| FYI
2025-2026 Albert Shanker Grant Application Period – Open Until February 6, 2026
· The Albert Shanker grant was established to defray the costs of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification to eligible New York State public school teachers.
· The New York State Education Department (NYSED), through the Albert Shanker Grant, makes funding available to support eligible New York State public school teachers in the following priority order of funding:
· Candidates seeking their first National Board Certification, or
· Retake of one component, or
· Maintenance of Certification (MOC).
· Funding is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible candidates in the priority order of funding.
· Resources may be found at:
· NYSED Albert Shanker Grant
· NYSED Albert Shanker Grant Candidate FAQ
· Questions may be directed to shankergrant@nysed.gov.
FYI
Office of Special Education Newsletter Release
· The Office of Special Education (OSE) is thrilled to announce the launch of its quarterly newsletter designed specifically to keep parents and educators informed, empowered, and connected.
· OSE Newsletters will include:
· Timely updates on policy and programs to support students with disabilities;
· Strategic resources to support district planning and leadership;
· Notice of key events, training, and other opportunities; and
· Updates on statewide education efforts that impact students with disabilities.
· Additionally, the OSE Newsletter and NYSED P-20 Weekly announcements sent from OSE will be sent via a new platform. If you were previously enrolled in an OSE listserv, your contact information has been migrated to a new messaging platform called Constant Contact. New subscribers are encouraged to register to receive updates from the Office of Special Education.
· We are excited to announce these changes and to provide continued support to New York State learners, educators, and parents.
· Should you have questions, please contact speced@nysed.gov.
FYI
Special Education Mediation
· The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Special Education (OSE) has created the Special Education Dispute Resolution Center (SEDRC) to administer a centralized system to oversee requests for and intake of special education mediation across New York State.
· In addition, NYSED has updated its Special Education Mediation website to include:
· Information for families and school districts on how to submit and process a request for special education mediation;
· Translated Special Education Mediation Request Form in four additional languages – Korean, Italian, Polish, and Yiddish – to improve accessibility to New York State’s diverse families; and
· Updated Questions and Answers regarding special education mediation processes and procedures.
· For help initiating the mediation process, a parent and/or district can contact the SEDRC by phone at 1-855-RESOLVE (1-855-737-6583), by email at info@osedisputeresolution.org, or by visiting the SEDRC website.
· Questions may be directed to:
· SEDRC at info@osedisputeresolution.org or at 1-855-RESOLVE (737-6583); or
· OSE Due Process Unit at specedih@nysed.gov.
FYI
Special Education Due Process Complaint Notice
· The New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of Special Education (OSE) has translated the Due Process Complaint Notice Model Form into four additional languages – Korean, Italian, Polish, and Yiddish – and is now available in a total of 15 languages.
· While use of this model form is optional, it is strongly recommended to help ensure that all required information is included.
· An original due process complaint notice must be sent to the other party (either the parent or the school district). A copy must also be sent to the New York State Education Department, Office of Special Education, Room 309 EB, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York, 12234, attention: Due Process Unit.
· NYSED encourages parents and school districts to pursue collaborative, less adversarial approaches – such as mediation – whenever possible to resolve complaints concerning the education of students with disabilities.
· Questions may be directed to the OSE Due Process Unit at specedih@nysed.gov.
FYI
Reporting Requirement for Directors of School Health Services
· Section 8-CRR-NY 136.2 (c) of the Commissioner’s Regulations states that the trustees or board of education of each school district shall employ, at a compensation to be agreed upon by the parties, a director of school health services.
· Districts are required to report these personnel to the Student Information Repository System (SIRS) with Staff Assignment codes 2203 (Director of School Health Services – Physician) or 2204 (Director of School Health Services – Nurse Practitioner).
· Please contact the Office of Student Support Services (StudentSupportServices@nysed.gov) with any questions about this requirement.
· Please contact the Office of Information and Reporting Services (IRS) at Datasupport with any data reporting questions.
FYI
2024–2025 Student Growth and English Language Proficiency Results Available
· The Student Information Repository System (SIRS) Student Growth (SIRS 112) and English Language Proficiency (SIRS 113) reports, containing results from the 2024–2025 school year that will be used for 2025–2026 accountability determinations, are now available.
· Additionally, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) has made student growth results linked to teachers and principals available for download in the Information and Reporting Services Portal (IRSP), for informational and improvement planning purposes.
· For more information about the student growth results, please see the 2024-25 Growth Results Release PDF file.
· For more information about the New York State ESSA accountability system, please see the Understanding the New York State Accountability System under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for 2025–2026 Accountability Statuses Based on 2024–2025 Results guide on the NYSED School and District Accountability Resources and Data webpage.
· For questions about student growth and ELP results or the accountability system, contact accountinfo@nysed.gov.
FYI
Screening and Assessment using Valid and Reliable Tools in Prekindergarten
· School districts are required under Commissioner’s Regulations Part 117.3 to screen all new entrants using a valid and reliable screening tool prior to the school year, if possible, but no later than December 1st.
· In addition, according to Commissioner’s Regulations 151-1.3(b), districts must establish a process for the ongoing assessment of all children participating in a UPK program.
· To help districts navigate the screening and progress monitoring process, the Office of Early Learning (OEL) has created the Introduction to Valid and Reliable Screening and Progress Monitoring Tools document, which can be found on the OEL Assessment webpage.
· Please reach out to the Office of Early Learning with any questions at OEL@nysed.gov.
FYI
Register for the P-3 Cultural Connections Webinar
· The Office of Early Learning is hosting the P-3 Cultural Connections webinar on Wednesday, November 12, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
· Participants will learn about the P-3 Cultural Connections Framework and Resource Kit—a tool to bring experiential, hands-on learning into early childhood classrooms.
· Interested parties can register for the P-3 Cultural Connections webinar here.
· For more information on the webinars being offered by the Office of Early Learning this year, as well as recordings of past webinars, please see the Early Learning Webinar Series webpage.
· Please reach out to the Office of Early Learning with any questions at OEL@nysed.gov. |
