thestateeducationdepartmenttheuniversity.docVIP

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 TO: Higher Education Committee FROM: Joseph P. Frey SUBJECT: Students with Disabilities Teacher Certification Changes DATE: October 13, 2009 STRATEGIC GOAL: Goals 1, 2, 3, and 4 AUTHORIZATION(S): SUMMARY Issue for Discussion Should the Board of Regents revise the structure of the students with disabilities certification to increase the supply of students with disabilities teachers? Reason for Consideration  Review of policy. Proposed Handling This item will come before the Higher Education Committee for discussion at its October 2009 meeting. Procedural History This analysis is a part of the Board of Regents and Department’s commitment to review the Regents teaching policy.? At your February 2007, December 2007, March 2008 and March 2009 Committee meetings, you discussed the structure of special education teacher certification. Your discussions have been informed by supply and demand data, comments from institutions of higher education, local education agencies, BOCES, professional associations, the Department’s Special Education Work Group, and others. Background Information As a part of the 1998 Regents policy, “Teaching to Higher Standards: New York’s Commitment,” the Department made significant adjustments to the certification structure for all teachers, including those teaching students with disabilities. Changes focused on student developmental levels and academic content areas to ensure that students with disabilities have continued access to teachers academically prepared to teach them. The Regents established a four-tiered structure that included Students with Disabilities (SWD) Birth to Grade 2; SWD Grades 1-6; SWD Grades 5-9 Generalist and Grades 5-9 content specialists; and SWD Grades 7-12 content specialists. While the approach to prepare SWD teachers in both an academic discipline and in special education was