Monthly Policy Updates - Level 1
Erie 1 BOCES Policy Services provides districts with a monthly newsletter (Policy Pulse) which shares information related to changes in law and regulation, new guidance documents, and other material relevant to a district's Policy Manual. When warranted, a new or substantially revised sample policy will be included. Policy Updates provide general information that is applicable and of interest to all districts, whether they have recently developed a Policy Manual or currently have a Policy Manual from another source.
Subscribing districts receive an email notifying them that a new Monthly Policy Update is available to be viewed in Policy Services' SharePoint. Subscribing districts must utilize SharePoint in order to view the Monthly Policy Update.
Monthly Policy Updates (Level 1), as a stand-alone service, are not recommended as a means to keep recently completed Policy Manuals up to date with the continual changes in law, regulation, guidance, and best practices. Monthly Policy Updates do not include revisions to existing policies that are provided in our Quarterly Policy Revisions (Level 2) service.
Previous Monthly Policy Updates have included:
- Regular Board Meetings (August 2022)
- Suicide (June 2022)
- Student Gender Identity (March and May 2022)
- Curriculum Development, Resources, and Evaluation (April 2022)
- Textbooks, Library Materials, and Other Instructional Materials (April 2022)
- Objection to Instructional materials and Controversial Issues (April 2022)
- Instructional Materials and Non-Public School Students (April 2022)
- Use of Service Animals (February 2022)
- Regular Board Meetings (October 2021)
- Professional Growth/Staff Development (September 2021)
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the District (July 2021)
- Smoking, Tobacco, and Cannabis (Marijuana) Use (May 2021)
- Sexual Harassment of Students (March 2021)
- Gender Neutral Single-Occupancy Bathrooms (Feb. 2021)
- Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment in the District (Jan. 2021)
None
The district will provide Policy Services with current contact information (full names and titles, telephone numbers, and email addresses) of up to three designated district officials to receive notice when Monthly Policy Updates have been uploaded to SharePoint. The district must contact Policy Services immediately if this information changes to ensure uninterrupted receipt of notice of the Monthly Policy Updates.
Districts must utilize Policy Services' SharePoint to access Monthly Policy Updates. Districts must select at least one of the designated district officials, as outlined above, to download the documents from SharePoint and distribute them to district staff and/or board members as needed.
If a district is subscribed only to Monthly Policy Updates and adopts a suggested revision to a policy included as part of a Monthly Policy Update, it is the district's responsibility to update any paper or electronic versions of its Policy Manual. This includes any versions on the district's website.
Districts may contact their assigned policy coordinator to ask questions and/or request a limited number of sample policies.
Policy Services will provide subscribing districts with Monthly Policy Updates at least eight times per year.
The Monthly Policy Update will include a newsletter (Policy Pulse) sharing information related to changes in law and regulation, new guidance documents, or any other material relevant to a district's Policy Manual. When warranted, a new or substantially revised sample policy will be included. If a policy is included, Policy Services will provide a rationale for the new policy or the revisions in the Policy Pulse. When providing a substantially revised policy, Policy Services will note the suggested revisions as marked changes identified in the text of the policy utilizing different colored fonts. Policy Services will email districts to notify them when a new Monthly Policy Update is available to be viewed in Policy Services' SharePoint.
In addition to the Monthly Policy Updates described above, as part of this service subscribing districts will be assigned a policy coordinator. The policy coordinator will be available to answer district questions and/or supply a limited number of sample policies as requested. Policy Services will provide instructions on how to process the Monthly Policy Updates in SharePoint or upon request.
Current and past Monthly Policy Updates are available in Policy Services' SharePoint.