Upk Modder

admin

A number of bug fixes, but nothing to do with the textures. The previous database became corrupted and was not recoverable. Moved to the latest version of the database software and setup a new server. Packs – To save your time and to reduce your troubles mod creators and community members are here to help and make mod packs that are large portions of mods, put in to one package where you can find them all and really switch up your experience without investing much time. FS19 PACKS is going to expand and new mod packs are added every day. UTK.io is the #1 Minecraft PE community in the world, featuring Maps, Mods, Seeds, Servers, Skins and Texture Packs. Modder Resource: UPK files for ME3Explorer Mesh Import An added note for permissions! If you are a modder and interested in repacking my files and sharing them, you have my okay.


  • 6Separate Content
  • 9Examples

Overview

Adobe FlashSWF files (extensions of .swf and .swc) contain code in the form of ActionScripts which can control the User Interface (UI), and are called Native Functions and sometimes are called in code as native simulated function. They can also contain graphic sprites and icons used in those interfaces or elsewhere.

In the case of XCOM:Enemy Unknown 2012 these SWF files are embedded in various UPK files, but primarily in files command1.upk and GlobalPersistentCookerData.upk. From the game developer and modders perspective, a huge advantage to using SWF files is that they do not have to be of known or fixed lengths.

This article describe the currently known information about editing SWF files, ActionScripts, and sprites/icons.

Programs and Tools

  • Modding_Tools_-_XCOM:EU_2012

In order to examine or alter SWF files, they must first be extracted from the UPK files they reside in. For that decompilers are useful. There is, however, and proven manual method described below in the Separate Content section.

SWF Decompilers

  • The Open Source JPEXS Decompiler has successfully been used on SWF files extracted from XCOM upk files. It can save the modified ActionScript back into the extracted SWF file. Hex replacement within the upk file is still required at the current time.
  • The blog [Free SWF Decompilers List F.L.A.S.W.F.] has a List of Free SWF Decompilers.
  • Show My Code is a free Online decode/decompiler that can:
    • Decompile flash ActionScript from the swf flash file. Use this online flash swf decompiler to get the source code of the swf file.
    • Decompile java CLASS files and save source code in text. Reconstruct the original source code from the compiled binary.
    • Decompile .NET application and get it source code. Now you can get close to original source code of C# (c sharp), Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET.), Visual C++ .NET (VC++.NET) and J# (jay-sharp).
    • Decode and get source of php files encoded with Zend Guard. This process also called dezending and the program called dezender (de-zender). So, dezend php files and get the source code!
    • QR-code Reader. Decode a QR Code and get text! It's a two-dimensional bar code. The 'QR' is derived from 'Quick Response'. Most current mobile phones can read this code with their camera. UTF-8 is supported.

Video

To date, no one has figured out how to alter or replace the games texture of AVI files. However, the following tools may be of assistance, even if simply for recording things for analysis or replay.

  • CamStudio (FREE) is able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs).
  • Anyone attempting to work with video is advised to check out the Video_capture_and_edit_tools page on the Nexus Wiki.

Details


Icons are located in file Command1.upk, in the portion identified as gfxXComIconsXComIcons.swf.Flag and Perk icons have been found in file GlobalPersistentCookerData.upk.All the SWF files in Command1.upk have been extracted and posted in the Mod Long War Miscellaneous Files section.

It's possible to use the generic resizing capability within the tool [UPKmodder] on an actionscript object to add additional actionscript / sprites without having to remove code from other portions. I think this is definitely a case where the 'expand-in-place' approach is superior as some of the flash objects (as in UPK-level objects) are quite large.

For example, the SquadSelect SWF file (when extracted) is 135k, while the StrategComponents SWF file is 153k. These SWF files comprise the bulk of the UPK-level object containing them, although not quite all of it.

Using 'resize-in-place' it's possible to rewrite a small portion of the SWF file (like a single flash-level object) and resize it accordingly, which allows for much easier editing of the embedded SWF files. There are actually decompile/recompile tools for SWF files, which makes creating new code here easier than in the UPK itself (since we don't have a re-compile tool that will use existing object info from an existing UPK).

Not only does this allow for easier modifying of the actionscript components, but also for adding additional sprite data. This method could even be used to add additional image / icon data, or to modify compressed imagery (where the replacement won't be the same size as the original).

See #Resize-in-Place in the #Examples section for an illustration of this resizing technique, as well as discussion of the specific accompanying changes that must be made to the flash-level object block header.

Separate Content


Edit Process

Here is the manual process for editing SWF files, from the XCOM Modding thread UI Editing:

  1. Get the name of the ActionScript you want to edit. In UE Explorer, it's the text string called from an 'ActionScriptVoid' or other function starting with 'ActionScript,' like ActionScriptFloat. These appear to be called from unreal functions beginning with 'AS_' in various classes.
  2. Figure out which UPK the ActionScript appears in. I finally started using grep to text search the entire uncompressed set of UPKs. You'll have to hunt around, as you might find function calls rather than the function itself. For interface editing, Command1.UPK appears to have lots of ActionScript sections, although XComGame.UPK has one or two, as well.
  3. Now you have to excise the .SWF containing the Actionscript file from within the .UPK. 'UPKs' can hold multiple SWF files.
    • Manual Method:
    1. SWF files begin with the three letters 'GFX' (all uppercase) within the UPK. In your hex editor, do an ANSI search for the ActionScript function name you want to edit. Then, search the ANSI *UP* from there for the letters 'GFX'. Look at the context in which 'GFX' appears -- if it looks like it's part of a function name, and not a standalone code, then search upward again.
    2. Delete every single byte in the file BEFORE the letters 'GFX', all the way to the beginning.
    Note this may leave other SWF files than one in which you are interested below it. Just repeat the process in the other direction, but be sure to search for 'GFX' BELOW the ActionScript function name you want to edit.
    • Programmable Method:
    1. Search for GFX (all caps).
    2. Skip the next byte -- it's the version number.
    3. The next four bytes are the SWF file size.
    4. Add the file size to the hex location of the 'G' in GFX.
    5. Resultant position is the end of the embedded SWF file.
    6. As a double check, the four bytes immediately following the embedded SWF file should be FF FF FF FF.
    7. Extract the identified block of hex code (from the 'GFX' to the calculated end of the embedded SWF file) to a 'temporary workspace'.
  4. Change the letters 'GFX' to 'FWS'. These should be the first three bytes of your new file. This allows decompilers to treat it as a distinct file (Thanks to Dumbo111 for this trick)
  5. Save the result as an .SWF file -- do NOT save as a UPK, as you've already ruined this file as a UPK, and you want to keep your original file intact. There may be additional ActionScripts in separate SWFs below the SWF you want to edit, but you won't be able to get at it without excising each one separately.
  6. Open your new .SWF file in an SWF / ActionScript decompiler, such as SoThink's decompiler, which has a 30-day trial limit, or JPEXS decompiler (free, link in the 'Modding Tools' wiki article). But I was able to translate the commands to hex (by looking at the 'raw data' option and matching the assembler commands to the ActionScript) and make changes to in Notepad++ to the hex of the original UPK. (In other words, extract the SWF section for observation purposes, but make your edits to the original UPK.)

Hex Code

A fairly comprehensive set of hex codes can be found here: SWF Actions

Scripts in Actionscript are considered a specialized type of ACTION, and are always wrapped in an action tag. Scripts are not procedural (like in UE hex code), but is stack-based, which may require some adjustment.

Null Ops

Actionscript doesn't directly have a null-op (like the 0B in UE hex), but you can create null ops of various sizes. Simply PUSH a string onto the stack, then POP it back off. The string can be variable length so a variable length null-op can be created. The PUSH, POP, and the string terminator require 6 bytes, so this is the smallest null-op that can be created this way.

Quickly generating hex code

Uk Modern Slavery Act

The JPEXS decompiler supports a limited amount of editing. Currently it is limited to editing the stack-level commands (push, pop, etc) as opposed to the higher-level C/java style code (there is beta version of that editing capability, but it isn't working yet).

The following sequence that lets me edit the scripts fairly quickly:

  1. Open Actionscript, figure out what code I want to change.
  2. From the JPEXS hex-view, identify the leading hex blocks for the original function and the NEXT function.
  3. Using HxD (or any hex editor), copy out the hex of the function from the original SWF.
  4. Back in JPEXS, edit the function in the 'stack view'.
  5. 'Save as' the changes to a new file (JPEXS can't save much of the data in the original SWF, but it can correctly save all of the scripts).
  6. From JPEXS hex-view, identify the leading hex blocks for the edited function and the NEXT function.
  7. Open the newly saved SWF file in HxD (or other hex editor) and find the block of changed hex.
  8. Copy out the modified hex from the modified copy of the SWF.
  9. Test the new hex by search and replace in a copy of the original SWF, and try to decompile in JPEXS.

This is MUCH MUCH faster than trying to manually edit the hex codes. Due to the stack-based structure, MANY of the commands are 1 byte. Using the above method I was able to rewrite a 1014 byte SWF function in about an hour.

Getting UI Inputs to UnrealScript

[Thanks to tracktwo in the 'R&D XCOM UI/Flash modding' thread in the Nexus XCOM 'Mod Talk' forum for the following:]

Getting mouse input back into UnrealScript from Flash turned out to be not so big of a deal once I figured out how to organize things in Firaxis' system. When using the built in screen/panel system, mouse input is managed by the interface manager, UIFxsMovie. To communicate between your Flash movie and your UI_FxsScreen or UI_FxsPanel sub-class, you just need the following:

  1. The s_package, s_screenId, and s_name fields in your UI_FxsScreen or UI_FxsPanel subclass need to be set correctly: s_package to the package and object containing your Flash, s_screenId to a unique Id to identify your screen, and s_name to name the 'main' movieclip (MC) in your movie.
  2. On the Flash side, your main MC instance needs to be exported for ActionScript in the first frame.
  3. Register and display your screen through the interface manager: The convention is to have some 'manager' class spawn and initialize your UI class by calling Init() and passing the XComPlayerController as the manager and a interface manager instance (e.g. PRES().GetHUD() for the strategy hud interface manager) as the 2nd. Your Init() function should call LoadScreen() on the manager you passed in, passing self. This will set your movie up as a child screen of the interface manager.
  4. After completing any setup on the Flash side, call the externalInterface function 'FlashRaiseInit', passing along the full path to your MC (i.e. flash.external.ExternalInterface.call('FlashRaiseInit', string(this)). This is required to tell both the interface manager and your UI object that your Flash code has completed any initialization. This call will be handled by the UIFxsMovie instance manager, which will call the OnInit function in your subclass. It looks up the correct UI object to invoke by looking at the first argument to 'FlashRaiseInit'. This means that the full path as returned by string(this) in Flash needs to match the s_screenID and s_name fields in your UI subclass, otherwise it won't find the right object to call. Failing to call 'FlashRaiseInit' will prevent the interface manager from forwarding any mouse input to your UI as it thinks it is not yet initialized and ready for input processing.
  5. Mouse events are raised by the external interface call 'FlashRaiseMouseEvent'. This call is handled by the interface manager and dispatches to the OnMouseEvent function in your UI class. The Flash external call takes three additional arguments. The first is the main MC of the clip again (as for 'FlashRaiseInit', this is how the interface manager finds the correct UI instance to call). The second is an integer which represents the input event type. The third is an arbitrary string 'args'. The convention used by most vanilla UIs is to pass the full path to the movieclip that generated the event here. The interface manager will split this string on '.' and pass the array of strings that make up the argument to your OnMouseEvent function. In UnrealScript, OnMouseEvent takes 2 arguments: the integer (int) command and the 'args' array of strings.
  6. All the Flash external interface calls must be generated through a movieclip exposed to ActionScript and exported in the first frame of your movie, or scaleform won't process them.

Keyboard/Gamepad input is fairly easy to manage, as expected. Just provide the OnUnrealCommand(int Cmd, int Arg) function in your UI class and you'll get keyboard and gamepad events whenever your UI element is focused. Mouse events also come in through here, but in most cases you're probably better off handling this at the Flash level so it is easier to figure out what was clicked on.

  • The list of input constants is in the class UI_FxsInput. For example, many UI screens will respond to all of the options:
    • the <Escape> key
    • the gamepad < B/Circle > button
    • the right mouse button
to close the UI. These correspond to entries for commands 301, 405, and 510 respectively.

Also a neat trick: by using the standard screen/panel system, the UI elements all coexist in the same movie instance as sub-clips. This means that if your UI is layered on top of another UI (as the campaign manager is currently layered on top of the situation room) you can actually access all of the flash elements of the other UI from ActionScript. For example, the main text box in the situation room can be accessed through _level0.theInterfaceMgr.gfxSituationRoomHUD.theScreen.continentBody. 'theInterfaceMgr' is the main interface movie (UIInterfaceMgr). You can derive the rest of the path by looking at the UI class in question (gfxSituationRoomHUD is the s_screenId field in UISituationRoom and 'theScreen' is the s_name field) and the actual Flash itself ('continentBody' is a child element of 'theScreen' when you look at the Flash file in JPEXS). So one possible way to add new Flash to an existing UI is to layer an invisible flash screen on top of it and tinker with the screen 'below' through ActionScript.

Code Breakdown


Compiled Code


Examples

Resize-in-Place

Altering the Situation Room: Written for use with UPK-Modder, and it will be necessary to remove the line breaks in the '[BEFORE_HEX]' and '[AFTER_HEX]' sections. Comments are preceded by double slashes (//) and can be ignored by UPK-Modder.

If you are familiar with actionscript hex, you'll recognize that the FF 09 at the beginning marks the beginning of a flash-level object block, and the next 4 bytes are the size of the object, which is changing from A4 to BC. This matches with the RESIZE operation amount of 18, as 0xA4 + 0x18 0xBC.

The object containing an SWF object has a fairly long and variable-sized 'header' preceding the actual embedded SWF file (which has the 'FWS' leading string replaced with 'GFX').

The objectlist entry for 'SituationRoom' looks like so:

Of particular note are the object's file size and file position, which are 0x2692B and 0x691153.

The embedded SWF file begins with:

47 46 58 in ASCII is 'GFX', the 08 is the version, and the next 4 bytes are (in little endian) the SWF filesize, 0x26730. This is 0x1FB = 507 bytes smaller than the full object. This extra 0x1FB bytes is entirely contained within a 'header' preceding the SWF embedded file within the object.

The entire hex header is variable size, as it contains string elements:

I'm sure there are several interesting portions here, but what I am interested in is the last 4-byte word of this 'header' : 30 67 02 00, which is the size of the SWF object within the UPK-level object.

Hence there SWF object size is actually declared twice (and immediately adjacent):

The positioning of the file size is consistent with the position of an unrealscript filesize -- again it's the final 4-byte word of the header. The second instance of the size is for the flash interpreter in order to conform with Flash file specification.

Slightly later in the Flash file is some embedded XML:

Here we can see that Firaxis is using Adobe Flash Professional CS5 to create the Flash files, which are later cooked into the UPK.

At any rate, in order to resize an actionscript object both of these values must be adjusted. Since the current RESIZE operation in UPKmodder only allows a single hex change, if this header is separate from the change (quite likely), it would require a second-pass modification.


References

Referred to by this article:

  • Modding_Tools_-_XCOM:EU_2012


That refer to this article:


Retrieved from 'https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php?title=Flash_SWF_Editing&oldid=41526'
NYSED / P-12 / OCAET / Early Learning / UPK / Regulations / Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers, Including Mid-Year Programs

Eligible Child

1. Who is eligible for UPK?

Section 3602-e of Education Law defines an 'eligible child' as a child who resides within a UPK participating school district and who is four-years of age on or before December 1st or otherwise eligible to attend kindergarten the following school year. A child who is age-eligible to attend kindergarten is not eligible for the UPK program.

2. Is UPK participation mandatory?

No. UPK is a voluntary program for both districts and children. Parents and/or guardians may choose, but are not required, to enroll their children in a UPK program. However, upon enrollment, the school district's attendance policy must be applied.

3. Can a district give preference for enrollment to children who are from families that are economically disadvantaged?

No. Section 3602-e of Education Law requires that school districts must establish a process to select eligible children to receive UPK services on a random basis when there are more eligible children than can be served in a given school year. The only exception to this provision is that a school district that operated a targeted prekindergarten program in the 2006-2007 school year may continue to use the selection process it had established for that program.

4. How can we increase the number of homeless children who are eligible to attend UPK programs when many of them enroll later in the school year?

By Federal law, homeless preschool children should be enrolled in UPK when they become known to the district. In certain circumstances it may be necessary for the program to obtain a variance to exceed the class size. Districts should contact the program office at the State Education Department for additional technical assistance on this issue as the need arises.

Approved Expenditures

5. What are allowable costs?

Allowable costs are those items specified as 'approved expenditures' in Section 151-1.2(a) of the Commissioner's regulations. Such costs include, but are not limited to, program components, professional salaries, professional development, support services, materials and supplies, administrative support services, transportation services, leasing expenses or other appropriate facilities expenses and other costs approved by the Commissioner.

6. Can money be used to lease facilities? If a facility is leased, what building requirements apply?

Leasing expense is an approved expenditure of UPK funds. Buildings and classrooms operated by a school district outside of New York City, but located off of school grounds, shall meet the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (9 NYCRR Parts 600 through 1250), sections 151-2.7 and 155.7 of 11 NYCRR and Part 418 of the regulations of the Office of Children and Family Services (18 NYCRR Part 418).

7. Can additional children be served with local dollars?

Yes, however the district should report such children as 'other funded' on the Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) report.

Eligible Agencies

8. What is an eligible agency?

There are a multitude of eligible agencies that may collaborate with a school district. These include Head Start, child care/day care centers, non-public schools, nursery schools, 4410 special education providers, BOCES, group family or family day care providers, libraries, museums and other early childhood providers within your community.

9. If a library has Pre-K programs taking place on Saturdays and after school hours, can they expand those programs for more Pre-K access?

UPK programs must operate a minimum of two and one-half hours per day, five days per week for a minimum of 180 days per year. To the extent that a library has the space and capacity it could expand its program to provide UPK services.

Upk-modder

10. Does a parochial school qualify as an eligible agency?

Eligible agency means an existing provider of child care and early education. Therefore, parochial or other religious schools that operate prekindergarten programs qualify as eligible agencies. When providing UPK services, such schools must provide proper constitutional safeguards similar to those employed in Title I programs. Religious instruction cannot be provided in the UPK program and religious symbols should be removed or covered.

11. Do eligible agencies have to be located within the school district?

For the purpose of the New York State Universal Prekindergarten program, it is allowable for participating school districts to contract with eligible early childhood providers physically located within, or outside of, the district's geographic boundaries, assuming the process for establishing a collaboration is followed and the eligible agency is located in a contiguous district or otherwise transportation to and from the child's home to the eligible agency does not impose a hardship for the child, the family or the district.

12. What standard must be followed when a UPK provider that is governed by more than one set of regulations or requirements and there are differences in things like staffing, staff qualifications, facilities requirements, and other issues?

This is not an uncommon issue, especially in collaborations. Licensed and registered child care programs, voluntarily registered nursery schools, early childhood special education preschools, Head Start and other collaborators have to comply with more than one set of requirements. As a general rule when two or more sets of regulations are in conflict, the agency must follow the more stringent of the regulations.

Collaboration Requirement

13. What is the collaboration requirement?

The law requires that districts use a minimum of 10% of their UPK grant award to contract with one or more eligible agencies for the provision of the instructional program for a specified number of enrolled children. Districts must undertake a competitive process in the selection of their contracted agencies. Districts may contract the minimum of ten percent of the grant or the full grant award, to as few or as many providers as selected through the competitive process.

Generally, ten percent of the funds would be expected to serve approximately ten percent of the students.

14. What happens if no eligible agencies are willing or able to collaborate with the district or there are no eligible agencies within the district or there is good cause for not contracting with those who express interest in providing UPK services?

The law allows districts in such circumstances to request a variance from the collaboration requirement. Districts will have the opportunity to request such a variance as part of the UPK application.

15. Do districts have to contract with a collaborating agency located within their school district? Can districts that are unable to serve UPK students in-district contract with eligible agencies within a close proximity to the district?

As a general rule, UPK policy requires that districts only contract within their own geographic boundaries. However, some circumstances will necessitate contracting with an agency located in close proximity to the district's boundaries.

Competitive Process

16. How do districts select collaborating agencies?

Districts must select the eligible agencies with which it will collaborate through a competitive process. Section 151-1.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education explicitly describe the process for issuing a request for proposals (RFP), as well as the criteria to consider for selecting which eligible agency or agencies will receive grant funds to provide the UPK program.

17. Does a school district have to conduct a competitive process every year?

Subsequent to the implementation of the initial competitive process, and the selection of an eligible agency or agencies to provide the program, districts must develop a purchase of service contract with such agencies. Contracts may be of varying lengths depending on the arrangements established between the agency and the district. It is imperative the district's attorney ensure that the contract is valid and that district's have clauses for discontinuing a contract, or alternately, extending a contract.

18. We currently contract with six eligible agencies. This year the district is receiving increased funding for UPK. Do we have to issue the RFP for the additional funds?

There is not a clear cut yes or no answer to this question. While a district may be happy with their current providers, there also may be additional eligible agencies in the community that would like the opportunity to participate in the UPK program. In addition, the district must take into consideration the capacity of the current providers to serve additional UPK children and to comply with the new uniform quality standards. Districts should also consider other factors such as the ease with which families can use the current providers and whether there are unserved areas of the district.

Program Design

19. Can summer months be included as part of the '180 days per year' requirement and what are the options for beginning a program, or enrolling more children in an existing program, mid year?

UPK programs commencing at the beginning of the school year, and reporting their student count on the October BEDS date, must operate a minimum of 180 days during the school year. By law, school year is defined as July 1st through June 30th. Therefore, a district could design its UPK program to operate for a minimum of 180 days on a schedule other than the tradition school calendar.

Districts may also opt to begin a program 'mid year' and serve children for fewer than 180 days, however children must be enrolled for at least 90 days. The mid year application conveys the details of beginning a shortened year program, including the method for submitting student counts.

Districts which have not applied for their full annual allocation may expand their current program by enrolling additional children mid year. The mid year expansion documents convey the process for accessing unclaimed UPK funds and reporting a second (additional to BEDS) student count.

20. Do superintendent conference days count toward the minimum 180 days?

Yes. The days for UPK are calculated in the same manner as for the kindergarten through grade 12 program.

21. Does UPK have to be 5 days per week and a minimum of 180 days per year?

Yes.

Health and Nutrition

22. Who is responsible for screening (vision, motor, hearing, etc.) -- the district or the eligible agency?

The school district is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the diagnostic screening of new entrants occurs as required by Part 117 of the Commissioner's regulations. However, the details of how this is accomplished may vary among districts. This might be something you want to include in your contract with your collaborating agencies.

23. Is lead screening required by Part 117 of the Commissioner's regulations?

No, lead screening is not required for new entrants to the school district. Public Health Law requires that public schools, day care providers and nursery schools 'obtain evidence' of lead screening for all children under six years of age. If the parent is unable to provide such evidence, the district must give the parent information on lead poisoning and prevention, and refer the parent to their health care provider or the county health department for a lead blood screening. Children may not be excluded because their parents fail to take the child for a screening.

24. Is the district required to provide meals and snacks?

Prekindergarten programs that operate for less than three hours must provide a nutritional meal and/or snack. Programs operating more than three hours must provide appropriate meals and snacks to ensure the nutritional needs of children are met. The cost of meals and snacks are allowable costs to the grant. In addition, districts or eligible agencies may access USDA reimbursement for eligible children through the Free and Reduced Lunch Program or the Child and Adult Care Food Program, respectively. Where districts choose to charge parents for the cost of meals and/or snacks, parents must be provided the option of furnishing their own meal or snack rather than purchasing.

For more information on the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, contact your district's school lunch coordinator or the SED Child Nutrition Knowledge Center at http://portal.nysed.gov/portal/page/pref/CNKC.

Information on the Child and Adult Care Food Program can be obtained through the New York State Department of Health website at http://www.health.state.ny.us/prevention/nutrition/cacfp/.

Curriculum and Assessment

25. Do all collaborating agencies need to use the same curricula? Does the district have the right to say that a certain curriculum be used for each of its sites?

Curriculum selection is the responsibility of the district. It is recommended that the same curricula be used in all UPK classrooms, regardless of setting. However, the district may allow eligible agencies to use alternative curricula if upon review it is determined that such curricula are aligned with the State's learning standards and provide continuity with the district's early elementary program.

26. Does SED have a list of recommended curricula or assessments for UPK programs?

There is no list of recommended or 'approved' curricula or assessment tools. However, SED will provide guidance and technical assistance that will assist districts in selecting curricula and assessment tools.

Uk Modern History

Staff Qualifications

27. What are the appropriate certifications for UPK teachers?

Section 151-1.3(e) of the Commissioner's regulations outlines the qualifications for teachers providing instruction in UPK classrooms in public school and eligible agency settings. Teachers must hold a teaching license or certificate valid for service in the early childhood grades pursuant to Part 80 of this Title.

28. How does a teacher with a bachelor's degree become certified? Are there alternate route to certification?

Information regarding staff qualifications and certification can be accessed through the New York State Education Department Office of Teaching Initiatives using the following web address: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/

29. Do UPK teachers in the collaborating agencies have to be certified?

A change in statute in 2008 provided increased flexibility pertaining to the qualifications of teachers in collaborating agencies. UPK teachers employed by an agency that is licensed or registered by a State agency may meet the qualifications of that authority. Teachers employed by an agency that is not required to be licensed or registered may meet the qualifications established by their employers. In both instances, if the UPK teacher is not certified the teacher must have an education plan that will lead to obtaining NYS teacher certification for Birth – Grade 2 within five years. A certified on-site education director is required to be present during the UPK session(s) until all UPK teachers at a collaborating agency site are certified.

If the eligible agency is unable to provide an on-site certified teacher as the education director, the district may opt to assign a qualified individual to be on-site during the hours of UPK operation and perform this function.

Apk Modded No Root

Professional Development

30. Must agency personnel be included in the district's staff development days?

It is the responsibility of the school district to assure that UPK staff in eligible agencies receive the amount and type of professional development that supports their ability to provide a high quality instructional program meeting the needs of the enrolled children. This may be professional development provided by the district and/or by the agencies. If district-planned staff development is relevant to UPK, then it is a makes good program sense to include UPK teachers and/or staff from the agencies. Conversely, most agencies have professional development opportunities for their own staff and including district staff may be beneficial.

31. How can staff in agency UPK programs attend the district's professional development without closing down the program?

Contracted UPK is for a minimum of 180 days, usually following the district's school calendar that has superintendent's conference days included. The district has options that may include, but are not limited to, requiring participation in some or all of the district professional development for UPK as part of the contract with the agency. Many agencies close UPK classes on district conference days so that their staff can attend. In some situations, the agency or district agree to provide substitutes for the UPK class to permit staff to attend professional development with the district or from other sources.

Application Process

32. How long will it take to receive approval of our UPK application? Can a school district register students now?

UPK is an allocational, not competitive, grant. Therefore, districts should feel confident to proceed with developing their UPK plans and getting all components of the program in place, including the recruitment, random selection, registration and enrollment of students. Once the UPK application is submitted, and reviewed by the SED program office, districts can anticipate receiving notification that the budget has been approved and an advance of the grant funds within four to six weeks.

Apk Modder

33. Is the application the same for continuation grants as for new grants?

The application for operating a full year, or 180 day program, is comparable for both new and previously participating districts. Districts that are first time applicants must submit program goals for implementation covering a three year period.

There is a separate application for beginning a mid-year program (at least 90 but fewer than 180 days). There are specific forms to submit for a mid-year expansion of the number of children enrolled in a currently operating program.

34. Can two or more school districts submit a joint application?

Yes, two or more districts may submit a joint application to operate a joint universal prekindergarten program. This application must identify which district will serve as the fiscal agent for the joint grant. The partnership agreement specifying the roles and responsibilities of each participating district for implementation and oversight of the program must be enclosed with the application.

35. Can districts request variances from the UPK requirements?

Section 3602-e of Education Law allows districts operating a UPK program to request a variance from some requirements. These include variances from class size limitations, the 10 percent set-aside for collaboration, and to operate a summer-only program. If a variance is approved, it will be for one year only and will need to be requested by the applicant district on an annual basis.

Last Updated: April 19, 2011