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Meeting of the Board of Regents | January 2010

Monday, January 11, 2010 - 11:10pm

Report of

REGENTS HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING

to

The Board of Regents

January 11, 2010

              Your Higher Education Committee met on January 11, 2010.  All members of the Committee were present, except Regent Cohen, who was excused.

 

ITEMS FOR ACTION:

1. HE (A) 1       MOLLOY COLLEGE MASTER PLAN AMENDMENT (MPA)

                            NURSING PH.D

Molloy College submitted a proposal requesting registration of a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in Nursing. The proposed program represents the College’s first program at the doctoral level.  The Department conducted a canvass of all degree-granting institutions of higher education in the Long Island region and all doctoral degree-granting institutions statewide. The Department received responses from 17 institutions; one institution objected to the proposed program.  The external review team noted “evidence of impressive support for this program from nursing leaders, representing major employers and significant potential research partners in nursing and healthcare.”

The Department determined that the proposed program meets the standards of registration set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. In addition, the Department concludes that the proposed program has a unique focus and will contribute to the State’s ability to address the critical, longstanding shortage of advanced practice nurses and nursing faculty.

ACTION:  The Regents approved Molloy College’s Master Plan Amendment. 

 

2. HE (A) 2       TRANSFORMING TEACHING AND LEARNING – TEACHER

                            STANDARDS

The Department sought the Regents direction for a process to follow for the development of teacher standards.  Such standards would form the foundation of a cohesive system to prepare, select, develop, and retain teachers who are effective in improving learning for all students.  These standards would be the basis for pre-service college and graduate programs, alternative certification programs, assessments for certification, annual professional performance reviews, and professional development plans for New York teachers. 

 

ACTION:  

Chancellor Tisch indicated that a discussion of teacher standards should be continued in the February 2010 meeting of the Higher Education Committee.  The Regents determined that further discussion relating to the development of a new set of standards for new teachers hinged first on an analysis of the current standards, assessing where we are now, with a look at effective models of teacher standards at both the national and international level that will inform the Regents development of teacher standards for New York State teachers.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION:

 

HE (D) 1           CLINICALLY RICH GRADUATE TEACHER PREPARATION

                             PILOT PROGRAMS

The Department was seeking feedback from the Board of Regents on possible components of a clinically-based graduate teacher preparation program which was endorsed, in concept, by the Board at its November meeting.

At your November 2009 and December 2009 Board of Regents meetings, the Department introduced a proposal for a pilot of a clinically rich graduate teacher preparation program designed to strengthen teacher preparation and increase the supply of highly effective teachers providing instruction in subject shortage areas in high need schools.  

ACTION:        

Chancellor Tisch, Vice Chancellor Cofield and Commissioner Steiner recommended that this discussion be further developed and refined, and return for detailed discussion during the February meeting of the Board.  Deputy Commissioner Frey and his staff were asked to provide further information and their research regarding clinically rich teacher preparation programs that exist in other states and provide a draft set of standards for the Board to consider at its February meeting.

             

HE (D) 2           CLINICALLY BASED APPROACH FOR PREPARING SCHOOL

                             LEADERS

Building on the work already completed through the Wallace-funded grant and endorsed, in concept, by the Board at its December meeting, the Department presented research-based design elements of effective principal preparation programs to help inform the development of a possible clinical model to prepare principals for consideration by the Board of Regents.

 

ACTION:        

Chancellor Tisch, Vice Chancellor Cofield and Commissioner Steiner requested that the Department provide the Regents with a review of the current requirements for preparing school leaders and additionally what we have learned from the Wallace-funded Cohesive Leadership System.

HE (D) 3           DATA ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TEACHERS

Are we preparing a sufficient number of early childhood teachers to meet the State’s needs? Early childhood education is critically important in a child’s education. The Board of Regents has set an aggressive agenda to promote quality early childhood education in New York State. There are also new proposed early childhood education federal initiatives planned for 2010. New York must ensure that there are a sufficient number of well prepared early childhood teachers to meet the State’s needs.

ACTION:  

The Board received data on the preparation and supply of early childhood teachers in New York State. Chancellor Tisch commented that the topic of early childhood educators is extremely important, and that it is an important thread not only to higher education, but to elementary, secondary and continuing education as well as VESID.  She recommended that significant time at a future meeting be devoted to this discussion as well. 

 

This concludes our report.

                                                                                           

                                                                                            ___________________________

                                                                                            Milton L. Cofield, Co-Chairperson

 

                                                                                                  __________________________

                                                                                            Harry Phillips, 3rd, Co-Chairperson