Meeting of the Board of Regents | June 2008

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision

Should the Regents approve the staff’s recommendation concerning the proposed revision to the charter of the Peninsula Preparatory Academy 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 Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School (the “School”).  The School seeks to add a mandatory summer school program for students performing below grade level in grades two and three as determined by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the New York State Testing Program; to add an optional Saturday academy for Title I students in grades K-5; to add an after-school program for students in grades two through five who are not on grade level; and to add an enrichment program for those students who are proficient as determined by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.

           The School is located in Community School District (CSD) 27. The New York City Department of Education (“NYCDOE”) held a public hearing on April 10, 2008 regarding this proposed revision to the charter.  No public comments were made.

Staff recommends that the Board of Regents approve this proposed revision.

Recommendation

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approves the revision to the initial charter of the Peninsula Preparatory Academy 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 revision 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 Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School is effective immediately.