Report of Regents Higher Education Committee to The Board of Regents

Your Higher Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on October 17, 2017.  All members were present with the exception of Regents Brown, Norwood and Collins who were absent and excused.

ACTION ITEMS

Proposed Amendment to Subpart 80-6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Continuing Teacher and Leader Education for Teachers in Non-Public Schools to Implement Chapter 311 of the Laws of 2017.  Your Committee discussed a proposed amendment to Subpart 80-6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Continuing Teacher and Leader Education for Teachers in Non-Public Schools to Implement Chapter 311 of the Laws of 2017.  The 2015-2016 State Budget added Section 3006-A to the Education Law to require all holders of teaching certificates, teaching assistant certificates, and educational leadership certificates which are valid for life (Permanent, Professional and Teaching Assistant Level III) to register with the Department every five years and that holders of the Professional and Teaching Assistant Level III certificates complete 100 hours of continuing teacher and leader education during the five year registration period.  Chapter 311 of the Laws of 2017 amends Education Law §3006-a to add nonpublic schools to the provisions relating to the mandatory continuing education requirements for all holders of professional certificates in the classroom teaching service, holders of level III teaching assistant certificates, and holders of professional certificates in the educational leadership service. In order to implement the new law, the proposed regulation amends the definition of applicable school in Section 80-6.1 of the Commissioner’s Regulations to include non-public schools. VOTED that Section 80-6.1 of the Regulations of the Commissioner be amended, as submitted, effective October 17, 2017, 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 the proposed amendment to timely implement the changes to Education Law §3006-a, as amended by Chapter 331 of the Laws of 2017. Following the 45-day public comment period required under the State Administrative Procedure Act, it is anticipated that the proposed amendment will be adopted by the Board of Regents at its January 2018 meeting. If adopted at the January 2018 meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective on January 25, 2018. HE (A) 1

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

Madam Chancellor and Colleagues:  Your Higher 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 17, 2017, copies of which have been distributed to each member of the Board of Regents.

Matters Not Requiring Board Action:

Proposed Amendment to Add a New Section 80-5.25 to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to Establish a Transitional H Pathway for Holders of a New York State License as a Certified Public Accountant to Pursue a School District Business Leader Certificate.  Department staff presented an amendment to add a new Section 80-5.25 to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to establish a Transitional H pathway for holders of a New York State license as a certified public accountant (CPA) with at least three years of experience auditing New York State school districts, BOCES and/or municipalities with the ability to pursue a school district business leader certificate. Following the 45-day public comment period required under the State Administrative Procedure Act, it is anticipated that the proposed amendment will come back to the Board of Regents at its January 2018 meeting. If adopted at the January 2018 meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective on January 25, 2018.  HE (D) 1

TeachNY Update.  The Commissioner updated the Board on the work of the Department including teacher certification pathways, the development of national “teacher tables” and the work to implement teach.org.

Presentation on P-TECH Data.  Department staff and a panel of students provided a program overview of the NYS P-TECH Program and Smart Scholars Early College High School and the most up-to-date student enrollment and achievement data collected from all three cohorts of students. HE (D) 2

Consent Agenda

The Board of Regents acted on the following consent agenda items at the October 2017 meeting.

• Transfer of Degree-Conferring Authority Based Upon a Change of Ownership or Control of Bryant & Stratton College.  Transfer and sale of the membership interests of Bryant & Stratton College to the Bryant and Stratton Limited Liability Partnership, resulting in the Bryant and Stratton Limited Partnership having a controlling interest (87.2%) in Bryant & Stratton College, the Board of Regents consents to the transfer of degree conferring authority of Bryant & Stratton College to the Bryant and Stratton Limited Partnership. BR (CA) 2
• Master Plan Amendment: Bard College, Establishment of a Branch Campus at the Brooklyn Public Library.  Approved an amendment to the master plan of Bard College to authorize the establishment of a branch campus at Brooklyn Public Central Library, and authorize the College to grant the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in Liberal Arts and Science.  The amendment will be effective until October 31, 2018, unless the branch campus and degree program are registered prior to that date, in which case the master plan amendment shall be without term. BR (CA) 3