Committee Report | June 2011

Report of the


REGENTS P-12 EDUCATION COMMITTEE


to


The Board of Regents


June 21, 2011

Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on June 20, 2011.  All members were present except for Regent Norwood, who was excused.

ACTION ITEMS

Establishment of Graduation Rate Goal and Progress Targets for 2011-12 School and Local Educational Agency Accountability

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approve the proposed graduation rate goal of 80 percent and that new gap reduction progress targets be established at 10 percent for the four-year graduation rate cohort and 20 percent for the five-year extended graduation rate cohort.  Your Committee further recommends that the Board of Regents direct staff to seek approval from the United States Department of Education to amend New York’s No Child Left Behind Accountability Workbook to use this goal and these progress targets for 2011-12 school and district accountability.  [P-12 (A) 1]

Credit for Online and Blended Coursework

Your Committee recommends that paragraph (10) of subdivision (d) of section 100.5 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be added, as submitted, effective July 15, 2011 to prescribe requirements for earning credit for online or a combination of online and classroom-based coursework.   Staff will come back to the Regents with additional information on how these new regulations tie in with credit recovery.    [P-12 (A) 5]

Charter
 School
 Actions

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves and issues the second renewal charter of the Beginning with Children 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, 2016; the third renewal charter of the Brooklyn 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, 2016; the second renewal charter of the Explore 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 12, 2016; and the fourth renewal charter of the John V. Lindsay Wildcat 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 June 30, 2016.   [P-12 (A) 2]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves and issues the first renewal charter of the Achievement Academy Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2010; the second renewal charter of the Achievement Academy Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2013; the first renewal charter of the Albany Community Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2011; the second renewal charter of the Albany Community Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2016; the first renewal charter of the Albany Preparatory Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2010; the second renewal charter of the Albany Preparatory Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2013; the  first renewal charter of the Henry Johnson Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2012; and the first renewal charter of the KIPP Tech Valley Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2015.  [P-12 (A) 3]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves and issues the first renewal charter of the Kings Collegiate Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2012.  [P-12 (A) 4]

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the following charter revisions as proposed by the Trustees of the State University of New York and the provisional charters are amended accordingly:  Achievement First Brownsville Charter School, Harbor Science and Arts Charter School, and Our World Neighborhood Charter School II.  [P-12 (A) 6]

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

           

Your P-12 Education Committee recommends, and I move, that the Board of Regents act affirmatively upon each recommendation in the written report of the Committee's deliberations at its meeting on June 21, 2011, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Guidelines and Resources for Social and Emotional Development and Learning – The Committee discussed the draft guidelines which were developed through extensive collaboration with the Department’s Office of Student Support Services along with educators from around the State.  The guidelines provide school communities with a rationale and the confidence to address child and adolescent affective development as well as cognitive development.   Final guidelines will be brought back to the Regents in July for approval.   [P-12 (D) 1]

CharterSchoolOffice Strategic Planning Summary – Staff presented an update on the progress of the Charter School Office strategic planning process and the grant from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.  [P-12 (D) 2]

Proposed Alternate Credential to Replace the Individualized Education Program Diploma – This item was not discussed due to time constraints and will be presented to the Regents at a future meeting.   [P-12 (D) 3]

Dignity for All Students Act Program Update – The Committee was given an update on the Dignity for All Students Act which will begin implementation on July 1, 2012.  A Dignity for All Students Task Force has been established and has been involved with Department staff on the development of proposed amendments to regulations to be presented to the Regents at a future meeting.  At the direction of the Regents, staff will work collaboratively with the Dignity for All Students Act Task Force and other stakeholders to continue work to implement the provisions of the Dignity Act.  [P-12 (D) 4]

Results for Students with Disabilities and Strategies to Improve Performance – The Committee discussed data results for students with disabilities including information on classification rate, least restrictive environment, performance on State assessments and Regents examinations, and exiting data.  The Committee also discussed strategies to improve performance results for students with disabilities.  Strategies include a more focused monitoring review process for the 2011-12 school year with priority on quality IEP development; timeliness of individual evaluations and provision of special education services; transition planning; and the provision of IEP recommended special education program and services for students with disabilities.  The Committee also discussed the Department’s plan to address key instructional and related issues that lead to poor results for students with disabilities.

Panel members provided a brief summary about their individual programs and had a conversation with the Regents on such topics as how to address over-representation; classification/declassification; and reforming the certification structure for teachers.  The Committee also discussed the challenges of assessing the extent of a student’s disability – how to separate the levels and complexities of varying degrees of disabilities.   Panel Members included:

• Julie Ludwig, Special Education School Improvement Specialist from the Central Region Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center;
• Linda Brown, Behavior Specialist from the Mid-State Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center; and
• Job Thomas, S3TAIR Statewide Facilitation Coordinator.

[P-12 (D) 5]

Update on the Roosevelt UFSD and State Oversight Authority – The Committee was provided with an update on the intervention strategies taking place at the Roosevelt UFSD.  Staff provided updated information on the Board of Education and budget vote, high school construction plans and accountability status.  [P-12 (D) 6]

Consent Agenda Items – Staff presented the following item scheduled for approval on the full Board consent agenda:

• Proposed amendments to regulations to amend paragraph (14) of subdivision (p) of section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating to public school and district accountability.