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News from the July 2008 Meeting of the New York State Board of Regents

The New York State Board of Regents met in Albany on July 28, 2008.  The agenda for the meeting and advance materials are available on the Web at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708monthmat.html. Highlights of their discussions include:

• Proposed Interim Growth Model for Accountability - The Board of Regents endorsed an interim growth model for New York State that will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for review and preliminary approval.  The model is designed to support the Regents policy to close the achievement gap and improve student performance and it will give schools and districts credit for students who make sufficient progress toward becoming proficient and meeting the State learning standards.  This Fall we will continue discussions with the field about the proposed growth model and will be seeking more extensive feedback and make revisions to the model as appropriate.  Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2007 requires the Regents to adopt an interim growth model of accountability by the start of the 2008-09 school year and a value-added accountability model by 2010-11.  More information is available at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708emscd1.htm.

• School Bus Idling - Effective August 21, 2008, all school districts must instruct their school bus drivers to turn off the engine of a school bus or other vehicle owned or leased by the school district while the bus or vehicle is parked or standing on school grounds or is in front of or adjacent to any school.  Additional information is available at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708emsca1.htm.

• Section 211 Waiver Process Regulations - Section 211 of the Retirement and Social Security Law provides for a waiver process to allow retirees to earn compensation in certain types of school districts while continuing to receive their pensions, provided that the Commissioner approves.  The waivers are important for helping districts to identify well-qualified individuals to provide leadership in schools on a temporary basis during extenuating circumstances.  In response to public concerns about instances of individuals receiving high compensation in addition to their pensions, last month, the Board of Regents adopted emergency regulations to strengthen the administration of the waiver process mandated by §211.  Since that time, both Houses of the Legislature passed a bill (A11743/S8699) related to §211 waivers; this bill is now before the Executive.  In July, the Board of Regents voted to repeal the emergency regulations adopted in June and replace them with new regulations that incorporate the legislative language.

The report to the Board of Regents on the §211 waiver process regulations is available on the Web at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708hea1.htm.   A memorandum to the field on the waiver process can be found at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/memo070908.htm.

• Contracts for Excellence Regulations - To facilitate the preparation and submission of Contracts for Excellence for the 2007-08 school year, the Board of Regents adopted regulations by emergency action in April 2007. In subsequent months, with significant input and recommendations from the field, the Regents revised and readopted the Contracts for Excellence regulations by emergency rule to ensure that they remained continuously in effect. In July, the Regents voted to add Section 100.13 of the Regulations of the Commissioner and amend Section 170.12 of the Regulations of the Commissioner, effective as a permanent rule on August 21, 2008. Additional information can be found at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708emsca10.htm.

• Board of Regents Awarded Grant to Develop Cohesive School Leadership System - The Wallace Foundation has awarded the Board of Regents a two-year, $3 million grant to create a Cohesive School Leadership System in New York State.  The grant will allow the Regents to expand pre-service programs with higher education institutions to address current needs in the field, to develop new in-service programs, and to align the New York State leadership standards with the National Interstate School Leaders Licensor Consortium (ISLLC) standards.  Additional information is available at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708hed1.htm.

• Work Group on Preparing, Recruiting, and Retaining Teachers for Urban Education - In follow-up to the Board of Regents regional meeting in Yonkers in May on teaching in urban settings, the Regents Higher Education Committee recommended that a workgroup, made up of key partners and experts, be convened to identify opportunities for strengthening teacher preparation and professional development to better serve the needs of teachers and students in urban schools.  Additional information is available at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708hed2.htm.

• Charter School Actions - The Board of Regents took action on a number of charter schools this month.  Additional information is available at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708monthem.html.

Clarifying Information on Dental Certificates for Students Entering School

We have recently received questions from the field about amendments to Education law §903 regarding dental health certificates for students entering school.   In response to your questions, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide some clarifying information regarding the statutory changes. 

First, changes to the law will take effect on September 1, 2008.  Since the law is not in effect at this time, school districts need not yet request dental health certificates from parents and guardians.

Beginning on September 1, 2008 and thereafter, schools will be required to request, or ask, if a student has a dental health certificate at the same time that a health certificate is provided to the school. Students are permitted to attend school, however, even if they have not provided a dental health certificate; the dental health certificate is not required for school attendance.

The Regents recently adopted regulations (link to http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/June2008/0608emscd1.htm) which will take effect on September 1, 2008 concerning the dental health certificates. 

To provide further assistance to schools, a sample form is being developed collaboratively with the Department’s Office of Professions and the Department of Health.  The Department is also collaborating to create a list of dentists who will provide examinations for free or at a reduced cost.  We will share this information with you as soon as it becomes available.

Position Announcement: Coordinator, Educational Plans and Reports - M-4

The State Education Department is seeking a skilled professional interested in joining a team to oversee the transformation of New York State’s data collection, management and reporting processes that contribute to its accountability and school improvement system, including implementing and monitoring the Department’s data collection schedule and reporting calendar for federal and State accountability. More information on the position is available at http://www.oms.nysed.gov/hr/flyers/EMS653.htm.

Important Teacher Certification Information Regarding Effective Dates of Initial Certificates in Specific Career and Technical Education Subjects

A new policy is in effect immediately with respect to the effective date of Initial Career and Technical Education (CTE) certificates for applicants who are progressing from a Transitional A teaching certificate to a regular Initial certificate in that same subject area. Consistent with procedures in place for all other applicants, the Office of Teaching Initiatives will assign the effective date of the Initial certificate based upon the date that applicants qualify for the Initial certificate. The Initial certificate will be valid for a full five years. More detailed information is available at: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/memo072908.htm.

Reporting 2008-09 NYSED Elementary/Middle-Level Science and Social Studies Test Results Update

For the 2008–09 school year only, the New York State Education Department will allow nonpublic schools planning to administer the Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test, the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test, or the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test to report aggregated school-level results directly to the Department using a modified report form. Beginning in the 2009–10 school year, all nonpublic schools planning to administer the Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test, the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test, the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test, or the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test are required to contract with a RIC/Big 5 to participate in the Student Information Repository System. Further information and a copy of the report form can be obtained from the Information and Reporting Services (IRS) web site at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/latest.shtml or by contacting IRS at 518-474-7965.

Reminder: 2008-09 Title I School Status Reports (NCLB) are Due

The Title I School Status Report (NCLB) 2008-09 was due on July 25, 2008. As of this date, a number of school districts and charter schools have not yet filed this report with the Office of Information and Reporting Services. The information on this report is used in determining district and school accountability statuses. If you haven’t already, we urge you to file your report as soon as possible.  For school districts and charter schools that do not submit a 2008-09 report, the information for the prior year will be used which may lead to an incorrect accountability status being determined.

If you did not receive the email from Associate Commissioner Jean C. Stevens with the Title I School Status Report and filing timelines, please contact the Office of Information and Reporting Services at 518-474-7965.  We will be happy to send that out to you.

Important Information on Violent and Disruptive Incident Reporting (VADIR)

2008 Staff Development Schedule

The New York State Education Department in conjunction with the New York State Center for School Safety is pleased to present its 2008 VADIR (Violent and Disruptive Incident Reporting) staff development schedule. Superintendents, School Building Leaders, Parent Coordinators, School Resource Officers, VADIR Dedicated Staff, Teachers, SAPIS Workers, and Pupil Personnel Services Staff from all local education agencies, BOCES, and charter schools are encouraged to participate.  For more information please visit the following web address and call the contact person indicated to attend the session since space may be limited: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/sss/SDFSCA/uvir/home_uvir_vadir.htm.   For additional information, please contact Kojo Attah at kattah@mail.nysed.gov or 518-486-5315.

VADIR Data

School districts, BOCES, and charter schools may report 2007-2008 violent and disruptive incident data to the State Education Department beginning September 8, 2008 through the SED Online Portal.  No changes in data collected or format have been made to this year’s VADIR form.  The due date to complete 2007-2008 VADIR reporting to the Department is September 30, 2008. Forms, instructions, and a glossary of terms are available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/violence-data/home07a.shtml.

Decisions of the Commissioner of Education (§310) Available on the Web

Decisions of the Commissioner of Education are available on the Office of Counsel’s Web site at http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/home.html.  As each volume of Commissioner Decisions becomes available, the individual decisions will be added to the Web.

 

Previous News and Notes:

07/17/08