Instructional Resources

The Instructional Resources program provides shared teachers, school improvement services, enrichment programs, and professional development. Programs are guided by the mission of providing the best in educational services to our districts through information, consultation, and training.

Arts in Education (AIE)

The AIE Program provides participating component school districts with high-quality, professional performances and art-integrated learning experiences for students in grades K-12. 

To request a contracted service please fill out and return the Contract Service Request Form.

BOCES Aidable

Program Components Include:

Base Performances National/Local Touring Groups

During a fiscal year, participating districts will receive grade level specific base performances.

(Covered in the Basic Program Fee)

Visiting Artists

Participating districts are eligible to receive arts services from area visiting artists as part of the base fee. For additional information please contact Katelyn Campbell.

(Covered in the Basic Program Fee)

Additional Contract Performances as Requested

In addition to the above Base Services, participating districts may invite contract performers into their district. Contract performers honorarium, travel expenses, and administrative fee will be billed to your district through the AIE CoSer.

(Not Covered in the Basic Program Fee and Includes a 10% Administrative Fee)

Districts Have the Ability to “Set-Aside” Funding for Projected Other Performances

All performances must have a clear connection to the NYS Learning Standards for the Arts. This component also includes payment of NYSSMA fees, Ogdensburg Command Performances (OCP) ticket purchases, and Community Performance Series (CPS) ticket purchases.

(Not Covered in the Basic Program Fee)

Request a Contracted Service

To request a contracted service, please download and complete the Contract Service Request Form.

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ESEA–Title I Services

A comprehensive service which includes completion of the consolidated application with ongoing support and a basic – technical support level of service are available. Additionally, literacy and math coaching may be requested. 

Comprehensive and Consolidated Application (501.010.010)

Major components of the service are: completion of the ESEA Consolidated Application, all associated budgets, required reporting documents and serving as liaison to SED. Assistance is provided in implementing AIS, RTI and LEP programs and completing required reports. Electronic data (standardized, state, and local) is collected to develop a K-12 database which is used to determine AIS needs and provide reports.

BOCES Aidable

Basic Title I Service (501.010.020)

Updates from NYSED and technical assistance are provided with regard to ESEA Consolidated Application, McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act, accountability, assessments and regulatory issues. Additionally a monthly online reproducible Title I – Parent Involvement Newsletter and other resources are provided.

BOCES Aidable

Coaching For Prevention Focused Instruction

On-site building and grade level coaching, mentoring and facilitating of scientifically based researched instructional practices are provided to prepare and guide teachers. Coaches provide support and assistance on the use and analysis of progress monitoring assessments and the implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards.

BOCES Aidable

Additional Title I Services

Additional Title I Services are offered which require purchase of the Basic Title I Service.

BOCES Aidable

Coordination of District Initiatives (501.010.080)

The service provides assistance to school districts in long-range planning initiatives, designing and/or implementation of RTI and professional development plans, as well as, the coordination of other district initiatives to meet SED and ESEA mandates.

BOCES Aidable

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Student Opportunities

Extra-Curricular Activities

Extra-Curricular activities enrich the educational experience, promote connectedness and a sense of belonging, and contribute to the development of well-rounded students.  Determination, perseverance, achievement, respectfulness and teamwork are some of the valuable lessons that can be attained through these activities. These activities promote higher order thinking skills to solve real life problems.  

BOCES Aidable

Activities Include:

Odyssey of the Mind & Odyssey of the Mind Additional Memberships (via Cross Contract)

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Students apply their creativity to solve problems ranging from building mechanical devices to presenting interpretations of literary classics. Students compete at the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in this program. 

Learn more about the Odyssey of the Mind.

BOCES Aidable Coordination Fee

Whiz Quiz

Whiz Quiz is a proud tradition of academic competition and achievement for WPBS-TV and its broadcast community. High school students in teams of four play match after match until it is down to just one. The program has been around so long that some of the teams coaches remember their days on a team. Watch Whiz Quiz at 7:30 p.m., Monday – Thursday, October thru December on WPBS-TV. 

Learn more about Whiz Quiz.

SAT Verbal and Math

High-school juniors who plan to take the SAT and/or ACT this spring may attend the SAT/ACT Workshop taught by David Dufrane (Reading/Writing) and Elisa Sergi (Math). Classes will be held at the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES Educational Services Center, 40 West Main St., Canton, on seven Sundays beginning in February and ending in April. Workshop classes are 2.5 hours long and are offered on Saturdays/Sundays so students will have fewer conflicts with extra-curricular activities. This course includes practice for the SAT as well as practice for the ACT. Students at participating districts (Canton, Gouverneur, Hermon-DeKalb, Heuvelton, Madrid-Waddington, Potsdam) must register with their guidance counselors. Sections are assigned as registration forms are received. 

Learn more and register online for the SAT/ACT Workshop.

Spelling Bee (via Cross Contract)

The Spelling Bee hosted by the General Brown Central School District and sponsored by the Watertown Daily Times. It is conducted under the same rules as the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee.

Contestants from Jefferson-Lewis, Franklin-Essex, and St. Lawrence-Lewis counties are eligible to compete. Competitors qualify by participating in spelling bees conducted in their home school districts. The Winner of a Regional Bee qualifies to participate in the National Spelling Bee competition held in Washington D.C. 

Learn more about the Spelling Bee.

Exploratory Enrichment Service

The Exploratory Enrichment service facilitates experiences that extend beyond traditional classroom instruction. Students in grades K-12 engage in enrichment group activities offered through area Universities and regional agencies.

These activities focus on curriculum that is based on the NYS Learning Standards in academic and career education areas. Transportation costs are not aidable. Districts are required to pay the planning fee to participate in these programs. 

BOCES Aidable 

Activities Include:

Challenge Day

The Challenge Day mission is to provide youth and their communities with experiential programs that demonstrate the possibility of love and connection through the celebration of diversity, truth, and full expression. 

Learn more about Challenge Day.

Living History Day

Living History Day is the culmination of a year-long project for fourth and seventh grade students from participating districts. Students study the French and Indian War throughout the year and complete projects with a focus on the role Fort de la Présentation played in this conflict. In the spring 18th Century re-enactors and heritage interpreters demonstrate open-hearth cooking, historic baseball, colonial toys, colonial lighting, cartridge rolling and other traditional activities. Students see, touch and taste some of what everyday life was like for their ancestors and experience the life and color of America’s history that happened in their own backyard. 

Learn more about Living History Day.

St. Lawrence University Scholars Enrichment Program (SLUSEP)

The St. Lawrence University Scholars Enrichment Program (SLUSEP), will provide an enrichment opportunity for area high school sophomores and juniors. The program will provide students access to non-credit bearing courses in subjects that fall outside the traditional high school curriculum. It also exposes high quality local high school students to St. Lawrence University, helping to spread the word about our beautiful campus and our quality faculty. 

Project Challenge

Clarkson University offers academic “challenges” to North Country High School students through Project Challenge. This program provides area students an opportunity to participate in classes they cannot normally find at their high school. These five-week courses are taught by University faculty and administrators on Saturday mornings beginning in mid-January. The program is designed for high school students who have completed eleventh grade and are ready to begin college studies. 

Learn more about Project Challenge.

Horizons I; Horizons II; Horizons III

Applicants to Horizons I (first year), Horizons II (second year), and Horizons III (third year) are geared to girls who have an aptitude and interest in math and science or engineering. Although females have an aptitude equal to males in science and mathematics, few choose to pursue careers in these areas. Horizons is intended to help young women embrace the excitement of mathematics and to better understand its everyday use. The Horizons curriculum uses an integrated instructional module for mathematics, science and engineering concepts and supports these through fun and challenging hands-on projects. The life skills component further enhances the instruction as participants build confidence, personal insight, leadership and team spirit in an emotionally scaffolded learning environment.

At Horizons, participants are taught by a predominantly female staff composed of teachers and other professionals. Students are also accompanied and mentored by program assistants who are usually undergraduate college females who excel in relevant disciplines. Group sizes are small so each participant has the opportunity to form a lasting relationship with staff and peers. 

Learn more about the Horizons Program.

First Robotics Advanced

This project is not for the weak or ill tempered. The team of Clarkson students and area high school students have only six weeks to design and build a remotely controlled robot that competes in a sporting-like event. For those who like to lead a less intense lifestyle, there are opportunities for Web design, computer animation, and public relations. 

First Lego League; Additional First Lego League

The First Lego League (FLL) program is offered through Clarkson University SPEED (Student Projects for Engineering and Experience and Design) program. The program introduces students aged 9 to 14 to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. FLL teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches, discover exciting career possibilities and, through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society. 

First Tech Challenge; Additional First Tech Challenge

The First Tech Challenge (FTC) program is offered through Clarkson University SPEED (Student Projects for Engineering and Experience and Design) program. The program is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments. 

Jr. First Lego League; Additional Jr. First Lego League

The Jr. First Lego League (JFLL) program is offered through Clarkson University SPEED (Student Projects for Engineering and Experience and Design) program. This program is intended for children ages 6-9 and captures young children’s curiosity and directs it toward discovering the wonders of science and technology and features a real-world scientific concept to be explored through research, teamwork, construction, and imagination. Guided by adult Coaches, teams use Lego bricks to build a model that moves and develop a Show Me Poster to illustrate their journey.

Nature Center Programs

Local area Nature Centers offer a variety of enrichment opportunities for area students. Participating Nature Centers include: Indian Creek Nature Center, Robert Moses State Park; and Wellesley Island State Park.

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School Improvement

Basic Service

The School Improvement Service assists districts in implementing long-range professional and data-based school development plans to meet NYSED requirements and improve student learning and performance. Professional development opportunities meet teacher, school, and district needs based upon plans, data, and state and federal requirements. A data service will be included with the purchase of School Improvement to include Grade 3-8 and Regents (scanned) cumulative, multi-year, reports and graphs. A data service will support district implementation of data driven instruction.

BOCES Aidable 

Instructional Assessment Teacher – CoSer 526.090.010

The instructional support services teacher will assist district administrators and teachers to implement DDI. Duties include assisting teachers to obtain, organize, and analyze data from a variety of software programs. 

BOCES Aidable

Math Professional Developer/Coach – CoSer 526.091.010

On-site building and grade level math coaching, mentoring, and facilitating of scientifically-based researched instructional practices are provided to prepare and guide teachers. Math coaches provide support and assistance on the use and analysis of progress monitoring assessments and the implementation of the NYS Learning Standards.

BOCES Aidable

Literacy Professional Developer/Coach – CoSer 526.092.010

On-site building and grade level literacy coaching, mentoring, and facilitating of scientifically-based researched instructional practices are provided to prepare and guide teachers. Literacy coaches provide support and assistance on the use and analysis of progress monitoring assessments and the implementation of the NYS Learning Standards. 

BOCES Aidable

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Shared Services

Shared Administrator – General Supervision

This service provides administrative services to districts as a District Administrator with specific responsibilities and a job description developed by the individual school district. Service must be shared with two districts or with a BOCES program.

BOCES Aidable 

Shared Service Teachers

Teachers are shared between two or more component school districts to include core area intervention specialists and a variety of other teacher certification areas.

• Music
• Tech Education
•  Art 
• Family & Consumer Science
• ELA/AIS
• Math/AIS
• Health
• Physical Education 

Please call with individual needs.

BOCES Aidable

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Model Schools

The Model Schools Program (MSP) assists school districts in setting their individual goals toward instructional technology integration by facilitating customized technology and curriculum planning for school improvement.

The MSP offers professional development for districts to support these plans through research-based strategies for the 21st century learner.

In addition to offering a wide array of in-person professional development sessions on topics related to educational technology, the Model Schools Program has worked to build a number of online, asynchronous courses. These courses can be completed at your convenience and allows one the ability to tailor their professional learning needs to their personal needs. All listed mini-courses are free to any teachers at one of our region’s schools.

Model Schools (516)

Basic Service – The Model Schools office provides training to the component districts’ staff to develop and enhance the knowledge and skills needed to integrate technology into the teaching/ learning process. Staff will also gain the skills and knowledge to assess student performance as a result of integrating technology. The Model Schools office provides assistance with all SED mandated technology and related plans. The base service provides up to five days of on-site assistance from the Model Schools staff.

E-Rate Partners (516.040)

Completion of E-Rate services for both individual district and BOCES-wide services. The cost for filing for Priority 2 is included in the cost and will be refunded if not used.

Instructional Tech Curriculum Coaches (516.070)

Model Schools Instructional Technology/Curriculum Coaches provide just in time support to district staff in the area of technology. An ITCC provides 1 on 1 support, group PD, and team teaching with teachers using technology in the classroom. Instructional Technology/Curriculum Coaches may be purchased on an FTE basis.

Virtual Learning Coaches (516.080)

Model Schools Virtual Learning Coaches provide just in time support to district educators providing instruction in a remote environment. A Virtual Learning Coach provides 1 on 1 support, group PD, and team teaching with teachers for using technology in a remote or hybrid environment. Virtual Learning Coaches may be purchased on an FTE basis.

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Professional Development

Trainings

At St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, we pride ourselves on being a professional learning partner—taking stock of your needs and trainings, workshops and events that will help you expand your knowledge and support students. Whether you want to explore student data, up your instructional game or ensure your professional certifications are current, we’re here for you. 

A Variety of Formats to Meet Your Needs 

We understand that time away from the school and classroom is precious, which is why we offer you a variety of learning methods, including in-person and online training year-round.

Popular Courses

• Effective Teaching
• Book Study 

St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES is a state-approved Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) provider.

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Regional Summer School

Regional Summer School (420.010)

A regional summer school is held at three sites (Gouverneur CSD, Norwood-Norfolk CSD, and Ogdensburg Enlarged City School). Each site is shared by students in grades 7-12 from two or more participating districts.

Virtual Summer School (421.010)

St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES will operate a program of instruction for component districts during the summer using video based and/or web based interactive technologies. The Virtual Summer School will service students in grades 7-12 from students in two or more participating districts.

Summer School Driver Education (420.020)

The regional summer school at Ogdensburg Enlarged City School offers students Driver Education. Students will qualify for their MV278 (5-hour pre-licensing certificate) and the MV285 (blue card) upon successful completion.

Summer School Refresher Courses (420.040)

Summer School Refresher courses are 1-week mini-courses that are offered for students who either want to improve a grade on a Regents exam or might have only failed by a small margin. These courses are offered so that the students will not need to retake the entire course. The cost is equal to 1/6 of the full summer school cost.

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Smart Start Artifacts

As part of the Student Preparation for Emerging Careers in Computer and Information Technology Initiative (SPECCIT) Program, teachers are given the resources, connections, and funds to develop transdisciplinary lesson plans that incorporate the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency learning standards.

Learn more about the SPECCIT Program.

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