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THE
STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT /
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF |
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TO: |
Full Board
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FROM: |
Johanna Duncan-Poitier
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SUBJECT: |
Annual Report of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching
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DATE OF SUBMISSION: |
August 25, 2006 |
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STRATEGIC GOAL: |
Goal 3
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AUTHORIZATION(S):
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SUMMARY
Issue for Discussion
Annually, the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching reports on its activities over the past year. This is the Board’s eighth annual report.
For information.
Proposed Handling
The Board co-chairs (Patrick Allen and Eric Gidseg) will present an oral report of the Standards Board’s activities during 2005-2006. They will be available for questions and discussion after their presentation.
Procedural History
Regents Rule 3.14 stipulates that the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching reports to the Board of Regents annually.
Background Information
The attachment is provided as background for the Board’s report. It contains a summary of activities for the period September 2005- June 2006.
Attachments
Attachment 1
State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching
Activities and Accomplishments
During 2005-2006, the Standards Board continued its examination of various proposals to strengthen teaching. In response to an invitation to statewide organizations to comment on The Teaching Commission’s report, the Board heard two more presentations, by the New York State Council of School Superintendents and the New York State Business Council.
The Board invited outside experts on current research and other topics of special interest to the Board: Jim Wyckoff on his research in New York City regarding pathways into teaching; Jonathan Cohen on his work in social and emotional education; and Alexia Ryan on mentoring.
The Board completed the third year of participation in the Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE) program. The Higher Education Subcommittee continued to advise the Department concerning refinements in the RATE review process. A Subcommittee panel reviewed staff reports and made recommendations to the Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education and the Professions regarding accreditation status of the teacher education programs at eight institutions.
On March 22, Board members visited key Executive and Legislative staff members and legislators. For this fifth year of visits, members focused on efforts to strengthen teaching: increased funding for the Mentor Teacher Internship Program (MTIP), initial funding for schools to implement mandated mentoring programs, expansion of the Teachers of Tomorrow Program, increased funding for Teacher Centers, funding for Universal Pre-K programs and class size reduction in the early grades, and a resolution to the CFE suit.
During the past year, an ad hoc committee of the Board consulted with the Department on the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) learning standards. The Board then adopted a resolution outlining recommended steps for further implementation of the CDOS standards statewide. These include recommending that districts be provided professional development in implementing the CDOS learning standards, that more professional development opportunities be created for teachers, that the CDOS and 27 other learning standards be monitored through district professional development plans, that every Regents exam include questions related to the CDOS Learning Standards, that teacher education faculty engage in professional development on the integration of CDOS learning standards across all 28 learning standards, and that the Department and Regents reassess and pursue a revised implementation plan for implementing the CDOS learning standards.
A summary list of the Board’s accomplishments during the past year appears on the following pages.
Attachment 2
State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching
Board Activities and Accomplishments
Met with key legislators and staff and Executive staff members on March 22, 2006 to discuss issues related to teaching.
Reviewed and acted on 117 cases brought under Part 83 of Commissioner’s Regulations on teacher moral character requirements. (Professional Practices Subcommittee)
Approved resolution confirming staff authority for the selection of Part 83 hearing panel members.
Regulatory Amendment- Certification of Teaching Assistants
Endorsed the proposal to amend the requirements for certification of teaching assistants, changing the validity period and semester hour requirements for selected certificates in the series.
Regulatory Amendment- Renewal and Reissuance of Teaching Certificates
Endorsed the proposal to eliminate the provision for the reissuance of the Initial certificate and to provide for the renewal of the Provisional certificate.
Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE)
Reviewed staff reports and made recommendations on accreditation of teacher education programs at eight institutions under the RATE program: D’Youville College, Elmira College, Keuka College, New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, St. Francis College, Sarah Lawrence College, Touro College, and Vassar College. Recommended refinements to RATE review process. (Higher Education Subcommittee)
Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE)
Endorsed the Department’s proposal to adjust the Regents 2006 teacher education accreditation deadline, given the following conditions: that the period granted to institutions for corrective action be up to three years; that time extensions be limited to the initial accreditation cycle; and that the Standards Board RATE review panel be consulted in granting time extensions.
Approved the Teacher Center 2006 Expenditure Plan.
Teacher Supply and Demand Proposal
Requested that the Board of Regents defer action on any interstate reciprocity proposal resulting from the teacher supply and demand study until further data is available and reviewed.
Continued discussion of ways to improve teaching, based upon the major recommendations of The Teaching Commission’s report, “Teaching at Risk: A Call to Action.” Continued to invite presentations in response to the Report, from the New York State Council of School Superintendents and the New York State Business Council.
Videotape Review Panel (ATS-P)
Several members served on the April 2006 review panel and/or have registered to serve on the August 2006 review panel for scoring the NYSTCE Performance Assessment of Teaching Skills (ATS-P) videotapes.
