The Mid-State Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN) at OCM BOCES,

funded by the New York State Education Department's Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL), is dedicated to enhancing the instructional practices and educational outcomes for English Language Learners (ELLs) and Multilingual Learners (MLs) across the Central New York region. Working in close partnership with The New York State Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL), we offer no-cost professional learning, technical assistance, on-site consultation, and resources tailored to the diverse needs of our districts and schools. We aim to create equitable educational opportunities that promote academic excellence for all culturally and linguistically diverse students.
As part of New York State’s network of eight RBERNs, we collaborate to deliver a coordinated system of high-quality resources, training, and information dissemination across the state. This collective work aims to strengthen educators, families', and communities' skills, knowledge, and competencies in supporting ELL academic success. Our core services encompass multiple areas critical to ELL education, including student identification and placement, quality program implementation, leadership in ELL education, researched-based instruction, assessment, staff qualifications, parental engagement, and the coordination of resources and support services.
The Mid-State RBERN service area includes 126 school districts within the BOCES regions of Broome-Tioga, Cayuga-Onondaga, Jefferson-Lewis, Madison-Oneida, Oneida-Herkimer-Madison, Onondaga-Cortland-Madison, Oswego, Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga, and the Greater Southern Tier. We serve public, charter, and nonpublic schools identified by OBEWL as requiring additional assistance to meet federal ESSA benchmarks to assess and enhance student performance and school effectiveness. Our mission aligns with New York State’s commitment to elevating all students to meet high standards. Through our commitment, we strive to increase ELL and ML student performance, reduce dropout rates, and raise graduation rates, ultimately ensuring ELLs and MLs thrive in inclusive, academically enriching environments.