Committee Report | March 2012

Report of the

REGENTS P-12 EDUCATION COMMITTEE

to

The Board of Regents March 20, 2012

            Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on March 19, 2012.  All members were present, except for Regent Norwood, who was excused.

 
ACTION ITEMS

Charter Schools

VOTED: That the Board of Regents finds that the Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School: (1) meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) will 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 renewal application of the Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School and  that a second renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2017.

VOTED: That the Board of Regents finds that the Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School: (1) meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) will 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 renewal application of the Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School and that a second renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015.

VOTED: That the Board of Regents finds that the Western New York Maritime Charter School: (1) meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) will 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 renewal application of the Western New York Maritime Charter School and  that a second renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015.  

[P-12 (A) 1]

The Committee expressed appreciation for the additional information provided in the charter school renewals item this month and would like to see other public schools highlighted similarly in the future.

Revisions of New York’s English Language Proficiency Standards

The Committee discussed revisions to New York's English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards by developing new frameworks, pathways and performance indicators, by English language proficiency levels, for English as a Second Language that correspond to the NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards; and new Native Language Arts standards for the 10 most frequently spoken languages in New York State public schools that parallel the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards.  The Committee recommended that parents be included on the ESL/NLA NYS Steering Committee.  Following discussion, the Committee recommended that the Board of Regents direct Department staff to revise the English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards (ESL and NLA) so that they correspond to the NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards.  Staff will present them to the Board of Regents for action in summer 2012.  [P-12 (A) 2]

Dignity Act

Your Committee recommends that subdivision (c) of section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating to instruction in civility, citizenship and character education, to implement the Dignity for All Students Act (“Dignity Act”), be amended, as submitted, effective July 1, 2012.  [P-12 (A) 3]

Your Committee recommends that paragraph (2) of subdivision (l) of section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating to codes of conduct, to implement the Dignity for All Students Act ("Dignity Act"), be amended and that section 119.6 be added, as submitted, effective July 1, 2012. 

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

Madam Chancellor and Colleagues: 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 March 20 2012, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Proposed Revocation of Charter of Believe Southside Charter High School - A panel of three Regents comprised of Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch, Chair, Regent Lester W. Young, Jr., and Regent Kathleen M. Cashin voted unanimously to send a recommended decision to the Board of Regents for its consideration and adoption on March 20, 2012 which, among other things, would keep the Believe Southside Charter High School ("School") on probation until June 30, 2012 pursuant to a Probation Order that is currently in effect, and revoke the School's charter and certificate of incorporation (also known as the provisional charter), and dissolve the education corporation, effective July 1, 2012.  

Strategic Plan for School Turnaround - The Committee was presented with an overview of the Department’s Strategic Plan for School Turnaround, connecting Race to the Top, ESEA waiver, and the Regents Reform Agenda.   Staff shared the six focused tenets for school district effectiveness and moving those tenets towards implementation using a diagnostic tool for school and district effectiveness.  Also discussed were goals of the proposed diagnostic tool, peer review process and longitudinal study.  

CTE Integrated Course Options - The Committee discussed current policy for CTE approved programs and options to include additional integrated academic credits beyond what is currently allowed.  Discussion focused on the number of integrated credits currently available through approved programs, and the number that could be available to students with minimal revision to existing regulations.  A phase-in plan and timeline were discussed as were the challenges that some districts face.  The Committee approved the phase-in plan for integrated academic credits in approved CTE programs and directed staff to identify revisions necessary in Commissioner’s Regulations and the CTE Program Approval process to ensure a level of rigor that is aligned with college and career readiness.  The Committee also directed staff to come back in the spring to discuss possible pathways to include CTE as part of New York State’s graduation requirements.   [P-12 (D) 1]

Consent Agenda Items - The Committee discussed the following items scheduled for approval on the Full Board consent agenda:

• Proposed Amendment of Sections 200.4, and 200.16 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Preschool and School-Age Individual Evaluations.
• Petition of the Jamestown City School District for Consent to Exceed the Constitutional Debt Limit.

March 20, 2012