2024-25 School Year Elementary- and Intermediate-level Testing Schedule per NYSED

NYSAA ELA, Math, and Science

Monday, March 10 - Friday, June 6;  Make-ups must be given within the testing window

2024-2025 Schedule for SCSD:

• Science Gr 5 & 8 - 4/8/2025; all makeups through 5/23;

• ELA CBT and PBT - 4/29-4/30; all makeups through 5/23; and

• Math CBT and PBT - 5/7-5/8; all makeups through 5/23.

NOTE:  check-in support meetings with Principals are every Wednesday at 3pm with NERIC - email Tracy Angelini for details.

NYSESLAT Speaking

Monday, April 14 - Friday, May 23; Make-ups must be given within the testing window.

NYSESLAT Listening, Reading, and Writing

Monday, May 12 - Friday, May 23; Make-ups must be given within the testing window.

NOTE: SCSD communication for parent/guardian available here!!!

DCIP and SCEP development for 2025-2026 has begun!  

District Comprehensive Improvement Plan (DCIP) - All Target Districts will work with stakeholders to consider existing needs and determine next steps for the upcoming school year.  Prior to writing their plan, Districts complete the DCIP Planning Document, which is the District-level needs assessment.  Similar to the school-level needs assessment, the DCIP Planning Document is organized around NYSED’s core needs assessment concepts: Envision, Analyze, and Listen.  Links to the DCIP Planning Document and the DCIP Template can be found under “Improvement Planning Resources” below.  The final DCIP and DCIP Planning Document are submitted to NYSED for approval. 

The Schenectady CSD has developed the following timeline for this development:

• DCIP

  • • March 20, 2025- Initial meeting to review 24-25 DCIP priority and aligned measures of success.  Discussion of whether priority is relevant and appropriate for upcoming year - met

    • April 3, 2025- ELT members come with proposed language for their Priority (Priorities 1) - met

    • May 1, 2025- ELT members come with proposed language for their priorities (Priority 2 and 3) 

    • May 15, 2025- ELT members come with proposed language for their priorities (Priority 4 and 5)

      • Stakeholder input on priority 5

    • Finalization of DCIP - Due May 23rd

      • Due to NYSED on July 1

• SCEP 

  • • Monday, May 19th - Principal receive SCEP guidance aligned with DCIP Priorities

      • Areas for SCEP Guidance: Attendance, ELA, Math, Walkthroughs  + School Specific Goal 

    • Director of Planning and Accountability and Executive Directors - review submitted SCEP Drafts submitted by June 15, 2025 

    • Principals receive Feedback on SCEPs by June 15, 2025 

    • All revisions due back by June 22, 2025 

      • All CSI SCEP documents due to NYSED by July 1

School Comprehensive Education Plan (SCEP)

The School Comprehensive Education Plan (SCEP) is the tool developed by the NYS Education Department (NYSED) 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 NYSED has organized the work for teams to complete a five-part needs assessment prior to writing the SCEP:

• Pre-Activity (optional): ​Envision: Exploring our Vision, Values, and Aspirations

• Activity 1: Analyze Data Variation Part 1 Identification

• Activity 2: Analyze Data Variation Part 2 Share and Explore

• Activity 3: Analyze: Survey Data

• Activity 4: Listen: Student Interviews

• Activity 5: Envision: Reflect and Synthesize

All schools in the CSI support model will continue to be supported by a liaison from the New York State Education Department, while all schools in the ATSI and TSI support models will be supported by a liaison from the district and/or BOCES.

Liaisons will have a minimum of three touchpoints during the plan development process:

• After the principal has completed the first Analyze: Data Variation activity to discuss the findings and plan for the upcoming team meeting. 

• After the team has completed the Envision: Synthesize and Plan activity to discuss the key strategies and the plan writing process.

• After the plan has been finalized to ensure that the plan meets NYSED’s SCEP Minimum Expectations. 

When the SCEP team is satisfied with the plan, the team should compare the completed plan to the SCEP Rubric to consider where there may be opportunities to strengthen the plan.  After the team has analyzed the completed plan in relation to the SCEP rubric and made any necessary revisions, teams can then coordinate the final plan review process with their district and/or SED.

• All school teams in the CSI support model should plan on submitting their final plan to their SED liaison by July 1, 2025.  The SED liaison will then arrange to have their final liaison check-in  with the school. 

• All school teams in the ATSI and TSI support models should coordinate their plan submission process with their district liaison, who will verify that the plan meets NYSED’s SCEP minimum expectations. 

• Once the SCEP has been finalized, the district will need to ensure that the local Board of Education have approved the plan and that the plan is posted on the district website.

• All Target Districts are to submit their DCIP to dcip@nysed.gov by July 1, 2025. Districts completing the DCIP District Priorities Template should also submit their DCIP Planning Document. Extension requests can be made by emailing dcip@nysed.gov.  

Thank you all who participated in the DTSDE School Review Process for your building or support visits.  Thank you to the teachers for welcoming us into your classrooms and releasing your students to have conversations with our team.  This work continues to be a collaborative effort with the Building Administration to identify next steps toward school improvement.  DTSDE School Review recommendations should support and be incorporated in each building SCEP.  

Plans are continuing to be developed for support for the 2025-2026 school year!

Quarter 3 Report Cards:

Quarter 3 grades are due for all buildings on 4/28/25 at 4:00pm. This is an update from the original due date on the Report Card Schedule.  Below is a link to the 24-25 Report Card Schedule

2024-2025 PROGRESS REPORT CARD SCHEDULE

Servicenow:

The Data Team has moved over to Servicenow. 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:

https://scribehow.com/shared/Log_in_to_ServiceNow_and_access_District_Initiatives_Planning_and_Accountability_catalog_items__zR_Bzj0_TAaqgYBuKr6N8w

Please remember when making address changes to call the school the student is going to and make sure they have room or the Special Education Office if they have an IEP.  If there is court paperwork that you receive and there is a new guardian fill out the address change form and attach the court documents and send to Katy Vacca and Theresa Ravas.  

If you receive a request for records on a student please send them to Katy Vacca (vaccak@schenectadyschools.org) so that she can withdraw them in Infinite Campus.  

Please remember to let Student Support Services (IEP Department) know if you are withdrawing a student with an IEP so that they can withdraw them in Frontline.

AND

Universal Pre-K lottery applications are now available through April 23, 2025.  Have parents watch the district website under the Prekindergarten tab for details at:  https://www.schenectadyschools.org/page/prekindergarten

AND

Kindergarten registration opens on March 3rd for the 2025-2026 school year.  Forms can be found at:

https://www.schenectadyschools.org/page/student-registration

Natasha Bangaroo will be creating an APPR report for each school building. Once the reports are completed, she will schedule a meeting with each building Principal to review and discuss the findings together.  Please stay tuned for more details and meeting invitations in the coming weeks

If you would like StaffTrac training, please contact Natasha Bangaroo at: bangaroon@schenectadyschools.org.

Home School/Instruction continues to be supported for 2024-2025! 

Parents of, or persons in parental relation to, compulsory school age children have the legal right to instruct their children at home. If a child is being educated at home, the local school district must be assured that the child is receiving instruction in certain required courses/subjects.

If you have interested families looking for information, please inquire to ask why they are seeking homeschooling, ensure that staff/school has provided supports that will encourage students to stay enrolled in the building, and that they have reviewed their intent with the Principal or Counselors.  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.

Also, We have updated our Homeschooling Support Center Website

Please forward all inquiries to the Office of Planning and Accountability.

NOTE:  this is NOT homebound instruction/tutoring related to a medical issue - please contact Student support Services for homebound instruction/tutoring.

NOTE:  If you have a family/parent that would like to re-register their child back to the school building, please have them contact Registration to review what they would need.