Information literacy is pertinent to students’ education and is cultivated through the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum (ESIFC) Cycle of Inquiry and Learning skills Connecting, Wondering, Investigating, Constructing, Expressing, and Reflecting.  These skills help students think critically, encourages innovation, and prepares them for research projects.  Students wonder about many things but lack effectiveness in finding accurate resources, however, through collaborative opportunities between content area teachers and school librarians these skills can be reinforced with students.   
School librarians attending the Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) for 2019-2020 have been provided with an updated version of the ESIFC, which also supports the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards. 
The ESIFC was developed by the New York City Department of Education/Office of Library Services School Library System in 2014 and has recently been updated to include NYS Next Generation Standards.  This resource is available to teachers and school librarians and helps familiarize them with curricular resources and assist in planning collaborative lessons.  The four anchor standards and indicators are:

• Inquiry & Design Thinking - Students Use Inquiry and Design Thinking to Build Understanding and Create New Knowledge
• Multiple Literacies - Use Multiple Literacies to Explore, Learn, and Express Ideas
• Social & Civic Responsibility - Demonstrate Civic Responsibility, Respect for Diverse Perspectives, Collaboration, and Digital Citizenship
• Personal Growth & Agency - Engage in Personal Exploration, Social and Emotional Growth, Independent Reading and Learning, and Personal Agency

Included in the ESIFC are benchmark skills for grades K-12 and assessments for each priority benchmark skill and may be viewed at https://slsa-nys.libguides.com/ifc
School librarians within CA BOCES will receive training in using this fantastic resource. 

By: Cece Fuoco, CA BOCES Learning Resources

I have determined a solution to end the struggle between pronouncing data with either a long or short ‘a’ sound. Rather than being confused between which of the two typical pronunciations you should choose, you should pronounce data as you would tada. Now, if you didn’t find it fun before, any conversations regarding data will be much more enjoyable!

Thankfully, the vast majority of my discussions and dialogue centered on data have been well-received and productive. Based on recent conversations with similar colleagues at various BOCES, these generally positive encounters regarding data are both a rarity and are among the many characteristics that set the CA BOCES region apart from many others across the state.

However, because much of my work as well as that of numerous coordinators on the Professional Development team involves data (as it should), I would like to share the data ABCs as many of the CA BOCES continue to delve deeper into data.
Data Is AwarenessA good friend of mine said something that has been stuck in my head since he made the claim not long ago: even the sincerest of intentions can be sincerely mistaken. In other words, while a person’s intentions can be good, the actions he chooses may not yield the desired results, potentially even the opposite.

The same is true in education. As a former high school mathematics teacher, I held firm to the belief that my students needed to do homework in order to be successful. “Complete these 15 problems (10 skill-based and 5 application) each night, and you’ll be on the right track,” I thought. That was the approach my teachers had taken. It was the approach most educators followed (albeit with some flexibility). However, although research based on traditional homework practices yields positive results, traditional homework still does not provide a year’s worth of growth, at least through grade twelve.

By examining the research, we are able to challenge our own subjective beliefs and opinions. It is in this examination of data that we are aware of how to best align our sincerest intentions with what actually works best, not just what we think works best.

Data Is The Beginning, Not The EndBeyond awareness, data is best utilized before making decisions. The difference between using data to become aware and guide next steps as compared to being used for awareness alone is the difference between being proactive and reactive. Data as a beginning allows for timely and accurate decision making, both of which are key to formative practices.
Data Is CrucialIf being accurately informed wasn’t justification enough, I have listed five additional reasons why data is crucial in public education:

• Data is objective.
• Data is a practical communication tool, particularly in visualizations and storytelling.
• Data allows for increased accountability and transparency by measuring effectiveness. 
• Data allows for targeted growth.
• Data is necessary.​

Regardless of the reason we cling to or the reason we try to avoid, I am thankful to work with educators throughout the region who recognize the benefits of data and work toward creating a data-informed culture.

By: Mark Beckwith, CA BOCES Professional Development

​The limited English proficient population within the United States has grown over 80 percent within the last 20 years, and continues to do so.  Language access programs ensure equal access to everyday programs, services and activities that schools provide, including those that impact the vital safety of the community, health and legal rights.  Although the need within our particular region is not frequent, it is often urgent. 
In an effort to assist our region’s school districts in meeting the needs of the whole child, and doing so efficiently and effectively, Language Line Solutions was contracted through Community Schools to provide translation and interpretation, as needed.  Language Line Solutions is a proven and trusted partner in the field of language access that has been in the business for nearly 40 years, with over 25 thousand clients, including top government and healthcare sectors.
The Community Schools Service Showcase on September 24th, hosted representatives of the company to personally introduce the service.  Participants learned of the specific services that are available to their districts within the contract and expanded upon the circumstances in which they might be utilized.  Specific services included written translation, telephonic interpretation and video interpretation in upwards of 240 languages, inclusive of American Sign Language. 
When might schools use spoken and signed interpretation? Good question. Language Line phone interpreting or Language Line InSight video interpreting might be helpful for any inbound or outbound phone calls, parent-teacher conferences, meetings with school administrators, discipline follow up, school nurse visits, new student registration meetings or special education related meetings, including Committee on Special Education (CSE) Meetings.  Interpretation services are available on demand, with an average connection time of 30 seconds or less. 
Written translation, would be particularly useful to overcome language barriers in various school related situations.  Some examples would include, exams or tests, written Individualized Education Plans (IEP), parental consent notices, progress reports, parent handbooks, medical authorization forms and other general notices.  Once a district has a document translated, they own that document and are able to reproduce such documents as needed, for example, parent handbooks. 
Community Schools will be working with Language Line Solutions to host a virtual informational meeting later this fall.  Please look for an announcement or contact Katie Mendell at Kathryn_mendell@caboces.org for more information.

By: Katie Mendell, CA BOCES Community Schools

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CABOCES hosted the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and an audience of nearly 1,400 elementary students and teachers for 2 interactive concerts at the Olean High School on September 25.   The BPO, led by conductor Jaman Dunn, kicks off their Student Concert Series each year by transporting a 70 piece orchestra to the Southern Tier.
 
The concerts combined a diverse selection of music, story-telling and active audience participation.  It was more than just a concert, it was an educational show that connected NYS elementary curriculum with music. The audience was prompted to listen, conduct, sing and dance along as the musicians’ accompanied them.  The enthusiastic students performed with the BPO.
 
Each year a talented team of music teachers, staff and musicians develop the School Concert Series.  This year the theme was a focus on how music can demonstrate, express and encourage movement and emotion. The BPO Education department aligned their performances with the Common Core Learning Standards.  This provided a unique opportunity to inspire Kindergarten through Fifth grade students and enhance the Arts, ELA and Literacy Standards that are being taught in the classroom.  To ensure a strong foundation for “Moving and Grooving”, the BPO Education Department provided curriculum material, including audio links, for use in the classroom.  The districts received these resources prior to the shows and teachers were encouraged to use them to prepare their students for the performance.  The information is available on the BPO website at http://bpo.org/community-engagement/education4/for-educators/curriculum-resources/
 
Robin Parkinson, BPO’s Director of Education and Community Engagement, summed up the day this way: “The BPO is incredibly proud to start our season of youth concerts in Olean each year, performing for our neighbors in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. It is gratifying to be able to take the orchestra on the road and play for students who can’t make it to Kleinhans in Buffalo.”

​Thank you to Franklinville, Hinsdale, Scio, Wellsville and Olean school districts for allowing their students to attend and promoting the arts in their education.  CABOCES Arts in Education helps schools enrich the lives of their students by providing opportunities to experience the performing arts.  If the concept of music as education piques your interest, please call CABOCES Student Programs at 716-376-8323 to find out more about Arts In Education, CoSer 403.  

By: Jean Oliverio, Student Programs

If you heard a buzz coming from the Main Center of CABOCES in Olean on August 20th and 21st, there was no need to worry!  Our annual CABOCES Summer Tech Camp was going on and the energy, excitement, and participation was through the roof!  If you missed out, keep reading for a recap of the event.
 
Spanning the course of two days in August, over 75 participants took part in a refreshing look into new and exciting instructional technology applications and programs to take back into their classrooms for the upcoming school year.  There were 14 different school districts and three BOCES represented by the participants. 
 
On the first day, Matt Miller (author of Ditch That Textbook, Ditch That Homework, and Don’t Ditch That Tech) presented a keynote all about bringing new and innovative approaches to educational activities using a variety of technology tools that most of us already have access to on a daily basis.  He showed how to take virtual field trips using Google Maps, using the Quizizz app to replace general homework review assignments, new ways to combat Kahoot/Quizlet overuse.  Matt also demonstrated the use of Pear Deck to make classroom presentations more interactive and engaging.  He finished the first day with a meaningful and enlightening discussion regarding the relevancy and educational impact that homework may play in our classrooms.  A participant commented that “Matt showed some things that were new, some that I already knew, but the approach to using them in the classroom has me excited and ready to go for this school year!  He made everything seem so easy and relatable to my classroom.”
 
On the second day, we had the opportunity to shine the light on some of our local teachers who had put in requests to present to their peers on what they do, software programs they do, and much more.  With over 20 teacher-directed presentations to choose from, as well as other sessions from vendors like Apple Education, Castle Learning, Spider Learning and the CABOCES Professional Development team, Day Two had a more “conference” feel to it.  Regional teachers were able to choose from sessions such as “Beyond being Nice Online” by Fillmore teacher Eileen Anderson, “The Art of Storytelling” by Mark Beckwith from CABOCES, “iBooks” from Cattaraugus-Little Valley’s Chelsea Lobello, and many more!
 
If you missed out, you can follow along with what the discussion and buzz was about on Twitter, just search for the hashtag #CABOCEStechcamp to see the resources and more that was shared during the conference days.  Teachers left Summer Tech Camp with a tremendous buzz and excitement to use what they learned in their rooms and looking forward to next year’s CABOCES Summer Tech Camp 2020!  

By: Ryan McGinnis, Model Schools