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 Hellenic Classical Charter School (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 of the Hellenic Classical Charter School (the “School”).  The School seeks to make changes to its charter in the areas of curriculum, assessment and accountability.  The School seeks to modify its curriculum by using the Pearson Education Scott Foresman curricula for math and science, and using Breakthrough to Literacy for English Language Arts (ELA).  The School seeks to shift from Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) testing to the Early Childhood Literary Assessment System (ECLAS)-2 for its kindergarten students. The School is amending its accountability plan to provide a more rigorous set of goals and to demonstrate its commitment to holding students to rigorous standards in line with city and state expectations.

              The School is located in Community School District (CSD) 15.  The New York City Department of Education (“NYCDOE”) held a public hearing on April 14, 2008 regarding these proposed revisions to the charter for the School.  No public comments were made. 

Staff recommends the Board of Regents approve these proposed revisions.

Recommendation

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the revisions to the initial charter of the Hellenic Classical Charter School 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 Recommendation

              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 Hellenic Classical Charter School is effective immediately.