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Meeting of the Board of Regents | March 2009

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 11:00pm

Report of the

REGENTS EMSC COMMITTEE

to

The Board of Regents

March 17, 2009

 

              Your EMSC Committee held its scheduled meeting on March 16, 2009.  All Committee members were present, except for Regent Rosa who was excused.

 

ACTION ITEMS

 

Charter Schools

 

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revision to the initial charter of the Niagara Charter School, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.   [EMSC (A) 1]

 

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revisions to the initial charter of the Future Leaders Institute Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.   [EMSC (A) 2]

 

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revisions to the initial charter of the Community Roots Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.   [EMSC (A) 3]

 

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revision to the initial charter of the Harlem Success Academy Charter School, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.   [EMSC (A) 4]

 

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revisions to the initial charter of the Hyde Leadership Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.   [EMSC (A) 5]

 

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves the revisions to the initial charter of the New Heights Academy Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.    [EMSC (A) 6] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 March 17, 2009, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

 

 

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

 

Coaching Requirements and Extension of Eligibility for Interscholastic Athletics – The Regents discussed regulations relating to the requirements for elementary physical education for schools that have grades 5 and 6 in the middle school; clarification of the appointment of coaches to include paid and non-paid coaches; extension of time to complete the required courses from 5 to 7 years; authority to extend time to complete the coaching course requirements for individuals who have had a lapse in service due to extenuating circumstances; and student athletic eligibility.  These regulations will be brought back to the Regents for approval at their May meeting.   [EMSC (D) 1]

 

Grades 3-8 Testing Policy Overview – The Regents continued their policy discussion on issues related to the Grades 3-8 test administration.  This month the discussion focused on the extensive feedback collected from the online survey, with more than 22,500 responses received.  The information sought included information on possible rescheduling of the exams to a different time of year as well as how the tests should be scored and the format of test questions.  The Committee was provided an overview of the survey results.  Based on that discussion, staff will share the survey results with the field and identify possible scheduling options for final feedback from the field.  Staff plan to propose options on test scheduling for the Regents consideration in April or May.   [EMSC (D) 2]

 

Differentiated Accountability Model and Connections to Streamlined Regulatory Structure – The Senior Deputy gave a report on the major efforts underway to streamline the Department’s regulatory process:

  • An internal examination of data collection to identify opportunities to eliminate duplication.
  • An inventory of all plans required from school districts by statute or regulation – work with the Legislature to eliminate unnecessary reports required by statute and amend regulation to eliminate those required by regulation.
  • Creation of a one-stop clearinghouse for superintendents and other school leaders for all requirements.
  • The new Differentiated Accountability system which will be an important part of New York’s streamlined accountability system.  Under this new accountability system the Department will be able to:

 

  • Reduce the current number of school accountability categories from 19 to 8.
  • Allow for differentiation in the improvement process – no more one size fits all.
  • Free-up staff resources to provide assistance to schools 
  • Strengthen the capacity of districts to assist schools.
  • Empower parents by increasing combined participation in Public School Choice (PSC) and Supplemental Educational Services (SES) by offering SES in the first year of a school’s identification for improvement and school choice only after an identified school has failed to make AYP.
  • Maximize SED’s limited resources.   

[EMSC (D) 3]

 

Ten-Year Report on Charter Schools in New York State – At their January 2009 meeting, the Board of Regents suggested that a comprehensive, research-based report is needed that looks at whether charter schools have met the goals of the legislation and other issues.  This month, the Committee was provided a list of possible issues for inclusion in this report that were suggested by members of the Board of Regents and the field.  Staff are having conversations with the Education Finance Research Consortium (EFRC) to determine if they could undertake some or all of the research necessary to produce such a report, if the necessary data is available and what the timeline would be for providing the data and producing the report.  Results of those conversations will be brought back to the Committee at their April meeting.  [EMSC (D) 4]

 

Policy Activity Follow-up – Senior Deputy Commissioner Johanna Duncan-Poitier provided the Committee with an update on urban teachers and the upcoming workgroup meeting to be held on March 19th at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.   The Workgroup on Urban Teaching has begun to focus on teacher practices that have had a demonstrated impact on improving student learning. 

 

 

That concludes our report.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                    Anthony Bottar and Merryl Tisch       

                                                                                    Co-Chairs