Meeting of the Board of Regents | November 2008
Report of
REGENTS EMSC COMMITTEE
to
The Board of Regents
November 17, 2008
Your EMSC Committee held its scheduled meeting on November 17, 2008. All Committee members were present.
ACTION ITEMS
Consent Agenda
Your Committee recommends that the Regents approve the petitions for registration of two new public schools: Eagle Elementary School (Bethlehem Central School District) and West Street Elementary School (Newburgh Enlarged City School District).
Your Committee recommends that the Regents amend subdivision (c) of section 100.14 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating to the Excelsior Scholars Program for grade seven mathematics and science students, as submitted, effective December 11, 2008.
Charter
School
Your Committee recommends that the Regents approve and issue the second renewal charter of the Buffalo United Charter School as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 31, 2011.
MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD
Mr. Chancellor and Colleagues: Your EMSC Committee recommends, and I move, that the Board of Regents act affirmatively upon each recommendation in the written report of the Committee's deliberations at its meeting on November 17, 2008, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.
MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION
Update on Initiatives to Expand Access to Quality Career and Technical Education Programs – the Committee had a discussion with a panel of practitioners and students on what the challenges are to starting and expanding CTE programs and what new initiatives might help to expand access to career and technical education programs. The panel included Jessica Cohen, District Superintendent at the Onondaga-Cortland-Madision BOCES, Gregg Betheil, Senior Executive for Career & Technical Education, New York City Department of Education; Naomi Saez, a student at Automotive High School in Brooklyn; and Alexander Alcarraz, a student at the Food and Finance High School. Jessica Cohen and Greg Betheil discussed the challenges that districts face in starting up and expanding CTE programs which include: first-year funding, balancing what programs meet the needs of industry and the economy and those that students are interested in, addressing the differentiated instruction needs of students with disabilities, and the cost of installing and maintaining up-to-date equipment. The two high school students shared how they became aware of CTE programs in their district, how the experience has been beneficial to their education, and how it has influenced their decision to go on to college.
English Language Learners – the Committee discussed the graduation rate data for English language learners (ELLs) and the significant achievement gap for these students. This was a companion item to the September discussions about the graduation rates for students with disabilities and Black and Latino male students. Staff presented information on the graduation results for the most recent cohort of students who graduated in 2007. State Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, Jose Davila, from the Immigration Coalition and Luis Reyes, from the Coalition for Educational Excellence for English Language Learners attended the meeting and responded to questions from members of the Committee. The Regents agreed that they would like more discussion on strategies to address the needs of this group of students and other student groups with low graduation rates.
That concludes our report.
Anthony Bottar and Merryl Tisch
Co-Chairs