A NEW PARADIGM FOR INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES

The Curriculum and Instructional Support Services (ISS) Division at Sullivan BOCES supports school districts in all areas of curriculum, instruction, and school improvement

ISS plans and provides professional development programs covering a wide range of educational or instructional topics for educators of all levels. Participating districts receive customized in-district services to support ongoing initiatives and specific training to address professional development or improvement plans for a building or district

Historically, the staffing structure of ISS has included a director, and a coordinator who facilitates several special functions, including Arts in Education, Model Schools, Distance Learning, Instructional Technology, and Data Privacy, two full-time school improvement specialists, and two part-time per diem content specialists.

The division also houses staff shared between districts and BOCES, providing Data Coordinator services, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, Technology Integration Services, and several grant-funded programs, including Library Services, Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, and the Sullivan County Teacher’s Center

In the past, each component school district paid into the ISS Coser and was allotted a certain number of days of access to BOCES specialists and programs based on the number of students in the district This worked well for the most part, although sometimes districts wanted more days than they were allotted or were only able to utilize some of their days each year.

This model became problematic during the pandemic In the Spring of 2020, the entire ISS staff was integral in helping districts plan for and shift to remote learning The expertise of the technology integration staff was in high demand. Our full-time school improvement specialists expanded focus beyond their assigned ELA and Math content, helping district administrators and instructional staff understand the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), family engagement, trauma-informed practices, and navigating issues around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) that arose through those challenging times

As the dust began to settle and we all moved into the work of putting post-pandemic pieces back together, BOCES found that districts were not reaching out for support in the ways they had in the past They were not utilizing the days that had been allocated to them Instead, they were bringing in vendors and consultants with extremely specific expertise and programming to address local needs that had arisen over the tumult of the last few years.

With a mindset of continuous improvement, adaptability, and responsiveness to the districts we serve, BOCES explored other models of providing services, reviewed options available under Coser guidelines, and decided to try something different Instead of having full-time people on staff, a model was proposed wherein BOCES would coordinate independent consultants to fit specific needs. The districts would identify exactly who and what they wanted, and the ISS staff would coordinate the communication and paperwork to make that happen This suggestion was met with enthusiasm by the districts. Full-time specialist positions were reduced to per-diem (on-demand) status, and planning began to move toward more customized support for each district

Through

hours of meetings, models, spreadsheets,

and discussions between the instructional support services leaders, component districts, and the BOCES business office, the new system of providing support emerged Each district continues to pay into the ISS Coser as in the past After operational costs and a pool of money to cover county-wide initiatives are considered, each district has a pre-determined number of dollars to spend as they like. After the district “buckets” are depleted, they can still purchase additional services if they choose to do so

So far, this system has worked well Districts have said that the flexibility of choosing the consultants they bring in to work with their staff is a positive change, and the school business officials appreciate the model’s predictability For BOCES, being more hands-on in the planning and implementation process for professional development provides a better understanding of what is happening in our districts. This allows the division to support the districts more effectively

Some of the work that has been completed, which might not have come to fruition under the previous system, includes executive coaching and mentoring for administrators, online training for teachers in phonics instruction by an internationally recognized expert in foundational reading skills, support in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts from consultants who teach at institutions like Ithaca College and SUNY Buffalo, School Improvement and Social Emotional Learning audits, planning and support from internationally recognized vendors, workshops on cutting-edge trends in student discipline by nationally published experts and content area support from experts at other BOCES who lead state-wide improvement efforts.

While these changes have been positive overall, the division is still learning what works and what does not and adjusting processes as the system evolves. The ISS team is grateful for the hard work and support of its staff and management team and the cooperation, communication, advice, and patience from our component school districts as BOCES has been working through the setup and implementation of the new system.

“This is exciting work, with almost endless possibilities,” said Assistant Superintendent Maria Sommer “In the end, our goal is to help our districts provide the best possible educational experience for each student in Sullivan County.”