P-16 Education: A Plan for Action

 

University of the State of New York

New York State Board of Regents

State Education Department

November 2006

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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

Regents of The University

Robert M. Bennett, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. ...............    Tonawanda

Adelaide L. Sanford, Vice Chancellor, B.A., M.A., P.D. ...............    Hollis

Saul B. Cohen, B.A., M.A., Ph.D...............    New Rochelle

James C. Dawson, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. ...............    Peru

Anthony S. Bottar, B.A., J.D. ...............    North Syracuse

Merryl H. Tisch, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. ...............    New York

Geraldine D. Chapey, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. ...............    Belle Harbor

Arnold B. Gardner, B.A., LL.B...............    Buffalo

Harry Phillips, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S. ...............    Hartsdale

Joseph E. Bowman, Jr., B.A., M.L.S., M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D...............    Albany

Lorraine A. CortÉs-VÁzquez, B.A., M.P.A...............    Bronx

James R. Tallon, Jr., B.A., M.A.  ...............    Binghamton

Milton L. Cofield,  B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. ...............    Rochester

John Brademas, B.A., Ph.D. ...............    New York

Roger B. Tilles, B.A., J.D...............    Great Neck

Karen Brooks Hopkins, B.A., M.F.A...............    Brooklyn

President of The University and Commissioner of Education

Richard P. Mills

What We Envision

            The Board of Regents envisions a New York in which all people are prepared for citizenship, work and continued learning throughout their lives.  They foresee a New York in which gaps in achievement have closed, and the overall level of knowledge and skill among the people matches or exceeds the best in the world.  In spite of progress over the last decade, we are far from achieving that vision.  And the Board understands that the vision must be dynamic because policy leaders, educators, and other people around the globe are moving as fast as they can to achieve their own version of the same vision. The Board further defined their vision at the Education Summit in November 2005, which validated these aims:

           We also documented the educational challenges facing New York at the Summit and confirmed our goals to confront them:

The Aims of the University of the State of New York (USNY)  Every child will get a good start.  Every child will read by the second grade. Everyone will complete middle level education ready for high school. Everyone will graduate from high school ready for work, higher education, and citizenship. People who begin higher education will complete their programs. People of all ages who seek more knowledge and skill will have the fullest opportunity to continue their education.

q     Close the great divide in achievement along lines of income, race and ethnicity, language, and disability.

q     Keep up with growing demands for still more knowledge and skill in the face of increasing competition in a changing global economy.

            Accomplishing these two related goals requires unprecedented collaboration among parents, employers, elected leaders and educators. Education is a system in which all the parts affect and depend on the others.  Solutions to its problems must be systemic solutions.  For example, giving all children a good start requires prenatal and child health care, family literacy through libraries and other institutions, pre-school programs and full-day kindergarten. And interventions have to start early and support a student’s learning throughout. Students who do not get a good start are unlikely to read by the second grade; students who do not become proficient readers won’t graduate from high school; and students who enter college with weak mathematics and literacy skills won’t graduate unless we do something to bolster their academic achievement.

The strategies and actions outlined here draw upon the strengths of the entire University of the State of New York. Together these strategies and actions form a coherent whole. They will sustain students from their earliest years – with a focus on transitions, from pre-kindergarten and elementary school, to middle school, then to high school and college – by improving critical systems and structures that support achievement. In the next few pages we describe the principles that will guide our work. Chief among them is a commitment to engage everyone by listening to the people the education system serves. We will engage partners statewide in business, health and mental health, local and state government, community organizations, education, and most of all parents and students. This is a commitment to communication that is rich, continuous, and honest.

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The Actions: Overview

For a decade, student achievement has improved in response to Regents policy and local action.  But the improvement is not sufficient. The achievement gap has narrowed but not closed. The world has also changed as billions of people have entered the global economy and ignited a global education boom.  Every society that can afford to do so is moving urgently to improve knowledge and skill and close their own version of the achievement gap.  The Regents will engage with statewide and local partners on the actions below, adopt or recommend policy as appropriate, and, with the State Education Department and all of USNY, seek improved results systemwide:

The Actions

1.       Promote a sustainable early education program for all students. Resolve issues of standards, funding, and service delivery for young children.

Problem:  Early language and literacy development begins in the first three years of life and is closely linked to a child’s earliest experiences with books and stories. Children lacking pre-literacy opportunities too often don’t become proficient readers. When they enter school, many children participate in a fragmented early childhood system. Although 80% of four-year-olds are in placements outside of the home, only one-third are served in State-funded pre-kindergarten programs. And many adults are not literate. Adults with low literacy have difficulty ensuring that their children can read, thus perpetuating the achievement gap.

Actions:

■       Carry out the Regents early education policy. Key actions include:

o       Increase the number of children participating in Pre-K programs by 100,000, representing 75% of the estimated number of unserved children.

o       Advocate for change in the compulsory school law.

o       Define and advocate for changes in the scope and funding of early childhood programs, including decisions on a supplemental foundation formula, universal coverage for pre-K, and a mixed private and public system for pre-K.

o       Make scientifically-based reading strategies available to all schools and teachers.

o       Require improved annual screening of pre-academic, health and mental health needs of young students.

Timeframe:	Fall 2007
Staff Lead:	Cindy Gallagher — Team Leader, Early Childhood and Reading Initiatives
Resources:	§        Total funding needed to be determined in Regents state aid proposal for 2007-08. §        $500,000 and 4.0 FTEs for the 2008-09 budget request. §        $2 million annually for the 2008-09 budget request to make scientifically-based reading strategies available to all schools and teachers.

■       Through the USNY Cabinet on Early Education, collaborate with other children and family-oriented State agencies and community organizations to identify and help families through large-scale parent training and related services. Set targets for results.

Timeframe:	By September 2007
Staff Lead:	Cindy Gallagher — Team Leader, Early Childhood and Reading Initiatives Liz Hood — Director, Educational Television/Public Broadcasting
Resources:	To be determined based on discussions with lead agencies.

■       Increase literacy of children and parents by expanding proven programs in libraries, museums, public broadcasting. Set targets and advocate for resources.

o       Increase proven training programs for librarians and parents on how to teach reading.[1] Use the resources of public television to help families develop literacy skills in their children, beginning at birth. All public libraries and PBS stations will offer robust programs of early literacy services.

Timeframe:	By September 2009
Staff Lead:	Carol Desch — Director, Library Development Liz Hood — Director, Educational Television/Public Broadcasting
Resources:	§        Total of $10 million annually: $7.5 million for libraries; $2.5 million for public broadcasting and 2 FTEs for the 2008-09 budget request...

o       Increase participation in libraries’ statewide summer reading program from 1 million to 1.5 million children.

Timeframe:	Summer 2010
Staff Lead:	Carol Desch — Director, Library Development
Resources:	$250,000 in existing Federal LSTA and reading program funding. Request $1 million annually in State local assistance funding and 1 FTE for the 2008-09 budget request.

o       Require museums receiving State aid to provide public and educational programs at no cost to families in poverty.

Timeframe:	Legislative session 2007
Staff Lead:	Clifford Siegfried — Director, State Museum
Resources:	Passage of Museum Education Act ($30.0 million) included in the 2007-08 budget request annually and 10 FTEs for the 2008-09 budget request.

2.       Improve academic outcomes for children with disabilities by setting performance targets, promoting effective practices, and holding schools accountable for dramatic improvements.

Problem:  Most students with disabilities do not leave school ready for either postsecondary education or employment. Only 37% statewide graduate with a regular diploma after four years; almost 19% drop out.  The lack of adequate intervention to increase student literacy and provide positive behavioral support is a primary cause of poor performance.

Actions: 

■       Set annual State targets for improvement, publish performance data and hold low-performing school districts accountable, including redirecting federal IDEA funds in low-performing schools to improve performance.

Timeframe:	Annually — completed for 2006
Staff Lead:	Rebecca Cort, Deputy Commissioner for VESID
Resources:	§        $375,000 IDEA funds (data collection grants available now) §        12.5 FTEs from current staff.

■       Identify instructional practices contributing to poor student performance and help school districts identify and make improvements. Describe and promote effective practices, especially those addressing improved literacy and positive behavioral interventions, through district-to-district assistance.

Timeframe:	2006-2011
Staff Lead:	James DeLorenzo — Statewide Coordinator, Special Education Patricia Geary — Coordinator, Special Education Policy and Professional Development
Resources:	§        $3.1 million IDEA funds available for VESID assistance to schools §        $1.7 million annually for district-to-district assistance (5-year federal IDEA grant award available 1/07) §        35.5 FTEs from current staffing.

■       Direct VESID’s technical assistance resources to school improvements in literacy, behavioral supports and quality delivery of special education services. Improve achievement and reduce disproportionate representation of students of color by preventing inappropriate referrals to special education and by increasing declassification rates. Expand availability and capacity of technical assistance centers to promote training and implementation for Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) in the Big 4 and within BOCES.

Timeframe:	2006-07; PBIS expansion timeline dependent on additional new funding
Staff Lead:	James DeLorenzo — Statewide Coordinator, Special Education
Resources:	§        $13.0 million IDEA funds (SETRC) and $1.5 million (RSSC). §        $1.7 million funds annually for Big 4 districts in new PBIS funding. §        $100,000 annually for BOCES consultant training in new funding. §        Additional PBIS school services provided by BOCES would be supported by local funds (COSERS).

■       Increase the number of students with disabilities transitioning directly from high schools to vocational rehabilitation training programs, employment and/or college.

Timeframe:	Start in 2006-2007
Staff Lead:	Edward Placke, Assistant Commissioner Debora Brown-Johnson, Director, District Office Administration
Resources:	Current Available Federal Funding for: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors providing transition services two years before exiting high school – 36 FTE’s for an additional 2000 students with disabilities Model Transition Programs with NYC DOE and school districts  - $6 million for 400 additional students with disabilities Increased college tuition assistance – $4.25 million for an additional 150 students with disabilities Increased support for books and materials for college and vocational training programs – $1.2 million for an additional 500 students with disabilities Increased support for college interpreters and note takers – $1.2 million for an additional 100 students with disabilities Summer employment - $750,000 for an additional 250 students with disabilities $15 million (included in 2007-08 budget request) to provide greater support for students with disabilities in higher education

3.       Improve academic outcomes for English Language Learners by setting performance targets, promoting effective practices, and holding schools accountable for dramatic improvements.

Problem:  While there has been significant improvement in the performance of English Language Learners since 1999, a large gap remains and results are unacceptably low. 75% of Hispanic students scored at Levels 3 and 4 on the 2005 elementary level mathematics test and 35% of Hispanic students scored at Levels 3 and 4 at the middle level. English language learners are more likely to need an additional year of schooling to meet high school graduation requirements. Even after five years, fewer than half of English language learners have graduated. Literacy is an issue for adults as well. Approximately 28% of New Yorkers speak a language other than English at home. Of these residents, 36% speak English less than “very well.”

Actions: 

■       Set performance targets. Provide technical assistance to low performing schools through Department staff and existing regional networks. Publish results, and hold schools accountable for making Adequate Yearly Progress. Require those that do not meet targets to plan for improvement.  If progress is not sufficient, require schools to modify curriculum, redirect or eliminate funds, and replace educational personnel. 

Timeframe:	School year 2006-07
Staff Lead:	Pedro Ruiz — Coordinator, Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies Martha Musser — Team Leader, Information and Reporting Services
Resources:	§        $2 million in existing resources for publishing data. §        28.25 FTEs in existing staff

■       Create a community of practice, evaluate the programs and instruction that ELLs (including children from English-speaking Caribbean countries and others) are receiving, share best practices, and require professional development on effective ELL practice as part of corrective action for low-performing schools. Seek advice from the Committee of Practitioners.

Timeframe:	School year 2006-2011
Staff Lead:	Pedro Ruiz — Coordinator, Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies
Resources:	Existing resources for:  §        Bilingual/ESL Education Teacher Leadership Academy (Est. $654,000/year) §        Intensive Teacher Institutes to help teachers with certification requirements (Est. $1 million/year) §        Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute (Est. $200,00) §        LEP/ELL Performing Arts Project (Est. $350,00) §        Two-way Bilingual Education Program (Est. $2,000,000) §        Leadership Academy for Administrators (Est. $266,000) §        Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Centers (BETACs) will receive $6.73 million for the 2006-07 school year and provide professional development on best practices, including standards-based literacy and content area instruction, and assessments.

■       Expand public library services to 500,000 additional English Language Learners in the State’s 1,100 public library buildings, including library materials in multiple languages, English language classes, programs to help parents with children’s early literacy and homework, job information, and public access computers. Build on successful models in Queens, Hempstead, Glens Falls, and Westchester County. 

Timeframe:	2010
Staff Lead:	Carol Desch — Director, Library Development
Resources:	Request in 2008-09 an additional $2 million in State funding and 3 FTEs.

4.       Improve high school attendance and graduation rates by setting performance targets, promoting promising practices that remove barriers to graduation, and holding schools accountable for dramatic improvements.

Problem:  Since higher standards were adopted in 1996, the number of high school graduates each year has increased. However, only 64% of students who entered 9^th grade in 2001 graduated in four years; 18% were still enrolled and 11% had dropped out. Rates for Black and Hispanic students were below 45%. Data show that graduation rates are closely tied to attendance rates. As attendance declines below 95%, graduation rates decline significantly. And both attendance and graduation rates decline with poverty.  New York’s current graduation rate standard is only 55%, one of the lowest in the nation. Schools need to focus on the least served students, such as Black males, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.

Actions:    

■       Set a State graduation rate standard, publish four- and five-year graduation rates by school, and specify a schedule of improvement targets for schools to close the gap between their graduation rate and State standard. Set targets now for the students who entered 9^th grade in 2004 and will graduate in 2008. This action is especially important to ensure that more schools intervene to help the most underserved students, such as Black males, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.

Timeframe:	2007-08 (Depends on Regents action)
Staff Lead:	Martha Musser — Team Leader, Information and Reporting Services Ira Schwartz — Coordinator, Accountability, Policy and Administration
Resources:	Use existing resources.

■       Research and benchmark other states for effective, innovative strategies that improve high school graduation and attendance rates. Include strategies that begin in middle school and focus on the transition from middle to high school. Emphasize a meaningful curriculum that includes the arts, music, physical education and career and technical programs. Provide effective strategies to schools to enable them to achieve the State targets through regional networks.

Timeframe:	2007
Staff Lead:	James Viola — Executive Director, Regional School Improvement and Community Services Sandra Norfleet — Team Leader, New York City School Improvement
Resources:	The federally funded New York Comprehensive Center will research and provide targeted services to schools and school districts through the Department in addition to our regional networks. 1 FTE for the 2008-09 budget request.

■       Align the Regents and Big Five districts’ strategies for improving high school graduation.

Timeframe:	2006-07
Staff Lead:	James Viola — Executive Director, Regional School Improvement and Community Services Sandra Norfleet — Team Leader, New York City School Improvement
Resources:	Use existing resources of $4.7 million Regional and NYC School Improvement and 40 FTEs.

■       Benchmark the knowledge and strategies that link high school and college experiences in highly effective programs such as the Liberty Partnerships Program and the Science and Technology Entry Program, advocate for additional resources to reach more students, and promote good practices statewide to improve high school and college graduation rates among low income students.

Timeframe:	Timeframe will depend on resources available for students and staff capacity.
Staff Lead:	Stanley Hansen — Executive Coordinator, K-16 Initiatives and Access Programs
Resources:	§        Resources available now to benchmark and identify good practices. §        Additional $7.0 million to provide technical assistance to schools that replicate these models and 1 FTE for the 2008-09 budget request.

■       Systematize linkages between the professions community and school districts to encourage middle and high school students to consider careers in the licensed professions, particularly in high-need areas, and help them to prepare for the advanced education they will need to qualify for licensure.

Timeframe:	Potential linkages and strategies for reaching out to elementary, middle and high school students now under development; collaborative initiatives between the professions community and schools beginning in early 2007 and ongoing
Staff Lead:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier — Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education and the Professions Frank Munoz – Executive Director for Professional Responsibility
Resources:	Use existing resources to launch collaborative initiatives $2.0 million (included in 2007-08 budget request) to create a grant-based program for colleges and universities to establish professional opportunity programs to prepare high school and college students to enter professional education programs

5.       Report student persistence and college completion results, and increase investment in programs that have been shown to remove barriers to graduation.

Problem:  While better than the national average, New York’s college persistence and graduation rates must improve. One in five students who begin baccalaureate degree programs do not persist to the sophomore year in the institution in which they enrolled. One-third of students do not graduate in six years. Fewer than one-third of students in associate degree programs complete a degree in three years. The gap in college completion rates for under-represented students is significant. Only 43% of Black and Hispanic students complete their baccalaureate degrees in six years compared to 65 % of White students. This is unacceptable and must improve.

Actions: 

■       Publish freshman to sophomore student persistence and graduation rates of associate and baccalaureate programs in New York State. Analyze by sector, proportion of under-represented students, and other key criteria. Draw comparisons to national averages and to states with similar demographics.

Timeframe:	Annually, after requested staff is in place
Staff Lead:	Joseph Frey — Assistant Commissioner for Quality Assurance
Resources:	.5 FTE in existing resources 1 additional FTE included in 2007-08 budget request for required data analysis. 1 additional FTE for the 2008-09 budget request to publish data.

■       Research and benchmark practices that improve persistence and graduation rates. Share them with colleges and universities through field visits, best practices guidelines, forums, and web-based resources, and help them to replicate successful strategies.

Timeframe:	By July 2007
Staff Lead:	Joseph Frey — Assistant Commissioner for Quality Assurance Stanley Hansen — Executive Coordinator, K-16 Initiatives and Access Programs
Resources:	1 additional FTE included in 2007-08 budget request for research and sharing of best practices; 2 additional FTEs included in 2007-08 budget request needed for field intervention. $4.0 million (included in 2007-08 budget request) to create an incentive program to provide grants to colleges and universities to help improve their retention and graduation rates

■       Seek additional State and federal investment to expand the highly effective opportunity programs and financial aid for needy students.

Timeframe:	2008-09
Staff Lead:	Stanley Hansen — Executive Coordinator, K-16 Initiatives and Access Programs
Resources:	§        Additional $5.5 million and 1 FTE (included in 2007-08 budget request) to expand the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) §        $34.0 million (in 2008-09 budget request) to serve approximately 20,000 additional students in opportunity programs. §        2 additional FTEs for the 2008-09 budget request to serve additional students and administer expanded programs. §        Advocacy for federal funds per the approved Regents federal legislative program.

■       Monitor high-risk institutions and take action when standards are not met.

Timeframe:	Implementation is underway, but will be limited until requested resources are in place
Staff Lead:	Joseph Frey — Assistant Commissioner for Quality Assurance
Resources:	§        3 FTEs in existing resources. §        An additional $30,000 annually to support academic teams in the field and 3 additional FTEs included in 2007-08 budget request.

■       Require colleges and universities to provide prospective students with accurate information on the institution, job placement where appropriate, student financial assistance, and transfer opportunities before they enroll.

Timeframe:	Spring 2007
Staff Lead:	Joseph Frey — Assistant Commissioner for Quality Assurance
Resources:	Resources available now.

6.       Raise the learning standards to exceed global standards so all students graduate ready for citizenship, work, and continued education.   Align standards, assessments, curriculum and instruction across P-16, emphasizing transitions between high school and college, and high school and the workforce.

Problem:  New York’s learning standards were adopted in 1996.  With the exception of mathematics, they have not been renewed in 10 years.   Other states and nations have renewed their standards and continue to do so.  It’s time to raise the standards to ensure that New York students have the best education available anywhere.

Actions: 

■       Adopt a schedule and process to raise the student learning standards, using expert panels. The schedule will address standards in science, U.S. and global history and geography, English and other languages, career development and occupational studies, and pre-kindergarten.  Benchmark the standards of other states and nations to match the demands of citizenship, higher education, and work. Align standards, assessment, curriculum, and instruction from P-12 and between high school and college. 

Timeframe:	July 2007 — July 2013 Followed by 3-5 years for implementation of revisions to State assessments
Staff Lead:	Howard Goldsmith — Executive Coordinator, Curriculum and Instructional Support David Abrams — Assistant Commissioner, Standards, Assessment and Reporting Joseph Frey — Assistant Commissioner for Quality Assurance.
Resources:	§        $14 million and 19 FTEs included in the 2007-08 budget request. §        $400,000 and 3 FTEs for the 2008-09 budget request. §        $1.35 million in new resources for the renewal of standards in each of 9 standards subject areas, one or two at a time, with an average of $150,000 per area.

■       Revise State assessments based on the higher standards.

Timeframe:	July 2007 — July 2013
Staff Lead:	Howard Goldsmith — Executive Coordinator, Curriculum and Instructional Support David Abrams — Assistant Commissioner, Standards, Assessment and Reporting
Resources:	§        $500,000 for the development of each revised Regents exam (may need to revise as many as 16 exams), with normal operational costs thereafter.  If extensive revisions are needed to 16 exams, it could cost $8 million in new resources.

■       Make online professional development courses available to all teachers, (such as the PBS TeacherLine NY and NYS Virtual Learning System). Create standards-aligned content with teacher guides, extensive online library resources, and interactive flexibility to fit classroom needs.

Timeframe:	Start in 2007
Staff Lead:	Chris Ward —  Assistant Commissioner, State Archives and Record Administration Liz Hood — Director, Educational Television/Public Broadcasting
Resources:	$2.5 million federal and 3 FTEs in existing resources. $5.0 million for the 2008-09 budget request for online content annually for the State Museum , Library, and Archives and PBS stations, and $10 million for online library materials (NOVEL) included in the 2007-08 budget request. $250,000 to enhance VLS (also cited in Action 1.) Additional 6 FTEs in cultural education and 5 FTEs in technology services for the 2008-09 budget request.

7.       Strengthen instruction. Define, reduce, and then eliminate the inequitable distribution of teaching talent. Require all teachers of core academic subjects to be highly qualified in the subject they are teaching by July 2007. Improve teacher retention. Focus professional development on effective practices in areas in which academic needs are greatest. Accelerate the integration of technology into teaching and learning practices in P-16 institutions.

Problem:  One of the most important factors influencing the academic success of students is the effectiveness of instruction. Student performance increases as teachers gain more experience over their first four years.[2] Yet low income and minority students are more likely to be taught by teachers with less than three years of experience.  In New York State, only 7% of classes in core academic subjects in low-poverty elementary schools are taught by teachers who are not highly qualified, but in high-poverty schools over 18% of classes are taught by teachers who are not highly qualified.  Teacher turnover compounds the problem. Nearly a third of New York’s new teachers leave within their first five years of teaching.[3]  Finally, some students are not learning to read well.  Research shows that good teacher professional development can improve student achievement when it focuses on teachers’ knowledge of the subject matter and how students learn.[4]

Actions: 

■       Ensure all students are taught by qualified, certified teachers. 

o       Require all teachers in core academic subjects to be certified in the subject they are teaching by July 2007. 

o       Report the percentage of low income and minority students, as compared to other students, who are assigned unqualified, out-of-field, and inexperienced teachers in core courses.[5]

o       Set escalating targets to reduce the percentage of teachers without experience authorized to teach in SURR schools and Schools in Need of Improvement (SINI).

Timeframe:	Begun in 2006
Staff Lead:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier — Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education and the Professions Jean Stevens – Interim Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education
Resources:	§        Resources available now to initiate. §        Additional $1.5 million and 1 FTE to upgrade TEACH system for the 2008-09 budget request.

■       Expand the pool of qualified teachers in areas where they are needed most, based on school district need and provide existing teachers with the supports they need to remain in the profession. Identify specific needs and set targets.

o       Revise the teacher certification structure to provide greater flexibility (e.g., reciprocity options for out-of-state teachers) without compromising quality.

o       Provide regional teacher supply and demand data to school districts and colleges to align workforce demands, the types of teacher education programs colleges decide to offer or expand, and the subjects in which prospective teachers seek certification.

o       Expand the Teachers of Tomorrow Program and the Teacher Opportunity Corps to provide incentives to an additional 7,500 qualified teachers to teach in school districts with shortages, to provide an additional 1,200 teachers with training, professional development, and/or mentoring, and to increase support for teaching assistants and paraprofessionals to become teachers.

o       Foster new alternate teacher education programs where they are most needed and support the development and expansion of innovative programs that link P-12, higher education, business, community organizations, and other USNY partners. Encourage colleges to create programs for teaching assistants and paraprofessionals who want to become teachers.

o       Working with school districts and their leaders, identify and improve environmental conditions that affect teacher retention.

o       Advocate for legislation to provide loan forgiveness for teachers who teach in high need schools.

Timeframe:	2006-7 and ongoing
Staff Lead:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier — Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education and the Professions Jean Stevens – Interim Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education
Resources:	§        Resources available now to publish teacher supply and demand data and revise the teacher certification structure. §        Grant proposal under development for Planting the Seed, a multimedia initiative to encourage middle and high school students to pursue careers in teaching and the licensed professions. §        $564,000 annually for an additional team of 8 evaluators and clerical staff in Office of Teacher Certification will handle added volume from these actions and ensure qualified teachers are certified promptly (Ability to hire additional staff will depend on the Office of Teaching generating sufficient revenue.) §        1 FTE (included in the 2007-08 budget request) to facilitate new alternative teacher education programs §        Teachers for Tomorrow (TOT): o       Additional $26 million (included in the 2007-08 budget request) to provide funding to school districts with programs where veteran teachers provide support to novice teachers to help improve teacher retention o        2 FTEs and $25.0 million annually (included in the 2008-09 budget request) to expand TOT and provide incentives to 7,500 additional teachers and prospective teachers (additional staff would depend on increase in program funding) §        Teacher Opportunity Corps: 1 FTE and $2.0 million annually to serve 1,200 additional participants (additional staff would depend on increase in program funding) for the 2008-09 budget request. o       Additional $1.8 million (included in 2007-08 budget request) to help teachers and prospective teachers address the learning needs of at-risk students and to encourage historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals to enter the teaching profession o       1 FTE and $2.0 million (included in the 2007-08 budget request) annually to serve 1,200 additional participants (additional staff would depend on increase in program funding)

■       Strengthen the knowledge and skills of teachers and prospective teachers by assessing teacher education programs and professional development and improving as needed.

o       Review requirements for teacher preparation based on areas of greatest academic need. Work with colleges and universities to establish a schedule for strengthening the content of teacher education programs so that all new teachers have necessary knowledge and skills in four priority areas – literacy, mathematics, teaching students with disabilities, and teaching English Language Learners.  Evaluate and incorporate recognized effective practices in teacher education programs as needed.  

o       Partner with the New York Comprehensive Center to ensure faculty in college teacher education programs prepare all prospective teachers to use scientifically based reading instruction in the classroom.

o       Evaluate the quality of professional development and ensure current teachers get adequate knowledge and skills in how to teach reading and other key areas. Align the 175-hour professional development requirement with effective instructional practices related to improving student achievement. Monitor school districts’ implementation.

o       Using recommendations from the USNY Technology Policy and Practices Council, strengthen the use of technology in teacher education programs and professional development and encourage its use in the classroom. Ensure that technology resources be provided equitably among all students and educators.

Timeframe:	2006-07 and ongoing Partnership with the New York Comprehensive Center is now underway; collaborative workshop at the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality scheduled for November 2006; online resources expected to be available in early 2007
Staff Lead:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier — Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education and the Professions Jean Stevens — Interim Deputy Commissioner, Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education

Resources:

§        Additional 3 FTEs included in 2007-08 budget request and dedicated to literacy, math, students with disabilities; ELL) to work with colleges to strengthen the content of their teacher education programs in these four priority areas.   §        Funding to the New York Comprehensive Center already provided by the U.S. Department of Education to support states in carrying out NCLB and strengthening teacher quality. §        Additional 3 FTEs for the 2008-09 budget request to monitor, review professional development plans of school districts. §        $500,000 and 3 FTEs included in the 2007-08 budget request to focus on academic and instructional technology

8.       Advocate for a Foundation Formula to provide State Aid that is adequate, sustainable, fair, and commensurate with the cost of educational programs that enable students to meet the standards.

Problem:  New York’s state aid system fosters an unfair pattern of needy students, limited resources, and poor performance in many districts, contrasted with wealthy students, extensive resources, and good performance in other districts.  Despite increases in aid to many high need schools, the relative share of education revenues they have received has increased by only one to three percentage points over the past nine years.

Actions: 

■       Advocate with the Executive and Legislature for a foundation formula that is adequate, sustainable, fair and commensurate with the cost of educational programs that enable students to meet the standards. The Regents have estimated that the total additional amount in foundation aid needed will be about $6 billion.

■       Enlist the help of major statewide organizations and the Education Finance Advisory Group to advocate, preparing articles for publications distributed by major statewide organizations, and preparing materials for distribution at meetings and for posting on the web.

For both actions above:

Timeframe:	Legislative session 2007
Staff Lead:	Charles Szuberla — Coordinator, School Operations and Management Services Burt Porter — Director, Education Finance
Resources:	Approximately $6 billion increase in foundation aid over 4 years.

9.      Strengthen the capacity of the State Education Department to support schools as they work to improve student achievement and the Department’s capacity to hold them accountable for doing so.[6]

Problem:  New York’s schools receive $40 billion each year in local, state, and federal funding. Resolution of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit may add still more to the $17 billion currently spent on State Aid to Schools. We must ensure that the educational system is accountable for spending these funds wisely to improve student achievement. The Department can accomplish this by a two-fold approach.  First, through supporting schools to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to them by providing expert advice and creating resources for local district use.  Second, through building a robust, independent auditing and oversight capacity at the State level. And, in those instances where problems are uncovered, the Department will work with schools to find appropriate resolutions.

Actions: 

■       Advocate for the Regents 2007-08 budget proposal for additional staff to enhance our ability to help schools strengthen instruction and fiscal management, monitor and hold schools accountable for results, and prevent fraud, waste and abuse of school resources.  With these resources, the Department will:

o       Benchmark effective actions to improve results in middle and high school.

o       Develop an early warning system for local school districts to better understand their financial status and prevent fiscal distress.

o       Streamline local districts’ requirements for requesting and accounting for State Aid.

o       Provide expert support to implement internal controls in fiscally distressed school districts.

o       Deploy academic intervention teams to help low performing schools and school districts.

o       Expand the Department’s program monitoring to ensure that districts are in compliance with State and federal requirements for school improvement.

o       Increase the Department’s audit staff to ensure that fiscal resources are used effectively and that data are accurate and reliable.

Timeframe:	April 2007 — March 2010
Staff Lead:	Theresa Savo — Deputy Commissioner, Operations and Management Services Diana Hinchcliff — Director, Governmental Relations Charles Szuberla — Coordinator, School Operations and Management Services
Resources:	First-year implementation costs:	Total:	$25.0 million
	§        Fiscal distress early warning system		$0.3 million
	§        State Aid Management System		$5.0 million
	§        Support to implement internal controls in fiscally distressed districts		$1.0 million
	§        Academic intervention teams		$13.0 million
	§        Program monitoring (school improvement/special education assistance)		$3.1 million
	§        Auditing (fiscal/data integrity)		$2.6 million
	65 FTEs in new staff
	Total of $76.8 million over 3 years (included in the 2007-08 budget request). Additional $1.5 million and 2 FTEs to develop fiscal distress warning system and 2 FTEs to st