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

Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on December 12, 2016.  All members were present, except for Regents Cea, Johnson, and Reyes who were excused.

ACTION ITEMS

New York P-12 Science Learning Standards [P-12 (A) 1]
Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards to be implemented in all schools beginning July 1, 2017. 

Uniform Violent and Disruptive Incident Reporting System (VADIR) [P-12 (A) 2]
Your Committee recommends that section 100.2(gg) of the Regulations of the Commissioner relating to the Uniform Violent and Disruptive Incident Reporting System (VADIR) be amended, as submitted, effective July 1, 2017.

Initial Applications Authorized by the Board of Regents [P-12 (A) 3]
Your Committee recommends that the Regents find that: (1) the proposed charter schools meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) the applicant can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) granting the application 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 application will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents therefore approves and issues an intial charter and provisional charter to the OnTECH Charter High School for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.   Regents Collins and Hakanson abstained from the vote.

Ember Charter School for Mindful Education, Innovation & Transformation submitted written notice that it was withdrawing its application from consideration, and therefore, the Regents item was removed from Committee agenda.

Regents 2017-2018 State Budget Priorities [P-12 (A) 5-REVISED]
Your Committee recommends that the Regents approve State budget priorities as follows:

State Aid Modeling and Facilities Planning Systems ----- $2 million
Special Education and Related Services Data System ----- $700,000
Support for Targeted School Districts ----- $675,000
Charter School Office ----- $1.5 million
Excessive Teacher Turnover Prevention Grant Expansion ----- $4 million
Enhancing the Achievement of English Language Learners ----- $12.4 million
Building Oversight and Support Capacity at SED ----- 5% set-aside
Regents Exams in World Languages ----- $1 million
Erasure Analysis of Test Results ----- $500,000
Project-Based Assessments ----- $8 million
Expansion of Teacher Exam Vouchers and Shanker Grant ----- $960,000
Higher Education Opportunity Programs ----- $11.67 million
Sustaining ECHS and P-TECH Programs ----- Fully fund
Institution Accreditation ----- Spending Authority

2017 State Legislative Priorities [P-12 (A) 6]
Your Committee recommends that the Regents affirm support for last year’s proposals as well as approve new proposals for the 2017 legislative session as follows:

P-12
Tenure/Seniority Protections for Bilingual and ESOL Teachers
Streamlining Prekindergarten Programs
Establishing a Tuition Rate Setting Index
Mandate Relief for School Districts
Accelerating State Aid Claims
Regional Secondary Schools Advisory Council
Supporting Struggling School Districts

Higher Education
DREAMers

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 December 13, 2016, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent. 

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Revision and Implementation of New English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Standards [P-12 (D) 1] – the Committee was provided with an update on the revision process and implementation of the new New York State Learning Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.  Discussion focused on the recommended changes to the ELA and Mathematics Standards based on feedback from the Standards Review Committees.  Next steps include making revisions to the draft standards and presentation to the Board of Regents in spring 2017. 

Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics Computer-Based Testing (CBT) [P-12 (D) 2] – the Committee was provided with an update on the implementation of Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Computer-Based Testing (CBT).  In the 2016-17 school year, schools have the option to administer Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics operational tests and stand-alone field tests on paper or computer. To provide schools with the maximum flexibility, for this year’s operational administration schools can select computer- or paper-based testing by grade and subject area. Additionally, the administration window for the operational CBT has been extended to six days to provide extra time for districts with a limited number of devices to be able to test multiple grade levels on computer.

Consent Agenda

The Board of Regents will take action on the following consent agenda items at their December 13, 2016 meeting.

• Regulations relating to the Establishment of Criteria for the Approval of Work Readiness Assessments for Earning the NYS Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Commencement Credential.
• Regulations relating to the Establishment of Tuition Rates Resulting from Fiscal Audits of Approved Programs Educating Students with Disabilities Ages 3 to 21 who have been Enrolled pursuant to Articles 81 and 89 of Education Law.
• Regulations to Require Superintendents to make a local determination as to Academic Proficiency for Certain Students with Disabilities to Graduate with a Local Diploma.