XIV. GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM:  ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION
AND DISTANCE LEARNING

The general education category of BOCES services is comprised of programs which enhance school districts’ instructional programs.  Included in this category are arts and environmental education, instruction for gifted and talented students, summer school, distance learning and alternative education.  The budget for general education averaged 8 percent of total services. 

The first service reported is alternative education.  A BOCES alternative education service provides an instructional program for students who have been identified as not succeeding in their home school program.  The goal of alternative education is to operate a program which addresses the needs of these students and to enable the students to obtain a high school diploma.  Programs provide academic education and often include development of vocational skills, work-study, and school-to-work activities.

            BOCES are particularly well suited to provide alternative education because often schools have only a few students at a particular grade level who are not achieving success in a traditional program.  By bringing these students together from a number of districts, a program can be developed which will assist students in meeting high standards for academic performance. The program reported here is a full-day program for students with academic delays in grades 7 through 12.  There are other alternative services operated by BOCES and, while there may be some crossover between the various kinds of alternative education, generally the program reported is for secondary students who are at risk of leaving school because of academic failure.

            The second program reported is distance learning.  It has been included in recognition that this is an expanding area of service for BOCES.  Distance learning provides a way to enhance curricular opportunities for students.  Using two-way, interactive audio and video equipment, instruction is provided at one site and transmitted to students at other sites.  The teacher and the students at all of the sites remain in visual and verbal communication with each other at all times. Distance learning does not take the place of a regular classroom teacher interacting with students, but it is a useful way to operate classes where a district has too few students to offer a class in a cost-efficient manner.  It also enables districts to bring instruction from a college for advanced students and training for teachers.

XV. NON-INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM:  SUBSTITUTE COORDINATION

            In addition to services to expand and enhance programs for students and their teachers, BOCES provide some services which support the management or central office function of school districts.  The grouping is entitled Non-instructional support services and includes such programs as management technology, safety-risk management, negotiations, public information and transportation.  The budget averaged 17 percent of total services.  Substitute coordination is an example of this type of service.  The services assist districts in securing substitute teachers.  Typical activities include: 1) maintenance of a directory of available substitute teachers; 2) maintenance of a system to secure and assign substitute teachers; 3) maintenance of a system to evaluate substitute teachers; and 4) liaison with the New York State Department of Labor.

            A service like substitute coordination operates effectively as a shared program because many districts are not large enough to maintain an effective substitute system on their own.  Over two thirds of the districts in New York have less than 2,500 students.  Only a few substitutes may be needed on a given day.  Keeping an effective roster and making assignments can be very time consuming.  When a number of districts join together through BOCES a better, more timely and less costly system can be operated.