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

Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on December 16, 2013.  All members were present, except Regent Kathleen Cashin who was absent and excused. 

ACTION ITEMS

Charter Schools:  Short-term Renewals

VOTED: That the Board of Regents finds that the Evergreen 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 and issues the renewal charter of the Evergreen Charter School, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2014.

VOTED: That the Board of Regents finds that the Northside Charter High 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 and issues the renewal charter of the Northside Charter High School, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2014. [P-12 (A) 1]

Charter Schools:  Initial Applications and Charters Authorized by the Board of Regents

VOTED: That the Regents find that the proposed charter school: (1) meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws,  ules 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 and issues a charter and provisional charter to the American Dream Charter School for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.

VOTED: That the Regents find that the proposed 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 and issues a charter and provisional charter to the Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.

VOTED: That the Regents find that the proposed 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 and issues a charter and provisional charter to The Charter High School for Law and Social Justice for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.

VOTED: That the Regents find that the proposed 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 and issues a charter and provisional charter to the Collegiate Academy for Mathematics and Personal Awareness Charter School (CAMPA) for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.

VOTED: That the Regents find that the proposed 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 and issues a charter and provisional charter to the Compass Charter School for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.

VOTED: That the Regents find that the proposed 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 and issues a charter and provisional charter to the Renaissance Academy Charter School of the Arts for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.

VOTED: That the Regents find that the proposed 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 and issues a charter and provisional charter to the South Bronx Early College Academy Charter School for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.

VOTED: That the Regents find that the proposed 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 and issues a charter and provisional charter to the Vertus Charter School for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law.

VOTED: That, because the Regents have not made the findings required by Article 56 of the Education Law for the approval of an application for a charter school with regard to the New Generation of Scholars Charter School, the Regents do not approve the application for this proposed charter school.

VOTED: That, because the Regents have not made the findings required by Article 56 of the Education Law for the approval of an application for a charter school with regard to the Renaissance Charter School of Oswego, the Regents do not approve the application for this proposed charter school.

VOTED: That, because the Regents have not made the findings required by Article 56 of the Education Law for the approval of an application for a charter school with regard to the Rockland Academy of Excellence Charter School, the Regents do not approve the application for this proposed charter school.   [P-12 (A) 2]

Charter Schools:  NYCDOE Renewals

VOTED: That the Board of Regents finds that the proposed 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 and issues the renewal charter of the Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2018.

VOTED: That the Board of Regents finds that the proposed 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 and issues the renewal charter of The Equality Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2018.

VOTED: That the Board of Regents finds that the proposed 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 and issues the renewal charter of the Brownsville Ascend Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, 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 proposed 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 and issues the renewal charter of the Explore Empower Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, 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 proposed 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 and issues the renewal charter of the Growing Up Green Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, 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 proposed 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 and issues the renewal charter of the Summit Academy Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2017.

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approves and issues the renewal charter of the Fahari Academy Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the City School District of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2014. [P-12 (A) 3]

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 December 17, 2013, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent. 

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Diagnostic Tool for School and District Effectiveness (DTSDE) Panel – The Committee participated in a panel discussion with educators from around the state to talk about the implementation of the Diagnostic Tool for School and District Effectiveness in their districts.  Panel members included:

Lisa Buon, Principal, Horizons on the Hudson Magnet School in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District
Ed Forgit, Deputy Superintendent, Newburgh Enlarged City School District
Debra Jackson, Superintendent, Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery CSD
Lori McKenna, District Director for Planning and Accountability, Schenectady City School District
Panel members shared examples of what they’ve learned about the strengths and areas for improvement of their schools and district as a result of participating in DTSDE.  Discussion focused on the importance of parent engagement.  Districts are partnering with community based organizations to encourage parents to attend meetings and town hall events held in their community.  Staff will come back to the Regents at a future meeting to share updates on the Diagnostic Tool and its implementation.   [P-12 (D) 1]

Consent Agenda Items

The Board of Regents will take action on the following consent agenda items at their December 17, 2013 meeting.

Athletic Waiver for Special Education Students
Academic Intervention Services