Committee Report | March 2011

Report of the


REGENTS P-12 EDUCATION COMMITTEE


to


The Board of Regents


March 7, 2011

            Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on March 7, 2011.  All members were present except for Vice Chancellor Cofield and Regents Dawson and Brooks Hopkins, who were excused.

ACTION ITEMS

Charter
 School
 Actions

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the charter revisions for the True North Rochester Preparatory Charter School and the True North Troy Preparatory Charter School as proposed by the Trustees of the State University of New York and the provisional charters are amended accordingly. [P-12 (A) 1]

Regulations

            Your Committee recommends that section 100.17 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating to the implementation of the Distinguished Educator Program to assist low-performing districts and schools, be added and that paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of section 100.16 be amended, as submitted, effective March 30, 2011.  [P-12 (A) 2]

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

           

            Madam Chancellor and Colleagues: Your P-12 Education Committee recommends, and I move, that the Board of Regents act affirmatively upon each recommendation in the written report of the Committee's deliberations at its meeting on March 7, 2011, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Introduction of Gladys Cruz and Jeff Baker – Senior Deputy Commissioner King introduced Gladys Cruz, Director of Curriculum Services and Jeff Baker, Data Director.  Gladys Cruz most recently served as an Assistant Superintendent at Questar III and brings to the Department more than 27 years experience in education, having worked in schools and universities in both New York and Puerto Rico.  Jeff Baker comes to the Department from the Northeastern Regional Information Center (NERIC) in Albany, where he was Managing Coordinator of the Data Warehouse and Testing departments.

Regents Reform Agenda Progress by RTTT Assurance Area – The Committee was updated on the accomplishments and work currently underway for the four assurance areas:  Standards and Assessments, Data Systems, Great Teachers and Leaders, and School Turnaround.  The presentation also focused on Network Teams and the RTTT Performance Management Office. 

Joint Regents Report on Accountability – The Committee was updated on the Office of Accountability and the Office of Innovative School Models efforts to support schools and districts.  Discussion focused on accountability implications of raising the ELA and mathematics achievement standards for Grades 3-8.  It is projected that the increased rigor of New York State’s revised proficiency standards will cause a decline in the percentage of schools and districts that staff project will make AYP.   Staff is currently developing plans for how to address the anticipated large increase in the number of schools that will be identified for improvement next year. The Committee also discussed the launch of the State School Turnaround Office, PLA school visits, School Improvement Grants, and the implementation of New York’s Differentiated Accountability Program including information on School Quality Reviews and Joint Intervention Team reviews.  [P-12 (D) 1]

Public School and District Accountability – The Committee discussed proposed amendments to Commissioner’s regulations to conform to New York State’s approved amended accountability plan.  This will allow New York to smoothly transition to the higher achievement standards for grades 3-8 in ELA and mathematics. [P-12 (D) 2]

Consent Agenda Items – Senior Deputy Commissioner King presented two items scheduled for approval on the full Board consent agenda:

• Proposed amendment of sections 200.1 and 200.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to change the term “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability”.
• Proposed amendment of section 155.22 of the Commissioner’s Regulations, relating to Qualified School Construction Bonds and Qualified Zone Academy Bonds.