Meeting of the Board of Regents | January 2008
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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 |
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TO: |
Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee |
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FROM: |
Johanna Duncan-Poitier
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SUBJECT: |
Proposed Amendment to Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Requirements for Educational Leadership Programs and Examinations
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DATE: |
January 4, 2008
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STRATEGIC GOAL: |
Goals 2 and 3
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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Summary
Issues for Discussion
Should the Board of Regents approve the proposed draft implementation schedule for the Educational Leadership Certification Examinations?
Should the Board of Regents amend the requirements for the preparation and certification of school leaders provided in Parts 80-3.10, 80-5.18 and 52.21(c) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to enhance the college programs and to provide more opportunities to obtain School Leadership certification?
Reasons for Consideration
Review of Policy and Required by State regulation.
Proposed Handling
The Department seeks the Regents concurrence with the implementation plan for the Educational Leadership examinations required by current regulations. In addition, the Department proposes, for consideration by the Regents, policy adjustments that would require a change in regulation.
Procedural History
In July 2003, the Board of Regents enacted revisions to the Part 52 regulations (College Programs) and in June 2006 enacted revisions to Part 80 (Issuance of Certificates) as part of the implementation of the School Leadership certificates (School Building Leader, School District Leader, and School District Business Leader).
Development of the School Leadership Examinations was not completed at the time the Regents adopted the certification regulation. Members of the Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee requested that we further consult with the field on the exam development process and exam content as well as an implementation schedule and to bring this matter back to them for approval of a schedule for implementing the Educational Leadership Certification Examinations.
As discussions with the field have taken place, suggestions have also been made for revisions to the regulatory requirements for school leadership education programs to enhance the preparation of school leaders and to provide more opportunities to obtain School Leadership certification. Those proposed changes are:
- Adjust the content of preparation programs leading to certification as a School District Business Leader to include more coursework in fiscal management.
- Require additional content for all three School Leadership Programs on appropriate school personnel-student boundaries, and ethics, as recommended, following further discussion with the field.
- Provide flexibility to school districts where a school board only authorizes one school leadership position in the district that combines the duties covered by the SDL and either the SBL or SDBL certificate.
- Permit greater opportunities for school districts and qualified non-traditional candidates by enhancing the pool of qualified, certified School District Business Leaders through establishment of a Transitional D Program leading to certification as a School District Business Leader.
- Provide greater flexibility for certified school leaders to earn additional School Leadership certification through a supplementary certificate.
Background Information
The initiative to strengthen certification requirements for educational leaders in New York State began with the Commissioner appointing a Blue Ribbon Panel on School Leadership in 1998. Recognizing that success in achieving learning standards for all students depends upon effective leadership in our schools and school districts, as well as effective teachers and involved parents and caregivers, the Panel was charged with the task of identifying the essential characteristics of effective leaders. After many months of careful deliberation and consultation with the field, the Panel identified the following essential leadership characteristics:
- Leaders know and understand what it means and what it takes to be a leader;
- Leaders have a vision for schools that they constantly share and promote;
- Leaders communicate clearly and effectively;
- Leaders collaborate and cooperate with others;
- Leaders persevere and take the long view;
- Leaders support, develop and nurture staff;
- Leaders hold themselves and others responsible and accountable;
- Leaders never stop learning and honing their skills; and
- Leaders have the courage to take informed risks.
Next, Department staff, working in consultation with the higher education community, school district administrators, practitioners, and many others, developed regulatory requirements for college programs that prepare school leaders, in Part 52 of the Commissioner’s Regulations. The nine essential characteristics of effective leaders were incorporated into the program requirements. The Part 52 regulations were designed to identify the required competencies in school leadership to assist colleges in revising their current programs leading to building, district and business leadership certificates while promoting the maximum level of flexibility for individuals and institutions interested in participating in these programs. In July 2003, the Board of Regents adopted the regulations for Part 52.21(c) of the Commissioner's Regulations.
The Office of College and University Evaluation worked closely with colleges and universities seeking to register School Leadership programs and have now registered the following programs for each school leadership title:
Programs Institutions
School District Leader 67 36
School Building Leader 94 46
School District Business Leader 14 11
In June 2006, the Regents adopted revisions to Part 80 of the Commissioner’s Regulations to strengthen requirements that candidates must meet in order to be certified as School Building Leaders, School District Leaders, and School District Business Leaders for service in New York State public schools.
Educational Leadership Certification Examinations
After the Regents approved these regulations in June 2006, the Department engaged interested parties in further discussion of the content of the registered programs and the content and format of the examinations for each of the three new certificate titles. This was done through a number of meetings among stakeholders, Department staff, and staff of the exam development contractor, National Evaluation Systems, Inc. (NES). Recommendations from the field (see attachment) resulted in a number of critical changes to the examination planning such as changes to the structure of the examinations (more weight on essay portions), increased participation by New York City practitioners in the development of the exams, and plans to use laptop computers for the essay portion of the examinations. The results of these consultations are detailed in the attachment to this item.
Consistent with the guidance from the Board of Regents and discussion and feedback from stakeholder organizations and institutions, the proposed draft schedule for implementation of the educational leadership certification examinations is as follows:
First scheduled administration July/August 2008
Second scheduled administration December 2008
Date after which individuals graduating February 1, 2009
from educational leadership programs
must pass examinations for certification
Third scheduled administration May 2009
Fourth scheduled administration July 2009
Proposed Adjustments to Policy
In addition to discussions of implementation of the examination requirements in Commissioner’s Regulations, some of the interested parties and members of the Board of Regents have suggested that Part 52.21(c), which defines the content of the school leadership programs, be supplemented by explicitly including study in the areas of fiscal accountability and ethics, including school personnel-student boundary issues, for school leaders (see attachment). If the Board of Regents endorses this approach, the Department will continue its consultation with the interested parties along with seeking input from the Department’s Office of Audit Services and the Department’s Office of School Operations and Management Services to develop draft regulations to implement this enhancement.
With the Department’s receipt of the Wallace Foundation grant, more work will be done on School Leadership Preparation Programs and additional changes may be recommended in the future. Research on School Leadership programs across the U.S. supported by the Wallace Foundation points to a need for more changes in how these programs are organized and conducted. It also argues for a more outcome based approach with an emphasis on the clinical components (internship and fieldwork) of the program.
The implementation of the school leadership exams in New York State is consistent with this approach to have a fixed standard of knowledge that program graduates must meet regardless of which college/university programs they completed. The certification exam serves as an outcome based measurement for all programs in the same manner that it does for the classroom teachers.
Summary
We have worked closely with SED’s key partners in the development of the new School Leadership programs and certificates. The Council of School Superintendents; the School Administrators Association of New York State; The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, New York City; and the New York State Association of School Business Officials have all participated extensively in the implementation of the new school leadership programs and certificate requirements, and will continue to assist the Department as we take direction from the Board of Regents on next steps. These professional associations, whose future members would be holders of the new school leadership certificates, are supportive of the proposed examination schedule, the enhancement of the academic programs and the improved flexibility for leadership certificates recommended in this item.
Recommendation
Based on the direction of the Board of Regents and discussions with the above-mentioned key leadership associations, the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) District Superintendents, representatives of the higher education community, and feedback from the field regarding the scope of practice for School District Leaders certified under the new certificate series (vs. the School District Administrator certificate it replaced), the Department recommends for consideration by the Board of Regents the following initiatives:
- It is recommended that the Board of Regents endorse the Department’s plan for implementation of Subpart 80-3.10 to establish that all candidates graduating from programs in educational leadership, on or after February 1, 2009, be required to successfully complete the Educational Leadership Assessment pursuant to Part 52.21(c) and Subpart 80-3.10 of the Commissioner’s Regulations. Satisfactory performance on the appropriate assessment would be a requirement for certification in the educational leadership titles for all program graduates on or after February 1, 2009. Those candidates seeking certification as a School District Leader (SDL), School District Business Leader (SDBL), and/or School Building Leader (SBL) who graduate before February 1, 2009, would continue to receive certification without being required to complete the assessment requirement.
- It is recommended that the Board of Regents endorse the development of the amendment to the Commissioner’s Regulations, Subpart 52.21(c), to add the following topics to the content requirements of programs preparing School Building Leaders (SBL), School District Leaders (SDL), and School District Business Leaders (SDBL): fiscal accountability, ethics for educational leaders, and school personnel-student boundary issues, as outlined in this Regents item.
- It is recommended that the Board of Regents endorse the development of:
- an amendment to Subpart 80-3 to provide flexibility to school districts where a school board authorizes only one school leadership position in the district combining the duties requiring the SDL certificate with those of other school leaders.
- an amendment to Subpart 80-3 establishing a supplementary certificate to enhance the ability of school leadership certificate holders to earn other school leadership certificates [School Building Leader (SBL), School District Leader (SDL) or a School District Business Leader (SDBL)]. The requirements for such supplementary certificate will include completion of an approved school leadership program in one of the three titles listed above, acceptable performance on the appropriate educational leadership certification assessment for the supplementary area, an offer of employment in the supplementary area by a school district, and satisfaction of other specified certification requirements for the supplementary area (i.e. three years of teaching experience for the SBL, etc.). This is comparable to the supplementary certificate used for classroom teachers.
- an amendment to Subpart 80-3 establishing a Transitional D certificate leading to certification as a School District Business Leader (SDBL). Experienced applicants holding MBA, MPA, and CPA credentials, as well as those deemed qualified by virtue of other credentials and responsible experience and education, will be eligible for this certificate.
Timetable for Implementation
If the Board of Regents approves the policy recommendations, changes in the Commissioner's Regulations will be needed. Staff will propose draft regulations for discussion at the June or July 2008 Higher Education Committee meeting. The implementation schedule for the school leadership examinations does not require additional regulatory change and if approved by the Board at its January 2008 meeting, the proposed timetable will be implemented.
Attachment
Information in Support of Recommendation
Results of Consultation with the Field
The Department has engaged interested parties in discussions of the content requirements for approved programs and the content and format of the examinations for each of the three new certificate titles (School Building Leader, School District Leader, and School District Business Leader). A number of meetings and discussions have been conducted with the assistance of the exam development contractor, National Evaluation Systems, Inc., as follows:
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Meeting Participants |
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3/6/06 |
New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) and New York City Leadership Academy |
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4/3/06 |
Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) District Superintendents
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9/28/06 |
Educational Leadership Forum with preparation program representatives |
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12/15/06 |
New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) New York State Association of School Business Officials (NYSASBO) New York State Federation of School Administrators (NYSFSA)
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1/19/07 |
Metropolitan Council of Educational Administrator Programs (MCEAP) New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) New York State Federation of School Administrators (NYSFSA) New York City Council of School Administrators (CSA-NYC) New York State Association of School Business Officials (NYSASBO)
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3/15/07 |
New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) New York City Council of School Administrators (CSA-NYC)
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3/23/07 |
Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching (PSPB) |
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5/17/07 |
New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) New York City Council of School Administrators (CSA-NYC)
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10/15/07 |
Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) District Superintendents and representatives of approved School Leadership programs. |
Program Recommendations (Part 52.21(c))
Current requirements for content in educational leadership programs were based on the recommendations of the 1998 Blue Ribbon Commission on School Leadership, which identified nine essential characteristics of effective leaders. These characteristics and subsequent content requirements were broadly defined. Based on guidance from the Board of Regents and input from the field, as well as recent events, we would like to specify that the following topics be included in educational leadership programs:
- Fiscal accountability: Building and district educational leaders need to be following sound fiscal practices for school districts in general and for specific positions within the district. While every educational leader may not be responsible for preparing fiscal documents, all should have an awareness of appropriate practices.
- Ethics: Closely related to fiscal accountability is the need for educational leaders to follow high ethical standards in dealing with students, parents, and other school personnel, as well as in the handling of information related to each of those groups and the school district.
- School personnel-student boundaries: As school personnel face the challenge of helping all students succeed, they need to be reminded of the issues related to maintaining appropriate relationships with students and their families. The increase in misconduct complaints in this area for certified personnel demonstrates a need for increased training and awareness on this topic.
Educational Leadership Examinations (Subpart 80-3)
Based on discussions by the Board of Regents and feedback from the field, issues related to the examinations for educational leaders have been reviewed. Specific actions have been taken by the Department to enhance the development process and the validity, reliability, and formatting of the exams. Suggested modifications and follow-up actions taken by the Department include:
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Suggestion |
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Increase the relative weight of essay questions.
Review the terminology and settings of test questions for statewide applicability.
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The weight of the essay portion of the tests was increased to 50% of the test score.
Test questions for all fields were reviewed for statewide applicability. Revisions were approved by SED and testing committee representatives, and then incorporated.
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Increase the number of grouped multiple-choice questions with shared descriptive contexts, tables, etc. |
The number of questions of this type was increased and approved by SED. |
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Include additional educational leaders from New York City on the Content Advisory Committees. |
Additional NYCDOE-nominated educational leaders have been included on Content Advisory Committees.
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Review the exam frameworks (which define test content) to confirm that there is an appropriate emphasis on instructional leadership. |
Assessment frameworks were reviewed. Frameworks for School Building Leader and School District Leader were revised to place greater emphasis on instructional leadership. Revisions were approved by SED and updated frameworks were posted on NYSTCE Web site.
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Construct School Building Leader test forms so that the two essay questions do not reference the same school level (i.e., elementary, middle, or secondary).
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The test forms will be constructed as suggested. |
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Review essay questions to confirm that the audience for responses is appropriately defined.
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The review was conducted, confirming that audiences are appropriately defined. |
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Provide laptop computers for the examinees to respond to essay questions. |
NES has made arrangements to provide laptop computers to examinees. |
In discussions with the field, there was a comment made that, due to the difficulty in recruiting candidates for Superintendent positions, New York should not use a certification exam because it might limit the field of possible candidates. The majority of comments received, however, recognized that the certification exam serves two purposes:
- It is a standardized quality measure for the college programs (just as teacher certification exams are for teacher education programs).
- It assures a standard of knowledge appropriate for entry-level school leaders (as do the certification exams for classroom teachers).