April 2024
Hot off the Press!
On behalf of the Office of District Initiatives, Planning, & Accountability, we hope you all had a wonderful April recess, and we look forward to a strong finish to the end of the 2023-2024 school year, between now and the end of June. Between the launch of ServiceNow to engage data requests, and our continuous examination of using best practices to support systems and growth in using data to inform actions, our office remains busy! Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions or wonderings, and we wish everyone a terrific last quarter to the year!
Mr. DiCaprio & the DIPA Team
NYSED has posted information for the School Comprehensive Education Plan (SCEP) development.
See the linkS for information at: School Comprehensive Education Plan (SCEP)
The School Comprehensive Education Plan (SCEP) is the tool developed by the Department to support schools in planning and organizing their improvement efforts in the upcoming year. Any school that is supported through the Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) support model, the Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) support model, or the Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) support model will be required to work with stakeholders to develop an SCEP for the upcoming school year. The Department has organized the work teams will do into six different team activities prior to writing the SCEP:
After the school has completed the steps above, the school team will write a plan to guide the school for the upcoming year. The template provided by the Department for schools in the CSI, ATSI, and TSI support models is organized around the following components:
2 to 4 “Commitments” that will guide future efforts. An ideal Commitment is something that the school team sees as part of a long-range vision for the school. At least one Commitment must be connected to Teaching and Learning.
1 to 4 Key Strategies per Commitment that identify the means by which the school will advance that Commitment in the upcoming year. Each Key Strategy selected should be grounded in research and represent something that will look different this upcoming year in comparison to previous years.
An Implementation Plan for each Key Strategy identifying how the plan for initiating, refining, or expanding the key strategy.
Progress Targets for each Commitment that will provide helpful feedback that the school is on-track that the school will work toward.
DUE: July 1, 2024 TO THE OFFICE OF DISTRICT INITIATIVES, PLANNING, AND ACCOUNTABILITY
NYSED has developed an improvement planning process for all schools rooted in the concepts of:
The Data Dish:
The Data Team has moved over to Servicenow. We appreciate your help with this new process. This will allow us to ensure we capture all requests and create an efficient system for the Data Team. Please access Servicenow on your Launchpad on Classlink and follow the instructions below:
New Dashboard Additions - The Early Warning Dashboards below now include additional filters for program involvement:
Elementary Early Warning System
Middle Early Warning System
High School Early Warning System
Grade Attendance Dashboard now includes a filter for team sports
The Transportation Times
UPDATE - Trip finder is up and running! Our focus was to go paperless and it has been a success. Trip finder is a 4-step process for approvals to submit field trips from all schools and programs. It is imperative that all PO'S (BLUE COPY) be submitted to Transportation 1 week prior to the trip date to make sure our vendors are being paid timely and your service is being scheduled. Thank you for your cooperation and feedback. We will continue to progress with this program to include billing and other features which will allow you to run multiple reports to keep you informed.
Schenectady City School District has approximately 6 afterschool programs that are actively running. We have approximately 300 students who attend these programs and they end between 5:30pm and 6:30pm, with some students being transported home by 7:30pm. Now that the colder weather and dark nights have arrived, please make sure our students are properly dressed for the walk and bus ride home with hats,coats,boots and mittens. For any students who require a parent at a corner stop, please make sure they arrive 10 minutes prior to the drop off time to ensure the students have a safe walk home.
Please note that all transportation hardship requests should be emailed to hardshiprequests@schenectadyschools.org.
Lastly, I wanted to share that your feedback is important and continues to help us ensure our efforts to provide safe and efficient transportation. This feedback is invaluable for us now and into the future if we are going to continue to make progress. Thank you for your support and communication.
The Registration Record
UPDATE - Our office has moved - our new address is 530 Liberty Street, Schenectady, NY 12305.
Hours are 7:30am - 3:30 pm
Remember ALL changes In Infinite Campus must come to Registration to be done Please contact registration@schenectadyschools.org with questions.
Please send all hardship requests to hardshiprequests@schenectadyschools.org. The committee meets once a month and families receive their responses within two weeks.
STAFF TRAC
UPDATE - All Conference Requests for 2023-2024: Please allow 6 weeks for any conference approval AND 10 weeks for the approval process to take place for any overnight and long distance travel. Also, please ensure you receive approval from your Principal or direct supervisor and secure funding before entering into StaffTrac. NOTE: even if the District is sponsoring the conference/event, your Principal/direct supervisor must give approval to attend. All conference request forms available in SchoolFront for all employee groups. We are working on clarifying this information for certain groups. Teachers/admin should be using the SchoolFront forms already.
Building Principals/Secretaries - Please remember to enter ALL building faculty meetings in StaffTrac. Each event must have a description and/or agenda attached. All staff enrolled need to be marked as 'Attended' or 'Did not attend' after the meeting.
If you would like StaffTrac training, please contact Natasha Bangaroo at: bangarooh@schenectadyschools.org.
The HomeSCHOOL review
Home School/Instruction continues to be supported for 2023-2024! If you have interested families looking for information, please inquire to see that they have reviewed their intent with the Principal or Counselors. Please remember to ask the following questions of families/guardians before referring to homeschooling:
Why are they requesting homeschooling?
What has occurred in the building to lead to this decision?
What has the building done to connect and resolve any challenges facing the student?
We have developed a "Fact Sheet for Counselors" to assist the conversations with families about homeschooling. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Homeschooling families are required to complete an end of the year assessment each year. They are able to participate in the Gr 3-8 NYS Assessments if they wish; however, would need to make arrangements with the Office of District Initiatives, Planning, and Accountability first. Please direct them to contact Tracy Angelini, if there are any questions.
the grants gazette
UPDATE - Please check your Grant-Funded Timesheets for accuracy before signing and sending them to the Grants Department. Timesheet comments must align with the description in the budget. For instructional staff, indicate contact hours when working directly with students; and non-contact hours for staff meetings and professional development. Timesheets also need accurate totals. All grant-funded timesheets will be returned to buildings for revision if not filled out correctly.
Please contact Christy Ferri at ferric@schenectadyschools.org if you have any questions regarding grants or title funding.
Wait, there is more!
Supports for CSI and ATSI schools
DTSDE Framework
The DTSDE Framework outlines effective practices organized along the DTSDE Tenets. The framework is a reference tool to assist schools in examining the practices and engaging in reflective dialogue to improve practice.
School Comprehensive Education Planning (SCEP) for 2024-2025 is beginning. Each school building is required to complete a SCEP for the next year. Each building will be including stakeholders in this development (i.e., staff, teachers, students, families). Some of the SCEP development is referenced in the following:
School Comprehensive Education Plan (SCEP)
The School Comprehensive Education Plan (SCEP) is the tool developed by the Department to support schools in planning and organizing their improvement efforts in the upcoming year. Any school that is supported through the Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) support model, the Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) support model, or the Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) support model will be required to work with stakeholders to develop an SCEP for the upcoming school year. The Department has organized the work teams will do into six different team activities prior to writing the SCEP:
NYSED has developed an improvement planning process for all schools rooted in the concepts of:
AND, YET - MORE GOOD NEWS - NYS GR 3-8 TESTING FOR 23-24
2023–24 School Year Elementary- and Intermediate-level Testing Schedule per NYSED
UPDATED - SCSD Testing Schedule for 2023-2024
NYSAA ELA, Math, and Science
Monday, March 11 - Friday, June 7; Make-ups must be given within the testing window
Regional testing window for each content by NERIC - dates for SCSD - all district Gr 3-8:
We finalized the dates to administer the CBT and PBT as follows:
Middle Schools (Gr 6-8)
ELA PBT and CBT for Grades 6, 7, 8 will be administered on 4/10-4/11; makeups for PBT through 4/17; makeups for CBT through 5/17
Math CBT Grade 8 will be administered on 5/7-5/8; makeups through 5/17
Math PBT Grades 6, 7 will be administered on 5/7-5/8; makeups through 5/14
Science CBT Grade 8 will be administered on 4/30; makeups through 5/17 (no PBT unless SWD)
Elementary Schools (Gr 3-5)
ELA PBT for Grades 3, 4 will be administered on 4/10-4/11; makeups through 4/17 - DONE
ELA CBT for Grades 5 will be administered on 4/16-4/17; makeups through 5/17
Math PBT for Grades 3, 4 will be administered on 5/7-5/8; makeups through 5/14
Math CBT for Grades 5 CBT will be administered on 5/9-5/10; makeups through 5/17
Science CBT Grade 5 will be administered on 4/30; makeups through 5/17
NOTE: NYSESLAT - 4/15 thru 5/24 - PBT only
Contact Tracy Angelini if you have any questions.
our crew
518-881-3405
Joseph DiCaprio - Assistant Superintendent of District Initiatives, Planning, and Accountability (X36979)
Tracy Angelini - Director of Planning & Accountability (X36976)
Christy Ferri - Assistant Director of Grants and Title Funding (X36917)
Julia Ciaccio - Grant Writer (x36942)
Natalie Cable - Manager of Data and Information (X36972)
Hector Gallardo - Senior Data Analyst (X36973)
TBD - Data Analyst (X36919)
Natasha Bangaroo- Assistant Manager of Data (X36937)
Jimmy Rampersaud - Assistant Manager of Data (X36926)
TBD - DIPA Project Manager
Alissa Diamond - Executive Secretary II (X36974)
Katy Vacca - Registrar/Principle Clerk (X36928)
Aimee Demarest - Registration Secretary (X36929)
Al Valachovic - Transportation Supervisor (X36911)
Nicole Stabinski - Transportation Assistant (X36912)
Heather Wilson - Transportation Assistant (X36940)
Bianca Rivera - Secretary (Transportation) (X36979)