Meeting of the Board of Regents | July 2007

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Annual Report of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching
DATE:	July 16, 2007
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goal 3
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Discussion

 

              What priorities and activities have the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching been engaged in over the past year?

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

              Required by Regents Rules.

 

Proposed Handling

 

The Board co-chairs for 2006-2007 will present an oral report of the Standards Board’s activities during the past year. They will be available for questions and discussion after their presentation.

 

Procedural History

 

Regents Rule 3.14 stipulates that the Standards Board will make a report to the Board of Regents annually. This is the Board’s ninth annual report.

 

Background Information

 

The attachments are provided as background for the Board’s report. They summarize the Standard Board’s activities for the period September 2006-2007.

 

Attachments

                                                                                                                     Attachment 1

 

State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching

Annual Report to the Board of Regents

Activities and Accomplishments

2006-2007

 

During 2006-2007, the Standards Board established a priority agenda to guide its work throughout the year, centering on four topics:

 

• Professional Development
• Full-Day Kindergarten/Universal Pre-K
• High School Graduation Rate
• Teacher Quality/ Retention

 

Focus on these priority topics throughout the year led the Board to a decision to begin development of New York State practice standards in the areas of teaching and professional development. Small group work was begun and will continue over the summer to develop draft recommendations for consideration by the full Standards Board in the fall. It is anticipated that the Board will refine a draft for consideration by the Department, stakeholder groups, and the Board of Regents.

 

The Standards Board completed its fourth year of participation in the Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE) program. A Board panel of the Higher Education Subcommittee reviewed staff reports and made recommendations to the Senior Deputy Commissioner of Education P-16 regarding accreditation status of the teacher education programs at six higher education institutions:

 

• Roberts Wesleyan College
• Boricua College
• Yeshiva University
• Mercy College
• School of Visual Arts
• Cazenovia College

 

The Higher Education Subcommittee continued to work with Department staff to refine the RATE review process and made several recommendations that have been incorporated into the program. For example, a database has been developed to track the status of institutions undergoing RATE accreditation and a process has been developed to share institutional reports and other additional information with the Subcommittee and, subsequently, to incorporate the Subcommittee’s feedback into the recommendation prepared for final Regents action.

 

On March 21, Board members visited Executive and Legislative staff members and Legislators. For this sixth year of visits, members focused on critical issues to strengthen teaching:

 

• Early childhood programs, including increased funding for universal pre-kindergarten and expansion of full-day kindergarten
• Expansion of funding to support teacher recruitment and retention efforts, including Teachers for Tomorrow (TOT), Teacher Opportunity Corp (TOC), and State Teacher Centers; as well as funding to support  higher education (TAP, Bundy Aid)
• Restructured Foundation Aid Formula

 

A summary list of the Board’s accomplishments during the past year appears on the following page.

                                                                                                                                 Attachment 2

 

State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching

 

Annual Report to the Board of Regents

 Activities and Accomplishments

2006-2007

 

 

Part 83 Moral Character Cases

Reviewed and acted on 104 cases brought under Part 83 of the Regulations of the Commissioner on teacher moral character requirements. (Professional Practices Subcommittee)

 

Proposal on the Structure of Teacher Certification in Special Education

Provided recommendations regarding staff’s proposed restructuring of certificates for teachers of students with disabilities. One member represented the Board on the Department workgroup developing this proposal.

 

Proposal to Establish an Endorsement of Out-of-State Certificates

Adopted a position statement in opposition to a draft staff proposal to establish endorsements for out-of-state teaching certificates.

 

Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE)

Reviewed staff reports and made recommendations on accreditation of teacher education programs at six institutions under the RATE program: Boricua College, Cazenovia College, Mercy College, Roberts Wesleyan College, School of Visual Arts, and Yeshiva University. Recommended refinements to RATE review process. (Higher Education Subcommittee)

 

Regulatory Amendment - Certification Requirements for School Leaders, Part 80 Regulations

Provided continued feedback and recommendations on the development of the new assessments required for certification in school leadership titles. (The Board had previously endorsed the proposed certification requirements for school leaders.)

 

Regulatory Amendment - Technical Amendments to Part 80 Regulations

Endorsed the proposed technical changes to Part 80 Regulations related to teacher certification.

 

Teacher Resource and Computer Training Center Program

Approved funding of five new teacher centers for 2006-2007 program year: Commack UFSD, Horseheads CSD, Lansing CSD-Groton CSD, North Merrick UFSD, and Van Hornesville-Owen D. Young CSD.

 

Visits with Legislative and Executive Staff

Conducted education information visits on March 21, 2007, meeting with key Legislators and staff and Executive staff members to discuss key issues and support for: expanded early childhood programs, increased funding for programs to increase teacher recruitment and retention, higher education, and a restructured foundation aid formula.