Empowerment Schools Maria Quail, Network Leader

1230 Zerega Avenue Suite 23 Network Team Specialists

Bronx, New York Caterina DiTillio, Larry Keasley,
Sonia Menendez, Senior Achievement Facilitator Shehnaz Hashim, Luis Taveras,
Melissa Walford
Phone (718) 828-2440 Fax (718) 828-6282
January 12, 2009

“Everyone has heard the proverb: „Practice makes perfect‟. In learning

to read it is true that reading practice- just reading- is powerful
contributor to the development of accurate, fluent, high-comprehension
reading.”
Richard Allington

Richard Allington:
Over 120 professionals from our network and others attended this event held on
January 7th in the Bronx U.F.T. center. This presentation not only enabled people
to gain a greater understanding of literacy but it provided us with another
opportunity to meet in a collaborative fashion and learn as a team. I have attached
an article written by Allington that summarized his talk.

ELA Scorers:
Many principals are having difficulty entering scorers in the portal. This is often
because teachers who have Board of Examiners licenses are not reflected in the
lists of eligible teachers. Many of these teachers are our most qualified scorers,
and should be included in the scoring effort.
If you are having difficulty with this, please do the following:
1. Assign a placeholder scorer in place of the teacher who is not listed (e.g.
Administrator X). This person will not actually have to score, but will allow the
principal to complete the scheduling tool.
2. Send an email to elasupport@schools.nyc.gov explaining that John Smith (file
#555555) will take the place of Administrator X for scoring on Y-Z dates.
OA has been dealing with these problems on Friday and the above steps are the
best solution for ensuring principals complete the online tool in a timely manner.

Inquiry Team Interface Survey Deadline Extended to January 16, 2009.

Since there were technical issues connected with schools inputting their

Building a Collaborative Community of Leaders

information, the Office of Accountability extended this deadline to the end of
business today for schools affected by these problems.

Kindergarten Registration: Please find attached a copy of the Kindergarten Memo.

Also included below is a link to the Kindergarten Admissions webcasts.

http://www.learningtimes.net/osepowebcastarchives.html#12172008

Maria, Sonia, Shehnaz, Caterina, Larry Luis and Melissa

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 ~
If there is anything that is happening in your school community that you would like to share
with the network please e-mail Shehnaz by Friday so that we can put it in the newsletter
the following week.

~
PS 8 and PS 85 are under renovation in their library. Both schools were awarded
grants to completely modernize their libraries. Students and staff were both involved
with designing their new libraries. We look forward to the finished products.

~
Updates on ELA Test Administration and Scoring
Elementary and middle schools / Events: January
Administration of the New York State English Language Arts test begins January 13 for
grades 3-5 and January 21 for grades 6-8. Please make sure that you adhere to the
following administration schedule for each grade:

Grade(s) Test dates Make up dates

3 and 5 January 13-14 January 15-23
4 January 13-15 January 16-23
6 January 21-23 January 26-30
7 and 8 January 21-22 January 23-30

Multiple choice documents are due to designated ISC offices on January 13 for grades 3-5
and January 21 for grades 6-8. Please package the documents in the black and white or red
and white boxes that were delivered to your school.

Please review assessment memo #6 at http://schools.nyc.gov/daa/testmemos_0809/2008-

09_memo_06.PDF with your school’s testing team. This memo outlines specific instructions
for administering the ELA test. Please also review the guide to reducing data exceptions
with your testing team. You can also access the 2008 Manual for Administrators and
Teachers for the ELA test on the State Education Department’s Web site at
http://emsc33.nysed.gov/osa/sam/ela-sam-09.pdf.

Please remember to take all necessary steps to avoid using guidance counselors to
administer this and other standardized tests. Should there be an emergency situation or if
there is no other alternative, you may use counselors during the administration. For more
information on the limitations on assignments for guidance counselors, please review Article
7B of the UFT contract at
www.uft.org/member/contracts/guidance_counselor/gui_06_a7/index.html.

Building a Collaborative Community of Leaders 3

If you have any questions, please contact the assessment implementation director at your
ISC or Grace Pepe at gpepe2@schools.nyc.gov.

~
Monday, January 12: Special Education Supervisor/Coordinator meeting at Zerega Ave.
9:00-12:00
Kindergarten Registration Begins
Grade 5 Math Calendar Day
Tuesday, January 13: Certify BESIS
January 13-14 Grades 3 & 5 ELA
January 13-15 Grade 4 ELA
Wednesday, January 14: Middle School Choice applications due
Friday, January 16: BEDS, LAB-R exams delivered to ISC, Special Education projections
due
Grade 1 Math Calendar Day

~
January 21 – 23 Grade 6:
January 21 – 22 Grades 7 & 8

~
Complete Annual Facilities Survey
All schools / Deadline: February 27
The annual facilities survey will be available starting this Thursday, January 8 at
http://afs.nycsca.org/afs/default.aspx (you will need to be on a DOE computer to access
the survey). It is essential that all principals work together to ensure the accuracy of this
survey. The deadline to submit the survey is February 27. If you have any questions about
the survey, please e-mail #OCPUGROUP@NYCSCA.ORG.

~
Updated Compliance Calendar
All schools
The Office of Compliance Services has prepared a calendar of important actions for
January. This document includes reminders that will help you maximize your school’s
compliance level. The calendar is available on the Principals' Portal
(http://intranet.nycboe.net/DOEPortal/Principals/default.htm) by clicking on the
“compliance” section of the “General Counsel/Compliance” landing page. Updated calendars
will be posted on the Principals’ Portal throughout the year.
For additional information, contact your compliance officer or e-mail
Building a Collaborative Community of Leaders 4
AskCompliance@schools.nyc.gov

~
Updates on Periodic Assessments
All schools
1. Volunteer for Acuity Clicker Pilot
Are you interested in finding more flexible ways to administer instructionally-targeted
assessments (ITAs) while increasing their effectiveness as classroom tools for your
students and teachers? If so, you might be a perfect candidate for the Acuity Clicker pilot
during the ITA administrations this spring. Participation would not require schools to own or
acquire any additional hardware and would not necessitate any additional assessments.
Clickers are handheld devices for students to use for entering answer choices (rather than
answer grids) while an educator monitors class progress on a laptop in the classroom - no
computer lab required. As always, the pre-designed ITAs are multiple-choice only and should
be administered in a single class period. Clickers allow teachers to conduct a traditional
administration or to use the assessments as a classroom exercise and an opportunity for
active discussion. There are limited spots available in the pilot, and participants must be
willing to train on the clicker devices and participate in follow-up discussions after
administration. To learn more about this opportunity or let us know you’re interested, visit
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WneHWr24K8Yg97XLX1KLDA_3d_3d.

2. Acuity Grades 3-8 Math Predictive Post-Administration Updates

The fall math predictive administration window has closed. Please read the post-
administration memo available at
http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/ResourcesforEducators/PeriodicAssessments for
updates on scoring constructed response items, assigning instructional resources, handling
student data exceptions, and understanding your new predictive assessment reports.

~
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.

Starting this month, the information that previously appeared in a separate bulletin for
college advisors appears in the update for grades 9-12. Please be sure to share this
information with your college advisor.

January K-8 highlights: www.nycboe.net/schools/principals/weekly/20080106/k-

8_highlights_jan09.doc
January 9-12 highlights: www.nycboe.net/schools/principals/weekly/20080106/9-
12_highlights_jan09.doc

Building a Collaborative Community of Leaders 5

For more information, contact the OSYD research and resource center at
ydhelp@schools.nyc.gov or (718) 935-4357.

~
Schools Can Apply for the Physical Education Grant
Elementary schools / Deadline: January 15
The Sports Play and Active Recreation for Kids grant application is open. This grant
program trains K-2 classroom teachers to implement physical activity lessons with their
students in the classroom, gymnasium, and schoolyard. Schools that receive this grant will
receive training, a curriculum, equipment and music for each teacher and classroom that
participates, as well as a professional development stipend (at the training rate). This grant
is valued at $5,000 per school. The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 15.
Schools will be notified about whether they have received the grant on Tuesday, January
20. To apply, visit
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7AC_2bEXc4Q_2biWDMds1Xcqyw_3d_3d.
For additional information, contact Rhonda Johnson at (212) 676-2147 or
rjohnso7@health.nyc.gov.

~
Workshop on Advanced Laboratory Techniques
High schools / Event: January 16
Teachers and administrators can attend a one-day workshop designed to provide an
overview of the components of a well-organized laboratory facility. It will focus on topics
such as laboratory safety, equipment, and some of the more common techniques used in the
high school laboratory.

The workshop will take place on January 16 from 8:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at St. Francis
College (180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn). The cost of the workshop is $100 per participant
(FAMIS item number TLMATH190). You can register on Protraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org
using activity code 051-09-029-073. For more information, e-mail Denise McNamara at
dmcnama@schools.nyc.gov.

~
Free Comprehensive Health Education Course on Puberty
Elementary schools / Event: January 21
The Office of Fitness and Health Education is offering a free full-day training for
teachers of 4th and 5th grade to complement the elementary school HealthTeacher
Curriculum 101 and prepare teachers to facilitate the HealthTeacher puberty lessons.
Teachers will learn to help students understand what puberty is and how it affects boys’
and girls’ bodies, feelings, behaviors, and relationships. Participation in model lessons will
enable teachers to practice discussing sensitive issues and answering challenging questions.
Topics include the maturational process, the reproductive system, adolescent development,
family life, and cultivating respect for self and others. Previous participation in the
Comprehensive Health Education 101 workshop is a prerequisite.

Building a Collaborative Community of Leaders 6

The training will take place on Wednesday, January 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the
Petrides Complex (715 Ocean Terrace, Building C, Staten Island). To register and view
additional dates, visit http://pd.nycoit.org (activity code 051-09-004-055). For additional
information, contact Fitness&Health@schools.nyc.gov.

~
Teachers and Administrators Can Register for Early Childhood Institute
Elementary schools / Event: January 26
The DOE, in collaboration with the Administration for Children Services, the Council of
Supervisors and Administrators, and the United Federation of Teachers, is hosting the
Fourteenth Annual Interagency Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. The
theme of the Institute is “Changing Lives, Building Futures: One Child at a Time.”

The institute features workshops, presentations, and a plenary session with Dr. Sandy Lynne
Holman, director of The Culture C.0.–O.P.

This one-day institute will be held on Monday, January 26 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at
the New York Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge (333 Adams Street, Brooklyn).

For additional information, including workshop descriptions and registration procedures,

please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EarlyChildhood/EducatorResources.

~
Half-Day Arts Workshop for Administrators
Elementary schools / Event: January 28
Studio in a School Association and the DOE invite elementary principals and assistant
principals to attend a half-day program at PS 255K on January 28 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on
sharing successful strategies for visual arts programming. PS 255K has embedded visual
arts learning across the curriculum and has made significant progress with ELL students.
The workshop will also address budgeting and space, the New York State Instructional
Requirements for the Arts, strategies for creating partnerships with arts and cultural
organizations, and arts accountability. PS 255 is a Collaborative Community site partnering
with the Studio in a School Association.

Space is limited. Registration will occur on a first-come first-served basis. To register, visit
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228NA77BWK3.

For more information, please e-mail Anne Wright at awright@studioinaschool.org.

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Workshops on Middle School Mathematics
Middle schools / Events: February 17-19

The Department of Math and Science is offering several one-day math workshops for sixth,
seventh and eighth grade math teachers. Language, writing, procedures, strategies and tools
will be explored, traced and developed in these one-day programs that will create a
crosswalk of content relevant to the sixth, seventh and eighth grade classroom. Participants

Building a Collaborative Community of Leaders 7

will study tools for intervention, enrichment, and enhancement of curriculum using verbal
and written expression to improve student achievement in the middle school math
classroom. The workshops include:

Topic Date and Cost per Participant Location Protraxx Activity

Time (FAMIS Item #) Code
Numbers, February 17, $100 TBA in 051-09-010-048
Numeration 9:00 a.m. to (TLMATH176) Manhattan
and 3:00 p.m
Operation
Geometry February 18, $100 TBA in 051-09-010-046
9:00 a.m. to (TLMATH177) Manhattan
3:00 p.m
Measurement February 18, $100 TBA in 051-09-010-047
9:00 a.m. to (TLMATH178) Manhattan
3:00 p.m
Algebra February 19, $100 TBA in 051-09-010-045
9:00 a.m. to (TLMATH179) Manhattan
3:00 p.m

Register on Protraxx at http://pd.nycoit.org using the indicated activity code. For more
information, e-mail Elaine Carman at ecarman@schools.nyc.gov.

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Institute on Preparing ELLs for the ELA Exam
Middle schools / Event: February 23
Middle school educators of English Language Learners (ELLs) are invited to participate in
an institute focusing on ways to help ELLs prepare for the English Language Arts exam.
Participants will use item analysis from the ELA exam to determine how it addresses New
York State standards and the skill sets that students must master. Sessions will address
research-based strategies that help students access informational, narrative, and
expository texts, while highlighting reading and writing strategies that promote students’
development of academic language.

The institute is scheduled for February 23, March 17, and April 21 and costs $300 per
participant (FAMIS # TLELL0036). To register, visit http://pd.nycoit.org. 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 Stela Radovanovic at
Sradova@school.nyc.gov.

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Students Can Apply for Free Summer Arts Institute
Middle and high schools / Deadline: February 27
Students entering grades 8-12 in September can apply to attend the Summer Arts
Institute, a free, four-week intensive arts program held at Stuyvesant High School in
Manhattan in July. Seven tracks of study are offered: dance, drama, vocal music,
instrumental music, photography, film, and visual arts. Students may apply to and audition

Building a Collaborative Community of Leaders 8

for only one discipline. The program is designed for students at an intermediate or advanced
level of study in their chosen art form. An experienced staff of teachers and artists will
guide students in developing their skills and creativity as they prepare for their next level
of study.

Admission to the program is by application and competitive audition. For more information
and an application, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/summerarts.html.
The application deadline is February 27. Please encourage your arts teachers to share this
opportunity with their students. For additional information, e-mail
summerarts@schools.nyc.gov.

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Free Workshops in Genetics and Biotechnology
Middle and high schools / Events: Winter
The DOE and the Dolan DNA Learning Center of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are
sponsoring a professional development program to enable teachers to deliver hands-on,
inquiry-based experiments in genetics and biotechnology. The program will train 8th through
12th grade science teachers to implement lab activities to complement the NYC Scope and
Sequence, Living Environment Regents, and AP Biology curricula. Training will be provided by
expert DNA Learning Center staff, and is offered at no charge to participating teachers.

The workshops will take place in the Harlem DNA Lab (120th Street and 1st Avenue in
Manhattan). In addition, participants who would like to receive 3 P-credits can register with
the DOE Office of After School Professional Development
(http://www.nycenet.edu/aspdp/default.aspx) for course P17-212F08. For additional
information and a full schedule of workshops, please visit www.dnalc.org/harlemdnalab. For
information on specific laboratory topics, visit
www.dnalc.org/harlemdnalab/harlem_targeted_labs.html.

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Fall Professional Development Listings from Teaching & Learning
All schools
Fall professional development offerings from the Division of Teaching & Learning are now
available online at http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/TeachLearn/PD/default.htm. We will
update these listings throughout the year, so visit the page often to get the latest
information on new courses.

Building a Collaborative Community of Leaders 9