Summer. A time to relax by the pool, take vacation and . . . Summer School. Yes, Summer School. 
 
The 2021 version of CA BOCES Regional Academic Summer School (BRASS) was fully virtual with educators and learners utilizing Zoom for class sessions and Apex for course curriculum. BRASS is in the Student Programs CoSer which is led by Mary Morris in conjunction with the Distance Learning CoSer. This year was much like last year except for one significant difference. This year there were 483 student registrations from 17 districts!  Last year, we had 198 students registered in BRASS.
 
Our five teachers rose to the challenge. They built courses in Apex that met the New York State requirement of 20 hours of content/learning activities and then engaged with students in groups of as many as 45 at one time. The educators conducted social emotional check ins, provided content support and were champions for the learners daily. The learners realized much success over the course of the five-week session. 90% of the learners passed with an average of 65%+; 10% failed (includes late drops), final grade class averages ranged from 73.5 - 88.25. Congratulations to the learners and educators!
 
In addition to the success of the BRASS program, we also offered for the first time a blended New York State Certified Driver's Education class. Our Educator for Online Learning, Lisa Scott (also a New York State certified Driver's Education Instructor), built the course in Moodle based on the New York State provided content. The educators and learners connected via Zoom for fifteen 90-minute sessions, per New York State Driver's Education course requirements. 368 learners were led by 3 educators during 12 different sessions.  So far, 166 MV-285 Driver Education certificates have been issued to learners after receiving their parent supervision certification and driving log.
 
These two examples of innovation and risk have helped make the summer of 2021 memorable for educators and learners in our region. I am proud and humbled to have been a part of both components of BRASS. Congratulations to all!

By: Karen Insley, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Whether they were participating in Driver’s Education or attending Summer School at one of the three CA BOCES sites, many of our students found themselves engaged in learning over the summer.  The numbers can speak for themselves.   At the Salamanca Summer School site, we had 254 students enrolled in classes and 341 students registered to take one of the August Regents Exams.  At the Wellsville Summer School site, we had 195 students enrolled in classes and 188 students registered to take one of the August Regents Exams.  At the Cuba Summer School site, we had 83 students enrolled in classes and 95 students registered to take one of the August Regents Exams.  Driver’s Education instructor’s operated out of 15 district sites and helped 377 students learn the rules of the road.

We would like to thank all of the Summer School teachers and Driver’s Education instructors for their desire and dedication in helping all of our students fulfill their academic obligations.  Please contact us if you have any questions or need future assistance.  We are always striving to make our summer student programs the best that they can be!