At Mid-State RBERN, our mission is to help school communities create educational environments that are safe, equitable and culturally relevant for English Language Learners (ELLs).

Our office strengthens educators, parents and local communities with free technical assistance, professional learning and resource materials for 9 BOCES and 126 school districts. We support the Office of Bilingual Education & World Languages (NYSED) initiatives.

Check out midstaterbern.org for:

RBERNing Questions Podcast Season II

Upcoming Professional Learning

List of Translators & Interpreters

Mid-State RBERN Toolkit most up-to-date, researched-based strategies and resources for ENL and World Language, NYSED Updates, and more!

Released January 2024 - Bilingual and ENL Services for ELLs who are Students with Disabilities

• The Linguistic Analysis of Most Commonly Spoken Languages in New York State
• Academic and Linguistic Demands: Creating Access to the Next Generation Learning Standards in English Language Arts for Linguistically Diverse Learners
• The Science of Reading Literacy Briefs

All resources can be found on our Mid-State RBERN Toolkit.

Regional ENL Program Administrators Meeting

At each meeting, Mid-State RBERN will share NYSED updates, answer field questions, and build ENL program administrators' capacity to serve Multilingual Learners and English Language Learners.

Participants: ENL Program Administrators Only



Dates: March 12, 2024, April 9, 2024, May 14, 2024

Time: 10:00 - 11:00a.m. 

Location: Zoom

Caffeinated Conversations

☕ Caffeinated Conversations is a virtual platform for all educators to connect, ask questions, and participate in conversations that support their work with English Language Learners and Multilingual Learners.

Participants: ALL Educators of ELLs/MLs

Schedule of Sessions

Time: 3:00 - 4:00p.m.

Location: Zoom

1 CTLE hour

Register for March 21, 2024:

Strategies for ELLs in Content Area Classes

The ELL Identification Process: An Overview

Participants: Educators, support staff, administrators of English as a New Language Program

Date: March 12, 2024

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Register

NYSESLAT Administration & Scoring (Refresher)

Participants: Qualified Personnel, ENL Teachers



Date: March 26, 2024

Time: 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Location: In-Person at OCM BOCES

110 Elwood Davis Rd, Liverpool NY 13088

Register

NYSESLAT Administration & Scoring

(For New Scorers)

Participants: Qualified Personnel, ENL Teachers



Date: March 28, 2024

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Location: In-Person at OCM BOCES

110 Elwood Davis Rd, Liverpool NY 13088

Register

Five Principles to Engage Every Family

Participants: Educators of ELLs/MLs, administrators of ENL programming

Date: March 20, 2024

Time: 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Register

Calibrating Panel Members to Assess Culminating NYSSB Project Presentations

Participants: WL and ENL Teachers, Administrators



Dates: March 28, 2024

Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Location: In-Person at OCM BOCES

110 Elwood Davis Rd, Liverpool NY 13088

Register

Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity

On-Demand Book Study

Participants: All Educators of ELLs/MLs

Dates: April 1 - June 16, 2024

Location: Virtual

20 CTLE Hours

Register

Checkpoint A Benchmark Proficiency Assessment Guidance & Item Writing

Office of Bilingual Education & World Languages (OBEWL)

Dates: Thursday, July 18th - Friday, July 19th, 2024

Participants must commit to attending both days in full.

Location: OHM BOCES 4747 Middle Settlement Rd, New Hartford, NY 13413

Register

Standards in Action: Presentational Communication Strategies

Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, Dr. Joanne O’Toole, and Bill Heller

Date: March 12, 2024

Time: 4:00-5:00p.m.

Location: Zoom

Register

Linguistic Diversity in the Heritage Classroom: Educational Practices that Celebrate Home Languages

Maria Quintanilla

Date: April 24, 2024

Time: 4:00-5:00p.m.

Location: Zoom

Register

Leveraging Social Justice Approaches to Affirm and Support World Language Students 

Dr. Pamela M. Wesely

Date: May 21, 2024

Time: 4:00-5:00p.m.

Location: Zoom

Register

NYS Seal of Biliteracy

Viewers must register in advance using the links below:

Training Panelists to Evaluate Culminating Projects & Presentations

Date: Wednesday, March 20th, 2024

Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Register

Demystifying End-of-Year Data Submission for the Seal

Date: Wednesday, April 10th, 2024

Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Register

Supporting Newly Arrived Immigrant Students & Families

NYS Language RBERN

Participants: Administrators, Counselors, Parent Coordinators, ALL Teachers, CBO Members

Register- 2 Part Series

CTE Professional Development Calendar

Special Populations and ELLs Professional Development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Professional Development

New CTE Teacher Cohort

Certification Programs

Options for Supplementary Certificate Pathways

Teacher Certification Programs Information (CR-ITI)

ELL-focused School & District Leadership Certification Cohort

Please direct all questions and concerns to MidstateRBERNta@ocmboces.org. to ensure consistency and appropriate response time. Be sure to add this email address to your address book.

We are here to support you!

(315) 433-2664

Visit: 110 Elwood Davis Rd., Liverpool, NY 13088

Mail: P.O. Box 4754, Syracuse, NY 13221

rbern@ocmboces.org | www.ocmboces.org/rbern

Follow us @MidStateRBERN