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:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
COMMITTEE:	Higher Education and Professional Practice
TITLE OF ITEM:	Proposed Amendment to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Mentoring Programs at School Districts and BOCES
DATE OF SUBMISSION:	October 17, 2003
PROPOSED HANDLING:	Approval (Consent Agenda)
RATIONALE FOR ITEM:	To Implement Policy
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goal 3
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY:

 

Attached for approval is a proposed amendment to paragraphs (2) and (5) of subdivision (dd) of section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, relating to mentoring programs at school districts and boards of cooperative educational services.  Supporting materials for the proposed amendment are available upon request from the Secretary to the Board of Regents.

 

The purpose of the proposed amendment is to require school districts and boards of cooperative educational services to include a mentoring program for new teachers in their professional development plans covering the time period, February 2, 2004 and thereafter.    A Notice of Proposed Rule Making concerning the proposed amendment was published in the State Register on February 5, 2003, and a Notice of Continuation was published in the State Register on July 16, 2003. 

 

The proposed amendment was discussed at the September 2003 meeting of the Board of Regents.  As a result of the discussion at that meeting, the regulation was revised to add team teaching as an example of a mentoring activity that may be included, among others, in the mentoring program of a school district or BOCES.

 

            I recommend that the Board of Regents take the following action:

 

            VOTED: That paragraphs (2) and (5) of subdivision (dd) of section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, effective December 4, 2003.

 

 

Attachment

AMENDMENT TO THE REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION

               Pursuant to sections 101, 207, 215, 305, 3004, and 3604 of the Education Law.

               1. Paragraph (2) of subdivision (dd) of section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended, effective December 4, 2003, as follows:

               (2) Content of the plan.  The professional development plan shall be structured in a format consistent with commissioner's guidelines and shall include:

               (i) . . .

               (ii) . . .    

               (iii) provision for the training of employees holding a teaching certificate or license in the classroom teaching service, school service, or administrative and supervisory service in school violence prevention and intervention.  Each such employee shall be required to complete at least one training course in school violence prevention and intervention, which shall consist of at least two clock hours of training that includes but is not limited to, study in the warning signs within a developmental and social context that relate to violence and other troubling behaviors in children; the statutes, regulations, and policies relating to a safe nonviolent school climate; effective classroom management techniques and other academic supports that promote a nonviolent school climate and enhance learning; the integration of social and problem solving skill development for students within the regular curriculum; intervention techniques designed to address a school violence situation; and how to participate in an effective school/community referral process for students exhibiting violent behavior.  Upon request of the employee who successfully completes such training course, the school district or board of cooperative educational services shall provide the employee with a certificate of completion attesting to the completion of the two clock hours of training in school violence prevention and intervention [.]; and

            (iv) for plans covering the time period, February 2, 2004 and thereafter, provision for a mentoring program.  

(a) The purpose of the mentoring program shall be to provide support for new teachers in the classroom teaching service in order to ease the transition from teacher preparation to practice, thereby increasing retention of teachers in the public schools, and to increase the skills of new teachers in order to improve student achievement in accordance with the State learning standards. 

(b) The professional development plan shall describe how the school district or BOCES will provide a mentoring program for teachers in the classroom teaching service who must participate in a mentoring program to meet the teaching experience requirement for the professional certificate, as prescribed in section 80-3.4 of this Title. 

(c) The mentoring program shall be developed and implemented consistent with any collective bargaining obligation required by Article 14 of the Civil Service Law, provided that nothing herein shall be construed to impose a collective bargaining obligation that is not required by Article 14 of the Civil Service Law.

(d) The information obtained by a mentor through interaction with the new teacher while engaged in the mentoring activities of the program shall not be used for evaluating or disciplining the new teacher; unless withholding such information poses a danger to the life, health, or safety of an individual, including but not limited to students and staff of the school; or unless such information indicates that the new teacher has been convicted of a crime, or has committed an act which raises a reasonable question as to the new teacher's moral character; or unless the school district or BOCES has entered into an agreement, negotiated pursuant to Article 14 of the Civil Service Law whose terms are in effect, that provides that the information obtained by the mentor through interaction with the new teacher while engaged in the mentoring activities of the program may be used for evaluating or disciplining the new teacher.    

(e) The professional development plan shall describe the following elements of the mentoring program:

(1) the procedure for selecting mentors, which shall be published and made available to staff of the school district or BOCES and upon request to members of the public;

(2) the role of mentors, which shall include but not be limited to providing guidance and support to the new teacher;

(3) the preparation of mentors, which may include but shall not be limited to the study of the theory of adult learning, the theory of teacher development, the elements of a mentoring relationship, peer coaching techniques, and time management methodology; 

(4) types of mentoring activities, which may include but shall not be limited to modeling instruction for the new teacher, observing instruction, instructional planning with the new teacher, peer coaching, team teaching, and orienting the new teacher to the school culture; and

(5) time allotted for mentoring, which may include but shall not be limited to scheduling common planning sessions, releasing the mentor and the new teacher from a portion of their instructional and/or non-instructional duties, and providing time for mentoring during superintendent conference days, before and after the school day, and during summer orientation sessions.

2.  Paragraph (5) of subdivision (dd) of section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended, effective December 4, 2003, as follows:

(5) Recordkeeping [requirement] requirements.

(i) School districts and BOCES shall be required to maintain a record of professional development successfully completed by certificate holders, who are subject to the professional development requirement prescribed in section 80-3.6 of this Title, and who take professional development offered by the school district or BOCES or by entities on behalf of the school district or BOCES.  Such record shall include: the name of the professional certificate holder, his or her teacher certification identification number, the title of the program, the number of hours completed, and the date and location of the program.  Such record shall be retained by the school district or BOCES for at least seven years from the date of completion of the professional development by the professional certificate holder and shall be available for review by the department.

(ii) School districts and BOCES shall maintain documentation of the implementation of the mentoring program described in the professional development plan.  Such documentation shall include for each individual receiving mentoring pursuant to the mentoring program: the name of that individual, his or her teacher certificate identification number, the type of mentoring activity, the number of clock hours successfully completed in the mentoring activity, and the name and the teacher certificate identification number of the individual who provided the mentoring.  Such record shall be maintained by the school district or BOCES for at least seven years from the date of completion of the mentoring activity and shall be available for review by the department.