughout the city. Each session will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Translated materials and interpretation services will be available at all the sessions. Parent coordinators and guidance counselors are encouraged to attend one of the sessions. For a complete schedule and a flyer, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/High/Calendar. Please share this information with your students and their families. For more information, please e-mail HS_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov or call the Office of Student Enrollment at (212) 374-2363. Go back to the top BEDS Opens All schools / Event: November 12 The 2008  Basic Educational Data Survey (BEDS) will open November 12 and close January 16. Because the survey is used to determine your schools’ percentage of “highly qualified” teachers under NCLB, it is extremely important that you completely the survey carefully. You can access the survey, along with an online training manual and the BEDS designee form, on the DOE intranet at https://ats.nycboe.net. (Scroll down and click on the BEDS icon.) The designee form allows you designate up to two of your staff members to assist in the data entry for the survey. These designees should be familiar with school operations and master scheduling. If your designees are the same as last year, you do not need to complete the form. BEDS summary reports (available from the “NCLB Report” link located to the left of the survey page) will be updated nightly beginning in early December. Each report will include a summary report of your teachers’ certification status. Workshops on the survey will be held later this month. Contact your ISC for information about training in your borough. If you have any questions about the survey, call BEDS support between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at (718) 935-3515. If names are missing from your survey roster, e-mail the file number, first and last name, and date of birth for each missing name to aagorop@schools.nyc.gov. Please do not e-mail any Social Security numbers. Go back to the top Order State ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies Tests Elementary and middle schools / Deadlines: November 20, January 14 The State Education Department has mailed letters to all principals regarding online ordering procedures for the 2009 State ELA, math, science, and social studies exams. The deadline to order English Language Arts tests (grades 3-8) is November 20.  The deadline to order math (grades 3-8), science (grades 4 and 8), and social studies (grade 8) tests is January 14. These exams are mandated by the state and must be administered according to the state’s schedule. For additional information, contact your assessment implementation director or Grace Pepe at Gpepe2@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Order High School Dance and Theater Comprehensive Examination Materials High schools / November 26 All high schools offering a dance or theater sequence will receive an order form to request materials for the performance on-demand section of the Comprehensive Examinations in Dance and Theater. This section of each of these examinations will be administered during Regents Week on the afternoon of Friday, January 30. All high schools that are planning to participate in either or both of these examinations should return the order forms to their assessment implementation director by November 26. A memo that describes the scope, administration, and scoring of the exam will accompany the order form. You can read these memos online at http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/curriculum.html. Should you have any questions regarding the Dance exam, contact Joan Finkelstein at jfinkelstein2@schools.nyc.gov or the theater exam, contact Paul King at pking5@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Training on Gifted and Talented Assessments Elementary schools / Events: December 1-5 The gifted and talented assessments will be administered beginning in January 2009 to all students who submit the request for testing form and who were born in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Assessments will be administered by trained administrators. Borough wide training for the administration of the assessments will take place starting the week of December 1. Please send an early childhood representative and your assessment coordinator to the training. These two representatives will train other staff at your school on the test administration process. Please register for the training with your assessment implementation director starting November 15. •    Queens: December 1, Albert Shanker School for Visual and Performing Arts (Q126) •    Brooklyn: December 2, Magnet School of Math, Science, and Design Technology (K010) •    Bronx: December 3, PS/IS 54 •    Manhattan: December 4, High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies (M545) •    Staten Island: December 5, Petrides Complex Additional updates on gifted and talented admissions: •    Translated versions of the Gifted & Talented Test Information Handbook 2008-09 that include the OLSAT practice tests will be available later this week on the Principal’s Portal. •    Translated versions of a letter for parents about the handbook are available at http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/GiftedandTalented/default.htm. •    Please remind families of your students that there are two remaining information forums on the elementary school gifted and talented admissions process – November 5 at PS 84 in Manhattan, and November 6 at JHS 194 in Queens. Please note that these forums only cover the elementary school gifted and talented admissions process, not the middle school or high school admissions process. Go back to the top Verify CTE Data CTE schools / Deadline: December 1 All high schools that offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs of study should update and validate the HSST Sequence Page by December 1.  These schools should document the name of their program (with CIP code), the associated courses, and the students enrolled in that program. Updates should reflect program status as of October 31 (please note that prior term information is maintained on HSST). Please make sure that your course sequence name (name of the program) is consistent with the program of study name that you plan to use on VTEA or program approval applications for this year. You can view a list of current program names at http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F60F49D0-A2B8-432B-A5FC-A1DB269D12A4/45013/ProgramsofStudyOct72008.xls. The data generated in HSST will be used to evaluate and determine eligibility for VTEA funding and for program approval evaluation, so it is critical that it be as accurate as possible For additional information on completing this data verification process, please review the “Entering CTE Codes” document on the HSST SharePoint site at http://portal.nycboe.net/sites/FinanceAdmin/DIIT/AppDev/HSST/default.aspx. Please also note that the DOE receives funding for students enrolled in CTE courses that are independent electives, as well as courses that are part of established programs of study. Please be sure that you account for all students enrolled in CTE courses who are not reflected in the sequence page by flagging CTE elective courses as CTE on your course modification screen in HSST. For additional information, contact John Becker at jbecker8@schools.nyc.gov or your application support liaison. You can also contact Miriam Sondheimer at msondheimer@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Complete Bilingual Education Student Information Survey in ATS All schools / Deadline: December 16 The Bilingual Education Student Information Survey (BESIS) is available in ATS until December 16. The survey captures information on students identified as English Language Learners, including their placement in a bilingual, ESL, or dual language program. Data from the survey is used to determine the amount of state aid schools receive for Limited English Proficient students and to determine compliance with state accountability requirements. Please designate an ESL teacher, data specialist, or bilingual coordinator to be responsible for compiling, entering, and confirming BESIS information. A schedule of BESIS technical assistance sessions by borough is available at http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/ELL/KeyDocuments/Important+Dates+for+Schools.htm. Contact your district’s ELL compliance and performance specialist (see the list at http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/212FC482-1C47-4F37-B7B6-CE9461A44815/32890/DirectoryofELLCompliancePerformanceSpecialist_2_09.pdf) or Nick Pandey at (212) 374-0793 for more information on completing the BESIS. Go back to the top Submitting Middle School Open House and Audition Dates Middle schools Any middle schools that would like to post or update open house or audition information on the DOE Web site should enter the appropriate time, location, and name of the contact person who is submitting the information at http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pOUCU91Xy_oye-8QEd_T5UQ. All open house information will be posted on the middle school admissions calendar at http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/Middle/Calendar. For more information, please e-mail MS_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov or call the Office of Student Enrollment at (212) 374-4944. Go back to the top Displaying McKinney-Vento Posters (Students in Temporary Housing) All schools The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act addresses the rights of students in temporary housing. As referenced in the recently-revised Chancellor’s Regulation A-780 and the School and Youth Development Consolidated Plan, schools are mandated to have McKinney-Vento posters visible to parents. You can order these posters free of charge by visiting www.nysteachs.org/trainings-publications/publications/. For additional information, including English and translated versions of parent guides and residency questionnaires, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/StudentSupport/NonAcademicSupport/StudentsinTemporaryHousing/default.htm. Go back to the top Monthly Highlights for Student Support Staff and College Advisors All schools Each month, the Office of School and Youth Development (OSYD) releases suggested monthly highlights for K-8 and 9-12 pupil personnel services teams. These highlights can help your student support staff plan for important dates, meet deadlines, prioritize responsibilities, and use best practices to provide students with the highest level of support services. Please share the monthly highlights with your assistant principals, guidance counselors, CBOs, PPT coordinators, and all other school-based service providers. OSYD also prepares monthly bulletins for college advisors. Please share these bulletins with your college advisor. •    November K-8 highlights: www.nycboe.net/schools/principals/weekly/20081104/k-8_highlights_1108.doc •    November 9-12 highlights: www.nycboe.net/schools/principals/weekly/20081104/9-12_highlights_1108.doc •    November college counselor bulletin: www.nycboe.net/schools/principals/weekly/20081104/counselor_bulletin_1108.doc For more information, contact the OSYD research and resource center at ydhelp@schools.nyc.gov or (718) 935-4357. Go back to the top New Teachers Available in Shortage Subject Areas All schools Newly-hired, certified teachers are still available for you to consider for vacancies. These teachers are available in the following subject areas: math, English, Spanish, ESL, common branches, bilingual education, and special education. To find out more about these candidates, you can contact the Teaching Fellows Placement Support Office at (718) 935-4586 or at hirefellows@schools.nyc.gov. You can use the Fellow Finder website at www.nycteachingfellows.org/hirefellows to view resumes or schedule interviews at your schools. Go back to the top LAB-R Exam Scores Posted in ATS All schools LAB-R exam scores have been posted in ATS. The Spanish LAB results will be posted shortly. There will be ongoing collections of LAB-R and Spanish LAB in November, January, March and June. LAB-R and Spanish LAB are administered only once, at the time of initial enrollment to the New York State public school system, for students whose home language is not English. The tests are hand scored at the school site to be used for class placement in bilingual or ESL classes if necessary. You should hand deliver answer documents to your borough ISC office by noon on November 7, January 16, March 6, and June 12. It is important to adhere to this schedule, since Title III funding is granted based on the results of these assessments. All LAB-R scores will be posted in ATS as FALL 08 LAB.  If you have any questions, please e-mail Jose Garcia at jgarcia17@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Reminders (Announced in Previous Issues) Complete Special Education Integration Survey All schools / Deadline: November 14 You should already have received the annual Special Education Integration Survey. Now in its fourth year, this survey tracks the number of periods students in self-contained special education classes spend in general education. This data will help the DOE more accurately report to the State Education Department the partial integration of students with disabilities who are in self-contained classes. The survey was sent to OMS (job name “SEIS”) and is available on your ATS roster printer. The survey will also remain on the OMS queue in case you need to reprint it. You will receive the survey only if you have students in self-contained special education classes. District 75 schools are not included in this survey. Please distribute the survey to the appropriate special education teachers, who should fill in the required information for their students. Like last year, the results of the survey will be entered into ATS by school-based personnel designated by you. Please keep a hard copy of the survey for your records, but do not send it to central or district offices. The deadline for completing the data entry is November 14. Detailed instructions for staff completing the survey are available at http://schools.nycenet.edu/offices/teachlearn/speced/SE_Integration_Survey_Oct_2008_Teacher_Instructions.pdf. Staff responsible for data entry can find ATS usage instructions for the survey at http://schools.nycenet.edu/offices/teachlearn/speced/SE_Integration_Survey_Oct_2008_ATS_Data_Entry_Instructions.pdf. If you have problems printing the report, contact Quin Werthauer at qwertha@schools.nyc.gov. For all other ATS issues, please contact the ATS Help Desk at (718) 935-5100. For additional information relating to the survey content, please contact your special education liaison at the ISC. Go back to the top Reminders about nySTART Data Verification All schools The deadline for schools to submit change requests for accountability data has passed, and we are no longer accepting new change requests. You can review refreshed data in nySTART each Tuesday. If your school’s approved change requests are not reflected in nySTART by November 11, please contact nySTARTsupport@schools.nyc.gov or (212) 374-5765. 1. Timeline •    November 11: nySTART refresh date. Please review the data in nySTART each Tuesday. If your school’s approved change requests are not reflected by November 11, please contact nySTARTsupport@schools.nyc.gov. •    November 18 (date change): Please save a copy of each accountability verification reports for the “all students” group of each accountability subject area (ELA, math, and science for elementary and middle schools; 2008 participation, 2004 performance, and 2003 graduation cohort for high schools). Once the reports are removed, these data sets will no longer be accessible. •    November: Preview of the accountability overview report will be available on nySTART. 2. Technical Issue: 2003 Graduation Rate Cohort Reports The State Education Department has notified us that the 2003 graduation rate cohort verification reports available recently on nySTART did not correctly credit August 2007 diplomas. The corrected results are now available on nySTART. 3. Updates on Change Requests A frequently asked questions document is available on the data verification page on the Principals’ Portal (http://intranet.nycboe.net/NR/rdonlyres/2F7892E0-41BB-4DCE-B79F-9285BCDF19CA/0/FAQChangeRequestProcess101708.pdf). Please refer to this document to find the latest information regarding the processing of the nySTART change request forms. You can also contact nySTART support at nySTARTsupport@schools.nyc.gov to request an update on the status of individual change requests. 4. 2008-09 SIRS Manual The Student Information Repository System (SIRS) manual is the policy manual for NCLB/SED accountability decision making. The 2008-09 SIRS manual is available at www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/SIRS/2008-09/2008-09SIRS-MANUAL-V4-0.doc. Please review this manual and contact the nySTART support hotline if you have any questions. *** 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 nySTARTsupport@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Reminders about Periodic Assessments All schools 1. Acuity English and Integrated Algebra November Predictive (High Schools) The Regents-year predictive administration window for high school students taking the Regents exam in January is November 12 – November 21. 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 began arriving November 3. 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 November 18. Please call Assessment Distribution Services (ADS) at (800) 840-9965 by November 21 for courier pickup (one pickup per school, at no cost to the school). 2. Acuity 3-8 Math & ELA ITA Window 1 The first instructionally targeted assessment (ITA) administration window for grades 3-8 is November 12 – November 21. For more information on this upcoming administration please, please read the pre-administration memo at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments. Materials for this administration began arriving November 3. 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 November 18. Please call Assessment Distribution Services (ADS) at (800) 840-9965 by November 21 for courier pickup (one pickup per school, at no cost to the school). 3. Acuity English and Integrated Algebra ITAs (High Schools) The first instructionally targeted assessment (ITA) administration window for high schools runs through November 7. For more information on this administration please, please read the high school instructionally targeted assessment (window 1) pre-administration memo at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments. In order to have your materials scanned and scored by CTB/McGraw-Hill, you will need to call Assessment Distribution Services (ADS) at (800) 840-9965 for a pick up by November 7. There are a limited number of spots available, so please call early. The last day for pickups is November 11. 4. English Language Learner Periodic Assessments (grades 3-12) The first administration of the English Language Learner (ELL) periodic assessment will take place November 6-18. Schools that opted into the assessment should have received all their materials. Please contact your assessment implementation director if you need additional materials. Please review the ELL Fall Pre-Administration Memo at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments/default.htm for more information. The citywide assessment calendar has also been updated to include the ELL assessment administration windows. You can access the calendar in the “Key Documents” section of the periodic assessment Web site at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments/default.htm. 5. ECLAS-2 Data Collection All elementary schools should have received ECLAS-2 materials. If you have not received your shipment or need additional materials, please contact your assessment implementation director. ECLAS-2 answer documents are due to your ISC by noon this Friday, November 7. For more information, please refer to the 2008 ECLAS-2 Fall Data Collection Memo at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments/default.htm. *** 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 Grants, Workshops, and Other Opportunities (New) Teaching & Learning’s Closing the Achievement Gap Series Middle schools / Event: November 10 Middle school principals are invited to the launch of Teaching and Learning’s 2008-09 “Closing the Achievement Gap” series. Dr. Alfred Tatum, a nationally-renowned expert in adolescent literacy and the literacy development of African-American males and a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will present. The series will be framed around the premise that our students who fall disproportionately in the achievement gap can benefit from our collective efforts to develop rigorous and engaging learning experiences that accelerate their achievement. The series will span a range of relevant topics and include sessions that focus specifically on closing the gap in math, literacy, and culturally-relevant practice. The series will provide opportunities for speakers and participants to learn and strategize together. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. The launch event will take place on Monday, November 10 from 5:00 to 7:30p.m. in the Saval Auditorium of St. John’s University Manhattan Campus (101 Murray Street).  Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. All attendees will receive copies of Dr. Tatum’s book, “Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males: Closing the Achievement Gap.” You can register online at http://tinyurl.com/5qax6e. For more information, contact Anita Cassity at acassity@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Photography Teachers Can RSVP for Opportunity from Richard Avedon Foundation High schools / Deadline: November 14 The Richard Avedon Foundation, dedicated to preserving the legacy of one of the most prominent photographers of the 20th century, is interested in working with a small group of teachers to enrich the study of photography in New York City high schools. High school art teachers interested in bringing their students to the Foundation to explore their resources and to research the work of Richard Avedon may apply to participate. An orientation meeting for teachers will be scheduled. Please contact Karen Rosner at krosner@schools.nyc.gov to participate. The deadline to respond is Friday, November 14. Go back to the top Workshop on Differentiating Instruction in the ELA Classroom High schools / Event: November 20 The Office of English Language Arts invites high school ELA teachers and coaches to attend a two-day institute on differentiating instruction. This institute will help high school ELA teachers differentiate instruction in ways that will support student growth and achievement. Teachers will explore ways to differentiate process, content, and product while integrating the teaching of important skills and concepts. The institute will take place on November 20 and December 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the School for the Physical City (55 East 25th Street, Manhattan). The cost of the institute is $200 per participant (FAMIS item number TLEA00101). To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org and use activity code 051-09-009-012. For more information, e-mail ela@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Workshop on Differentiated Instruction for Middle School ELA Middle schools / Event: November 20 The Office of English Language Arts invites middle school ELA teachers and coaches to participate in a three-day institute featuring authors Tony Stead, Ralph Fletcher, and Harvey Daniels on best practices and student engagement in content area reading. The focus of the institute will be raising the achievement of students in reading, writing, and comprehending non-fiction. The institute will take place November 20, January 29, and a third date in spring. The locations and speakers are listed below. The cost of the institute is $300 per participant (FAMIS item number TLEA00104). To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org and use activity code 051-09-009-021. For more information, e-mail ela@schools.nyc.gov. November 20    Tony Stead    Museum of the City of New York    1220 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan January 29    Ralph Fletcher    St. John’s University    101 Murray Street, Manhattan Spring 2009 (TBD)    Harvey “Smokey” Daniels    TBD    TBD Go back to the top Students Can Enter Green Light Contest Middle and high schools / Deadline: December 1 The “Green Light Contest” essay competition is seeking entries from students in two categories: grades 5-8 and 9-12. Students should submit essays of 1,000 words or less that describe how they and their teachers can utilize technology to protect the environment. The grand-prize-winning author will win a 30-seat “green” computer lab for his or her school. Two additional first-place winners (one from each grade-level category) will each receive a “green” laptop. The entry deadline is December 1. Complete essay and submission criteria are available online at www.1105info.com/t.do?id=1749005:1538353. Go back to the top Teachers Can Apply for Mathematics Teacher Transformation Institutes Middle and high schools / Deadline: December 3 Lehman College has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant for Mathematics Teacher Transformation Institutes (MTTI). These institutes will bring Bronx middle and high school teachers together with Lehman College faculty to enhance their knowledge of mathematics and research in education, strengthen pedagogy, and build leadership skills. Through a rich set of opportunities, including courses that are directly relevant to the current New York State curriculum, support from New York City Mathematics Project staff development specialists, undergraduate tutors, online discussion forums and conferences, teachers and coaches will engage with one another, faculty, and other professionals in a three-year program. All tuition, fees, and stipends are funded by the grant. Participants will receive 23-24 post-masters graduate credits and $12,000 in stipends over three years of involvement. Please visit http://comet.lehman.cuny.edu/mtti for additional information or to download application forms.  The deadline to apply is December 3. Go back to the top Workshop on Using Comprehension Strategies in the Early Childhood Classroom Elementary schools / Event: December 4 The Office of English Language Arts invites early teachers of grades K-2 to join Stephanie Harvey, author of “Strategies that Work” and “The Primary Comprehension Toolkit,” for a two-day institute on reading strategies for early childhood classrooms. Ms. Harvey will focus on the following six core reading comprehension strategies: monitoring comprehension; activating prior knowledge; asking questions; inferring and visualizing; determining importance; and summarizing and synthesizing. Participants will receive Harvey’s toolkit text. The institute will take place on December 4 at the Lighthouse International (111 East 59th Street, Manhattan) and December 5 at The Museum of the City of NY (1220 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan) from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The cost of the institute is $250 per participant (FAMIS item number TLEA00116). To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org and use activity code 051-09-009-022. For more information, e-mail ela@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Free Seminar on Law in the Third Reich and Jewish Rescue during the Holocaust High schools / Event: January 21 The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous will present a full-day workshop on the topic of “Law in the Third Reich and Jewish Rescue during the Holocaust” for high school teachers of social studies and ELA. The session will be held on January 21 at the Union for Reform Judaism (633 Third Avenue, Manhattan). This event is offered at no charge to teachers. Lunch will be provided. To register, visit www.jfr.org/seminar. For more information, contact Dottie Stone at (212) 727-9955. Go back to the top Students Can Enter Science and Technology Competition Middle and high schools / Deadline: January 31 The National Science & Technology Education Partnership (NSTEP) pairs teams of 2-6 students with a mentor who works in a science or technology field. Through the guidance of the mentor, the team researches an everyday problem and develops a new solution. The final product is a Web site or PowerPoint created by the student team. Projects typically run for 12 weeks with all projects judged at the end of the school year. A $1,000 award is provided to the winning middle and high school teams in the Web site and PowerPoint divisions. The registration deadline is January 31. For more information, visit www.nstep-online.org or contact Dr. Stevan Peters at speters@nstep-online.org or Sheldon Young at Syoung14@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Grants, Workshops, and Other Opportunities (Reminders) Early Support and Outreach for Level 1 and Level 2 Eighth Grade Students Middle schools This year, the new eighth grade promotion policy takes effect and will hold students to the following promotion criteria: •    level 2 (basic) or above on math and ELA assessments, and •    passing all core academic subjects (ELA, math, social studies, science) To support and supplement the strategies schools have already put in place to set each student on a path to success, we have created the Eighth Grade Portfolio of Supports, a toolkit of resources to assist you in accelerating academic achievement of eighth grade students. The resources provided in this toolkit are categorized in five areas: 1) student data, 2) communications tools, including early outreach letters to parents and students, 3) professional development, 4) tools to motivate and empower students, and 5) curriculum resources. Please visit http://www.nycboe.net/AdminOrg/Offices/TeachingLearning/CMSS/ to access these resources. We will continue to update this online toolkit throughout the year with resources specifically targeted to support eighth grade student achievement. If you have questions about the eighth grade promotion policy or the Eighth Grade Portfolio of Supports, have suggestions for resources that would be useful to support eighth grade students, or would like to share practices that you have found to be effective, please e-mail CMSS@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Parent Coordinators Should RSVP for Best Practice Fair All schools / Deadline: November 5 / Event: November 10 The 2008 Citywide Parent Coordinator Best Practice Fair will be held November 10 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton New York (1335 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan). Highlights of the day will include exhibits from borough best practice fair winners, a keynote address from Carmen Farina, an awards presentation, student performances, lunch, and professional development. Verizon will be on hand at the fair to provide cell phone upgrades to parent coordinators who qualify. Parent coordinators with a current DOE-issued phone that is at least twelve months old are eligible for an upgrade. Please note the current cell phones of parent coordinators who applied for and are eligible for a phone upgrade will be deactivated on the morning of November 10. Parent coordinators receiving an upgrade should set their voicemail messages to direct callers to their school’s phone number on November 10 (until they receive their new phone). If you need to locate your parent coordinator on November 10 before he or she has received a new phone, please call (212) 374-2323. Please ask your parent coordinator to confirm that she will attend by e-mailing ofea@schools.nyc.gov or calling (212) 374-2423 by November 5. Go back to the top Free Technical Assistance Session on New SIFE Diagnostic Middle and high schools / Events: November 6-14 The Office of English Language Learners, 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.-3:00 p.m. at various dates and locations (see below). Participants will review components of the assessment and guidelines for administration while learning to interpret and use the data for instructional decision making for Spanish-speaking SIFE. The institute is free for school-based personnel; however, your school must be able to order the materials. Also, schools must use the ALLD to identify Spanish-speaking SIFE for the 2008-09 BESIS. Staff can register on ProTraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using activity code 051-09-014-057, -058, -059, or -060. For more information, contact Rachel Hoff at rhoff4@schools.nyc.gov  or (212) 374-0295. Date    Locations Thursday, November 6    Bronx Integrated Service Center One Fordham Plaza – Room 853 Thursday, November 6    Staten Island ISC, Building A 715 Ocean Terrace, LAB A, Room 309 Thursday, November 13     Manhattan ISC 333 7th Avenue, Floor 12 Friday, November 14    OIT Training Center 45-18 Court Square, Room 231, Long Island City Go back to the top Workshop on Supporting Students who Struggle with Decoding Elementary and middle schools / Event: November 7 The Office of Academic Intervention Services is offering a one-day workshop on Recipe for Reading, an easy-to-implement program of sequential, multi-sensory decoding instruction for students who struggle with decoding.  Participants will receive the teacher manual and a startup package of student materials – everything needed to start the program in the classroom. The workshop will take place on November 7 from 8:40 a.m. to 3:00 at 16 Cooper Square, Auditorium, Manhattan.  The cost of the institute is $100 (FAMIS item number TLAIS1044).  You can register on Protraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using activity code 051-09-008-007 under “Intervention Services.”  For more information, contact Dr. Esther Klein Friedman at efriedm@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Workshops for Counselors on High School Application Processing System Middle and high Schools / Events: November 10-21 Middle and high school guidance counselors can attend a hands-on training workshop on the High School Application Processing System (HSAPS).  Attendees will learn to navigate HSAPS and process students who are filing high school applications in grades 8 and 9. Please note that this workshop is not targeted to receiving high schools and will not focus on ranking candidates.  Additional sessions will be offered at a later date. Participants will use computers during this workshop, so seating is limited. Interested guidance counselors must RSVP by completing a brief questionnaire at http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pcyBQXigMeqBRaLsLzunIfQ. Respondents will receive a follow up e-mail with their assigned session and further details. If you have any questions, please e-mail HS_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov or call the Office of Student Enrollment at (212) 374-2363. Go back to the top Workshop on Differentiating Math and Science Instruction in Eighth Grade Middle schools / Event: November 10 The Office of Curriculum and Professional Development is offering a workshop series on effective curriculum differentiation in math and science for eighth grade teachers. This workshop will support teachers in ways to build opportunities for differentiation into their daily planning and teaching. Ways to incorporate technology into classroom instruction will be demonstrated. The workshop series will take place November 10, January 7, and February 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the School for the Physical City (55 East 25 Street, Manhattan). The cost of the series is $150 per participant (FAMIS item number TLJNT0008). To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org and use activity code 051-09-029-070. For more information, e-mail math@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Workshops to Support Arts Education Liaisons All schools / Events: November12-December 17 The Office of Arts and Special Projects will sponsor a workshop for arts education liaisons to assist schools in meeting arts accountability measures. The workshop will facilitate a review of the Annual Arts in Schools Report and strategies to enhance arts programming. Participants should bring a copy of their school’s report, which they can download from their school’s DOE Web portal. Every school needs to designate an arts education liaison to serve as a conduit for arts learning and help your school address quality arts instruction and meet state requirements for arts education. The first workshop will provide a review of your school’s Arts Education Survey and include planning for the school year. Subsequent events will present best practices, arts programming, and technical assistance. By designating an arts education liaison, your school will gain access to arts opportunities for your school community. Liaisons will be able to participate in a variety of events and are eligible to receive a Cultural Pass that will provide them with free admission to more than 50 cultural institutions around the city (one per school) to assist in the planning of arts and cultural experiences for your students. Liaisons are asked to bring a copy of their school report, available from your school’s DOE Web portal, to the workshop. Arts education liaisons may register online for only one of the following workshops: •    Wednesday, November 12, 1-3:30 p.m. at the Queens Museum of Art. Register by November 7. www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228BCRLNKG4 •    Friday, November 21, 1-3:30 p.m. at the Staten Island Children’s Museum. Register by November 14 at www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228BHK5RH7T •    Wednesday, December 17, 1-3:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Museum. Register by December 10 at www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228BZ5B2ZDF For additional information, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/artscount.html#Upcoming. Go back to the top Apply for Free Dance Costumes for Students All schools / Deadline: November 14 All schools that have a full-time dance teacher on staff can apply to receive 75 items of free dancewear for their students. Forty-five schools will be chosen in a competitive application process. Schools that have never applied for this award and schools that have applied previously but did not receive the award are welcome to apply. You can access the application online at http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/cultop.html. The application deadline is November 14. Schools that received the award in 2006-07 and 2007-08 should not fill out this application. These schools may be eligible to receive 25 additional items of dancewear in a separate process. They will receive information about this process separately. Go back to the top Workshop on Project-Based Learning and Middle School Exit Projects Middle schools / Event: November 17 The Office of Curriculum and Professional Development invites teachers of science in grade 8 and social studies in grades 7 and 8 to participate in a workshop series on creating successful exit projects. Participants will receive step-by-step guidance for project ideas and implementation and will learn ways to scaffold and support students and help them become more independent in their work. Ways to use technology to support and enhance the projects will also be demonstrated. The workshop series takes place November 17 and January 12 for social studies teachers and November 17 and March 20 for science teachers. The workshops will be held at PS 58 (330 Smith Street, Brooklyn) from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost of the series is $200 per participant (FAMIS item number TLJNT0002).  To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org and use activity code 051-09-029-060 for science and 051-09-013-034 for social studies.  For additional information on the social studies workshop, e-mail socialstudies@schools.nyc.gov. For additional information on the science workshops, contact Sheldon Young at syoung14@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Workshop on Using Self-Questioning Strategies to Boost Comprehension of Text All schools / Event: November 18 Research strongly supports the use of self-questioning strategies to boost interaction with text and increase comprehension. In a half-day workshop focused on grades 4-9, Dr. Esther Klein Friedman, Director of the Office of Academic Intervention Services, will present a variety of engaging strategies useful in doing so, including ReQuest, QAR, KWL, Guide-o-Rama, and others. The workshop will take place on November 18 from 8:40 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 61 Broadway, Suite 700, Manhattan. The cost of the institute is $50 per participant (FAMIS item number TLAIS1046). You can register on Protraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using activity code 051-09-008-011 under “Intervention Services.” For more information, contact Dr. Esther Klein Friedman at efriedm@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Register for Workshop on Building a School-Wide Model of Comprehension Strategies Middle schools / Deadline: November 18 / Event: November 20 The Office of Academic Intervention Services invites AIS staff, ELA teachers, inquiry team members, and administrators serving 8th grade students to a one-day institute on building school-wide use of a small set of comprehension strategies. These research-based strategies are useful in building fund of knowledge, expanding vocabulary, and enhancing interaction with and understanding of text. Participants will explore the challenges of varied text types across content areas and identify scaffolding strategies for these textual challenges. The event will take place on November 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 61 Broadway, Suite 700, in Manhattan. The cost is $100 per participant (FAMIS item number TLAIS1037). You can register through November 18 at http://pd.nycoit.org under activity code 051-09-008-002. For additional information and a complete listing of events, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/StudentSupport/AcademicInteventionServices/EducatorResources/Office+of+Academic+Intervention+Professional+Development+Offerings.htm or contact Dr. Esther Klein Friedman at efriedm@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Apply for Shubert Foundation Broadway Junior Musical Program Middle schools / Deadline: November 19 Middle schools interested in developing performing arts programs are invited to apply for the Shubert Foundation/MTI Broadway Junior Program, a partnership between Music Theatre International and the DOE with support from the Shubert Foundation to create an environment for the arts in underserved middle schools through musical theater. Selected schools will produce a Broadway Junior musical with support from an on-site production advisor who will assist teachers in working with students during preparation, planning, and rehearsal of the production. These school teams will also participate in professional development covering all areas of musical theater production. Schools must be willing to commit to a full semester of rehearsal and production and to integrate the musical theater program into their curriculum. The cost of the program is substantially subsidized. For more information and an application, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/Bdwaymusical.html. The application deadline is Wednesday, November 19. Contact Paul King at pking5@schools.nyc.gov with any questions. Go back to the top Workshop on Content Area Reading in Science and Social Studies Elementary and middle schools / Event: November 21 The Office of Curriculum and Professional Development invites teachers of science and social studies in grades 4-8 to a workshop series with author and literacy expert Dr. Roger Farr that will focus on content area strategies for social studies and science reading. Participants will gain skills that will enable them to help students make sense of content text. Dr. Farr will also focus on differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students. The workshop series will take place November 21, December 19, January 30, and March 13 at the New York Hall of Science (47-01 111 Street, Corona) from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The cost of the series is $400 per participant (FAMIS item number TLJNT0006). To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org and use activity code 051-09-029-069 for science and 051-09-013-062 for social studies. For additional information on the social studies workshop, e-mail socialstudies@schools.nyc.gov. For additional information on the science workshop, e-mail Roy Harris at rharris2@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities to Improve the Performance of ELLs All schools / Events: Fall Upcoming professional development opportunities from the Office of English Language Learners (ELLs) include workshops on improving the performance of ELLs in English Language Arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The Office of ELLs also provides institutes on funding opportunities, curriculum enhancement and resources development, school planning for ELLs (e.g., Language Allocation Policy, ELL data, ELL Parent Information Case), ELL assessments (new SIFE diagnostic) and world languages. For a complete list of workshops, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/ELL/EducatorResources/Professional+Development.htm. You can register for any of the workshops at http://pd.nycoit.org. For additional information or to be added to the bi-weekly e-blast, e-mail oell@schools.nyc.gov. Go back to the top Professional Development on Periodic Assessments All schools / Events: Fall Acuity: Acuity professional development webinars are available throughout the 2008-09 school year. For more information and to register, please visit www.regonline.com/nycacuitywebinars. Current topics include: •    pre-assessment paper/pencil administration (for grades 3-8 predictive and high school ITA) •    pre-assessment online administration (for grades 3-8 predictive and high school ITA) •    Acuity overview •    scoring constructed response items •    understanding the predictive assessment report (focusing on the grades 3-8 ELA fall predictive assessment) •    instructional resources for students •    using the Acuity item bank Recorded sessions of the webinars are now available from the “Acuity” link on the periodic assessment website at http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments/Acuity/default.htm. Performance Series: On-site professional development is also 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 Key Dates and Deadlines November 2008 Su    M    T    W    Th    F    S 2    3    4    5    6    7    8 Election day – students not in attendance; PD for teachers Assign ARIS roles Evening parent-teacher conferences (D75) Submit teacher tenure rec’s    Afternoon parent-teacher conferences (D75)    English / Int Algebra ITA ends (HS) Specialized HS admissions test (9th graders) 9    10    11    12    13    14    15 Finish ALOA entries for register audit    Veterans Day observed – no school    5th grade social studies test (thru 11/13) (ES) ELA / Math ITA (ES/MS) (thru 11/21) English / Int. Algebra predictive (HS) (thru 11/21) BEDS opens Complete special education integration survey 16    17    18    19    20    21    22 Open school week (thru 11/21) Evening parent-teacher conferences (MS)    Afternoon parent-teacher conferences (MS)    Evening parent-teacher conferences (ES)    Afternoon parent-teacher conferences (ES) Last day to order ELA tests (ES/MS) 23    24    25    26    27    28    29 Thanksgiving Recess – schools closed (thru 11/28) Go back to the top Contact Us •    By email:     PrincipalsNewsletter@schools.nyc.gov •    On the web: http://intranet.nycboe.net/DOEPortal/Principals/PrincipalsWeekly/