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No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)

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NCLB NYS
Field Memo
#01-2004

Coverletter

Introduction and Federal Planning Requirements

State Context

State Strategies

Strategy 1. Policy Guidance and Technical Assistance

Strategy 2. Teacher Education

Strategy 3. Teacher Certification

Strategy 4. Teaching Practice

Strategy 5. Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Strategy 6. Accountability and Public Reporting

Appendix A - Federal Requirements

Appendix B - Information Links

Print Field Memo #01-2004 as a PDF or WORD 

State Context

The New York State Board of Regents (Regents) is the public governing board responsible for all levels of education and teacher certification.   After adopting new State Learning Standards in 1996 to raise the achievement of all students, in 1998 the Regents approved a strategic plan called New York's Commitment:   Teaching to Higher Standards .   This plan culminated a two-year effort by the Regents Task Force on Teaching that involved extensive consultation with a wide range of constituents, elected officials and national experts.   It was a blueprint for ensuring that New York State has “caring and competent teachers who guide their students to mastery of the knowledge and skills needed for productive and fulfilling lives.”   Calling for far-reaching reforms that would “change forever what occurs in our schools and teacher-preparing colleges and universities,” the plan asserts that “…nothing less will do if our children and grandchildren are to meet the high standards we have set for them.”    

Since the Regents plan was adopted, New York State has reformed teacher education, raised teacher certification standards, strengthened teaching practice and accountability and recruited teachers for hard-to-staff schools and subject areas.   Despite these achievements, some challenges remain.   For example, in school year 2001-2002, the latest year for which complete data are available, nearly 13 percent of public school teachers in the State were teaching without appropriate certification, either because they had no certificate at all or because they were teaching beyond the scope of their certificates.   The rate was 29 percent in New York City and 14 percent in the other large city school districts (excluding Buffalo).   In high-poverty districts, nearly 12 percent of all teachers had no teaching certificate at all, compared to less than one percent in other districts.   Since 2001-2002, the percentage of teachers without appropriate certification in high-poverty districts has dropped, but there are still local shortages of certified teachers in subjects such as bilingual education, bilingual special education, math, second languages, science, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and career and technical education.    

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