New
Policy for Early Childhood Education
Renewing
policy for early childhood education is a Regents priority, and an item of the
Board’s 24-month policy calendar. In March the Regents discussed a framework for
that policy. In July, the Board will discuss a draft policy statement and then
decide whether or not it is ready for distribution statewide for another round
of review before the Regents adopt new policy in December.
In its
most concise form, here is the draft policy statement contained in the Regents
item:
Early childhood education, for all children
ages birth through grade 3, is an integrated system designed to ensure that each
child receives a healthy start and attains the skills and concepts to have a
successful academic experience in developmentally appropriate programs. Components of the system include
standards-based programs that start early, instruction by highly qualified
persons, and an environment that coordinates comprehensive services and provides
information and support to families.
The
details that follow that summary assemble many issues that the Regents have
discussed separately on other occasions: standards and assessment, curriculum,
preparation of teachers, data and its use in guiding instruction, the role of
families and other care givers, interagency partnerships, state aid and the
essential contributions from many USNY institutions.
The
policy draft stands on research, other available data, and extensive statewide
discussions that began last year. Expect controversy. The draft will no doubt
evolve in the further discussions to come, but if the main points survive the
deliberative process, the Board will have charted a bold course. Education will
begin earlier. We will have made a commitment to give all children in New York a
good start – a USNY aim. And we will have created systems that quickly sound the
alarm where that is not the case.
The
draft does not yet include a cost analysis. When it does, we will have to
demonstrate that the significant investments required would be offset in part by
major declines in remedial costs now incurred because today we do not give every
child a good start.
Recommendation:
That the Regents approve the policy draft for discussion with all interested
parties, and after weighing what they hear and making appropriate revisions,
that the Regents adopt new early childhood education policy in
December.
Regents
2006-07 Budget Recommendations
The
Regents annually make budget recommendations to the Executive and the
Legislature. The recommendations include “aid to localities” in budget lines
affecting parts of higher education, cultural education, professions, and other
programs within their scope of responsibility; “state operations,” which allow
the State Education Department to function; capital projects; and state aid to
education.
The
Board develops these recommendations starting in April by reviewing existing
budget initiatives, proposals from Deputy Commissioners, Regents committee
input, and discussing Board priorities and our strategic
plan.
This
year, the Board decided to accelerate the budget process by three months in
recognition of last year’s Court of Appeals decision that stated that the
Executive branch constructs the budget. It is therefore essential that the
Regents recommendation be available to the Executive early in the fall.
State
aid figures are not yet available, but all the other estimates are before the
Board now. The proposed increases for Regents priority budget initiatives total
over $226 million, which represents a 15 percent increase over 2005-2006
appropriations. Additional items
are listed for future needs which add another $223 million, a 9 percent
increase, for a grand total increase of 24 percent. Obviously, we have more work to do to
produce a sustainable proposal.
Recommendation:
That the Regents discuss the whole budget proposal, with the understanding that
additional figures for state aid will be forthcoming at a later meeting, and
again reflect on its consistency with Regents priorities, the strategic plan,
and also financial sustainability.
Discussion
of 2006-07 State Aid to Schools – 24-Month Calendar
Item
Regents
will discuss the conceptual proposal for state aid to schools in July. The Board
is scheduled to vote on the conceptual proposal and the full proposal (with
financial implications included) in September and October
respectively.
The
proposal before the Board this month reflects Regents decisions in two previous
budget cycles. That is, the proposal again includes the foundation aid concept
that would base aid on the cost of successful education programs, with
appropriate adjustments for regional cost differences, intensity of student
need, and also computes – but does not require – a reasonable local share in the
cost of education.
The
major new idea here is to fund special education through a parallel foundation
formula to provide for the costs of programs for children with disabilities.
Students with disabilities would generate aid though both the general education
foundation and also through a separate foundation calculation that would use a
single weighting factor for students with disabilities.
And as
before, the proposal includes systems to further strengthen accountability for
results and effective use of state aid funds.
Recommendation:
That the Regents discuss the draft conceptual proposal, provide any further
policy direction they find necessary, and ask for a final conceptual proposal
for approval by the Board in September.
Standards
for Museums and Historical Societies
Regents
standards for chartering museums and historical societies are substantially
unchanged since 1971. Now the Board
is near the end of a two-year deliberation on what standards would be consistent
with current best practice. A vote to adopt new standards is scheduled for
September.
The
draft standards reflect not only current thinking, but also discussions with
interested parties in nine hearings over the last two years. The standards would
require museums and historical societies to have mission statements, audit
committees, and certain additional protections for their
collections.
In our
discussions about the State Education Department of the future during the June
Regents meeting, we noted that we intend to be a standard setter in every field
we enter. Here is an example.
Portfolio
Assessment
The Regents will consider for approval a
proposal that specifies the requirements students enrolled in portfolio schools
must meet as the 65 graduation standard is phased in. The proposal applies only
to the 39 schools previously permitted to use portfolio assessment. The proposal
defines year-by-year exam requirements for each entering class of 9th
graders. Students entering
9th grade in 2009 will be expected to pass five Regents exams or
approved alternatives at 65 or above in order to graduate. The proposal allows
the schools sufficient time to enable students to meet the graduation standards,
and develop their assessment programs to meet generally accepted assessment
standards if they wish, while bringing these schools into a consistent policy
framework with all other public schools by a date certain.
Recommendation: That the Regents adopt the
proposal and direct the Department to prepare regulations for approval in
September.
Chapter
655 Report
Chapter
655 of New York State Education Law requires the Regents and the State Education
Department to report annually to the Governor and Legislature on student
enrollment, achievement, and other data concerning graduation, attendance,
teacher preparation and related matters. The draft report is before the Regents
for approval. It describes recent improvements in student achievement but makes
plain the serious gaps in performance.
Recommendation:
That the Regents approve the Chapter 655 Report and direct the State Education
Department to provide the report to the Governor and
Legislature.
