The Bay Shore School District follows the New York State Learning Standards for all curriculum areas.  For further details about current New York State Learning Standards, please visit the New York State Education Department at www.nysed.gov.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a federal law designed to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed and thrive in school. By using a variety of measures to track school quality and student progress, it aims to provide a picture of how well schools are serving their students and identifies where additional resources or improvements may be needed.

In New York State, the ESSA plan was developed with input from parents, educators, and community members to ensure it meets the specific needs of local students. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the state moved into a new "Reimagine Phase" of this plan, which uses updated information aimed to assist schools in their continuous improvement. This ongoing effort focuses on key areas such as student growth, graduation readiness, and support for teachers to help students be prepared for a successful future.

ESSA Resources and Guides

For more detailed information, please see the following links and resources:

• ESSA Informational Video: A brief video explaining ESSA requirements and key changes.

• NYSED Parent Dashboard: Provides access to school-level data designed for parents and the general public.

• Reimagine Phase Fact Sheets: Information and summaries of how New York is currently measuring school success and providing support.

• School and District Accountability Resources: A collection of data and guides related to New York State's accountability system.

• Approved New York State ESSA Plan: Detailed information regarding the full NY State plan and its various programs.

Bay Shore Union Free School District
Steven J. Maloney, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
 

OFFICE OF INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES
JERRY G. BERKA ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
75 West Perkal Street, Bay Shore, New York 11706
Phone (631) 968-1212    Fax (631) 968-1126

Notification of Advanced Coursework 

We hope this message finds you well as we begin to plan for your child’s upcoming school year. We are sharing this letter to inform you of the benefits and opportunities of participating in advanced courses in middle and high school. This notification is being provided to ensure you are well-informed about the advanced coursework available to your child.

Benefits of Advanced Coursework
While advanced coursework provides an opportunity for your child to gain skills and demonstrate learning at a higher level, these courses offer other benefits as well. Some advantages of participation in advanced coursework may include:

• improving a student’s self-confidence and self-image.
• demonstrating a student’s preparedness for college-level coursework.
• earning college credit(s) prior to graduation.
• reducing future costs for higher education.
• reducing the amount of time that the student must spend in secondary and/or post-secondary school.

Advanced Coursework in the Bay Shore School District
The advanced courses offered in Bay Shore Middle School and Bay Shore High School include:

• Honors Classes: Honors courses have an enriched curriculum and provide greater depth of content knowledge while challenging students to develop advanced critical thinking skills.

• Accelerated Classes: These classes proceed at a faster pace than standard courses, enabling earlier access to higher-level material and creating pathways to more specialized coursework.

• 300 Level Courses: These high school courses are more rigorous than 200 level classes, and many will prepare students for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. 

• Advanced Placement (AP) Courses: College level courses that allow students to earn college credit and potentially advanced placement in college by earning passing scores on AP exams. They are available in English, mathematics, science, social studies, world languages, and computer science. 

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Courses: These courses provide a challenging curriculum as part of a globally recognized program. Students can enroll in individual IB courses in a variety of subjects or can apply to be part of the prestigious IB Diploma Programme. College credit can be obtained by passing scores on IB exams. Earning an IB Diploma can also lead to advanced college standing. 

• College Credit Courses: Dual-enrollment college credit-bearing courses are available to students through agreements with various local colleges and universities. Students who enroll in these courses have an opportunity to earn college credit by successfully completing course requirements.

Eligibility and Preparation
To be eligible for these courses, students must demonstrate a strong academic record, a high level of motivation and effort in the subject matter, and successful completion of prerequisite courses. In some situations, it may also be necessary to receive teacher recommendations and/or approval. 

Middle School Advanced Coursework

• Honors English and Social Studies: These enriched courses begin in grade 7 and continue through grade 8. Students engage with more complex texts, develop sophisticated writing skills, and explore historical concepts with greater depth to prepare students for advanced high school coursework.
• Accelerated Mathematics: Beginning in grade 6, this sequence helps students develop strong problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding that prepares them for earlier entry into high school mathematics courses, starting with Algebra I.
• Algebra I 300: This high school course is available for eighth grade students who have successfully completed Common Core Algebra Prep. Students in this course will be prepared to challenge the Algebra I Regents Examination at the end of the school year. 
• Accelerated Science: This grade 7 class challenges students with advanced scientific concepts and laboratory experiences to prepare them for high school-level science courses.
• Earth Science 300: This rigorous course is designed for eighth grade students who demonstrate advanced scientific proficiency and preparation for an accelerated workload. Students in this high school course will be prepared to challenge the Earth Science Regents Examination.
• World Language 300: This challenging high school course is offered to students who have demonstrated strong language skills in Spanish, French, Latin, or Chinese.  Students will be prepared to take the corresponding World Language Checkpoint A Examination.

High School Advanced Coursework - Please see the Bay Shore High School Course Catalog to view all of the advanced courses offered at Bay Shore High School.

Courses for the Upcoming School Year
The courses available to your child in the 2025-26 school year are listed above. Additional details about individual classes can be found in our Bay Shore High School Course Catalog. Please contact your child’s guidance counselor or the appropriate Department Director for more information.

Supports for Student Success
Academic assistance may include support classes during the school day and extra-help or review classes after school. Non-academic supports may include guidance counseling and peer tutoring.  

Financial Assistance
The Bay Shore School District believes that all students should have access to advanced coursework and has made a commitment to removing or limiting financial barriers for students. As a result, Bay Shore students are not responsible for any AP or IB exam fees, and these costs are instead covered by the school district. In addition, the Suffolk County Community College Early College Program is also funded through the school district, and students are not expected to cover any costs associated with that program. Students who qualify for financial assistance are offered reduced fees for credits in dual enrollment courses as arranged through agreements with the colleges and universities.

Website and Contact Information
This information can also be found on our website at https://www.bayshore.k12.ny.us/guidanceDept.cfm. Questions related to your child’s participation in advanced coursework may be referred to your child’s guidance counselor or the appropriate Department Director.

Thank you for partnering with us in your child’s academic journey.

Sincerely,

Response to Intervention (RtI) integrates assessment and instructional multi-level interventions within a school as a way to achieve better outcomes for students.   It is a multi-step approach to providing services and interventions to students who struggle with learning, with the progress students make at each stage of intervention being closely monitored. 

Under the MTSS framework, our teachers and administrators identify students who are at risk academically.  Being able to identify students allows teachers to intervene and provide support prior to further impact.  If initial interventions are not successful, the staff can provide more intensive interventions as needed. 

The use of an MTSS framework as part of  our procedure for monitoring and addressing students’ learning needs can provide critical information about the instructional needs of students more quickly, thus reducing the time it takes to create an effective educational intervention and the time a student waits before receiving additional academic interventions.  It also reduces the overall number of students referred for special education services and increases the number of students who succeed within the general education setting.

The Bay Shore School District will be utilizing the i-Ready Diagnostic screener to identify student learning needs.  For grades K-8, screening will take place two-three Helvetica per academic year.  For grades 9-12, interventions will be based on teacher recommendations. 

Other assessments and/or short-term progress monitoring will be used to confirm the student’s specific academic needs within the subject area. 

RTI Handbook

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that all state and local agencies receiving Title I funding provide the public with annual report cards evaluating school performance and progress. In addition to the New York State School Report Card currently available, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) has developed a Parent Dashboard. The dashboard can be found by visiting https://data.nysed.gov/parents/.

Approved APPR Plan

Professional Learning Plan

Professional Development Resources

Virtual Learning Day Plan Presentation

BSSD Emergency Remote Instruction Plan

New York State Assessment Handout

Parent Information Night Presentation

Please use the following links to learn more about the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) transition to Computer-based Testing for the 3-8 ELA and Math Assessments. 

Links:

• NYSED Statewide Implementation of Computer-based Testing Memo

• Computer-based Testing Board of Education Presentation - November 2022

• Computer-based Testing Parent Letter - January 2023

• NYSED Question Sampler

Things Every Parent Should Know

FAQ for Parents

Students and Personal Electronic Devices