2018-19 Program Service Dates

TO: Directors of Preschool Special Education Programs
Directors of Private School Age Special Education Programs
Superintendents of Special Act School Districts
Superintendents of Public School Districts
Superintendents of BOCES
FROM: Maureen C. McCarthy
SUBJECT: 2018-2019 School Year Program Service Dates for STAC Online Reimbursement pdf file

Annually, the State Education Department (SED) requires all approved special education providers to review and/or revise, as necessary, the program date information located on the STAC program file. The program start date must be the first day students will attend the program. The program end date must be the last day students will attend the program. Each student’s period of enrollment1 must coincide with or fall within the STAC program dates.

In creating the program file for 2018-19, the STAC Unit has applied the following default program dates:

  • 2-month programs: July 2, 2018 through August 10, 2018
  • 10-month programs: September 5, 2018 through June 21, 2019

If the above dates are not the program dates for your agency, those dates must be revised on the STAC Online System. The STAC Online System will be open beginning April 2, 2018 for school districts, BOCES and private special education providers to review and revise, as necessary, their 2018-19 program dates. Program date information must be reviewed, and revised, as necessary, by June 15, 2018. Your agency’s authorized STAC user can access the “DQPRG” STAC online screen to view a complete listing of their agency’s approved programs for the 2018-19 school year.

NOTE: All programs are defaulted to “Operate” for the upcoming year and the checkbox is checked. If a provider/BOCES/school district does not plan to “Operate” an approved program for the 2018-19 year, please 1) put the program screen in the “CHG” mode, 2) uncheck the “Operating” box, and 3) click on the “CHANGE” box at the bottom of the screen. The program status will be changed from “Approved” to “Not Operating”. No students will be able to be STAC’d for non-operating programs.

Note: The STAC program default dates do not necessarily coincide with your program’s approved calendar dates.

Program Calendar Dates

For the July/August 2018 extended school year, your agency’s program calendar must include at least 30 days during July and August. Although students may not be in attendance on Independence Day, the observance of the legal holiday for Independence Day may constitute a day of service.2 For the September 2018 - June 2019 school year, your agency’s program calendar must include at least 180 instructional days.3 School calendars for 2-month and 10-month programs must be available for inspection by the SED Office of Special Education. Please see the State Aid website for further information regarding program calendar dates: https://stateaid.nysed.gov/attendance/attendance_memo.htm

A direct link to this letter and Instructions for Making Program Date Changes are located under “Latest News” on the STAC Unit homepage at http://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/. The instructions are also located at:
http://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/stac_online_system/online_instructions/
guide_program_date_changes.pdf.
Agencies that do not have a STAC System authorized user can submit a Request Form for online access. The Request Form is located at: http://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/stac_online_system/stac_access_form.pdf

It is not necessary to change the program dates for Special Education Itinerant Services (SEIS) 9135 or 9136 programs since preschool students in these programs have varying start and end dates based on the weekly sessions of service delivery in these programs.

If you have questions regarding the STAC program date change process, please contact the STAC and Medicaid Unit at (518) 474-7116 or e-mail at omsstac@nysed.gov. Programmatic questions can be directed to the SED Office of Special Education at (518) 473-6108.

NOTE: Last year information was provided on a new Enrollment (student count) section on the DPRES and DSCHA program screens. The intent was for enrollment data to be entered starting with October 2017 for preschool programs, but development has been delayed. Currently, the screen and data boxes can be viewed but no data can be entered. More information on how and when to enter information into these new fields will be provided by the Office of Special Education prior to their implementation.

NOTE: To stay current on STAC policy, guidance and instructions, we recommend registering for one of the three STAC LISTSERVs. Instructions for registering can be found at: http://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/listserv/

1 Section 175.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner defines “period of enrollment” to mean that period commencing on the first day a student is enrolled in and is physically present at, or legally absent from, a special education program or service offered by an approved private school or facility and terminating on the last day such student is enrolled in and is physically present at, or legally absent from, such program or service.
2 Approved July/August special education programs and service(s) must operate for six weeks and are funded for 30 days of service during the months of July and August based upon enrollment, provided that the observance of the legal holiday for Independence Day may constitute a day of service. [Ed. L. §4408(1)]
3 No school may be in session on a Saturday or a legal holiday, except general election day, Washington’s birthday and Lincoln’s birthday. Days may include not more than four conference days. A conference day may not be scheduled on any day in July or August.
Last Updated: October 17, 2022