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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are CES National affiliation and regional center affiliation the same thing?
A. No, they are two entirely separate programs with different benefits and requirements.

Q. My school has been receiving the affiliation benefits for free for years. Why the need to charge a fee now?
A. This fee is a way for schools and centers to provide financial support to the CES National Network from which they benefit.

Q. If my school doesn't send CES National a check for $500 by July 31, what happens?
A. If your school doesn't pay its affiliation fee (or submit a purchase order) by July 31, the following will happen:

• Your school will be removed from the list of affiliated schools on the CES National Web site and database.
• Your school will no longer have access to private areas of the CES Web site such as the Fieldbook, discussion groups, job board, data collection/reporting tool, and online publications. (These areas of the Web site are public now but will be closed to non-affiliates as of Summer 2001.)
• The school will not receive HORACE or Principles at Work. The school will not be eligible for one free Fall Forum presenter waiver (per presentation).

Q. If my center decides to not affiliate with CES National, can my school still affiliate?
A. Yes, all schools can affiliate with CES National, whether or not their center is affiliated with the CES National Office.

Q. If my school's regional center is affiliated with CES National, does my school have to affiliate with the National Office?
A. No. Although we hope that most schools will choose to affiliate with CES National, it is not required of all schools working with CES regional centers.

Q. Why should a school affiliate with CES National if they are already affiliated with a regional center?
A. Benefits of center and CES National affiliation are different but complementary. Your affiliation with CES National helps support the work the National Office does to strengthen the Network.

Q. If my school does not send in its affiliation fee until after July 31, what does that mean in terms of affiliation, benefits, and future payments?
A. The affiliation year spans the year beginning August 1 and ending July 31. Affiliation fees will be accepted every year before July 31. Schools that pay their affiliation fee after July 31 are not eligible for the Fall Forum presenter fee waiver, but will receive all other benefits. Should a school pay its affiliation fee after January 1, 2002, it will be asked to pay a discounted $250 fee for affiliation benefits spanning January 1, 2002 through July 31, 2002.

Q. Who should be creating the school profile and inputting school data?
A. We recommend that each school designate one person to be responsible for the creation of the profile and data collection.

Q. Who will have access to the online school profiles and data?
A. Online school profiles, containing basic school contact information and various other pieces of data specified by the school, will be viewable by the public. Only the school, the school's regional center (if applicable), and CES National will be able to view the more in-depth school progress data regarding student achievement, teacher credentials, school climate, etc. How that data is used with the school's community, parents, and faculty is the school's decision. Editing privileges will be restricted to designated school personnel.

Q. Who will have access to "all portions of the CES Web site"?
A. Once a school becomes a CES Network School, a username and password will be chosen. That information and therefore, access to the CES Web site can be shared with faculty, parents, community members, and students.

Q. Why should my school affiliate?
A. Along with the benefits of affiliation outlined in the affiliation program description, CES Network Schools will enjoy the following:

• Participation in a movement focused on raising student achievement and building more nurturing learning communities for all children
• Unlimited opportunities to share with and learn from other like-minded individuals and organizations around the world via electronic discussion groups and the Fieldbook
• Analysis and refinement of school practices with the aid of the online data collection tool
• Opportunities to participate in national and regional research projects

Q. Will centers be asked to pay a separate larger fee to fund the development of the data collection tool?
A. No, CES National will fund the development of the data collection tool.

Q. What is the status of the center affirmation process?
A. The center affirmation process has evolved from an "in or out" assessment of a center's progress to a system in which centers receive critical friend feedback from their regional center colleagues. Centers will be asked to host a critical friends visit with CES Network colleagues once every three years as well as send at least one center staff member or member school faculty member on a center critical friends visit once a year. The rigor of such meetings will be determined by the Center Directors. Centers will be encouraged to utilize the existing center rubric in these visits. Scheduling of such visits will be the responsibility of the centers.

Q. What about additional services?
A.Additional services, tools and resources such as consulting, CES University institutes, and additional copies of HORACE will be available to all affiliated schools for additional fees.

How to Affiliate