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

Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on September 15, 2014. All members were present.

ACTION ITEMS

Beginning With Children Charter School[P-12 (A) 1]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents finds that the proposed revised charter: (1)meets 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; (3) 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) will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents therefore approves the above listed charter revision as proposed by Chancellor of the NYCDOE and the provisional charter for the Beginning with Children Charter School is amended accordingly.

Rochdale Early Advantage Charter School[P-12 (A) 2]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents finds that the proposed revised charter: (1) meets 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; (3) 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) will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents therefore approves the above listed charter revision as proposed by Chancellor of the NYCDOE and the provisional charter for the Rochdale Early Advantage Charter School is amended accordingly.

Proposed Addition of Subparts 154-1 and 154-2 of Commissioner’s Regulations[P-12 (A) 3]

Your Committee recommends that Part 154 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating to the Department’s effort to improve instruction and programming for English Language Learner (ELL) students, be amended as submitted, effective October 1, 2014, to add new Subparts 154-1 and 154-2. The Committee was provided with information on the proposed regulatory changes and an overview of the public comment received, both supportive comments and comments of concern. Committee members raised concern over the additional resources that will be necessary to fully implement the changes. The proposed amendments were approved by the Committee and will go before the Full Board for adoption at their September 16, 2014 meeting.

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 September 16, 2014, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Computer Science and Coding in the K-12 Setting[P-12 (D) 1] – Many of today’s newly created jobs, including those that offer good compensation packages and a positive work/life balance, are those that involve computer science and coding. At today’s meeting, the P-12 Education Committee discussed the benefits of computer science and coding in the K-12 setting as it promises long-term equity benefits, particularly for girls and students of color, who are typically underrepresented in these fields. The Committee recommends that Department staff issue a field memo highlighting the flexibility in existing regulations that allows schools and districts to offer courses in computer science and coding that can be used to meet graduation requirements.

Roadmap for Social Studies[P-12 (D) 2] – The Committee discussed a roadmap for a comprehensive approach to Social Studies following the Board’s approval of the New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework at its April 2014 meeting. This roadmap includes plans for the release of instructional resources, proposed adjustments to high school course requirements, and a timeline for updates to Social Studies Regents Exams. The Board directed staff to develop amendments to regulations to modify course requirements to include two required units of study in Global History and Geography or equivalent, and, in turn, the Regents Exam that measures student knowledge and skills for graduation measure student knowledge and skills only in the Global History and Geography II (Grade 10) course. The new Regents Examination in Global History and Geography II will be first administered in June 2018, and the new Regents Examination in United States History and Government will be first administered in June 2019. Additionally, staff will advise the field to commence instruction aligned to the Framework in grades Kindergarten to Grade 8. Instruction based on the Framework for Grades 9-12 will be phased in beginning with Grade 9 in the 2016-17 school year.

Access to Advanced Coursework[P-12 (D) 3] – The Committee was provided information on advanced coursework offered to students in grades 9-12.; Statewide, while 94% of students in the 2009 cohort were still enrolled in high school through the beginning of their fourth year of study, only about half of those students participated in one or more of the exams necessary to earn the Advanced Designation diploma. The Board directed staff to generate additional analyses as needed and generate options for how best to support school and district efforts to prepare students for college and career readiness through enrollment in advanced coursework. Committee members asked for disaggregated information for New York City by borough. Additionally, they asked that an analysis be provided on what the ideal size of a high school should be to be able to offer these kinds of programs.

Presentation by Superintendents from the NYS School for the Blind and NYS School for the Deaf[P-12 (D) 4] – the Committee was provided with a presentation and overview of the New York State School for the Blind and New York State School for the Deaf by their Superintendents – Barbara Lemen and David Hubman, respectively. The Superintendents provided a brief background of the schools and an overview of the educational programs they provide for their students.

Arts Assessment Study[P-12 (D) 5] – The Committee continued their discussion from a previous meeting on the establishment of an arts pathway to graduation. The Committee recommended that an operational study be undertaken to establish criteria to identify and evaluate arts assessments in each discipline that signify college and career readiness as well as those that are truly worthy of Regents recognition. The process will begin with the establishment of an Arts Advisory Panel consisting of members knowledgeable about arts assessment, including representatives from the New York State Dance Education Association, the NYS Media Arts Teachers Association, the NYS School Music Association, the NYS Theatre Education Association and the NYS Art Teachers Association as well as nationally recognized experts in the field of arts assessment. The Arts Advisory Panel will identify assessments for review; develop a framework for reviewing selected assessments and provide a concise format for presenting results. Staff will report back in early spring with the results and findings of the Arts Advisory Panel.&

Safe Schools Task Force Recommendations[P-12 (D) 6] – The Committee was presented with a report of the 36 recommendations of the Safe Schools Task Force. Two members of the Task Force discussed how the recommendations were developed and the importance of the adoption of the recommendations. The Task Force members present were Thomas O’Brien, Superintendent of the Roxbury Central School District and Priti Irani, from the NYS Department of Health.&The Committee directed staff to finalize the budget and legislative initiatives that reflect the recommendations of the Task Force with a focus on the following next steps:

• Modernize data collection and reporting
• Provide support and Ensure accountability
• Enhance oversight through regular monitoring and audits.

Proposed Amendments to Subpart 154-2 of the Commissioner’s Regulations[P-12 (D) 7] – the Committee discussed technical amendments to allow parents an additional five days to return to the school district the signed notification form regarding student placement and to permit school districts to apply for a waiver of the professional development requirements addressing the needs of English Language Learners under certain circumstances.  Following a 45-day public comment period, it is anticipated that the proposed amendments will be brought to the Board of Regents for adoption at their December meeting.

Proposed Addition of Subpart 154-3 of the Commissioner’s Regulations[P-12 (D) 8] – the Committee discussed proposed amendments to regulations that would establish criteria for determining whether a student with a disability shall take the statewide English language proficiency identification and criteria for exiting students with disabilities from identification as an English Language Learner. Following a 30-day public comment period, it is anticipated that this proposed addition to regulations will be brought to the Board of Regents for adoption at their November meeting.

Consent Agenda Items

The Board of Regents will take action on the following consent agenda items at their September 16, 2014 meeting.

• Appointments to NYS School for the Deaf Board of Visitors
• Preschool Special Education Regulations
• Academic Intervention Services Regulations
• Transfer High School Credit for Students in State Agency Educational Programs
• CTE Integrated Credit Expansion
• Geometry Regulations