jdelucia | September 30, 2009
The Application for Title I ARRA is now posted on the following sites:
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nyc/TitleI/ARRA/
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nclb/
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nclb/consolidatedappupdate/
lheitmann | September 21, 2009
After listening carefully to each of your comments and suggestions at our meeting last Thursday and reflecting upon our many previous discussions, I recommend the formal adoption of the following meeting format:
· The first hour to be devoted to the host district for sharing a program, project, innovation or area of study/research/interest and then time for reflection and discussion.
· The second hour to be devoted to a deep, targeted discussion of a particular area or topic of mutual concern supported by our mission statement (i.e., co-teaching, balanced literacy, assessment, data analysis, differentiated accountability, etc.).
· A concluding thirty minute period to be devoted to Dutchess BOCES led discussion with the council regarding “business” and the logistics of planning. This implies that there will be implementation needs revealed as a result of our sharing and discussions.
There seems to be little disagreement as to what our mission really is or needs to be. While there will always be discussion about the “language” of our formal statement, the sentiment is clearly shared. We care deeply about teaching and learning in our county. We believe in our collective knowledge and acknowledge our collective responsibility as educational leaders to continually improve, build, and serve. We agree that we can collectively accomplish more than we can individually.
To do this, please consider contributing to our ERAC Blog, commenting on the Mission Statement, posting a discussion thread, or reading your colleagues comments. The web address for our blog is http://erac.mariner.dcboces.org.
We can make our Educational Resources Advisory Council a productive collaboration!
Please find our monthly list of locations for 2009-2010 under the resources tab. Thank you to all who so generously volunteered to host meetings.
jdelucia | September 16, 2009
NEW! Common Core State Standards Initiative
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governor’s Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices have convened a State-led process to develop common core national standards in English language arts and in mathematics. Governor David Paterson and former Commissioner Richard Mills signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) along with forty-nine states and territories to participate in the national dialogue to develop these voluntary standards. The common core standards initiative is centered on creating common learning standards (what students should know and be able to do as a result of instruction) in mathematics and ELA. The current ELA revision work under the Board of Regents Standards Review Initiative will continue as a parallel track with the national standards dialogue. New York’s participation in these parallel tracks will bring together the research, scholarship, and expertise necessary to ensure world class standards for all New York students. To learn more about the common core standards initiative, please see the following website: http://www.corestandards.org/ 
. For more information on the New York State Standards Review Initiative please see http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/standardsreview/.
jdelucia | September 8, 2009
The 2009-2010 school year is upon us, and we would like to welcome each of you back. As we all know, it has been a busy, yet fruitful summer.
I think it is safe to say that we can expect this to be a year of change. As you are aware, we now have a new Education Commissioner, Dr. David Milton Steiner in the New York State Education Department, the NYS grade 3-8 testing has been moved to May, the new ELA standards are in the works, the new Differentiated Accountability system is in effect, and regulatory requirements continue to change.
Here in Educational Resources we have experienced change as well. We are the recipients of the new Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center which will provide a whole new level of support to administrators, teachers, and students in our region. In addition, we have changed our Substitute Calling Software to Aesop. This new system not only provides additional access for building and district level administrators in our service, but also has the ability to integrate with My Learning Plan and your finance management systems. There are a great many new faces in the Educational Resources Division, and we look forward to continued growth as we continue to strive to offer more efficient and effective services to meet your growing needs.
As this year progresses we are excited to work with you to continue to provide cost-effective and collaborative services in support of our Dutchess County students, faculties, administrators, and staff members. We wish you each a successful and exciting 2009-2010 school year.
