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Writer's pictureNYS 21CCLC TARC

NYS TARC Newsletter—December 2023

Updated: Dec 7, 2023



Jump to section: NYSED News/Updates
 



Important Reminders from the 21st CCLC Timeline:

Convene 2nd Advisory Board Meeting. Include all stakeholders. Topics might include review of initial program implementation efforts, enrollment/participation, family engagement plans/activities, staff development plans, internal improvement cycle/QSA process. For more information on Advisory Boards, please visit the 21st CCLC website; you will find the Advisory Board Memo, the Advisory Board Membership Agreement & Scheduling Organizer, and the Meeting Agenda & Action Planner.

Participate in the 1st Evaluator’s Site Visit, conducted by the Local Program Evaluator. This is an opportunity to open the program to the observation of the partnering evaluator, collaborate to track progress indicators, and to receive valuable, actionable feedback about program implementation. Summary findings from this visit can be used to inform the continuous improvement cycle and communicate progress updates to staff and stakeholders.

Update the Evaluation Plan and Logic Model/Theory of Change, as needed.


Submit to NYSED the Evaluability checklists, completed in collaboration with the Local Program Evaluator. Send by December 31, 2023, to EMSC21STCCLC@nysed.gov. (Required for Round 8A subgrantees only). See SMV Indicator H-2.

Enter program participation and activity data for fall 2023 into EZReports by December 31, 2023.

Conduct required Internal Review/Check-In of Program Service Delivery. This is the opportunity for Program Leaders to observe their staff using a formalized process/protocol while staff are delivering programming to participants; they review the implementation of activities as designed/planned, the performance of staff, and the levels of engagement/targeted responses from participants. This provides valuable formative feedback to integrate into the internal improvement cycle. Additional information about this requirement and the Program Activity Implementation Review (PAIR) is in the Site Monitoring Visit Tool(SMV), Indicator D-3.



 

EZReports Guidance


PRO TIP ⚡️: With a data deadline approaching in December, here is a quick tip for best practices in EZReports from the Rest of State Resource Center:
Activities & Sessions

The activities and sessions you input into EZReports should create a schedule that shows the transition from one activity to the next during programming. You should avoid creating one block of time for programming, instead of having 1 activity and 1 session, it should represent the different offerings of the program. For more information on how to create activities and sessions please watch the training videos under the 'Support' page of EZR.

  • Avoid blocks of time:


EZ reports screenshot

  • Recommended best practice:


EZ reports screenshot

Please contact your Resource Center if you have any questions concerning EZReports or the December data deadline!


 

PD/Events


REQUIRED

21st Century Community Learning Center Conference

Be sure to register for the 21st CCLC Spring 2024 Conference! This is a joint conference with the Network for Youth Success. Attendance is required for all program directors for the 21st CCLC portion of the conference, which is April 19, 2024.


 

These are non-required events that may interest you:



Ongoing: Self-Paced Professional Development

The Resource Centers have partnered with Change Impact to offer a unique PD experience with Change Up Learning – an interactive online PD platform. Change Up Learning offers a variety of self-paced courses on relevant topics including Equity and Inclusion, Trauma-informed Practices, Positive Youth Development and more! These free courses are not mandatory, but available to support 21st CCLC subgrantees – and have been approved for New York State SACC credits. Create an account and access the growing library of courses by using the custom links below:

 

Dec 12

Afterschool Math Plus Series: MusicMath & How-to Access Curriculum


Dec 12
Dec 13

U.S. Department of Education, Lessons from the Field Series: Strategies for Supporting Full Student Participation

Jan 30

Save the Date: Afterschool Advocacy Day

Apr 17 - 20

NYS Network for Youth Success: Empower Youth Success Conference 2024 *This includes the 21stCCLC Spring Conference on April 19, mandatory for Program Directors


May 2 - 20



 

Resources


FYI


Reporting Student Behavioral Interventions in 2024-25 School Year
  • At the July 2023 Board of Regents meeting, the Regents adopted permanent regulations regarding changes to reporting student behavioral interventions (https://www.regents.nysed.gov/sites/regents/files/723brca13.pdf).

  • With the adoption of these amendments, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, each public school district, Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), charter school, State-operated school pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the Education Law, and private residential school operated pursuant to Article 81 of the Education Law, must submit an annual report to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) on the use of physical restraint and timeout and substantiated and unsubstantiated allegations of use of corporal punishment, mechanical restraint and other aversive interventions, prone physical restraint, and seclusion.

  • This annual Student Behavioral Interventions report — with a new template and data elements — will replace the currently required reporting of incidents of Corporal Punishment that are collected bi-annually during the school year via the SED Monitoring application in the NYSED Business portal.

  • The revised memo below simplifies Intervention Reason Codes and Descriptions to streamline reporting:



  • For questions regarding the reporting of data to NYSED’s Student Information Repository System, please contact your Level 1 Reporting Center or Big 5 point of contact. For all other data reporting inquiries, please contact the Office of Information and Reporting Services at Datasupport with the subject line “Student Behavioral Interventions.”

  • Other non-data questions regarding the new requirements may be directed to the Office of Student Support Services at studentsupportservices@nysed.gov.

Questions regarding the requirements specific to students with disabilities may be directed to the Office of Special Education at speced@nysed.gov.



 


Resources for Minors Receiving Working Papers

  • With the holiday shopping season underway, young people may be at higher risk of Child Labor Law violations including unlawful working conditions, long hours, and hazardous tasks.

  • To raise awareness of the rights of minors in the workforce, all districts, schools, and BOCES that issue working papers are strongly encouraged to distribute two new documents with each Employment Certificate or Permit they issue.

  • These two documents, NYS Child Labor Law Card for Workers (P886), and NYS Child Labor Law Card for Employers (P887) are distributed by the NYS Department of Labor to alert young people to their rights as workers and to outline the responsibilities of employers. (Additional languages available)

  • Schools, districts, and BOCES can also share the New York State Department of Labor’s Young Workers, Know Your Rights! video with young people and families. (Spanish language available)

  • Individuals who become aware of a violation of Child Labor Law can report their concerns through the NYS Department of Labor’s Employment of Minors web page.

Questions regarding working papers may be directed to the Office of Student Support Services at studentsupportservices@nysed.gov.


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State-Provided Growth Results Survey

  • The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is actively seeking stakeholder input to evaluate the purpose, usefulness, and understandability of State-provided growth results as well as the labels associated with various growth categories.

  • The short survey titled, “NYSED State-Provided Growth Results Feedback” can be completed via Microsoft Forms through December 31, 2023.

  • More information about State-provided growth results can be found on the NYSED State Growth Measures Toolkits webpage.

For questions about this survey, contact accountinfo@nysed.gov and specify “Growth Results Survey” in the subject line of your email.


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Computer Science Education Week

Computer Science Education (CSEdweek) was founded in 2009 to raise awareness about the need to increase computer science education and to highlight the critical role of computing in all careers. This year's theme highlights progress in computer science education over the last decade.

We'll celebrate CSEdWeek December 4-10. Be sure to register your events at csedweek.org and use #CSEdWeek #CelebratingProgress for awareness.

Other computer science resources:

  • Hour of Code——During Computer Science Education Week, tens of thousands of Hours of Code events will happen around the world. Any afterschool program can register as an official Hour of Code event and add their location to the global map.

  • Code.org's Free CS curriculum——Free, flexible, and fun curriculum for every grade level (elementary, middle, and high school), includes lesson plans, videos, slides, assessments, and programming tools.

  • Hour of Code Activities——A collection of one-hour tutorials designed for all ages in over 45 languages. Join millions of students and teachers in over 180 countries starting with an Hour of Code!

  • What Are the Chances?——This activity includes an introductory video to illustrate the activity. Youth experiment with probability to tell how likely it is that an event will occur. In this activity, youth will do these calculations and then test if your calculations hold true for reality.

  • Educator Guide: Make a Planetary Exploration Balloon——This activity for grades 3-12 uses math and engineering to design a balloon and gondola system capable of supporting weight. In this design challenge, students will then determine the mass needed to cause the balloon to ascend at a given rate, descend at a given rate, and/or maintain a constant altitude over a set period of time.

 
Million Girls Moonshot Mini Grants

The Million Girls Moonshot wants to engage one million girls in engineering practices. The Network for Youth Success will award 10 mini grants up to $1,000 to programs who need support in order to engage girls and young women in engineering practices.

Mini-grants are meant to primarily serve girls, but can also serve other youth. Programs that serve youth, including girls, can apply. There will be a short report required, showing how the funds were spent on engaging girls in engineering practices.

Who Should Apply: Any K-12 youth-serving program or organization that are interested in or currently offers engineering programming with girls can apply. Programs must serve girls in some capacity, but do not have to only serve girls. If you are unsure if you qualify, please email Timothy Fowler.

Amount: Up to $1,000 per program. These funds can be used for any expense related to the project. Funds must be spent by March 31, 2024.

Application Deadline: Friday, December 15, 2023, at 1 PM ET



 

Hunger Solution CACFP Ambassadors

Hunger Solutions New York (HSNY) is inviting eligible individuals to apply for their new CACFP Ambassador Program. The purpose of the program is to help increase awareness of CACFP, encourage enrollment, and offer support for prospective CACFP providers across New York State. CACFP Ambassadors will receive a $2,000 stipend in exchange for their time and expertise.

To qualify, applicants must be current CACFP participants in good standing. HSNY is seeking ambassadors who represent different types of child and afterschool care, including:

  • Day-care home providers

  • Child care centers

  • Afterschool program operators

  • School food authorities

Ambassadors can expect to spend 2-3 hours per month on activities to promote CACFP participation. Activities may include presenting during webinars, providing peer-to-peer mentorship, and providing feedback on new CACFP resources.

All interested individuals from eligible organizations in New York State are encouraged to apply by Friday, December 15, 2023. HSNY will review applications and notify selected applicants on a rolling basis.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to CACFP Specialist, Kayla Snyder at Kayla.Snyder@HungerSolutionsNY.org.


 

Raise the Bar: New Resource for Parents and Families

In case you missed it:


Welcome back to school, parents, families, and caregivers! You have done so much to get your child ready for a successful school year, and your child’s school has geared up for an exciting year of learning. Now, it’s time to welcome you back to school! Parent partnership with schools is key to supporting students’ academic success and overall wellbeing. The questions in this new resource can help guide your back-to-school conversations with teachers and other school staff, support building your partnerships, and help lay the foundation for your child’s success. These questions focus on building strong relationships with your school, sustaining two-way communication, and structuring support for your child between home and school.


 
Technical Assistance Centers to Accelerate Learning and Support Student Wellbeing Announced

On Oct. 6, the Department announced technical assistance centers to support state and local efforts to support and enhance student wellbeing, academic success, and school safety. These centers further the Department's commitment to accelerate learning, meet students' mental health needs, and expand academic opportunity and success inside and outside of the regular school day. "To Raise the Bar in education, we must equip schools and districts with strategies backed by decades of experience and research to support students' wellbeing and drive academic success," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "We are announcing new technical assistance opportunities that will help education leaders to hone their statewide literacy plans, respond to individual student's needs and civil rights, and provide enriching out-of-school time programs. Raising the Bar is about embracing what works so that students can thrive in the classroom and beyond."


 

Important resources from The New York State Center for School Safety

Check the NYSCSS website for resources in the following areas:

  • Climate Connection

  • Creating Safe and Supportive Learning Environments

  • Safe and Supportive School Climate

  • Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth

  • Safety Planning

  • Dignity Act Frequently Asked Questions for Parents and Guardians



 
Social Emotional Learning and Adult Practice

Reach out to studentsupportservices@nysed.gov with any questions.


 

Youth Risk Behavior Survey

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) collects data on students' health risks and behaviors.

  • The New York State 2021 YRBS results were utilized to create infographics available on our technical assistance center the New York State Center for School Health's website.

  • Health Educators and School Administrators can utilize the infographics in curriculum development, and to improve student wellbeing and school climate.

For more information, please contact the New York State Center for School Health at nyscsh@monroe2boces.org or (585) 617-2380.


 

Social Emotional Learning and Equity Info Sheet

  • The Office of Student Support Services released Social Emotional Learning & Equity, the first in a series of ‘SEL Snapshots’ to support the implementation of New York’s Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks.

  • These 2-page info sheets provide basic information about how Social Emotional Learning (SEL) integrations with other areas of focus.

  • Look for Adult SEL and SEL & Family and Community Engagement in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions, please contact studentsupportservices@nysed.gov.


 

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
  • Children of transitioning military families are provided flexibility under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

  • The Compact addresses the challenges facing military children as a result of their frequent relocations. It establishes a framework for uniform treatment of military children as they transfer between schools, districts, and states. The compact outlines the requirements that schools and districts must adhere to when enrolling and educating children of active-duty military personnel.

  • Regulatory language and guidance including a memo and FAQ can be found on NYSED’s Interstate Compact webpage.

Further questions can be directed to our Office of Standards and Instruction at (518) 474-5922 or MilitaryCompact@nysed.gov.


 

Seeking Applications for the Office of Special Education, Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education Services

  • You are receiving this communication to inform you that the New York State Education Department (NYSED) is seeking applicants for new members to serve on the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education Services (CAP) for the following constituency categories:

  • “Parent or person in parental relation of a child or individual with a disability (from birth to age 26)” from the North Country region.

  • Individual with a Disability from any region of New York State.

  • Applications for these openings must be received by December 15, 2023.

  • CAP functions in an advisory capacity to NYSED and advises the Governor, Legislature, and Commissioner of Education on unmet needs in the education of children with disabilities.

  • CAP Members are appointed to a three-year term by the Commissioner of Education. CAP meets at least three times each year and regular member attendance is expected. Members serve without compensation but their reasonable and necessary expenses for attending meetings and performing duties are reimbursed for in-person meetings.

Additional information, including the CAP Member Application formand other information about CAP, can be found on the CAP webpage. Questions may be directed to Dawn Kalleberg or Alana Wickware, Associates in the Special Education Policy Unit, at (518) 473-2878 or speced@nysed.gov.



 

Office of Early Learning (OEL) Available to Assist Districts in Accessing State-Administered Prekindergarten Funding for the First Time
  • Office of Early Learning liaisons are available to walk districts through the process of applying for UPK funding and running a successful program.

The office can cover topics including:

  • Funding Overview

  • UPK Application Process

  • Outreach

  • Collaboration

  • Programming

  • Contact us at OEL@nysed.gov or (518) 474-5807 to set up a meeting

An informational flyer is available on the Early Learning website.


 

2024 Statewide Universal Full-Day Prekindergarten (SUFDPK) Expansion Grant

  • The 2023-2024 Statewide Universal Full-Day Prekindergarten (SUFDPK) Expansion Grant for New Full-Day Placements or the Conversion of Half-Day Placements to Full-Day Placements for Four-Year-Old Students (2023-2024 SUFDPK Expansion Grant) is now open.

  • Chapter 53 of the Laws of 2023 appropriates $50 million for additional prekindergarten grants for school districts to establish New Full-Day Placements or for the Conversion of Half-Day Placements to Full-Day Placements for four-year-old students in accordance with applicable provisions in Education Law Section §3602-ee governing Statewide Universal Full-Day Prekindergarten (§3602-ee).

  • The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) # GC 23-021.

  • RFP# GC 23-021 is posted to the NYSED Grant RFP Web Page

  • Questions related to this RFP must be sent to PREKRFP@nysed.gov(link sends e-mail) no later than close of business on December 8, 2023.

  • Questions and Answers summary will be posted to NYSED Funding Opportunity Web Page no later than December 22, 2023.

  • Applications are due by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on January 19, 2024.

For additional information, please review the full RFP document.


 

Environmental Bond Act Funding for Zero-Emission Buses

  • Governor Hochul announced that $100 million is now available for zero-emission school buses under the historic $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.

  • Administered by The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), NYSBIP provides incentives to eligible school bus fleet operators that purchase zero-emission battery electric vehicles (BEV) or hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV).

  • Program eligibility and rules for charging infrastructure funding are available online through the NYSBIP Implementation Manual.

NYSERDA will host a webinar on December 11, 2023, at 3 pm ET (register here). For continued program updates, please join the NYSERDA mailing list here.


 

Free COVID-19 Tests for Local School Authorities from the Federal Government





For information about the COVID-19 Testing Supply Program, visit https://www.ed.gov/Coronavirus.


 

Program Spotlights


Center for Educational Innovation's trip to SUNY Maritime Provides Students' First Peek Into College!




This was the students’ first college-related experience and they thoroughly enjoyed being on campus.

They learned all about college life and the excellent programs and opportunities available.


Submitted by Site Director Zady Taveras.



 


Professional Artists Collaborate with P.S. 142 Students to Beautify School!


P.S. 142's Mosaic Club offers students in 2nd-5th grade the opportunity to work with professional artists to learn how to make glass mosaics. Students are working towards making a group mosaic that will be installed at P.S. 142.





Bonus: Check out the pic of students showing off their dancing skills!






Submitted by Jess Cummings Community School Director, P.S. 142 Amalia Castro





 

Evaluators' Corner


  • NYS 21CCLC Program Case Study Report, Round 8 Year 1. This is one of MI’s annual reports commissioned by the state. A sample of programs from across the state were visited, leaders and evaluators were interviewed, and findings were organized into this summary. It describes some the creative ways 21CCLC subgrantees are designing programming and managing complex challenges to deliver services to their students and families. Please read up on what other colleagues in this leadership network are doing, what they’re experiencing. See if anything resonates. Our team at SED and MI want to design the annual studies of implementation with a prospective bend, looking ahead at areas/issues that matter most to programs. Reach out to the team at MI – Jody and Lil, emails at the end of the report – to share your feedback or suggest topic ideas.

  • NYS 21CCLC Programs’ Use of Supports. This Brief is a snapshot of information gathered from items in the Mid-Year Report collected from program directors. It also includes information from a sample study of Annual Evaluation Report (AER) submissions from local evaluators. It highlights how programs have invested in local evaluation, how program directors report valuing the services. It also presents leaders’ interest in more peer networking and professional learning community (PLC) opportunities, which the TARCS and Change Impact are working to address – look for an invitation about joining Community Cohorts coming soon!

  • Program Director’s Quick Guide to Program Evaluation. This is a revamped guidance document linked in the Program Director’s Manual. NYSED and the Resource Center team thought it would be useful to update this guidance and make it a checklist outlining the local evaluation components program leaders need to know about. It aligns with the Local Evaluation Framework & Timeline, the RFP, and the other requirements from the state. Note: these and additional materials are on the Resource Center website and MI’s Evaluation Network Resource Library.


 

Management and Archiving of Student Demographic and Outcome Data


  1. All programs are required to obtain participating students' "required records" (see Policy Brief) from their district(s), and enter and validate them in EZReports by the December deadline. These essential demographics are required whether or not they are needed for sub-grantee program purposes. Providing these data is a contractual requirement for districts participating in the 21CCLC grant (see Data Sharing Requirements Letter).

Even though the essential demographics will be replaced by SIRS data, the State evaluator needs the program to first enter them into EZReports, so that we can verify whether SIRS is pulling the right students (based on the NYSSIS IDs obtained from EZReports). This is the only way to ensure that the NYSSIS IDs recorded by sub-grantees were accurate.

Note that for student data other than the essential demographics, programs only need to obtain them if they need them for local program purposes. See next bullet.

  1. Records of certain student demographic and outcome data (including but not limited to the "essential demographics") will be obtained from SIRS and will be uploaded to EZReports in January. These data will overwrite any records already in EZReports. However, records from SIRS will not be accessible to sub-grantees or local evaluators. For this reason, any student data that sub-grantees need for program administration or local objectives must still be obtained from the district. If you need them beyond the current school year, you will need to archive them externally prior to the SIRS upload.

Please refer to the following documents for more details:

  1. Data Sharing Requirements Letter explaining contractual requirements of participating districts. (Circulated November 2022; posted on TARC Website under Resources/Evaluation)

  2. Policy Brief summarizing requirements for documenting participant demographic and outcome data in EZReports. (Circulated in August 2022; posted on TARC Website under Resources/EZReports)

  3. Required Maintenance of Student Demographic and Outcome Data (Circulated June 2023; posted on TARC Website under Resources/Evaluation)

  4. Data Management Venn Diagrams summarizing State-required vs. locally-required data and expectations for how they should be handled. (Included with the Data Management session slides from the NYC fall conference, which were circulated by the NYC TARC ca. November 2023, these will be available on the TARC website soon)


 

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