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

Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on July 20, 2015.  All members were present except for Regents Bendit and Norwood, who were excused.

ACTION ITEMS

School Use of an Opioid Antagonist [P-12 (A) 1]

Your Committee recommends that section 136.8 of the Regulations of the Commissioner is added, as submitted, effective August 11, 2015, as an emergency action upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary for the preservation of the general welfare to immediately establish standards for the provision, maintenance and administration of opioid antagonists pursuant to Education Law 922, as added by Part V of Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2015, and thus ensure the timely implementation of the statute on its effective date.

School and District Accountability and New York State’s approved ESEA Flexibility Renewal Waiver [P-12 (A) 2]

Your Committee recommends That paragraphs (14), (15) and (22) of subdivision (b) and subdivisions (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (l) of section 100.18 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, and that paragraphs (24), (25), (26), (27), (28) and (29) of subdivision (b) of section 100.18 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be added, as submitted, effective July 21, 2015, as an emergency action upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary for the preservation of the general welfare, so that school districts may have the opportunity to meet, in a timely fashion, accountability and intervention requirements for the 2014-15 school year and beyond, consistent with the state’s USDE approved ESEA Flexibility Waiver Renewal Request for 2015-19 and Commissioner’s Regulation 100.19 related to receivership.  Regents Rosa, Ouderkirk, Collins and Johnson abstained from the vote.

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 July 20, 2015, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent. 

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

New York State Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Guidance Document [P-12 (D) 1] – the Committee was provided with an update on input received and modifications made since the April 2015 discussion and was presented with the proposed New York State Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Guidance Document.  Over the past several months, the Department has worked closely with advocacy groups to prepare the New York State Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Guidance Document with assistance from the field. The Guidance Document is intended to be used by school boards and administrators in the development of school procedures and district policies related to transgender and gender nonconforming students and includes relevant state and federal law and definitions related to transgender and gender nonconforming students. Department staff will disseminate the Guidance document to the field.

Update on the East Ramapo CSD [P-12 (D) 2] – the Committee was provided with an update on the East Ramapo Central School District as it relates to the report issued by Henry M. Greenberg as well as New York State Education Department monitoring.  Staff provided a status update and next steps for the recommendations listed in the report.  Department staff will continue to monitor the district’s programs for compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and its budget in order to identify opportunities for greater efficiencies.  Staff will come back to the Regents in the fall with a further update on actions to be taken in this upcoming school year.

Consent Agenda

The Board of Regents will take action on the following consent agenda items at their July 20, 2015 meeting.

• Regulations relating to School and District Accountability System
• Revision to Rosalyn Yalow Charter School
• Registration of Non-public Schools
• Registration of Public Schools