Meeting of the Board of Regents | June 2008

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision

Should the Regents approve the staff’s recommendation concerning the proposed revisions to the charter of the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts (New York City)?

Reason(s) for Consideration

              Required by State statute, Education Law §2852.

Proposed Handling

This question will come before the EMSC Committee in June 2008 for action.  It will then come before the full Board for final action in June 2008.

Procedural History

The New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 requires the Board of Regents to review, in accordance with the standards set forth in Education Law §2852(2), proposed charters, renewal charters and revisions to charters and renewal charters that have been approved and submitted by other charter entities.  The Board of Regents may either approve and issue a charter, renewal charter and/or revision as proposed by the charter entity, or return the same to the charter entity for reconsideration with written comments and recommendations. 

Background Information

We received a request from the Chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York to revise the charter for the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts (the “School”).  The School seeks to discontinue the use of Scott Foresman Reading and Write Source in favor of a balanced literacy program which best reflects the School’s constructivist philosophy.  The School also seeks to modify the Core Knowledge Curriculum in kindergarten and first grade by presenting the curricular content and themes in an order and pace different from the guidelines stated in the Core Knowledge Curriculum.  This revision will best meet the needs of the second language learners in these grades. 

Additionally, the School seeks to modify its class configurations from two classes in a dual language format (English/Spanish) and one class in the traditional English-only format to all classes in dual language, beginning with new kindergarten classes.  In response to demographic changes and community feedback, the School expects to serve its community more effectively with this modification.  The School also seeks to establish three additional programs: a five-week mandatory summer program for students in grades one through three who are performing below grade level in reading and/or math; an after-school program held three days per week for second grade students who are performing below grade level in reading and/or math; and an after school program held four days per week for all third grade students to reinforce skills in ELA and math and to obtain success in the third grade state assessments.  

              The School is located in Community School District (CSD) 7.  The New York City Department of Education (“NYCDOE”) held a public hearing on March 17, 2008 regarding the proposed revisions.  There were no comments from the public.

Staff recommends that the Board of Regents approve the proposed revisions.

Recommendation

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the revisions to the initial charter of the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.

Reasons for Recommendations

              The proposed revisions to the School’s charter, along with the other terms of the charter: (1) meet the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) will permit the charter school to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner and  (3) are likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law.

Timetable for Implementation

The Regents action for the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts is effective immediately.