This department provides several services to school districts, including the Cooperative Bidding Program, Graphic Arts and Printing, Transportation, the School Business Affairs Institute, and the Nonpublic School Textbook Loan Program. This department is also responsible for all Nassau BOCES accounting, billing, budgeting, facilities, food services, payroll and purchasing functions.
From teenagers earning certification as computer network technicians to immigrant adults learning English, the Department of Career and Technical Education (CTE) equips people with all the skills needed for success in the workplace and higher education. The diverse offerings include a re-tooled “career ed” center for high school students, job training, specialized services for adults with disabilities, and basic education programs.
An emphasis on academic and technical rigor and advanced technologies makes today’s career and technical education for high school students a far cry from what their parents may have experienced. Courses currently qualify teenagers in their CTE field for a “Technical Endorsement” on their diploma, proving they’ve gone above and beyond their Regents requirements. The Joseph M. Barry Career and Technical Education Center (Barry Tech) re-creates high-tech job environments in its classrooms and laboratories. The combination of technical expertise, academic support and real-world experience is a powerful one. Graduates often continue their education with advanced standing of three to 12 credits at both local and non-Long Island colleges and universities. Internships and cooperative learning experiences at partner businesses prepare students for careers and employment on Long Island.
The competencies of Barry Tech staff and certified teachers help teenagers with disabilities prepare for employment. In the evening, adults can take courses in fields such as video production, construction trades, computers and the auto industry.
CTE programs also support those who need help attaining a General Educational Development (GED) diploma. A high school equivalency program is offered for 16- and 17-year-olds who do not have credits for a high school diploma, and — at a special Adult Learning Center — adults can prepare for the GED test. Immigrants learn English and citizenship in state-funded programs. In all, some 1,400 teenagers and more than 6,000 adults benefit from Nassau BOCES Career and Technical Education programs every year.
Communications today is a complex and evolving mix of media and messages whether in print, electronic or face-to-face. In this challenging environment, the Department of Communications and Agency Planning (CAP) stands ready to assist educators in planning and carrying out strategic activities that encourage community support for public schools.
From helping leaders distill and communicate key message points to making sure that printed materials are high quality, this department relies on a staff of specialists, including facilitators, photographers, writers and electronic communications experts.
Through the School Public Relations Service within CAP, districts can access experts on branding, bond campaigns and public opinion research, or arrange for projects as focused as a district brochure or a limited-time media campaign. Whether offering crisis communications support or assistance in creating a network of key communicators, the service can step in immediately with reliable, professional solutions for districts’ challenges.
Computers have become commonplace in classrooms and offices, with the Internet offering new kinds of access to information. Videoconferences now link students to faraway experts, and hand-held personal digital assistants “beam” information from one student to another. There are many choices when it comes to technology; the key is choosing the one that best supports a district’s or teacher’s instructional goals. That’s where the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology (CIT) comes in.
Nassau BOCES works with districts to integrate technology into instruction and administration. CIT staff members work closely with local educators in planning, equipment and software installation, and staff training. The department regularly wins competitive grants to help fund new initiatives on behalf of local districts.
While CIT staff members team up to assist districts, services are roughly
divided into four main groupings:
Curriculum and Instruction
Health and Safety
Information Management
Technology
Curriculum and instruction services bring together professional development offerings of all kinds — plus online learning opportunities, videoconferencing, curriculum writing and even access to elementary science kits. Data analysis and curriculum support enables districts to use data from several sources to improve decision-making and planning at the district, school or classroom level.
Health and safety services support districts’ risk-management and provide health services to nonpublic schools.
Information management services include financial management and student information systems, state aid planning and data warehousing.
The technology group is comprised of telecommunications, an Internet service, and the maintenance and repair of computers, TV and AV equipment.
Every year services change; with the No Child Left Behind mandates and requirements, CIT assists educators as they make decisions and plan for instruction.
The 4,000-plus employees of Nassau BOCES constitute the most important resource the agency has for providing a quality educational program for the students that are served in partnership with the 56 component districts. Recognizing this, it is the goal of the Department of Human Resources to recruit and select the very best candidates, to promote employee/employer relations, and to provide a climate in which optimum staff performance and satisfaction are achieved.
Human Resources also serves school districts by providing access to specialized personnel when needed.
The mission of Nassau BOCES is to partner with local school districts, and the programs offered by Instructional Programs and Alternative Schools (IPAS) are clear examples of how this partnership works to benefit children. Expert staff members work directly with youngsters in local schools or at Nassau BOCES sites to enrich students’ and teachers’ experiences.
Through the agency’s instructional programs, local schools can expand classrooms to include the whole world. Learning Japanese, discovering local habitats with a hands-on approach, or being inspired by the artistry of a poet-in-residence — these are only a few of the ways these programs broaden horizons, always with an emphasis on discovery and active learning.
The department also casts a safety net under students at risk. Elementary and secondary students learn how to better understand each other and solve disputes peaceably through various Programs for Youth — now carried out in local schools with an accent on character education and violence prevention. Non-English-speaking students receive instruction in English as a second language. Families receive support in adult literacy and preschoolers participate in reading and language development activities in the home.
Alternative high school programs such as Program of Alternative Comprehensive Education, Positive Alternative Twilight High School, Teenage Parent Program and Springboard offer a second chance to teenagers whose needs can not be met in a traditional school setting. Each program is tailored to the needs of a particular population. Youngsters whose lives have been disrupted by pregnancy, family problems or other issues often thrive in these more individualized environments.
For gifted students who want an intensive, arts-centered education, the Long Island High School for the Arts makes professional-level instruction available on a full- or half-day basis Each year, the school’s graduates go on to study at colleges and conservatories all over the United States; last June’s class was offered more than $6 million in scholarships and grants.
Every year 52,000 children participate in outdoor education programs, more than 5,000 Arts in Education performances are given, and 25 to 30 teenage mothers earn diplomas. IPAS reaches deep into local schools, promoting a love of learning, the joy of exploration and the self-esteem that comes from overcoming obstacles.
The Department of Special Education enrolls nearly 2,000 students, each with individual needs and abilities, and with moderate to severe disabilities. The instructional challenges are great, but the department has proven its ability to serve these youngsters and offer them the greatest possible opportunity to reach their potential and participate in community life.
Nassau BOCES offers a comprehensive array of special education programs for students who are moderately to severely disabled and are from 3 to 21 of age. Some Nassau BOCES programs are conducted at Nassau BOCES centers while some are offered at local district schools. Regardless of the location of the program, each student is prepared to reach his or her potential and to become as independent and productive as possible.
Special Education offers two types of programs — noncategorical and categorical. To the greatest extent possible, the noncategorical programs reflect the course of study students would experience were they to attend their local district schools. Most students who attend noncategorical programs are identified as having learning, emotional, behavioral or developmental disabilities. They are grouped in classes based on age, intellectual capacity, achievement, and social and behavioral compatibility. Students may follow a regular curriculum and earn either an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) diploma or a high school diploma.
The categorical programs are for students with physical, vision, hearing or developmental disabilities. Students, depending on their abilities, earn either an IEP or a high school diploma. Some Nassau BOCES programs are located in school buildings owned or leased by the agency; in other cases, classes are held in local district schools where students have mainstreaming opportunities.
All BOCES program curriculum is adapted to meet the New York State Learning Standards and provides individualized instruction. Students’ education is enriched by a wide variety of interactive community-based experiences. Many Nassau BOCES graduates enter the workforce or go on to postsecondary education. The Department of Special Education also offers extensive support services for districts, including itinerant services, consultation services and staff development.
Nassau BOCES offers various programs designed to help school districts perform certain support or technical responsibilities more efficiently and economically. Some services give districts access to specialized personnel when needed. Others offer ways to fill continuing needs in a cost-effective and convenient manner, such as cooperative purchasing and teacher certification.
