Meeting of the Board of Regents | May 2010

Report of the

REGENTS EMSC COMMITTEE

to

The Board of Regents

May 17, 2010

              Your EMSC Committee held its scheduled meeting on May 17, 2010.  All Committee members were present, except for Regents Bowman and Young, who were excused.

ACTION ITEMS

Regents Examinations Scoring Practices

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approve the recommendation to phase in the requirement that school districts begin to scan Regents examination answer sheets, in response to a recent audit conducted by the Office of the State Comptroller.  The recommendation has two phases:  (1) that all Regents Exams be scanned for Department analysis, starting with the June Regents Administration in the 2010-2011 school year, in the following titles: Comprehensive English, Integrated Algebra, Global Studies and Geography, U.S. History and Government, Living Environment, and Earth Science (these exams are all used for the awarding of a Regents Diploma), (2) that all remaining Regents Exams be scanned, starting with the 2011-2012 school year (June Regents Administration). The introduction of scanning will allow the collection of item level and test taker demographic data that the Department needs for federal reporting. It is expected that school districts will benefit by an accelerated exam scoring process and elimination of manual inputting of test results.  [EMSC (A) 1]

Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Testing Program

              Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approve the recommendation to delay releasing the scores of the Grades 3-8 Testing Program for ELA and mathematics to July 26, 2010 from June 24, 2010.  This additional time will allow for the completion of the necessary research and analysis needed to ensure that the cut scores are adjusted to reflect higher achievement standards and make certain that the Testing Program produces valid and reliable test scores that reflect the appropriate level of rigor needed for college and career readiness.  The Regents discussed the possible consequences of delaying the return of test scores and indicated the importance of communication with the field about the reasons for the delay.  [EMSC (A) 2]

Charter School Actions

The application for the second renewal charter of the Opportunity Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York was removed from the May 2010 Regents agenda and was not acted upon.  [EMSC (A) 3]   

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves and issues the first renewal charter of the Manhattan Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015.  [EMSC (A) 4]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves and issues the second renewal charter of the KIPP Academy Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including May 16, 2015.  [EMSC (A) 5]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revision to the initial charter of the Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.  [EMSC (A) 6]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revision to the initial charter of the International Leadership Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.  [EMSC (A) 7]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revision to the initial charter of the Elmwood Village Charter School, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.  [EMSC (A) 8]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revision to the first renewal charter of the Charter School of Educational Excellence, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.  [EMSC (A) 9]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revision to the first renewal charter of the Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.  [EMSC (A) 10]

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

              Madam Chancellor and Colleagues:  Your EMSC 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 May 17, 2010, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Arts Education Initiative – Senior Deputy Commissioner John King and Deputy Commissioner Joseph Frey provided an update on discussions relating to Arts Education that have taken place since the April Regents meeting.  On May 3, a meeting was held with stakeholder representatives to continue discussions on the middle level arts instructional requirements and possibly allowing teachers in early childhood grades to complete substantial arts teaching preparation that could lead to an early elementary (grades PreK-2) arts annotation.   The Committee requested additional information on the specific staffing challenges faced by New York City Department of Education that precipitated the request for changes in the requirements before making a decision.  Additional information will be brought to the EMSC and Higher Education Committees in June.

That concludes our report.

                                                                                                  Anthony Bottar and Merryl Tisch       

                                                                                                  Co-Chairs