Public forum set for March 8 at OCM BOCES

OCM BOCES to host regional forum March 8 on New York’s draft plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

 
      The public is invited to attend a regional forum March 8 at the Onondaga Cortland Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES) in Salina to ask questions and provide input on New York State’s draft plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

      The draft plan is particularly important because it addresses a host of educational issues such as standardized testing, school accountability, standards, teacher preparation programs, low performing schools, public school choice, innovative assessments and more. The New York State Education Department hopes to submit a plan to the federal government by September to ensure a block grant of $1.6 billion in federal funding for public schools.

     Regional forums have been scheduled in Central New York and throughout the state for ESSA, which was signed into law in 2015 to replace and update the No Child Left Behind Act. The law retains the spirit of No Child Left Behind but gives states much more authority to design and implement their own plans for improvement. The law is expected to take full effect in 2017-18.

    “Every step of the way, we are asking parents, teachers, students, administrators and community organizations to be part of the conversation to ensure brighter futures for our children,” New York Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said.

    State education officials are hoping to address the following questions at regional forums:

• What should the state’s school accountability system look like?
• What supports and interventions should exist for low performing schools?
• What new innovative assessment practices should New York attempt to pilot?
• What assessment and accountability requirements should be used for newly arrived English language learners?
• What strategies should be used for pre-service preparation and professional support for educators?

     If you are interested in attending, RSVPs are required by calling OCM BOCES at 315-433-2627 or signing up through http://bit.ly/ESSA_winter_meet.

    Please note that the New York State Education Department is also conducting a survey through March 20 on “Possible Indicators of School Quality and Student Success,” which can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PossibleIndicatorsofSchoolQualityandStudentSuccess
 

OCM BOCES Regional Forum: Input on ESSA

When: Wednesday, March 8
Where: OCM BOCES Main Campus, 110 Elwood Davis Road, 2^nd floor Seneca Conference Room (please enter the building through the entrance facing Seventh North Street)
Time: 5 to 7 p.m.
RSVP (required): Please call OCM BOCES at 315-433-2627 or go to http://bit.ly/ESSA_winter_meet.