Committee Report | March 2011

Cultural Education Committee

March 7, 2011

Time: 1:40 p.m. – 2:25 p.m.

 Location: Seminar Room, 5th Floor, EB

REGENTS COMMITTEE ON CULTURAL EDUCATION

Regent Roger Tilles, Chair of the Cultural Education Committee, submitted the following written report.

Your Committee on Cultural Education Committee had its scheduled meeting on March 7, 2011.

In attendance were committee members:  Regents Tilles, Bendit, Rosa, Dawson, Brooks-Hopkins

Absent: none

In addition to CE Committee Members, in attendance were:  Commissioner Steiner

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Regent Tilles welcomed everyone and opened the meeting   

CE (D) 2 –Summer Reading at New York Libraries: Engaging At-Risk Students

Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Cannell provided a broad overview regarding the OCE’s outreach and assistance to public library systems, public libraries and education leadership.  In effort to advance the Department’s reform agenda and close the achievement gap, libraries emphasize the importance of summer reading programs, target high-need districts and actively engage at-risk students in summer reading programs.  Cannell described the video program where students will make a video on the benefits of summer reading.  Staff will review the videos and select the best one.  Cannell also described outreach efforts to the BOCES District Superintendents to help them know better how to take advantage of the summer reading program.  Staff distributed a Fact Sheet and briefing paper to provide additional information.  Regent Tilles suggested that staff reach out to and engage the statewide Parent Teachers Association and local PTA as potentially valuable partners.

CE (D) 1 – New YorkStateHistorical Records Advisory Board Strategic Plan

Geoffrey Williams, Co-Chair of the New York State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) provided an update on the activities of the board.  SHRAB is a 13-member citizen board appointed by the Commissioner of Education.  Mr. Williams updated the committee current activities of SHRAB, highlighting the most recent project to provide an online assessment tool to help repositories of historical records evaluate themselves.  He also reported on the organization’s current strategic priorities that focused on:

• Managing archival electronic records;
• Emergency planning/preparedness for historical records repositories;
• Ensuring the retention of archival records of the governor and legislature;
• Providing education and training in archival practice; and
• Increasing support for historical records repositories statewide.

Remarks from the Chair:

Regent Tilles reported on a meeting he will attend next week along with the Chancellor and Senior Deputy King to discuss strategies for improving arts education in New York State schools.  He also reported on a future meeting in New York City with at least one museum to identify opportunities for the museum to partner with a school to support school turn-around.  Finally, Regent Tilles reported on a workshop scheduled for April 15 at Hofstra University that involves teachers of art, teacher educators and arts institutions on Long Island to ensure that all of these communities have a shared vision and direction for improving arts education.

Meeting adjourned at approximately 2:30pm