Skip To Main Content

School Improvement Coser Descriptions

School Improvement - Coser 551  

Professional development to meet the challenges of college and career readiness standards through collaboration and capacity building is the crucial aspect of the service. Staff development and technical assistance for administrative and instructional staff are standards-based -- incorporating learning standards, teaching standards, and professional development standards. Participating districts can access programs that may include workshops, study circles, regional networks, and job-embedded programs. Technical assistance is provided via electronic resources, telephone conferencing, and on-site meetings. School Improvement work is based on building capacity in the use of evidence-based practice for all educators. 

Monthly meetings of the Sullivan Council for Curriculum, Instruction, Technology, and Assessment (SCCITA) address all aspects of school improvement. Core programs include attendance at professional development sessions at the school improvement rate. Coordination of cross contracts with other BOCES is supported as appropriate. Monthly meetings for elementary and secondary principals are supported. All programs are designed and delivered based on research and implementation of best practices to meet local needs and State Education Department initiatives. 

School Improvement Coach - Coser TBD   

Mentoring and coaching for school improvement is a growing need. New teachers, new coaches, and teachers on TIPS are among the groups of teachers that require monitoring and mentoring. A program to address the needs of these individuals must encompass the specific requirements indicated by education law, the collective bargaining agreement, or other relevant district-developed plans. Such a program will be successful based on a close working relationship with both the administration and the collective bargaining association for teachers. A shared support person to discuss teacher performance in accordance with the appropriate guidelines and to effectively manage the professional development and associated procedures is provided through this service. 

The coach will provide technical support for a system-wide approach to develop the skills of effective teachers to serve as coaches and mentors, as well as monitor the teachers who require improvement plans. The coser would include a shared administrative level professional development specialist with experience in supervision. Costs include materials, specialist time in the district, access to professional development county-wide and on-site, and consultation services for the support of TIPs. Additional services can be provided for the orientation and induction of new teachers. 

Regional Assessment Scoring - Coser 551.010   

Regional Assessment Scoring supports district administration and scoring of all state assessments grades 3-8 and Regents examinations. This service includes staff training on the scoring rubrics for each assessment prior to the day and scoring and training on the actual scoring day. Random scoring of the assessments is accomplished in accordance with the procedures and coordination of the scoring site, clerical/ administrative support, and support submission to the Regional Information Center (RIC).

Vendor Assisted Regional Assessment Scoring - Coser 551.011

Vendor Assisted Regional Assessment Scoring supports district administration and scoring of all state assessments grades 3-8 and Regents examinations. This service includes training on the scoring rubrics for each assessment prior to the day and scoring and training on the actual scoring day. Random scoring of the assessments is accomplished in accordance with the procedures and coordination of the scoring site, clerical/ administrative support, and support submission to the Regional Information Center (RIC). Data in a narrative format are provided to participating districts. 

Alternate Assessment Training & Support - Coser 551.015

This service supports the organization and facilitation of annual teacher training requirements for the Alternate Assessment. 

Foreign Language Assessment - Coser 551.017   

School Improvement will work with districts in the development of Foreign Language Proficiency exams. District staff will collaborate with a Language Other Than English (LOTE) Facilitator to develop the Checkpoint A & B proficiency exams. The School Improvement staff ensures the process used aligns with standards for LOTE in accordance with commissioner regulations.

Conference Day Planning - Coser 551.020   

Collegial sharing and collaboration can occur during half and full-day conference days. This service works with multiple districts to provide programs to address the commonality of goals and interests. Evidence-based practices are shared during a common conference day.

Literacy (ELA) Leadership - Coser 551.030  

Quarterly sessions are scheduled to build capacity in the district to meet the demands of implementation of the Next Generation standards and College and Career Readiness. Participants will develop and expand the leadership skills required to support all teachers in the literacy rigor of curriculum, instruction, and assessment across all content areas. Specific professional development related to the roles of teacher leaders and administrators will allow the individuals to construct a cohesive plan for their education program for their district -- based on evidence-based practices and strategies. Over the course of the year, support is provided to monitor the implementation of the plan. Teacher and administrator teams are encouraged.

Educational Research & Data Analyst - Coser 551.060   

Effective skills in data interpretation and analysis are essential to a strategic approach to school improvement and comprehensive education plans. The analyst in this service provides on- and off-site support and technical assistance with data analyses based on district data and priorities. The goals of using data to inform instruction, to effectively assess student learning, and to identify program strengths are the main focus of this service. Methods used in this service include data dialogues, data-driven decision-making, and targeted goal setting. The basic service includes, but is not limited to: 

  • Trend charts summarizing grades 3-8 state assessments - with a comparison of similar schools (overtime as appropriate i.e. three-year longitudinal data) - with analysis of subgroup and other accountability data points
  • Analysis of benchmarks and student learning objective results 
  • Analysis of third party assessment results 
  • Comparison of graduation and high school completion rates
  • Technical assistance for the analyses and metrics used for teacher and leader effectiveness
  • Monthly updates on issues related to data and assessment
  • Technical assistance in matching instructional strategies for classroom teachers to generate high student achievement
  • Facilitation of data teams and data team training

Enhanced level of service includes but is not limited to:

  • Forecasting and predictive analysis
  • Survey construction and analysis 
  • Specialized data analysis to support districts through a shared service
  • Other projects on request

Assessment & Evaluation Specialist - Coser 551.062   

This service is designed to assist teachers and administrators in meeting demands at the district and school level for the evaluation of students, teachers, and administrators. The shared specialist in this area will address issues of student achievement through the development of formative and benchmark assessments. Teachers (and administrators) will be instructed in assessment literacy to effectively measure student performance on daily classroom instruction at the end of instructional units and periodically through benchmark assessments. Assessments may also be developed for use in the creation of student learning objectives (SLO). The specialist will work with the district staff to identify priorities and values in the district and to determine the appropriate way to measure them. This service supports the development and ongoing monitoring of the assessment calendar, review of the tools used for assessment, and the creation of assessments in all content areas. 

Technical Data Specialist - Coser 551.065    

School improvement data is critical to measure accountability and achievement. Participating districts have access to services that allow for data extraction in a variety of formats. Reports from database systems are tailored to the needs of the district teams responsible for professional development, analysis of student achievement, and other building and district level needs. Technical assistance on the utilization of data systems for school improvement is included. 

Technology Integration Specialist - Coser 551.070   

NYSED Computer Science, Digital Literacy Learning Standards, and college and career readiness goals include specific elements that require the utilization of technology integrated into teaching and learning. This service is designed to support district staff in the use of technology, deliver instruction,  strengthen lesson plans, and improve student outcomes. The specialist is on-site to provide in-class support through coaching, co-teaching, and modeling. Job-embedded and job-alike professional development activities are tailored to the goals and needs of the participating districts.

Educational Data Manager - Coser 551.080   

This service is designed to ensure the integrity and maintenance of school data for districts for the preparation of state and federal accountability systems and reports. The objective is to make data accessible and easy to understand, so it may be used to support teaching and learning. The management of multiple data resources (NYS Assessment data and student demographics, etc.) will be used to facilitate decision-making in the areas of school-wide planning, curriculum, and staff development.

School Improvement Specialist - Coser 551.090   

 

A content specialist will work with district and building level staff to address the curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The specialist works closely with the staff to provide a cohesive approach to implement effective strategies for specific content areas: Science, Social Studies, Math, or English Language Arts/Literacy. This service is based on the need for support for Next Generation Learning Standards. Substantiality of the current effective practices in a district and expanding these to all classroom teachers and school leaders is the focus of the service.    

Special Education Specialist - Coser TBD   

 

Response to intervention and the performance of students with disabilities require the implementation of strategic instruction and differentiated lessons. The specialist provides job-embedded professional development and technical assistance for instructional design to meet the needs of students with disabilities and at-risk, striving learners. Participating districts will develop a community of educators with the capability to implement research-based strategies to support Individual Education Plans (IEP), Academic Intervention Services (AIS), and Response to Intervention Plans (RTI). This service will support the new credentials for students with disabilities, methods for co-teaching, and specially designed instruction to assist students with disabilities in meeting the Next Generation Learning Standards.