For Full Board Agenda and Materials

For Full Board Agenda and Materials

Board of Regents Highlights

February 2013 meeting

For full Board Agenda and materials:

  1. Amendments and new subpart relating to coursework or Training on Bullying. For full summary click here.

The proposed rule requires each school district, BOCES and charter school to:

(1) establish policies, procedures and guidelines, on or before July 1, 2013, to implement school employee training programs that promote a positive school environment that is free from harassment, bullying and discrimination (including cyberbullying) and to discourage and respond to incidents of harassment, bullying and discrimination,

(2) establish guidelines relating to the development of nondiscriminatory instructional and counseling methods; and

(3) provide training for employees, including school and district administrators that:

• raises awareness and sensitivity to potential acts of harassment, bullying and discrimination directed at students that are committed by students and/or school employees….

• enables employees to prevent and respond to incidents of harassment, bullying and discrimination;

• makes school employees aware of the effects of harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, and/or discrimination on students;

• ensures the effective implementation of school policy on school conduct and discipline, including but not limited to, guidelines on promoting a safe and supportive school climate while discouraging harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination against students by students and/or school employees; and

• includes safe and supportive school climate concepts in curriculum and classroom management.

The proposed amendment also implements the Ch. 102, L. 2012 amendments to the Dignity Act by establishing standards for the Dignity Act Coordinator. The proposed amendment requires that:

(1) At least one employee in every school shall be designated as a Dignity Act Coordinator,…

(2) The Dignity Act Coordinator shall be provided with:

• training which addresses the social patterns of harassment, bullying and discrimination,…

• training in the identification and mitigation of harassment, bullying and discrimination; and

• training in strategies for effectively addressing problems of exclusion, bias, and aggression in educational settings.

(3) The name(s) and contact information for the Dignity Act Coordinator(s) shall be shared with all school personnel, students, and persons in parental relation,….by:

• listing such information in the code of conduct and updates posted on the Internet web site,…..;

• posting the information in highly-visible areas of school buildings and making the information available at the district and school-level administrative offices; and

• either including the information in the plain language summary of the code of conduct; or providing the information to parents and persons in parental relation at least once per school year in a manner as determined by the school, including through electronic communication and/or sending such information home with students.

Timetable for Implementation: …the Laws of 2012 will become effective on July 1, 2013.

  1. Update on Early Learning Initiatives. For full summary click here

The Regents have developed a comprehensive approach to increasing access to high quality early learning opportunities for our neediest children. QUALITYstarsNY supports the Regents Reform Agenda for Early Learning Outcomes identified in Race to the Top. This initiative is intended to strengthen the quality of early childhood programs in high need school districts and provide parents with tools to identify high quality early learning environments. QUALITYstarsNY will help ensure comprehensive improvements in 418 of the State’s early childhood programs, and, as a result of this investment, four-year-old students from 1,588 classrooms will be better prepared for elementary school success. This investment will achieve maximum benefit when lessons learned are applied to other early childhood programs in combination with comprehensive approaches that increase student access to PK and kindergarten programs.

  1. Bilingual Common Core Progressions. For full summary click here.

The Bilingual Common Core Progressions provide a roadmap for teachers to ensure that students who are learning a new language and/or developing their home language meet the Common Core Learning Standards. The Theoretical Foundations document details the research and states explicitly the theory of language development that is the foundation of the Bilingual Common Core Progressions. The sample Progressions, Theoretical Foundations document, and a Teacher’s Guide were posted for public comment on EngageNY.org. Once a complete set of Progressions are created, the Department will conduct another public review and comment period in spring 2013. The Department is seeking to complete the writing of the Progressions by the summer of 2013 to present to the Regents for their consideration.

  1. Engaging Parents in Common Core. For full summary click here

Objectives: Participants will: (1) understand how to organize and run successful parent workshops; (2) interact with tools to help parents to understand college readiness and the Common Core standards; (3) practice talking to parents about the Common Core and college readiness.

Resources included Toolkit for Parent Engagement which includes planning tools and parent handouts

  1. SUNY and CUNY Remediation Report. For full summary click here.

Because 50% of students in NYS 2-year institutions of HE take at least one remedial course, HE recommends:

CUNY:

  • Requiring 4 years of math for all HS students
  • Assess college readiness of HS students before end of 11th grade
  • Provide remediation for HS students not prepared for college in the summer between 11th and 12th grades or during 12th grade
  • Expand collaboration between HS and college faculty, funded by the state
  • Increase community college base aid to expand successful remediation programs

SUNY:

  • Expand use of assessments by the end of 11th grade to ID students that are not on tract for college readiness
  • Strengthen alignment between HS and college expectations, including a 4th year of college preparatory math.
  • Expand Early College High Schools, transitional programs, summer bridge programs and other evidence-based models
  • Create a SUNY Pathways to Success team to develop a more consistent definition of college readiness and innovative strategies for campuses to expand accelerated developmental education program offerings
  • Support funding for ECHS, transitional courses, summer bridge programs and other evidence-based models.
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