THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:

The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents

 

FROM:

Diana M. Hinchcliff, Director, Office of Governmental Relations

 

SUBJECT:

Revisions to Draft NCLB Recommendations

 

DATE:

January 9, 2007

 

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1-6

 

AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

 

 

Issue for Decision

 

Approval of NCLB recommendations.

 

Reason for Consideration

 

The Regents approved these revisions to the draft NCLB recommendations in their committee meetings.

 

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

 

Issue 1 (p.1). Schools and districts with multiple federal accountability designations.

 

Revisions:

a. Revise language in the Recommendation column to delete “gatekeeper” and clearly explain that the recommendation is that the academic performance of various subgroups (e.g. students with disabilities and limited English proficient students) should be measured once using Title I, not multiple times using different criteria, which could yield different results. This would allow focused assistance to poorly performing individual subgroups within schools rather than school-wide sanctions for the underperformance of individual subgroups.

 

b. Add a recommendation that schools be permitted to report test scores to the public as letter grades that represent bands or ranges of scores rather than as precise numerical scores (e.g. a band of scores ranging from 90.0-100.0 would equal an “A”).

 

 

Issue 2 (p. 3). Growth models for state accountability systems.

 

Revision:

Change language in Recommendation column from:

The growth model should be in addition to rather than as a replacement for the current status model.

 

to:

States should be allowed to use either a growth model or a status model.

 

 

HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS

 

Issue 15 (p. 28). Deadlines for highly qualified teachers.

 

Revisions:

a. Add to the recommendation: Retain current flexibility that enables states to work collaboratively with school districts that fail to meet highly qualified teacher goals to develop credible plans for meeting the goals in the context of the district’s needs and financial condition.

 

b. Add to the recommendation that sanctions should not be imposed if states and school districts continue to make progress toward meeting highly qualified teacher goals.

 

 

Issue 22 (p. 33). National standards for teachers to demonstrate subject matter competency and Issue 25 (p. 36). Highly qualified special education teachers.

 

Revision:

These issues will be deleted.

 

 

Issue 24 (p. 34). Professional development for teachers.

 

Revision:

Change the language in the Recommendation column from:

Make evidence-based instructional strategies and “promising practices” acceptable for professional development.

 

to:

Make “promising practices” acceptable for professional development.

 

The recommendation will include a definition of promising practices.

 

 

GENERIC ISSUES

 

Issue 27 (p. 38). Deadlines, targets and goals.

 

Revision:

 

Clarify that the lower target should provide a safe harbor from financial penalties, not a change in goal. The last sentence in the first paragraph under Recommendation will be changed from:

Set targets at 95-98%.

 

to:

Set targets at 95-98 percent for a "safe harbor" from financial sanctions.

 

 

 

Issue 31 (p. 40). Funding levels and flexibility.

 

Revision:

 

Add to the Rationale column examples illustrating how the lack of full funding for NCLB is causing districts to shift funds among programs to ensure that all programs are funded, with the consequence that many local programs remain continuously underfunded.

 

 

New Issue. Sanctions.

 

Add a recommendation that NCLB should not allow funds to be withheld from districts and schools for academic failure. This is counterproductive. Districts and schools should be sanctioned only for refusal to cooperate with states in working toward continuously improving students’ academic performance.

 

 

Recommendation

 

Approval of the NCLB recommendations with these revisions.