The launch of the New York Inspires Transformation Coalition saw a huge turnout at Capital Region BOCES on Friday, Oct. 2. About 90 participants from 23 of our component districts participated in the region’s first coalition meeting with the New York State Education Department (NYSED). 

The coalition was created to support district leaders with the roll out of NYSED’s New York Inspires initiative and Portrait of a Graduate framework. The first meeting focused on assessment and strategic planning. 

The goal of the coalition is to give districts a common understanding of the year-long journey and the process of NY Inspires, while creating the flexibility for districts to determine where they need to focus their work, said Capital Region BOCES Educational Support Services Professional Development Program Manager Jennifer Case. 

The coalition was created by NYSED with content developed by a statewide design team composed of Capital Region BOCES and city public schools in Albany, Yonkers, New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Mount Vernon and Utica. 

“Our audience was primarily district-level administrators including superintendents and the day focused on assessment with remarks from two members of the state education department,” said Case. “They also had an opportunity to hear about the work for this year in terms of designing their own local assessment strategy, thinking about engagement and communication with their stakeholders and then thinking about the professional learning that will help support them in their work this year.” 

Speakers included Case; Assistant District Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Karen Swain; Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives Adrienne Leon; and Northeastern Regional Information Center (NERIC) Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mike Doughty, as well as New York State Education Department Senior Deputy Commissioner for Education Policy Ceylane Meyers-Ruff and Assistant Commissioner in the Office of State Assessment Zach Warner.