December 2003 Vol. XVII, No. 10      

 ALLIANCE
FOR QUALITY
EDUCATION
AND CAMPAIGN
FOR FISCAL
EQUITY HOLD
STATEWIDE
SUMMIT

Bob Biggerstaff, SCSD council, attended the November 19^th statewide summit held at the Polish American Community Center in Albany hosted by the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE).

Regina Eaton, Executive Director of AQE spoke about Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) new funding system criteria at variance from FFA as follows:

1.      Must increase state share

2.      Based on costing out study that is NOT linked directly to SBE or Regents studies.

Michael Rebell, Executive Director of CFE spoke about the history of CFE. He reported this was a ten-year effort. He reviewed state litigation referencing 44 states with similar litigation and noted that most of those have been successful. States with costing out studies were most “grounded”. New York City has received 38.86% of state aid over the last 5 years. There is no “rhyme or reason” for this. It is not related to educational need, only to political considerations. Now the Courts have spoken in New York and the methods of distributions of state education aid must be reformed.

Included in the summit packet are the AQE-CFE proposed criteria for a new school funding system. Major points made are:

1.      Adequate funding for every school in the state

2.      Accountability

3.      Sustained, stable, and predictable funding

4.      Simple and transparent system

5.      Increased state share of education spending

These materials are available at the SCSD offices. Please call (518) 462-5300) or email us (rbiggerstaff@degraff-foy.com) if you are interested in seeing them.

BOARD OF
REGENTS
MEETS IN
ALBANY
TO DISCUSS:

• 55/65 PASSING RATE

The Board of Regents held an executive meeting October 9^th and two public sessions on October 8^th and 9^th at the State Education Building in Albany. Among the issues discussed were policy questions relating to the efforts to raise student achievement.

The Regents discussed the question of where to set the passing rate, at either 55 or 65. Those students entering 9^th grade in 2001 have been required to earn a 65 to pass the five Regents Exams required for a high school diploma. Studies have shown that those schools in urban high need districts have generally 11 to 22 percent of students earning between 55 and 64 on these exams for the Class of 2002.

The Board is looking for a long-term solution. Suggestions included allowing a student to average 65 or above on all five Regents exams and/or allowing one exam with a score between 55 and 64. The board wants to see the number of students scoring between 55 and 64 by location. Expected benchmarks should be established for the coming two years.

The Board motioned that in order to give students more time to improve achievement scores, the 55 passing score will remain a local option for all students now in high school and for those entering 9^th grade in the Fall of 2004.

During this time, there will be a “renewed, rigorous and relentless statewide effort” to bring student achievement to the 65 level using research that shows what works to do this. The Board wishes to concentrate on reading and mathematics, particularly in the high need schools while using available federal funds to improve student achievement.

This motion was unanimously approved.

• PHYSICS
  WORK GROUP FINDINGS

The Regents workgroup found no evidence of dissatisfaction in the field with the content standards in physics. However, there was a feeling of disconnection between curriculum and the Regents exam.

It was moved that students should feel appropriately prepared to achieve competency as defined by the board, standard setting are to be uniformly applied to all Regents exams especially as relates to the setting of cut scores and the appointment of a panel of qualified NYS physics teachers will be charged with establishing new performance levels for Regents physics resulting in a new conversion chart to be used on the new performance levels determined by this panel.

This motion was unanimously approved.

• MATH A REPORT

Commissioner Mills was charged with providing the Board with a proposal in November that will address scoring for the Physics exams to be administered in 2002 and 2003.

 An Independent Panel reported to the Board its findings regarding the Math A Exam. The Panel concluded there is a lack of clarity and specificity in the Math A standards. The necessary support systems for students and teachers are not in place and there are technical problems in the development of the exam.

The Board moved to accept the Independent Panel’s final report and to forward the report to the Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education-Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities Committee for further action.

This motion was unanimously approved.

DATES TO
REMEMBER

December 5, 2003 (10:30am, Education Building)
Meeting with Commissioner Mills and Board of Directors
Albany

December 5, 2003 (12:30pm, Offices of Degraff-Foy)
Board of Directors meeting
Albany

January 11, 2004 (1:00pm, Desmond Hotel)
Board of Directors meeting in conjunction with NYSCOSS conference
Albany 

March 23, 2004 (8:00am, Fort Orange Club)
Legislative Breakfast and Seminar
Albany