(7) Pilot P-20 Partnerships for Principal Preparation.

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this paragraph is to establish a Pilot P-20 Partnership for Principal Preparation program to spur and support a growing statewide network of Regional P-20 Partnership Programs that share the aim of improving principal preparation and thus enhancing staff and school performance and contributing to improved student academic success.

(b) Limitations. The Pilot P-20 Partnerships for Principal Preparation program shall end on September 30, 2022.

(c) Definitions. For purposes of this paragraph:

(i) Eligible public school district shall mean a school district that meets each of the following criteria:

(A) the district has a high level of student need in comparison with the availability of local resources; as measured by the need/resource capacity index, based on a formula prescribed by the Commissioner;

(B) the district is a re-identified Focus District. This means that the district has shown low academic performance on the Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests or low graduation rates for certain groups of students, such as those who are economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, and English language learners, and such performance is not improving;

(C) the district has substantial numbers of students who are economically disadvantaged as defined in subparagraph (xii) of subdivision (b) of section 100.21 of this Title (>70%); and

(D) the district has a minimum of 15 schools.

(ii) Eligible institution of higher education shall mean an institution of higher education (IHE) with a graduate program in school leadership that is registered with the Department.

(iii) Eligible leadership development partner entity (LDP) shall mean an entity with leadership development expertise which may include Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), professional organizations that represent school building leaders in collective bargaining, IHE-based centers that provide leadership development separate and apart from the degree-granting academic program, and/or organizations with a record of accomplishment in leadership development.

(iv) Eligible partnership shall include an eligible school district, an eligible higher education institution and an eligible leadership development partner entity.

(v) Programs shall mean those proposals, submitted by eligible partnerships through a Request for Applications (RFA) process for the Pilot P-20 Partnerships for Principal Preparation program, that receive an award under such RFA.

(vi) Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSELS) shall mean the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders as defined in section 52.21(c)(2)(vi) of this Title.

(vii) A Reidentified Focus District is a school district that was identified as a Focus District under New York’s federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility waiver using 2010-11 school year data, and then reidentified as a Focus District based on 2014-15 school year data, and that was not subsequently removed from that designation.

(d) General requirements for the Pilot P-20 Partnerships for Principal Preparation program. The general registration requirements set forth in sections 52.1, 52.2 and 52.21 of this Part, and the general requirements for registration of programs leading to certification in the educational leadership service as set forth in subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this subdivision shall not be applicable. The institutional accountability requirements, however, set forth in paragraph (6) of this subdivision shall apply.

(e) Specific requirements for the Pilot P-20 Partnerships for Principal Preparation program. All programs shall:

(1) jointly develop competencies aligned to the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSELs) and use those as the framework for competency- based coursework and internships;

(2) be registered with the Department and enable candidates to develop and demonstrate proficiency with respect to the PSEL competencies, with a minimum of 30 credit hours. The competency-based approach, course sequence, format, and required content may vary depending on each individual candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. If appropriate, programs may grant credit for equivalent coursework completed by a candidate in a previous graduate program;

(3) jointly design competency-based rubrics to determine if the candidate has in fact demonstrated the ability to take on the challenges and responsibilities of leading a school;

(4) design a process, aligned to the PSELs, whereby judgments of candidate mastery of individual competencies (including evaluation of candidate performance on the competency-based rubrics described above) and summative judgments of candidate readiness to be recommended for certification as a School Building Leader (SBL) are made jointly by representatives of each partner in the eligible partnership. These judgments shall be based on extensive documentation and evidence and shall be educationally sound, credible, defensible, reliable, and valid for their intended purpose. Representatives of each partner in the eligible partnership must sign off on the candidate’s readiness to lead a school building before the IHE can recommend the candidate for New York State certification. Prior to issuing the SBL certificate, the Department reserves the right to review all documentation and evidence used by the partners in making the recommendation for SBL certification. Each candidate will be required to take a SBL examination, as determined by the Commissioner, to become a certified SBL. Candidates must also pass the Educating All Students examination and all required workshops and receive fingerprint clearance, if they have not already done so, to become a certified SBL;

(5) enroll at least one cohort of aspiring principal candidates during the funded project period, to begin the program in either Year 1 or Year 2. For the Big 5 city school districts (New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers), the required minimum cohort size for this project is 15 principal candidates. The required minimum cohort size for smaller districts (Mount Vernon and Schenectady) is five principal candidates. The Commissioner may grant a waiver from the minimum cohort size requirement upon a showing of good cause satisfactory to the Commissioner, including but not limited to, demonstration that waiver of this requirement would enable the institution to provide a more innovative or sustainable program, which otherwise meets the requirements of this Part. Projects may enroll more than the minimum in each cohort. However, projects need not enroll a cohort every year. Pilot projects may only admit and enroll candidates who do not currently hold SBL certification;

(6) provide extended (at least one academic year long) internship learning experiences for aspiring principals that are grounded in a competency-based and well-supervised set of practical experiences. Consistent with the purpose of exposing candidates to the full breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiences involved in leading schools, the principal-intern shall engage in sustained and rigorous clinical learning with substantial leadership responsibilities and an opportunity to practice and be evaluated in an authentic school setting, consistent with the PSELs. The internship must be designed to encompass the full-day experience throughout the regular school year, when students are in session, and may not be conducted “around the edges” of a candidate’s employment. The commissioner may grant flexibility in the design of the internship, upon a showing of good cause satisfactory to the Commissioner, including but not limited to a showing that such flexibility would enable the institution to provide a more innovative or sustainable program, which otherwise meets the purposes and requirements of this Part;

(7) define the qualifications, expectations, and professional responsibilities of mentors and coaches of aspiring principals and the role of each partner (IHE, district, and LDP) in assuring high quality mentoring/coaching. The program shall also pair each candidate with high-quality coaching and mentoring support throughout the internship and continuing through the first full year that the candidate is in the principal job;

(8) monitor the identification, development, and placement of school leader candidates and provide updates on these candidates to the Department so that the Department can ensure projects are successfully fulfilling program aims and requirements and quantify model impact. The Department may specify which data must be collected and submitted by each project for this evaluation to be conducted;

(9) provide sufficient space and other resources for the effective operation of the project activities;

(10) design into the pilot ways to build sustainability and progressively shift financial responsibility from the candidates and Title IIA funding to the partnership. In budgeting and planning for sustainability, the partnership should be certain to support these established activities through reliable and stable funding sources. In budgeting and planning for sustainability, Title IIA funds should support but not serve as the sole source of funding for this work. The Department will monitor project success, with the intention of registering successful programs to continue in operation beyond the pilot grant period if they meet the regulatory requirements established by the Department for this program. If successful, a program may be allowed to expand to include additional school districts and/or other partners;

(11) ensure that candidates complete two clock hours of coursework or training in school violence prevention and intervention, in accordance with section 3004 of the Education Law. Such coursework or training shall include but not be limited to, study in the warning signs within a developmental and social context that relate to violence and other troubling behaviors in children; the statutes, regulations and policies relating to a safe nonviolent school climate; effective classroom management techniques and other academic supports that promote a nonviolent school climate and enhance learning; the integration of social and problem solving skill development for students within the regular curriculum; intervention techniques designed to address a school violence situation; and how to participate in an effective school/community referral process for students exhibiting violent behavior;

(12) ensure that candidates complete two clock hours of coursework or training regarding the identification and reporting of suspected child abuse or maltreatment, in accordance with the requirements of sections 3003 and 3004 of the Education Law;

(13) ensure that candidates complete six clock hours, of which at least three hours must be conducted through face-to-face instruction, of coursework or training on the social patterns of harassment, bullying and discrimination, in accordance with the requirements of section 14 of the Education Law;

(14) prior to admission, require candidates to possess a permanent or professional certificate in the classroom teaching service or pupil personnel service, or to demonstrate the potential for instructional leadership based on prior experiences that are evaluated using criteria established by the program which shall be uniformly applied;

(15) be responsible for ensuring that courses in the program that are not taught by faculty of the partner IHE are taught by individuals who have demonstrated by training, earned degrees, scholarship, experience, or other widely recognized ways, their competencies to offer the courses and discharge the other academic responsibilities which are assigned to them; and

(16) ensure that candidates who have not earned a master’s degree prior to admission shall qualify for a master’s degree upon program completion.

2. Clause (c) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of section 80-3.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, is amended, to read as follows:

(c) Experience. The candidate shall have successfully completed three years of classroom teaching service and/or pupil personnel service experience in public or nonpublic schools N-12; except for candidates admitted into a Pilot P-20 Partnership for Principal Preparation program pursuant to section 52.21(c)(7) of this Title because the program determined that the candidate demonstrated the potential for instructional leadership based on prior experiences that were evaluated using criteria established by the program and which were uniformly applied.

1. STATUTORY AUTHORITY:

Education Law 101 (not subdivided) charges the Department with the general management and supervision of all public schools and all of the educational work of the state.

Education Law 207 (not subdivided) grants general rule-making authority to the Regents to carry into effect State educational laws and policies.

Education Law 305(1) authorizes the Commissioner to enforce laws relating to the State educational system and execute Regents educational policies. Section 305(2) provides the Commissioner with general supervision over schools and authority to advise and guide school district officers in their duties and the general management of their schools.

Education Law 3006 authorizes the Commissioner to issue New York State certificates to teachers and supervisory and administrative staff.

2. LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of the proposed amendment to sections 52.21 and 80-3.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is to carry out the recommendations of the Principal Preparation Project and the commitment in New York State’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan to use a portion of federal Title IIA funds to support better professional learning and to support aspiring principals, the Department has created a grant program to establish pilot partnerships between eligible public school districts, institutions of higher education (IHEs), and other organizations with experience supporting, developing and training leaders, to improve the preparation of school building leaders. The funded partnerships will develop and implement a program leading to New York State school building leader (SBL) certification, which will prepare candidates to successfully take on the challenges of leading schools and achieve improved outcomes for all students.

3. NEEDS AND BENEFITS:

The goal of these pilot programs is to spur and support a growing statewide network of Regional P-20 Partnership Programs that share the aim of improving principal preparation and thus enhancing staff and school performance and contributing to improved student academic success. The Department’s objective is to change principal preparation to better prepare school leaders in a changing environment.

Proposed Amendment

The proposed amendment establishes the requirements for the pilot principal preparation programs funded under this grant to be registered by the Department so that candidates can be recommended for certification upon successful completion of the program and upon the sign-off of all three partners.

The proposed amendment also amends section 80-3.10 of the Commissioner’s regulations to waive the requirement that a candidate successfully complete three years of classroom teaching service and/or pupil personnel service experience in public or nonpublic schools to obtain an initial certificate if the candidate was admitted into a PILOT program based on a determination by the program that the candidate demonstrated the potential for instructional leadership based on prior experiences that were evaluated using criteria established by the program and which were uniformly applied.

4. COSTS:

a. Costs to State government: The amendment does not impose any costs on State government, including the State Education Department.

b. Costs to local government: The amendment does not impose any costs on local government.

c. Costs to private regulated parties: The amendment does not impose any costs on private regulated parties.

d. Costs to regulating agency for implementation and continued administration: See above.

5. LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANDATES:

The proposed amendment does not impose any additional program, service, duty or responsibility upon any local government.

6. PAPERWORK:

The proposed amendment does not impose any additional paperwork requirements.

7. DUPLICATION:

The proposed amendment does not duplicate existing State or Federal requirements.

8. ALTERNATIVES:

No alternatives were considered.

9. FEDERAL STANDARDS:

There are no applicable Federal standards.

10. COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE:

It is anticipated that the proposed amendment will be adopted as a permanent rule by the Board of Regents at its January 2019 meeting. If adopted at the January 2019 meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective on January 30, 2019.

(a) Small businesses:

The proposed amendment is necessary to implement Regents policy to establish a Pilot P-20 Partnerships for Principal Preparation Program. Because it is evident from the nature of the proposed amendment that it does not affect small businesses, no further measures were needed to ascertain that fact and none were taken. Accordingly, a regulatory flexibility analysis for small businesses is not required and one has not been prepared.

(b) Local governments:

1. EFFECT OF RULE:

The proposed amendment applies to those public school districts that meet the eligibility requirements for, and apply to become a partner in, the Pilot P-20 Partnerships for Principal Preparation Program.

2. COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS:

The goal of these pilot programs is to spur and support a growing statewide network of Regional P-20 Partnership Programs that share the aim of improving principal preparation and thus enhancing staff and school performance and contributing to improved student academic success. The Department’s objective is to change principal preparation to better prepare school leaders in a changing environment.

Proposed Amendment

The proposed amendment establishes the requirements for the pilot principal preparation programs funded under this grant to be registered by the Department so that candidates can be recommended for certification upon successful completion of the program and upon the sign-off of all three partners.

The proposed amendment also amends section 80-3.10 of the Commissioner’s regulations to waive the requirement that a candidate successfully complete three years of classroom teaching service and/or pupil personnel service experience in public or nonpublic schools to obtain an initial certificate if the candidate was admitted into a PILOT program based on a determination by the program that the candidate demonstrated the potential for instructional leadership based on prior experiences that were evaluated using criteria established by the program and which were uniformly applied.

3. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:

The proposed rule does not impose any additional professional services requirements on local governments.

4. COMPLIANCE COSTS:

The proposed amendment does not impose any costs on regulated parties.

5. ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL FEASIBILITY:

The proposed amendment does not impose any new technological requirements on school districts or charter schools. Economic feasibility is addressed in the Costs section above.

6. MINIMIZING ADVERSE IMPACT:

No alternatives were considered since it applies only to those school districts that meet the eligibility requirements for and voluntarily decide whether to participate in the P-20 Pilot Partnership Program.

7. LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:

No comments were solicited from school districts since districts voluntarily decide whether or not to participate in the P-20 Pilot Partnership Program.

The purpose of the proposed amendment to sections 52.21 and 80-3.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is to carry out the recommendations of the Principal Preparation Project and the commitment in New York State’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan to use a portion of federal Title IIA funds to support better professional learning and to support aspiring principals, the Department has created a grant program to establish pilot partnerships between eligible public school districts, institutions of higher education (IHEs), and other organizations with experience supporting, developing and training leaders, to improve the preparation of school building leaders. The funded partnerships will develop and implement a program leading to New York State school building leader (SBL) certification, which will prepare candidates to successfully take on the challenges of leading schools and achieve improved outcomes for all students.

Currently the only school districts eligible to be partners under the pilot program are city school districts. Therefore, the proposed amendment has no impact on rural areas and therefore no rural area flexibility analysis was prepared.

The purpose of the proposed amendment to sections 52.21 and 80-3.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is to carry out the recommendations of the Principal Preparation Project and the commitment in New York State’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan to use a portion of federal Title IIA funds to support better professional learning and to support aspiring principals, the Department has created a grant program to establish pilot partnerships between eligible public school districts, institutions of higher education (IHEs), and other organizations with experience supporting, developing and training leaders, to improve the preparation of school building leaders. The funded partnerships will develop and implement a program leading to New York State school building leader (SBL) certification, which will prepare candidates to successfully take on the challenges of leading schools and achieve improved outcomes for all students.

Because it is evident from the nature of the proposed amendments that they will have no impact on the number of jobs or employment opportunities in New York State, no further steps were needed to ascertain that fact and none were taken.