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Message from Commissioner King
During the week before Thanksgiving, I went to Long Island, Queens and Staten Island to visit some of the schools and communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy. And what I saw in those classrooms and neighborhoods left me in awe. I cannot begin to express how impressed I was by the courage and dedication I saw. Even in the face of personal loss, the amazing teachers, principals, faculty and staff have given students a safe haven and a return to normalcy. From Long Beach to Lindenhurst, Belle Harbor to Staten Island, everyone is pulling together to help students get through these difficult times and continue to learn.
Every New Yorker owes a debt of gratitude to the men and women who work in those school buildings. Last year, we saw the same response upstate and all along the Southern Tier when Hurricane Irene struck: a remarkable sense of urgency and commitment to get students back into class and learning. New York educators are truly extraordinary.
The new and improved EngageNY.org is here. The latest version of EngageNY.org is up and running, with great new resources for teachers, school leaders, and parents and families. The site has an expanded video library, and we're adding new videos on a regular basis.
The site is a virtual toolbox for Common Core implementation. The Common Core Learning Standards for ELA, Math and Pre-K are there. So are a number of Common Core implementation resources (a description of the instructional shifts, an implementation timeline, professional development videos, the Tri-State rubric for evaluating curriculum materials, publishers' criteria from the Common Core authors, etc.). EngageNY.org also has Common Core sample assessment items and test guides.
And there are a number of Common Core curriculum exemplars available at EngageNY.org. When New York State first committed to the Common Core in 2010, it was anticipated that districts would use that time to develop curriculum in preparation for the implementation of the standards this year. Even though school districts have always been responsible for developing curriculum aligned with state standards and providing professional development, SED is developing a complete set of P-12 curriculum modules in ELA and Math that school districts will be able to adopt or adapt; of course, districts are also free to use any Common Core curriculum materials they have developed over the past two years.
Please visit EngageNY.org on a regular basis.
I recognize change is never easy, but the Common Core standards - developed by mapping backwards from the skills higher education faculty and employers identified as critical to success and internationally benchmarked - are the best way to ensure our students have the skills they need to succeed in college and careers. Delay only leaves our students further behind - they won't get a second chance to experience 4th grade or sophomore year.
Our students don't have time to wait; their future is being shaped in classrooms today. And right now, educators in classrooms all across the state are using the Common Core standards to make sure that future is bright.
Thank you for everything you do every day to help our students learn. Sincerely, John B. King, Jr. Commissioner Follow me on Twitter @JohnKingNYSED |
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2013 Test Guides for English Language Arts & Mathematics
In prior years, the State Education Department has released one Test Guide focused primarily on test administration. This year, for the first time SED has prepared 2013 Test Guides for each subject and grade. In an effort to provide educators with as much support as possible regarding the instructional and assessment shifts necessitated by the Common Core, the Department has prepared 2013 Test Guides for English Language Arts and Mathematics in grades 3-8. The Test Guides integrate important instructional and assessment information into a single document and detail how the Common Core Learning Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics will be measured on the 2013 tests and supplement the other Common Core implementation resources found on EngageNY.org. For more information and for copies of the Test Guides, please visit:
http://engageny.org/resource/test-guides-for-english-language-arts-and-mathematics |
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 State Education Department Launches
Virtual Learning Initiative
The State Education Department has awarded grants to 17 school districts and local consortia of districts under New York State's virtual learning initiative, Virtual Advanced Placement (VAP) Program. VAP is targeted to improve access to online and blended Advanced Placement (AP) courses for low-income students. The program is part of the Board of Regents' strategy to ensure that all New York students graduate from high school ready for college and careers.
The federal funds will enable students and teachers statewide to participate in Advanced Placement (AP) and pre-AP classes and exams. Seventeen VAP Program grants worth a total of $17,359,098 will be distributed to individual school districts and consortia of school districts led by Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to develop online and blended courses (which combine online and traditional classroom instruction). The courses will be taught by school district or BOCES teachers.
For more information about the Virtual Learning Initiative, please visit: http://www.oms.nysed.gov/press/VirtualLearningInitiative.html.
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Commissioner's Teacher Advisory Council
Earlier this month, State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. announced the creation of the Commissioner's Teacher Advisory Council. The Council, formed in collaboration with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), will meet periodically to discuss on-going education issues, in particular, the progress of the New York State Board of Regents Reform Agenda.
The Council consists of teachers recommended by NYSUT as well as teachers recommended by the New York State Charter Schools Association, nonpublic school teachers, the three most recent New York State Teachers of the Year, National Board Certified Teachers, and several appointments by Commissioner King.
"Our goal is to make sure every student in New York graduates ready for college or a career," King said. "The Council will help us stay on track toward that goal and NYSUT's strong support of the Council will help make sure it's a success.
"The teachers on the Council will give direct feedback from the frontlines of reform - the classroom," King added. "The most important thing we can do as educators is maintain focus on the students, and these extraordinary teachers will help us do just that."
For more information and the list of Council members, please visit: http://www.oms.nysed.gov/press/CommissionersTeacherAdvisoryCouncilAnnounced.html
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