Skip to main content

Meeting of the Board of Regents | December 2010

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 - 9:50am

Report of the


REGENTS P-12 EDUCATION COMMITTEE


to


The Board of Regents


December 14, 2010

            Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on December 14, 2010.  All members were present. 

ACTION ITEMS

Charter
 School
 Actions
 

            Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents issue charter renewals for the following Charter Schools authorized by the Board of Regents:

  1. Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys - that a second renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015. The Regents action for the Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys will become effective on January 11, 2011.

 

  1. Brighter Choice Charter School for Girls - that a second renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015.  The Regents action for the Brighter Choice Charter School for Girls will become effective on January 11, 2011.
  1. Bronx Charter School for Children - that a second renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2016.  The Regents action for the Bronx Charter School for Children will become effective on July 1, 2011.

 

  1. Elmwood Village Charter School - that a first renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015.  The Regents action for the Elmwood Village Charter School will become effective on January 11, 2011.
  1. Harlem Success Academy Charter School - that a first renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015.  The Regents action for the Harlem Success Academy Charter School will become effective on January 11, 2011.

 

  1. Harriet Tubman Charter School - that a fifth renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2016.  The Regents action for the Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys will become effective on July 1, 2011.
  1. Charter School for Applied Technologies - that a second renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015.  Pursuant to Education Law Section 2851(4)(d), the Board of Regents waives the deadline for submission of a charter renewal application for the Charter School for Applied Technologies and accepts the renewal application submitted by the school on September 17, 2010.  The Regents action for the Charter School for Applied Technologies will become effective on January 11, 2011.

[P-12 (A) 1]

 

            Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents issue the initial charters and provisional charters for the following Charter Schools for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law:

  1. Amani Public Charter School
  2. Democracy Prep III Charter School
  3. Discovery Charter School
  4. Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter School
  5. Mott Hall Charter School
  6. New York City Montessori Charter School
  7. Urban Dove Charter School

 

            The Regents action for these charter schools is effective immediately. 

Regent James Tallon abstained from the vote for the Amani Public Charter School not on the merits of the application, but because of the methodology used to forecast potential fiscal impact on the school district of location.

            The application for the Lamad Charter School referenced in the Regents item was withdrawn by the applicant on December 10, 2010, which was subsequent to the written item being finalized, sent to the Regents and posted on the web.  [P-12 (A) 2]

 

Your Committee recommends that the Board of Regents approves and issues the proposed charters for the following Charter Schools as proposed by the Trustees of the State University of New York (SUNY) and issues a provisional charter to them for a term of five years, up through and including December 13, 2015:

  1. True North Genesee Preparatory Charter School
  2. Achievement First Aspire Charter School
  3. Boys Preparatory Charter School of New York
  4. East Harlem Scholars Academy Charter School (originally approved by SUNY Board of Trustees as EHTP Pact  Charter School)
  5. Explore Excel Charter School
  6. Invictus Preparatory Charter School
  7. Heketi Community Charter School
  8. The New Visions Charter High School for the Humanities
  9. The New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science
  10. Our World Neighborhood Charter School II
  11. Innovate Manhattan Charter School

            The Regents action for these charter schools is effective immediately. 

[P-12 (A) 3]

Age Eligibility and Four-Year Limitations for Senior Athletic Competition – Your Committee recommends that subclause (1) of clause (b) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (7) of subdivision (c) of section 135.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, and that clause (d) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (7) of subdivision (c) of section 135.4 of the Commissioner’s Regulations be added, as submitted, effective January 5, 2011, as a permanent rule.  Your Committee further recommends that subclause (1) of clause (b) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (7) of subdivision (c) of section 135.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, and that clause (d) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (7) of subdivision (c) of section 135.4 of the Commissioner’s Regulations be added, as submitted, effective December 26, 2010, as an emergency action upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary for the preservation of the general welfare to ensure that the emergency rule adopted at the October 2010 Regents meeting remains continuously in effect until the effective date of its adoption as a permanent rule, and thereby avoid disruption to the administration of the waiver process for participation in senior athletic competition by students with disabilities during the 2010-2011 school year.            [P-12 (A) 4]   

 

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

           

            Madam Chancellor and Colleagues: Your P-12 Education 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 December 14, 2010, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

 

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Revised Comprehensive English Regents Exam:  Standards Revisitation Update – The Committee discussed steps taken by the Department to maintain the rigor of the Comprehensive English Regents Examination.  The discussion focused on the changes made to the format and composition of the test and how the development of the new exam concentrated on maintaining the validity and consistency around the content being assessed.  A memo providing an overview of the changes made and the steps taken to maintain rigor on the newly revised English Regents exam has been widely distributed to field to inform school officials, teachers, parents and students.  [P-12 (D) 1]

PLA Update – The Committee was given an update on the Department’s efforts to support districts to intervene in their persistently lowest-achieving (PLA) schools.  Discussion focused on the transformation models that PLA schools are required to implement and the impact that School Improvement Grant and RTTT funding have had on that implementation.  The Committee also discussed the Commissioner’s December 9 release of SURR/PLA schools identified for the 2010-11 school year.  [P-12 (D) 2]

Students with Disabilities Regulations – The Committee discussed proposed amendments to regulations that would change the term “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability.”   Following a multiple-state survey of disability classifications and seeking input from members of the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education Services, it was determined that replacing the term “mental retardation” with “intellectual disability” ensures the Commissioner’s regulations are consistent with the terminology used in federal law and addresses issues of respect and dignity for individuals with disabilities.  The amendment would also make other technical revisions.

The proposed amendment will come back to the Committee in March for approval.  [P-12 (D) 3]

Online Learning – The Committee discussed proposed amendments to regulations that would award units of credit for online and blended courses by allowing school districts to provide students with opportunities to earn course credit through alternative pathways.   The proposed policy is intended to provide guidance to public school districts and BOCES interested in offering new learning opportunities for students through online instruction.  The discussion focused on a statewide survey conducted last spring directed at district level leaders and high school-based staff in New York State’s public schools.  The survey revealed that 59 percent of respondents stated that online learning options are currently used as a strategy for academic improvement initiatives.  The Committee also discussed steps that school districts and BOCES must take to ensure readiness and evidence they must demonstrate to show that online course preparations are well underway.  Staff will develop proposed amendments to regulations for the Committee to discuss at the March 2011 meeting.   [P-12 (D) 4]

Consent Agenda Items – Senior Deputy Commissioner King discussed the following item on the full Board consent agenda.

Elimination of Certain State Assessments - The proposed amendment implements recent decisions made by the Board of Regents to eliminate certain State assessments as a cost-saving measure in the administration of State assessments and ensures that students have continued opportunity to earn diploma credit in Languages other than English prior to grade 9 and meet State learning standards despite the elimination of these examinations.