Report of Regents P-12 Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on October 26, 2015.  All members were present except for Vice Chancellor Bottar and Regent Cottrell, who were excused.

ACTION ITEMS

Regents Examination in English Language Arts (Common Core) [P-12 (A) 1] 
Your Committee recommends that subparagraph (i) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of section 100.5 of the Commissioner's Regulations be amended as submitted, effective October 27, 2015, as an emergency measure upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary for the preservation of the general welfare in order to ensure that school districts and students are given sufficient notice to prepare for and timely implement in the 2015-16 school year the provision providing, at the local school district's discretion, additional opportunities for students enrolled in Common Core English Language Arts courses, who began grade 9 prior to 2013, to take the Regents Comprehensive Examination in English (2005) in addition to the Regents Examination in English Language Arts (Common Core) at the January 2016 and June 2016 examination administrations, and to meet the English requirement for graduation by passing either examination.

Board of Regents Authorized Charter School Revision – Compass Charter School [P-12 (A) 2]
Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents finds that: (1) the charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) the charter school can demonstrate the ability to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) granting the request to revise the charter is 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; and (4) granting the request to revise the charter would have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents therefore approves the charter revision for Compass Charter School and amends the provisional charter accordingly.  Regent Rosa abstained from the vote.

2016 Federal Legislative Priorities [P-12 (A) 3] – the Committee reviewed the 2015 priorities and also considered and approved new priorities for 2016.  

School Receivership [P-12 (A) 4]
Your Committee recommends that section 100.19 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is added, as submitted, effective October 27, 2015, as an emergency action upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary for the preservation of the general welfare in order to immediately adopt revisions to the proposed amendment to clarify the timeframe for completion of collection collective bargaining relating to receivership agreements and to establish procedures for the Commissioner’s resolution of unresolved issues regarding receivership agreements, which may be invoked by superintendent receivers at any time, and to otherwise ensure that the emergency rule adopted at the June 2015 Regents  meeting, and revised and readopted as an emergency rule at the September 2015 Regents meeting, remains continuously in effect until the effective date of its adoption as a permanent rule; and it is further recommended that the emergency rule adding section 100.19 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education that was adopted at the September 12-13, 2015 meeting of the Board of Regents is repealed, effective October 27, 2015.

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

Madam Chancellor and Colleagues: Your P-12 Education Committee recommends, and we move, that the Board of Regents act affirmatively upon each recommendation in the written report of the Committee's deliberations at its meeting on October 27, 2015, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent. 

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

New York State Safe Schools Task Force Update [P-12 (D) 1] – the Committee was provided with an update on the implementation of the 36 recommendations developed by the NYS Safe Schools Task Force. To date, approximately two-thirds of the recommendations are in progress or completed. Staff discussed several of the largest initiatives that have been undertaken beginning in the 2014-15 school year and that are ongoing with the assistance of several Offices within the Department.  The Committee directed staff to continue implementing the recommendations of the Task Force and to draft regulation changes, where appropriate, to bring back to the Board for review and adoption at a future meeting.

Regents 2016-2017 State Budget Priorities [P-12 (D) 2] – the Committee discussed the Department’s proposed 2016-17 State budget priorities.  The proposals will come before the Board of Regents for approval at their November meeting.

Regent 2016 State Legislative Priorities [P-12 (D) 3] – the Committee discussed the Department’s proposed 2016 State legislative priorities.  The proposals will come before the Board of Regents for approval at their November meeting.

Consent Agenda

The Board of Regents will take action on the following consent agenda items at their October 27, 2015 meeting.

• Rensselaer City School District Consent to Exceed the Constitutional Debt Limit.
• School and District Accountability and New York State’s approved ESEA Flexibility Renewal Waiver.