Local high school equivalency diplomas based upon experimental programs.
Purpose:
To extend until 6/30/17 the provision for awarding local high school equivalency diplomas based upon experimental programs.
Text of proposed rule:
Section 100.8 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended, effective April 1, 2015, as follows:
100.8 Local high school equivalency diploma.
Boards of education specified by the commissioner may award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the commissioner until [June 30, 2015] June 30, 2017, after which date such boards may no longer award a local high school equivalency diploma.
Text of proposed rule and any required statements and analyses may be obtained from:
Kirti Goswami, State Education Department, Office of Counsel, State Education Building, Room 148, 89 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12234, (518) 474-6400, email: legal@nysed.gov
Data, views or arguments may be submitted to:
Mark Leinung, Director Adult Education Programs and Policy, Office of Adult Career and Continuing Education Services, EBA Room 460, 89 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12234, (518) 474-8892, email: Mark.Leinung@nysed.gov
Public comment will be received until:
45 days after publication of this notice.
This rule was not under consideration at the time this agency submitted its Regulatory Agenda for publication in the Register.
Regulatory Impact Statement
1. STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
Education Law section 101 continues the existence of the Education Department, with the Board of Regents at its head and the Commissioner of Education as the chief administrative officer, and charges the Department with the general management and supervision of public schools and the educational work of the State.
Education Law section 207 empowers the Board of Regents and the Commissioner to adopt rules and regulations to carry out laws of the State regarding education and the functions and duties conferred on the Department by law.
Education Law section 208 authorizes the Regents to establish examinations as to attainments in learning and to award and confer suitable certificates, diplomas and degrees on persons who satisfactorily meet the requirements prescribed.
Education Law section 209 authorizes the Regents to establish secondary school examinations in studies furnishing a suitable standard of graduation and of admission to colleges; to confer certificates or diplomas on students who satisfactorily pass such examinations; and requires the admission to these examinations of any person who shall conform to the rules and pay the fees prescribed by the Regents.
Education Law section 305(1) and (2) provide that the Commissioner, as chief executive officer of the State system of education and of the Board of Regents, shall have general supervision over all schools and institutions subject to the provisions of the Education Law, or of any statute relating to education, and shall execute all educational policies determined by the Board of Regents.
Education Law section 309 charges the Commissioner with the general supervision of boards of education and their management and conduct of all departments of instruction.
Education Law section 3204(3) provides for required courses of study in the public schools and authorizes the State Education Department to alter the subjects of required instruction.
2. LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVES:
The proposed amendment is consistent with the above statutory authority and is necessary to implement Regents policy to extend for two years (to June 30, 2017) the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner. The existing provision will otherwise sunset on June 30, 2015.
3. NEEDS AND BENEFITS:
The proposed amendment is necessary to implement Regents policy to extend for two years the provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES to award local high school equivalency diplomas based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner.
The extension will allow the continuance in New York State of the National External Diploma Program (NEDP), which is a complete assessment program that allows adults over age 21 to demonstrate and document the lasting outcomes and transferable skills for which a high school diploma is awarded. The NEDP is a competency based, applied performance assessment system which capitalizes on an adult's life experiences and uses a practical application of learning for assessment through such methods as simulations, authentic demonstration, research projects, hands-on interviews and oral interviews. An NEDP candidate must demonstrate a job skill and the competencies that align with the skills needed to function effectively in the workplace. All competencies require a 100 percent mastery.
The two year extension will ensure that all current NEDP students in the approximately 22 program sites across the State are provided with an opportunity to complete their programs and earn a local high school equivalency diploma.
During this time, and depending on policy and direction from the Regents and the Department's ACCES Committee, staff intends to develop, through a separate rule making, a proposed amendment to the Commissioner's Regulations that will provide for multiple pathways to a New York State High School Equivalency Diploma. Under this new procedure, the National External Diploma Program could be established as a New York State High School Equivalency Diploma. These Equivalency Diplomas would be issued by the Department, as opposed to the local high school equivalency diploma which is issued by local school boards. This will create an additional option and pathway for adult students while phasing out the need and authority for school boards to issue the local high school equivalency diploma.
4. COSTS:
(a) Costs to State government: None.
(b) Costs to local government: None.
(c) Costs to private regulated parties: None.
(d) Costs to regulating agency for implementation and continued administration of this rule: None.
The proposed amendment will not impose any costs on the State, local governments, private regulated parties or the State Education Department. It merely extends for two years the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner.
5. LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANDATES:
The proposed amendment does not impose any program, service, duty or responsibility upon any county, city, town, village, school district, fire district or other special district. It merely extends for two years an existing provision related to the issuance of a local high school equivalency diploma.
6. PAPERWORK:
The proposed amendment merely extends for two years an existing provision related to the issuance of a local high school equivalency diploma, and does not impose any additional paperwork requirements.
7. DUPLICATION:
The proposed amendment does not duplicate existing State or federal requirements.
8. ALTERNATIVES:
The proposed amendment is necessary to implement Regents policy to extend for two years (to June 30, 2017) the provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES to award local high school equivalency diplomas based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner. The existing provision will otherwise sunset on June 30, 2015. There are no significant alternatives to the proposed amendment and none were considered.
9. FEDERAL STANDARDS:
There are no related federal standards in this area.
10. COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE:
Because of the nature of the proposed amendment, which merely extends for two years (to June 30, 2017) the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations, it is anticipated that school districts and boards of cooperative educational services will be able to achieve compliance with this rule by its effective date.
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Small Businesses:
The proposed amendment merely extends for two years (to June 30, 2017) the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma for adults over age 21, based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner, and will not impose any adverse economic impact, reporting, record keeping or any other compliance requirements on small businesses. 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.
Local Governments:
1. EFFECT OF RULE:
The proposed amendment applies to boards of education and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) that are specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner. The proposed amendment will ensure that all current National External Degree Program (NEDP) students in the approximately 22 program sites across the State are provided with an opportunity to complete their programs and earn a local high school equivalency diploma.
2. COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS:
The proposed amendment does not impose any new compliance requirements but merely extends for two years (to June 30, 2017) the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner.
3. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:
The proposed amendment does not impose any additional professional services requirements.
4. COMPLIANCE COSTS:
The proposed amendment will not impose any costs on local governments. It merely extends for two years the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner.
5. ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL FEASIBILITY:
The proposed amendment will not impose any costs or new technological requirements on local governments.
6. MINIMIZING ADVERSE IMPACT:
The proposed amendment is necessary to implement policy enacted by the Board of Regents. The proposed amendment does not impose any new compliance requirements or costs on local governments, but merely extends for two years the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES to award local high school equivalency diplomas based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner.
7. LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:
Copies of the proposed amendment have been provided to District Superintendents with the request that they distribute them to school districts within their supervisory districts for review and comment. Copies were also provided for review and comment to the chief school officers of the five big city school districts.
Rural Area Flexibility Analysis
1. TYPES AND ESTIMATED NUMBER OF RURAL AREAS:
The proposed amendment applies to all school districts and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) that are specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner, including those located in the 44 rural counties with less than 200,000 inhabitants and the 71 towns in urban counties with a population density of 150 per square mile or less. The proposed amendment will ensure that all current National External Degree Program (NEDP) students in the approximately 22 program sites across the State are provided with an opportunity to complete their programs and earn a local high school equivalency diploma. Of these 22 sites, 8 are in rural areas.
2. REPORTING, RECORDKEEPING AND OTHER COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS; AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:
The proposed amendment does not impose any new compliance requirements on rural areas but merely extends for two years (to June 30, 2017) the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner. The proposed amendment does not impose any additional professional services requirements.
3. COMPLIANCE COSTS:
The proposed amendment will not impose any costs on rural areas. It merely extends for two years the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner.
4. MINIMIZING ADVERSE IMPACT:
The proposed amendment is necessary to implement policy enacted by the Board of Regents. The proposed amendment does not impose any new compliance requirements on rural areas, but merely extends for two years the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education and BOCES to award local high school equivalency diplomas based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner.
5. RURAL AREA PARTICIPATION:
Comments on the proposed amendment were solicited from the Department's Rural Advisory Committee, whose membership includes school districts located in rural areas.
Job Impact Statement
The proposed amendment merely extends for two years (to June 30, 2017) the existing provision in section 100.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations that allows boards of education specified by the Commissioner to award a local high school equivalency diploma based upon experimental programs approved by the Commissioner, and will not have an adverse impact on jobs or employment opportunities. Because it is evident from the nature of the proposed amendment that it will have no impact on jobs or employment opportunities, no further steps were needed to ascertain those facts and none were taken. Accordingly, a job impact statement is not required and one has not been prepared.
