Committee Report | September 2011

Joint P-12/Higher Education Committees

The Committees heard a presentation on the teacher and school leader effectiveness initiatives that are part of the Regents Reform Agenda and which were initially framed by the Board in November, 2009.  These initiatives span the continuum of an educator’s career, from recruitment and preparation, through development, assessment, and retention, and are focused on addressing educator shortages in high-need schools and districts.  The NYS Common Core Learning Standards, data-driven instruction, and educator standards of practice are common themes running through these initiatives.  Presenters updated the Board on the development of new exams for teacher and principal certification; described the Department’s strategy for engaging the field in the development and implementation of these exams; described the $20 million RFP just issued for induction/mentoring programs; and emphasized the importance of continuing to work with the Regents Task Force on Teacher and Principal Effectiveness on implementation of the new teacher and principal evaluation system—particularly in developing the value-added/growth model with contractor American Institutes for Research.