State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching

Meeting Minutes

Date:                   October 25 & 26, 2007                                          

Location:          State Education Department, Seminar Room 5A&B, Albany, New York
Members Present

Debra  Colley, co-chair

Eric Gidseg, co-chair

Sheila Appel

Allison Cugini

Desma DeGraw

Cheryl Freedman

Rosemary Harrigan

Lloyd Jaeger

Gerald Mager

Nicholas Michelli

Susan Mittler

Joseph Perez

Susan Phillips

Tira Randall

Evie Rich

Patricia Roberts

Pamela Sandoval

Gale Sookdeo

Kathy Taylor

Sally Thompson
MEMBERS ABSENT

Richard Ahola

Erik Bitterbaum

Richard Feller

Catalina Fortino

Eva Mroczka

Frank Scelsa
STAFF PRESENT
Robert Bentley

Nancy Taylor Baumes

October 25, 2007
  1. Call to Order

Day One of the meeting was called to order by the co-chairs at 3:33 p.m. Follow-up to the September meeting was provided.
  1. Meeting Minutes

Motion:

That the minutes of the September 2007 meeting be approved.

(Moved by S. Appel, seconded by J. Perez, carried.)
  1. Subcommittee Reports

Professional Practices Subcommittee: Rosemary Harrigan, chair, reported that the subcommittee met on October 25, prior to the full Board meeting. The subcommittee reviewed 15 Part 83 cases. The subcommittee also approved funding for three new Teacher Centers: Potsdam Central School, Gorham-Middlesex CSD, and Lynbrook UFSD. 

 Higher Education Subcommittee:  Nick Michelli, chair, reported that the subcommittee met on October 25, prior to the full Board meeting. The subcommittee discussed the Department’s plan in response to Article VII requirements for the review of teacher preparation programs and drafted resolutions commenting on the recommendations.  The resolutions will be presented to the full Board later in the meeting.
  1. SED Policy Update

 Bob Bentley reported on the following:

  • The Department’s preliminary Report in response to Article VII requirements for the review of teacher preparation, which will be further refined and presented at the December Regents meeting.
  1. SED Plan for the Review of Teacher Education

The Higher Education Subcommittee presented six resolutions in response to the draft plan (as attached).

Motion 1:  To accept Resolution 1.

(Moved by R. Harrigan, seconded by K. Taylor, carried.)

Motion 2:  To accept Resolution 2.

(Moved by N. Michelli, seconded by J. Perez, carried.)

Motion 3:  To accept Resolution 3 (revised).

(Moved by E. Rich, seconded by K. Taylor, carried.)

Motion 4:  To accept Resolution 4.

(Moved by N. Michelli, seconded by P. Roberts, carried.)

Motion 5:  To accept Resolution 5.

(Moved by L. Jaeger, seconded by A. Cugini, carried.)

Motion 6:  To accept Resolution 6.

(Moved by L. Jaeger, seconded by J. Perez, carried.)
  1. Adjournment

The co-chairs adjourned Day One of the meeting at 5:32 p.m.

 

October 26, 2007
  1. Call to Order

Day Two of the meeting was called to order by the co-chairs at 8:10 a.m.
  1. SED Policy Update

 Bob Bentley reported on the following:

  • Proposed regulation to implement tenure law.
  • Proposed regulation to establish professional development requirement for Professional certificate holders in school leadership titles.
  • Proposed Transitional “G” certificate concept, in anticipation of sunset of individual evaluation.
  1. Ad Hoc Work Groups

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 for ad hoc group meetings and full Board reconvened at 10:4.5

Ad hoc groups reported:

-- Teacher Policy- The ad hoc group presented a draft proposal on Fiscal Incentives for P-16 Partnerships to Prepare Teachers.

Motion 7: To support the proposal in concept, in order that the draft be forwarded now, with the understanding that the proposal will continue to be developed.

(Moved by C. Freedman, seconded by E. Rich, carried.)

--Mentoring- The ad hoc group reported that it is analyzing other states’ standards and has begun drafting proposed New York State standards. This effort will be continued at the November ad hoc group meeting.

-- Professional Development- The ad hoc group reported that it finalized the questions to accompany the mailing of the draft Professional Development Standards and is discussing options for implementation of the standards.
  1. Adjournment

The co-chairs adjourned Day Two of the meeting at 12:30 p.m.

Attachments

Approved December 6, 2007
                                                                                                                                                            Attachment 1

Resolution Number 1

The PSPB resolved to recommend complete removal of the inclusion of district-based professional development to replace in part, or in whole, the graduate education required for professional certification (found on p.16 of the October 2007 draft of Building on Success: Strengthening Teaching and Learning”).

With all respect for P-16 partnerships and their potential for informing professional preparation and practice, graduate study leading to a master’s degree in NY must conform to standards of graduate study consistent with national, state, and professional education.  In this regard, the qualifications and characteristics of graduate education differ significantly from that of district professional development. 

Further, given that holding advanced graduate study degrees represents a minimum entry standard into a profession, and given the breadth of coverage that extends beyond the immediate local application, as well as integration of research, theory, and practice, that occurs in advanced graduate study, the PSPB endorses maintaining the master’s degree as the standard for professional certification.

Resolution Number 2

The PSPB resolved to advise the Regents to reject definitions of effectiveness of teacher preparation programs that rely on goal-setting and quotas for the production of particular kinds of teachers (such as teachers in hard-to-staff areas; found on p. 3 of the October 2007 draft of Building on Success: Strengthening Teaching and Learning”). The PSPB notes that setting goals for the production of particular kinds of teachers is unlikely to enhance the desired numbers of teachers, given the other personal and market forces at play in career decision making. 

Rather, the PSPB would recommend that the Regents consider and adopt policies that target these additional personal and market forces, including efforts in K-12 education, higher education, government, business, and other stakeholder communities, such as:

Resolution Number 3

The PSPB would recommend removing the term “satisfaction” from p. 12 of the October 2007 draft of Building on Success:  Strengthening Teaching and Learning that currently reads “Measurement Tool 2. Satisfaction surveys”. 

Resolution Number 4

Whereas the PSPB was established by the Regents as a body to provide advice to the Regents on matters of teaching policy and practice, it would be recommended that the Regents draw on the PSPB as an integral part of the process of policy review and analysis.

Resolution Number 5

The PSPB urges substantial caution about implementing value-added modeling for the evaluation of teacher education programs, candidates, and teachers. There is not a sufficient research base to support individualizing the relationship between “student assessment results and teachers responsible for instruction in the assessed subjects” (p. 13 of the October 2007 draft of Building on Success:  Strengthening Teaching and Learning”). 

However, aggregated data in a research context, that incorporates knowledge of all factors bearing on student performance, would be helpful to inform teacher preparation programs on the characteristics and circumstances of student achievement.

The PSPB would also recommend that additional attention be directed to promoting the capacity of teachers and teacher candidates to understand and use student data to plan effective instruction and intervention.

Resolution Number 6

The PSPB notes that the October 2007 draft of Building on Success:  Strengthening Teaching and Learning understates what can and should be learned from, and enhanced in, the currently existing sound systems for insuring quality teacher preparation and practice in New York State (alignment of teacher preparation programs with state learning standards; provision of certified teachers for all public school students; registration systems for all teacher preparation programs, accreditation systems for all teacher preparation programs, and various research studies).

Attachment 2

                                                                                                                                                              

 

Motion 1

Date:   10/25/07                       Moved:              R. Harrigan        Seconded:         K. Taylor  

þ Carried   

£ Tabled

£ Defeated 

£ Withdrawn

 

Motion 2

Date:   10/25/07                       Moved:              N. Michelli           Seconded:         J. Perez  

þ Carried   

£ Tabled

£ Defeated 

£ Withdrawn

 

Motion 3

Date:   10/25/07                       Moved:            E. Rich                        Seconded:     K. Taylor           

þ Carried   

£ Tabled

£ Defeated 

£ Withdrawn

 

Motion 4

Date:   10/25/077                       Moved:           N. Michelli                        Seconded:      P. Roberts           

þ Carried   

£ Tabled

£ Defeated 

£ Withdrawn

 

Motion 5

Date:   10/25/07                       Moved:           L. Jaeger                        Seconded:      A. Cugini       

þ Carried   

£ Tabled

£ Defeated 

£ Withdrawn

 

Motion 6

Date:   10/25/07                       Moved:           L. Jaeger                        Seconded:      J. Perez            

þ Carried   

£ Tabled

£ Defeated 

£ Withdrawn

 

Motion 7

Date:   10/26/07                       Moved:            C. Freedman                Seconded:       E. Rich           

þ Carried   

£ Tabled

£ Defeated 

£ Withdrawn

Ahola

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

Appel

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

--

Bitterbaum

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

Colley

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Cugini

A

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Feller

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

Fortino

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

Freedman

--

--

--

--

--

--

Y

Gidseg

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Harrigan

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Jaeger

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Mager

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Michelli

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Mittler

Y

Y

Y

Y

--

--

Y

Mroczka

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

Perez

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Phillips

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Randall

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Rich

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Roberts

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Sandoval

Y

Y

--

--

--

--

--

Scelsa

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

Sookdeo

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Taylor

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

--

Thompson

Y

Y

--

--

Y

Y

Y

   Y= In favor    

N = Opposed    

-- = Not present