Office of Teaching Initiatives

Memos to the Field

	THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 Deputy Commissioner Office of Higher Education Rm 977, Education Building Annex Albany, New York 12234
Date:	November 17, 2010
To:	Colleagues
From:	Joseph Frey
Subject:	Feedback Desired on the Draft of New York State Teaching Standards

At its November and December 2009 meetings, the Board of Regents endorsed several new initiatives for improving teaching and learning in New York State, including the following elements:

• the implementation of a performance-based assessment for initial certification as a teacher;
• revision of the annual professional performance review (APPR) for teachers based on newly developed teaching standards; and
• creation of a teacher career ladder structure that districts could use to compensate teachers based on state-developed standards of teacher effectiveness.

All are dependent on the development of a common set of teaching standards. Such standards will form the foundation of a cohesive system to prepare, select, develop, and retain teachers who are effective in improving learning for all students.  These standards will be the basis for teacher preparation programs, assessments for certification, annual professional performance reviews, and professional/career development plans for New York teachers. 

In May 2010, at the direction of the Board of Regents, the State Education Department formed a Teaching Standards Workgroup whose charge was to develop a preliminary draft of Teaching Standards for New York State.  The Workgroup consists of 23 participants outside the Department representing 22 stakeholder groups, each bringing a unique personal perspective, an understanding of research foundations that impact teaching and learning, and a stakeholder voice.  In addition to the 23 participants, 10 members from school districts selected to be pilots for the New York State United Teachers Innovation Fund project have been actively involved in the Workgroup since its formation.

The New York State Teaching Standards Workgroup met from May through July 2010 to develop the preliminary draft of Teaching Standards and Elements. The first draft of the Workgroup’s New York State Teaching Standards was released to the field for review and comment between July 21 and August 16, 2010 through an on-line survey process. 

In August 2010, the Workgroup convened to review the survey comments along with the recently published draft Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) draft Teaching Standards.  Using the survey comments and InTASC draft Standards, the Workgroup revised the preliminary draft of the Standards and Elements that had been issued for comment and began writing Performance Indicators for the Elements under the seven Standards.  In October a second draft of the New York State Teaching Standards, Elements and Performance Indicators was presented to the Board of Regents for its review. 

For more information on the development of these standards, elements and performance indicators you may review the October Board of Regents Higher Education Committee Item on the Department’s Web site at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2010Meetings/October2010/1010hed2.doc.

We have posted the current Draft of New York State Teaching Standards and a link to the current survey (no longer available) on the Office of Teaching Initiatives Web site for comment. If you are unable to access the draft or survey online, please contact Jenese Gaston at jgaston@mail.nysed.gov.

I invite you to review the contents of this draft and complete the survey. Thank you for your assistance in this most important matter. 

cc:  Commissioner Steiner
Valerie Grey
John King        
Ken Slentz
Jean Stevens
Robert Bentley
Allison Armour-Garb
Barbara Meinert