Initiative #5-8-3 Regional Task Force Structure and Leadership, Partnerships, and Summer Symposia

Overview of the Initiative

This combined Initiative acknowledges the integral nature of establishing the regional TF structure and leadership and two of its major activities: forming regional partnerships and developing a regional summer symposium. Combining the three formerly separate initiatives should facilitate planning and management of the regional efforts. This call for proposal includes parts aligned with these three aspects of the regional effort.

Part 5. Regional Task Force Structure and Leadership

The HESC continues to sponsor a Regional Task Force structure aligned with the seven RSSC regions and six SEQA regions of the state. Much of the important work of the HESC is carried out through this regional effort. Each region will be allocated funds to support of the regional structure, the role of TF Liaison, and regional activities. These allocations vary from $15,000 to $20,000, depending on the region's size, location, and the number of regional institutions with teacher preparation programs.

Advantages of the Regional TF structure. One critical purpose of the Regional TF structure is development of capacity in the region to address persistent regional problems encountered in improving outcomes for students with disabilities, a function that has been enhanced by TF collaboration with regional district and school educators and communities, professional development service providers, and teacher educators in regional colleges and universities. The Regional TF is often the only formal communication and collaboration platform where the varied regional practitioners committed to addressing these needs are brought together to share practices and learn from each other.

College and university teacher educator members of the Regional TF have engaged and continue to engage their preservice teachers in TF activities. This way, the Regional TF educates the next generation of teachers – many of whom are likely to practice in the regions – in taking on and solving the problems of learner achievement in high-need/low performing schools.

Regional TF Liaison role. Each region is led by a TF Liaison or Co-Liaisons, whose chief responsibility is to ensure the regional TF addresses the HESC's goals in their regions. The responsibilities of the TF Liaison include:

• Engaging regional colleges and universities to become members of the Task Force, and organizing their participation at the regional and statewide level;


• Annually convening 4 to 7 meetings, of the college and university members of the Regional TF, inviting participation of SEQA representatives, SETRCs, the RSSC, the S 3 TAIR schools and districts, and selected regional agencies, to enhance collaborative efforts in addressing quality teacher preparation programs, and in meeting the technical assistance and professional development needs of high-need/low performing schools and districts;


• Ensuring that Regional TF members have a venue to address issues associated with quality inclusive teacher preparation, and connect their teacher preparation programs and preservice teachers to regional high-need/low performing schools;


• Collaborating with the S 3 TAIR Regional Field Facilitators to assure that teacher preparation institutions are involved in and coordinate with regional efforts to identify and document regional promising practices that can be shared within the region;


• Collaborating with TF members and other regional professional development providers – particularly the S 3 TAIR Regional Field Facilitators – in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of professional development activities for educators from the high-need/low performing schools and districts; and


• Keeping other TF Liaisons, HESC staff, VESID representatives, and field technical assistance networks informed about regional activities and interests in order to maintain and improve TF impact; these communications are on-going, but are also formally undertaken in two face-to-face meetings each year and several telephone conference calls as needed.

Actions to be taken. Each region develops its own approach to selecting the TF Liaison or Co-Liaisons, and to addressing the goals of the HESC. Activities are planned based on the needs and opportunities identified through discussions with the S 3 TAIR Regional Field Facilitators, school and district representatives, and professional development networks. Actions include addressing Part 8 and Part 3, which follow.

Part 8. Building Regional Partnerships around Promising Practices Schools and High Need Schools and Teacher Preparation Institutions

One of the project goals for the New York State S³TAIR Grant is to identify regional promising practices that can serve as models for other schools that are struggling to support student learning. Identifying and documenting such practices and collaborating on means to share those practices across school and district boundaries will be the major focus of the S³TAIR project in 2007-2008.

Consortia of colleges and universities involved in teacher preparation will participate in this work along with their S³TAIR Field Facilitator and other regional educators. The partnerships that are formed between promising practice schools and high-need/low performing schools, with the support of the S³TAIR project and the Regional TF, should serve to improve teaching practice and lead to greater student achievement. These partnerships should also build a capacity for better teacher preparation and particularly teacher preparation programs that address the challenges of teaching in high-need/low performing schools. They will also build a capacity of schools and districts to understand and respond to the challenges they face in serving all learners, in part by drawing on the resources college and university teacher educators offer in research, data analysis, and professional development.

Each region will be allocated funds to support the development of these regional partnerships. Funds will not exceed $4,000 per region.

Actions to be taken. The Regional TF will collaborate with S³TAIR Regional Field Facilitators, SEQA, and regional technical assistance and professional development networks in identifying and validating effective practice schools, and will support causal analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation of initiatives in targeted high need districts and schools as appropriate.

• Developing partnerships between and among colleges and universities that participate in the TF and S³TAIR identified promising practices schools and high need schools, such that the region will recognize TF members as accessible resources;


• Engaging teacher preparation institutions as partners in the regional S³TAIR project planning, gaining recognition as resources in collaboration with other regional technical assistance and professional development networks; and


• Involving preservice teachers in this work, so they can witness successful school improvement, as well as support school improvement through their own efforts in implementing activities in the improvement plans (as appropriate).

Part 3. Summer Symposia on “Promising Practices in Support of the Academic and Behavioral Performances of Learners with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings”

The Regional TF will work with the S³TAIR Regional Field Facilitator and other regional technical assistance and professional development providers to plan a Summer 2008 Symposium on promising practices related to academic and behavioral performances of learners with disabilities in inclusive settings. The S³TAIR efforts at identifying and documenting promising practices will serve as the base of the symposium. Teachers and administrators from the partnered promising practices schools and high need schools will be the primary participants in the symposium. Preservice teachers from regional teacher preparation programs will also be included in the symposium.

Each region will be allocated funds to support the development of the regional symposium. Funds will not exceed $4,000 per region.

Actions to be taken. The Regional TF will collaborate with others to plan, implement, and evaluate a summer 2008 symposium. The collaboration will include:

• Partnering of teacher educators and S³TAIR identified promising practices schools and high need schools in planning a symposium focused on regional promising practices for the delivery of literacy instruction, effective special education programs and services, and academic and behavioral supports for learners with disabilities in inclusive settings;


• Planning for studying the use and effectiveness of the promising practices in the 2008-2009 school year.


• Implementing the symposium;


• Evaluating the symposium as implemented;


• Involving preservice teachers in these activities, providing support to them in the challenge of learning about and using academic and behavioral supports; and


• Establishing alliances that can extend beyond the tasks of planning and providing professional education experiences.

Proposal Structure

This combined initiative will require flexibility and regular communication between the Regional TF and the HESC staff. One response to the call-for-proposals should be submitted, but interim updates of information will have to be provided through second and third submission as the year progresses.

Proposal Questions: Here are the propoposal questions in case you want to print them. You will be asked to answer each them when you proceed to the next page.

Part 5

Each region should submit its plans for addressing Part 5 of the call-for-proposals, in detail, as is appropriate. To address Part 5, provide the following information and respond to the questions:

5-1) Lead Applicant Contact Information

5-2) Chief Financial Officer Contact Information

5-3) Region for which the application is submitted

5-4) The Role of the Liaison(s) and Liaison support personnel:

• How will the work of the Regional TF Liaison be achieved?


• Will a single individual undertake these tasks or will the work be distributed? If the workload will be distributed, briefly describe who will be involved and how the work will be accomplished.


• Explain how funds will be used: to compensate individuals or provide release time for them, including fringe benefits.


• Explain how funds will be used to purchase materials and supplies; to support in-state travel; and to account for institutional Indirect Costs.

5-6) Regional Goals: While the two goals of the Statewide Task Force on Quality Inclusive Schooling set the context for all of the work supported by the New York Higher Education Support Center , the Region may add its own goals to reflect a consensus of needs and interests, which characterize the ongoing work unique to each region. The regional goals should be related to statewide goals and should direct the flow of activities unique to the Regional TF. Please state your region's goals and provide the background and rationale for the selection of these goals, briefly.

5-7) Regional Activities: Among the activities to be undertaken in the region will be Part 8 and Part 3 of this proposal, and activities yet to be determined in conjunction with the S 3 TAIR Field Facilitator. It is likely that these activities will represent the most extensive activities planned for the region. The region may propose other activities in this section of the proposal consistent with the region's goals. Identify planned regional activities and provide some background and rationale for the selection of these activities. If funds from the Regional TF budget are needed to support these activities, please provide a description of the anticipated use of these funds.

5-8) Upload any attachments here. (Optional)

Part 8

The plans for Part 8 will necessarily be incomplete until the S³TAIR Regional Field Facilitator is selected and collaborative planning within the region is undertaken. Then it will be possible to identify schools and districts that the Regional TF will partner with. Presumably, these partnerships will reflect consortia efforts – coordinating the resources of several regional colleges and universities to work with the different schools and districts.

When that point in the regional planning is reached (but not later than January 31, 2008), the TF Liaison will submit, on line, a first interim update of this proposal, focused on Part 8. In this interim update, the following information will be sought:

8-1) Partner-Consortia Contact Information. Identify each regional partnership formed. List the personnel and school names and addresses of those with whom partnerships are being pursued. Indicate which regional colleges and universities are working in each partnership.

8-2) Briefly describe the focus (promising practice and need) of each partnership, and describe the activities that are planned to build the partnership and carry out its work. (Attach a file if that is more convenient. See below.)

8-3) Describe in some detail how the $4,000 allocated to the region will be used in support of forming these partnerships.

8-4) Please upload any additional attachments here. (Optional)

Part 3

Plans for Part 3 will necessarily be incomplete until the S³TAIR Field Facilitator is selected and collaborative planning within the region is undertaken. Then it will be possible to anticipate and plan a summer symposium that reflects the opportunities and needs of the region.

When that point in the regional planning is reached (but not later than April 30, 2008), the TF Liaison will submit, on line, a second interim update of this proposal, focused on Part 3. In this interim update, the following information will be sought:

3-1) Describe your process for planning and implementing a summer 2008 symposium. Name the planning group members (or their roles, if specific individuals are not yet known). Provide dates, locations, anticipated participants (including preservice teachers), topics (related to promising practices in literacy instruction, effective special education programs, and academic and behavioral supports for learners with disabilities in inclusive settings), and presenters. Describe your plans for evaluating the summer symposium. Describe your plans for studying the use and effectiveness of the promising practices in the 2008-2009 school year.

3-2) In what ways do you anticipate that these plans for Summer Symposium will result in alliances that can extend beyond the tasks of planning and providing the symposium itself, and how will you structure events to increase the likelihood of these continued relationships?

3-3) Describe how the $4,000 allocated to the region will be used in support of planning, implementing, and evaluating the summer symposium.

3-4) Please upload any additional attachments here. (Optional)

Time Frame for Submission of the Proposal and Reports

The proposal can be submitted at any time once the region and its leadership have met to consider their plans and budgets. The submission of the proposal can be accomplished before November 30, 2007.

As noted above, Part 5 should be provided in detail. Further information will be pursued from the region on plans for Part 8 (by January 31, 2008) and Part 3 (by April 30, 2008) once the regional collaboration with the regional S³TAIR Regional Field Facilitator has begun. Providing the further information as requested will suffice for a midterm report. Any major shifts in plans or budgets should be reported to the HESC staff as soon as they occur.

Funds must be expended in time to permit the host institution to submit the final detail cost invoice and signed Exhibit C with the final narrative report by August 15, 2008. Timing for preparation of this report is different for each institution. Please consult with your host institution regarding this matter.

Budget

The budgets should be developed, using the standard categories of allowed expenditures (salaries, wages, and fringe benefits; materials and supplies; travel; institutional indirect costs), and should include all the funds allocated to the region for Part 5, Part 8, and Part 3, combined. Funds may be used for faculty salary offset, for other salary arrangements, for teacher stipends, and for support staff. Funds may be used for local and state travel, but not for out-of-state travel. Funds may be used for supplies, however, not for purchasing or otherwise providing P-12 supplies.

With the approval of the HESC, reallocation of funds from one category to another in amounts greater than 10% in a category may be made to reflect changes in regional plans and expenditures. Changes of 10% or less in a category do not need HESC approval. Eight percent (8%) of the funds awarded can be budgeted for indirect costs to their institutions.