Home » 2011 Issues » March 30, 2011 » EDU-43-10-00011-E Amend Teacher Education Program Registration Requirements for Special Education and Special Education Certification Requirements
EDU-43-10-00011-E Amend Teacher Education Program Registration Requirements for Special Education and Special Education Certification Requirements
3/30/11 N.Y. St. Reg. EDU-43-10-00011-E
NEW YORK STATE REGISTER
VOLUME XXXIII, ISSUE 13
March 30, 2011
RULE MAKING ACTIVITIES
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
EMERGENCY RULE MAKING
I.D No. EDU-43-10-00011-E
Filing No. 241
Filing Date. Mar. 11, 2011
Effective Date. Mar. 11, 2011
Amend Teacher Education Program Registration Requirements for Special Education and Special Education Certification Requirements
PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE State Administrative Procedure Act, NOTICE is hereby given of the following action:
Action taken:
Amendment to sections 52.21, 80-3.7, 80-4.2 and 80-4.3 of Title 8 NYCRR.
Statutory authority:
Education Law, sections 207(not subdivided), 305(1) and (2) and 3004(1)
Finding of necessity for emergency rule:
Preservation of general welfare.
Specific reasons underlying the finding of necessity:
The proposed amendment requires all registered teacher education programs to include a minimum of three semester hours in educating students with disabilities to ensure that all teachers are better prepared to skillfully collaborate with other teachers and to teach students with disabilities and defines what the three semester hour requirement shall include. The proposed amendment also requires that 15 of the 100 clock hours of field experience required for teacher education programs focus on students with disabilities and that 6 of the 40 clock hours of field experience for Transitional B programs focus on students with disabilities.
The proposed amendment changes the current certification structure for students with disabilities certificates for grades 5 through 9 and 7 through 12 and the registration requirements for programs leading to certificates in these areas. Candidates will no longer be able to enroll in special education teacher preparation programs that lead to students with disabilities (grades 5-9 generalist) and students with disabilities (grades 5-9) and (grades 7-12-specialist) certificate titles after February 1, 2011. A new students with disabilities (grades 7-12- generalist) certificate title will also be created. For candidates seeking this certificate, the candidate will be required to complete six semester hours in mathematics, science, English language arts and social studies within their content core and have sufficient pedagogy to teach these subjects. Teachers holding this certificate will be eligible to be employed to teach in supportive roles such as consultant teachers, resource room service providers and integrated co-teachers.
Teachers holding the new students with disabilities (grades 7-12- generalist) will also have the option of obtaining an extension to this certificate, to authorize the teacher to be employed as the special class teacher of students with disabilities in a specific subject area, upon the completion of certain requirements. To obtain an extension in a specific subject, the teacher shall complete 18 semester hours of study or its equivalent in the subject area of the extension sought. For social studies, the candidate shall complete the 18 semester hours through a combination of study in United State history, world history and geography. This, coupled with passing the content specialty test in the specific subject area, will allow candidates to earn an extension to the base certificate to permit the teacher to be employed as the special class teacher of students with disabilities in that subject in the developmental level of their base certificate. Any district or BOCES that employs a candidate holding this extension must provide weekly collaboration between a certified general education content specialist in the subject area of the extension and the teacher holding the extension, with at least one period per month co-taught by both teachers. The length of the required weekly collaboration and co-taught lesson will be defined at the local level.
Schools enumerated in article 81, 85, 87, 88 or 89 of the Education Law or a special act school district that educates only students with disabilities and who cannot meet the regulatory requirement for collaboration and co-teaching for their employed special education teachers, must submit a plan acceptable to the Department with a description of the mentoring and collaboration the teacher will receive.
The proposed regulation also establishes requirements for individual evaluation for the new students with disabilities (grades 7-12- generalist) certificate by requiring candidates seeking a certificate in this area to complete, among other requirements, six semester hours in mathematics, science, social studies and English language arts and have sufficient pedagogical training to teach these subjects. The proposed amendment also phases out individual evaluation for the students with disabilities (grades 5-9- generalist) certificate and the students with disabilities (grades 5-9) and (grades 7-12) content specific certificates.
Emergency action is necessary at the March 2011 Board of Regents meeting in order to ensure that the rule remains continuously in effect until such time as it can be revised and adopted as a permanent rule.
Emergency action is also needed to provide teaching candidates with sufficient time to complete the requirements for the special education generalist and specialist certificate titles in grades 5-9 and the special education specialist certificate title in grades 7-12 before the Department phases out individual evaluation for these certificate titles.
Subject:
Amend teacher education program registration requirements for special education and special education certification requirements.
Purpose:
Restructure the adolescence level special education certificate structure to fill the need for special education teachers.
Substance of emergency rule:
The Board of Regents proposes to amend Sections 52.2. 80-4.2 and 80-4.3 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, effective October 17, 2010, relating to teacher education program registration requirements, the structure of adolescence level students with disabilities certificates and individual evaluation requirements and timelines for such titles. The following is a summary of the substance of the proposed amendments.
Item (iii) of subclause (1) of clause (c) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of section 52.21 is amended to put in place requirements to better prepare all teachers in developing the skills necessary to provide instruction that will promote the participation and progress of students with disabilities in the general education curriculum by requiring all registered teacher education programs to include a minimum of three semester hours in understanding the needs of students with disabilities. The item identifies the areas of study that must be included in the three semester hour requirement and prescribes a process for a waiver from the requirement.
Subitems (A) and (B) are added to item (i) of subclause (2) of clause (c) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of section 52.21 to require that at least 15 of the 100 clock hours of field experience in all teacher preparation programs include a focus on understanding the needs of students with disabilities.
Subclauses (3) and (4) of clause (a) of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of section 52.21 are amended to establish a start date of September 2, 2011 for requirements for new special education adolescence level-generalist teacher preparation programs.
Subparagraph (vi) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of section 52.21 is amended to establish the program registration requirements for programs registered on or after September 2, 2011 for the new students with disabilities grades 7-12 generalist certificate title to include, within the content core, six semester hours in mathematics, science, English language arts and social studies and sufficient pedagogy to teach these subjects.
Items (iii) and (iv) of subclause (1) of clause (b) of subparagraph (xvii) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of section 52.21 establishes a start date of September 2, 2011 for new special education adolescence level teacher preparation programs preparing special educators for Transitional B certificates.
Item (v) is added to subclause (1) of clause (b) of subparagraph (xvii) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of section 52.21 to establish the program registration requirements for Transitional B certificate candidates for the new students with disabilities grades 7-12 generalist to include, six semester hours in mathematics, science, English language arts and social studies and sufficient pedagogy to teach those subjects prior to program completion.
Items (ii) and (iii) of subclauses (2) of clause (b) of subparagraph (xvii) of paragraph (3) of section 52.21 requires that at least 6 of the 40 clock hours of field experience for Transitional B programs focus on meeting the needs of students with disabilities.
Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) of section 52.21 is amended to clarify that program registration requirements for programs leading to an extension for students with disabilities middle childhood titles are in effect for programs registered prior to September 2, 2011, since the students with disabilities middle childhood title will be eliminated.
Subparagraph (viii) is added to paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) of section 52.21 to establish extensions to authorize the teaching of certain subjects in grades 7 through 12 to students with disabilities for a certificate in students with disabilities adolescence (generalist) and to require study of at least 18 semester hours in the subject to be taught.
Subparagraph (v) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of section 80-3.7 is amended to require that, under individual evaluation, the pedagogical core include three semester hours of study to develop the skills necessary to provide specifically designed instruction to students with disabilities to participate and progress in the general education curriculum.
Subparagraphs (vii) and (viii) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of section 80-3.7 are amended to phase out individual evaluation for candidates seeking students with disabilities in middle childhood titles or students with disabilities in specialist (grades 7-12) certificate. Candidates must apply for their certificate prior to September 1, 2011 and complete all requirements before September 1, 2014 to be eligible for these certificates under individual evaluation. These subparagraphs also establish requirements for individual evaluation for the new students with disabilities grades 7-12 generalist certificate title, requiring within the content core, six semester hours in mathematics, science, English language arts and social studies and sufficient pedagogy to teach these subjects.
Paragraphs (9) and (10) are amended and new paragraphs (11) through (18) are added to subdivision (a) of section 80-4.2 to establish extensions in earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, social studies, English language arts and languages other than English (specified) in grades 5-9 or 7-12.
Subdivision (c) is added to section 80-4.2 to provide a general requirement for all extensions which requires (candidates or applicants) to achieve at least a certain course level and course grade for the course to be credited toward the semester hour requirement for the extension sought.
Clauses (a) and (b) of subparagraph (i) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a); clause (d) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (a); paragraph (2) of subdivision (b); paragraph (2) of subdivision (c); subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (d); subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e); and subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of section 80-4.3 are amended to delete duplicative language included in the proposed amendment to subdivision (c) of section 80-4.2.
A new subdivision (n) is added to section 80-4.3 establishing the requirements for subject area extensions to teach adolescence level students with disabilities including 18 semester hours or the equivalent in the subject are of the extension sought and the passage of the content specialty test in that area. For district and BOCES teachers with such an extension, weekly collaboration and monthly co-teaching with a certified general education content specialist in the subject are required to teach the subject to students with disabilities in a special class. There is an exception that allows certain schools identified in the regulation, that cannot meet the regulatory requirement for weekly collaboration and monthly co-teaching, to submit a plan acceptable to the Department with a description of the mentoring and collaboration the candidate will receive. Schools enumerated in article 81, 85, 87, 88 or 89 of the Education Law or a special act school district as defined in subdivision 8 of section 4001 of the Education Law that educates only students with disabilities are the schools identified in the regulation that may be eligible for a waiver under this subdivision.
This notice is intended
to serve only as a notice of emergency adoption. This agency intends to adopt the provisions of this emergency rule as a permanent rule, having previously submitted to the Department of State a notice of proposed rule making, I.D. No. EDU-43-10-00011-P, Issue of October 26, 2010. The emergency rule will expire May 9, 2011.
Text of rule and any required statements and analyses may be obtained from:
Chris Moore, NYS Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 148 EB, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 473-8296, email: cmoore@mail.nysed.gov
Regulatory Impact Statement
1. STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
Section 207 of the Education Law grants general rule making authority to the Board of Regents to carry into effect the laws and policies of the State relating to education.
Section 215 of the Education Law authorizes the Commissioner of Education to visit, examine, and inspect schools or institutions under the educational supervision of the Sate and require reports from such schools.
Subdivision (1) of section 305 of the Education Law empowers the Commissioner of Education to be the chief executive officer of the state system of education and of the Board of Regents and authorizes the Commissioner of Education to enforce laws relating to the educational system and to execute educational policies determined by the Regents.
Subdivision (2) of section 305 of the Education Law authorizes the Commissioner of Education to have general supervision over all schools subject to the Education Law.
Subdivision (1) of section 3004 of the Education Law authorizes the Commissioner of Education to prescribe, subject to the approval of the Regents, regulations governing the examination and certification of teachers employed in all public schools in the State.
2. LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVES:
The proposed rule carries out the legislative objectives of the above referenced statutes by establishing requirements for a new teaching certificate title, i.e., a students with disabilities adolescence generalist certificate, subject area extensions for this certificate and related standards for the registration of teacher preparation programs leading to such certificates.
3. NEEDS AND BENEFITS:
The purpose of the proposed amendment is to ensure an adequate supply of effective adolescence level students with disabilities teachers and to better prepare all teachers to instruct students with disabilities and skillfully collaborate with their colleagues. In 1999, the Board of Regents endorsed a new structure of certificate titles in general and special education. In 2000, teacher preparation programs began offering programs aligned with the new titles. Prior to February 2004, there had been only one special education certificate for teaching students with disabilities Pre-K through Grade 12, in all instructional settings. The 1999 changes to the special education certificate structure focused on student developmental levels and academic content knowledge, to ensure that special educators had sufficient content knowledge in at least one academic subject. This special education redesign resulted in a four-tiered certification structure. Since the changes to the State certification requirements went into effect, the Department has analyzed data related to the supply and demand of special education teachers and found that there is a shortage of these teachers with the appropriate certification to teach students with disabilities in grades 7-12. Approximately 50 percent of students with disabilities are in the birth to grade six, yet, for those students selecting special education as a teaching profession, 80 percent are being prepared at the early childhood or childhood level and only 20 percent at the middle or secondary level. This issue is further exacerbated since the 20 percent are divided between the middle childhood level (5-9) and the secondary level (7-12) and further subdivided by academic disciplines.
Establishment of a students with disabilities generalist certificate at the adolescence level and the phasing out of the students with disabilities 5-9 generalist and content specialist and 7-12 content specialist will entice more candidates into the adolescence level as generalists who can act in supportive roles such as consultant teacher and provide resource room services. These teachers can further develop content expertise through a subject area extension and teach the subject to a special class with required weekly collaboration and monthly co-teaching with a certified general education content specialist.
As more and more students with disabilities are included in regular classes, all teachers must be better prepared to teach students with disabilities. The proposed amendment also requires all teacher preparation programs to include a minimum of three semester hours in educating students with disabilities and defining the elements of those semester hours coupled with a focusing a specific number of hours of required field experience that must focus on the needs of students with disabilities to ensure that all teachers are prepared to instruct such students to their highest level of achievement.
4. COSTS:
(a) Costs to State government: The amendment will impose minimal costs on State government including the State Education Department. The proposed amendment will not impose additional costs on State government, including the State Education Department (""SED"). It is anticipated that SED will use existing staff to review and process applications for new teacher education program registrations and certificates and extensions under individual evaluation for these titles. In addition, existing staff will review plans submitted by schools enumerated in article 81, 85, 87, 88 or 89 of the Education Law or a special act school district who cannot meet the regulatory requirement of consultation and co-teaching to address the consultation and co-teaching requirements though mentoring and collaboration.
(b) Costs to local governments: School districts and BOCES will need to make a certified general education content specialist teacher available for consultation and collaborative teaching to special education teachers that hold a content area extension and are teaching a specific subject area. It is estimated that for each subject area, the equivalent of.25 FTEs will need to be employed as a consultant for every four sections of the subject area.
(c) Cost to private regulated parties: The proposed amendment will impose minimal costs on institutions of higher education as they phase out teacher preparation programs for students with disabilities programs leading to certification in 7-12 and 5-9 students with disabilities content specialist and generalist certificates and design and apply for the new 7-12 students with disabilities adolescence generalist certificate title with the option for a content area extension. It is not anticipated that institutions will need to hire additional faculty for the new programs.
(d) Costs to regulating agency for implementing and continued administration of the rule: As stated above in "Costs to State Government," the amendment will impose some minimal costs on the State Education Department.
5. LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANDATES:
School districts and BOCES employing special education teaches with extensions must make a certified general education content specialist available to special education teachers assigned to teach special classes that have a content area extension for the purposes of consultation and co-teaching. The school district or BOCES will determine the length of the weekly collaborative time and the co-teaching and will monitor the quality of the consultation and co-teaching. For students with disabilities teachers employed by a school enumerated in article 81, 85, 87, 88 or 89 of the Education Law or a special act school district that educates only students with disabilities and who cannot meet the co-teaching and collaboration requirements of the regulation, such schools must submit a plan acceptable to the Department with a description of the mentoring and collaboration the teacher will receive.
6. PAPERWORK:
The proposed amendment will require that for students with disabilities teachers employed by a school enumerated in article 81, 85, 87, 88 or 89 of the Education Law or a special act school district that educates only students with disabilities and who cannot meet the regulatory requirement for consultation and co-teaching, such schools must submit a plan acceptable to the Department with a description of the mentoring and collaboration the special education teacher will receive.
The proposed amendment will impose minimal paperwork requirements for institutions of higher education as they phase out teacher preparation programs for students with disabilities programs leading to certification in 7-12 and 5-9 students with disabilities content specialist certificates and the 5-9 students with disabilities generalist certificate and design and apply for the new 7-12 students with disabilities generalist certificate titles with the option for a content area extension.
7. DUPLICATION:
The amendment does not duplicate any existing State or Federal requirements.
8. ALTERNATIVES:
Over the course of three years, alternatives to the amendments were considered, such as preparing every teacher for students with disabilities certification. However, after reaching out to the field and researching the topic, the Department selected the most viable option to ensure the quality and quantity of adolescence level special education teachers and to ensure that all teachers are better prepared to work with students with disabilities.
9. FEDERAL STANDARDS:
There are no related Federal standards.
10. COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE:
If adopted as an emergency measure at the October Regents meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective October 26, 2010. It is anticipated that the proposed amendment will be adopted as a permanent rule in January and that will become effective as a permanent rule on February 2, 2011. Registered programs will not be required to meet the program registration standards for the new certificate title until September 2, 2011. No additional time is needed to comply with the proposed regulation before its stated effective date.
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
(a) Small businesses:
The proposed amendment applies to school districts and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) and institutions or higher education that offer teacher preparation programs. 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 purpose of the proposed amendment is to amend the current special education certification structure to ensure the demand for special education teachers at the adolescence level is met and to strengthen the preparation requirements for all teachers so they are able to work more effectively with students with disabilities.
2. COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS:
School districts and BOCES employing special education teachers with extensions must make a certified general education content specialist available to special education teachers assigned to teach special classes that have a content area extension for the purposes of consultation and co-teaching. The school district or BOCES will determine the length of the weekly collaborative meeting time and the co-teaching and will monitor the quality of the consultation and co-teaching. For students with disabilities teachers employed by a school enumerated in article 81, 85, 87, 88 or 89 of the Education Law or a special act school district that educates only students with disabilities and who cannot meet the co-teaching and consultation regulatory requirements, such schools must submit a plan acceptable to the Department with a description of the mentoring and collaboration the teacher will receive.
3. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:
No additional professional services are required for local governments to comply with the proposed amendment.
4. COMPLIANCE COSTS:
The State Education Department anticipates that all School districts and BOCES, including those in rural areas, will need to make a certified general education content specialist available for consultation and collaborative teaching to special education teachers holding a content area extension that are teaching a subject area. It is estimated that for each subject area, the equivalent of.25 FTEs will need to be employed for each subject area.
5. ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL FEASIBILITY:
The proposed amendment will not impose any additional technological requirements on small businesses.
6. MINIMIZING ADVERSE IMPACT:
In developing the proposed amendment, the State Education Department considered other approaches to meeting the needs of students with disabilities in the state, however, those approaches were not feasible. Because of the nature of the proposed amendment, establishing different standards for local governments is inappropriate.
7. SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION:
Over a three-year period beginning in 2007, the Department has engaged the field in trying to resolve the problems associated with the limited supply of adolescence special educators and improving the effectiveness of all teachers to work with students with disabilities. Since February 2007 the Department has been seeking guidance from New York State stakeholders through requests for comments, surveys and workgroup meeting, all of which were available for public participation. Local education agencies and institutions of higher education throughout the state participated in providing recommendations.
Rural Area Flexibility Analysis
1. TYPES AND ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF RURAL AREAS:
The proposed amendment will apply to all public school districts, boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES), State-operated and State-supported schools, approved private schools in the State and institutions of higher education with teacher preparation programs in all parts of the State, including the 44 rural counties with fewer than 200,000 inhabitants and the 71 towns in urban counties with a population density of 150 per square mile or less.
2. REPORTING, RECORDKEEPING AND OTHER COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS; AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:
The proposed amendment requires all registered teacher education programs to include a minimum of three semester hours in educating students with disabilities to ensure that all teachers are better prepared to skillfully collaborate with other teachers and to teach students with disabilities and defines what the three semester hour requirement shall include. The proposed amendment also requires that 15 of the 100 clock hours of field experience required for teacher education programs focus on students with disabilities and that 6 of the 40 clock hours of field experience for Transitional B programs focus on students with disabilities.
The proposed amendment changes the current certification structure for students with disabilities certificates for grades 5 through 9 and 7 through 12 and the registration requirements for programs leading to certificates in these areas. Candidates will no longer be able to enroll in special education teacher preparation programs that lead to students with disabilities (grades 5-9 generalist) and students with disabilities (grades 5-9-specialistt) and (grades 7-12-specialist) certificate titles after February 1, 2011. A certificate title in students with disabilities (grades 7-12- generalist will be created. For candidates seeking this certificate, the candidate will be required to complete six semester hours in mathematics, science, English language arts and social studies within their content core and have sufficient pedagogy to teach these subjects. Teachers holding this certificate will be eligible to be employed to teach in supportive roles such as consultant teachers, resource room service providers and integrated co-teachers.
Teachers holding the new students with disabilities (grades 7-12- generalist) will also have the option of obtaining an extension to this certificate, to authorize the teacher to be employed as the special class teacher of students with disabilities in a specific subject area, upon the completion of certain requirements. To obtain an extension in a specific subject, the teacher shall complete 18 semester hours of study or its equivalent in the subject area of the extension sought. For social studies, the candidate shall complete the 18 semester hours through a combination of study in United State history, world history and geography. This, coupled with passing the content specialty test in the specific subject area, will allow candidates to earn an extension to the base certificate to permit the teacher to be employed as the special class teacher of students with disabilities in that subject in the developmental level of their base certificate. Any district or BOCES that employs a candidate holding this extension must provide weekly collaboration between a certified general education content specialist in the subject area of the extension and the teacher holding the extension, with at least one period per month co-taught by both teachers. The length of the required weekly collaboration and co-taught lesson will be defined at the local level.
Schools enumerated in article 81, 85, 87, 88 or 89 of the Education Law or a special act school district that educates only students with disabilities and who cannot meet the regulatory requirement for collaboration and co-teaching for their employed special education teachers, must submit a plan acceptable to the Department with a description of the mentoring and collaboration the teacher will receive.
The proposed regulation also establishes requirements for individual evaluation for the new students with disabilities (grades 7-12- generalist) certificate by requiring candidates seeking a certificate in this area to complete, among other requirements, six semester hours in mathematics, science, social studies and English language arts and have sufficient pedagogical training to teach these subjects. The proposed amendment also phases out individual evaluation for the students with disabilities (grades 5-9- generalist) certificate and the students with disabilities (grades 5-9) and (grades 7-12) content specific certificates by requiring candidates to apply for these certificates prior to September 1, 2011 and to complete the requirements for such certificate before September 1, 2014 to obtain certification through individual evaluation in these titles.
The amendments do not impose any additional professional service requirements on rural areas, beyond those imposed by such federal statutes and regulations and State statutes.
3. COSTS:
The State Education Department anticipates that all School districts and BOCES, including those in rural areas, will need to make a certified general education content specialist available for consultation and collaborative teaching to special education teachers assigned to teach special classes that have a content area extension. It is estimated that for each subject area, the equivalent of.25 FTEs will need to be employed as a consultant for every four sections of the subject area.
The proposed amendment will also impose minimal costs on institutions of higher education with teacher preparation programs, including those in rural areas, as they plan for the phase out teacher preparation programs for students with disabilities programs leading to certification in 7-12 and 5-9 students with disabilities content specialist certificates and the 5-9 students with disabilities generalist certificate and design and apply for the new 7-12 students with disabilities generalist certificate titles with the option for a content area extension. It is not anticipated that institutions will need to hire additional faculty for the new programs.
4. MINIMIZING ADVERSE IMPACT:
The proposed amendment makes no exception for institutions, schools or BOCES that are located in rural areas. Because of the nature of the proposed amendment, establishing different standards for institutions located in rural areas of New York State is inappropriate.
5. RURAL AREA PARTICIPATION:
Since February 2007 the Department has been seeking guidance from New York State stakeholders through requests for comments, surveys and workgroup meeting, all of which were available for public participation. Local education agencies and institutions of higher education throughout the state participated in providing recommendations, including those located in rural areas of the State.
Job Impact Statement
The proposed amendment changes the existing structure of adolescence level students with disabilities certificates, strengthens the program registration requirements for all teachers to understand the needs of students with disabilities and establishes certain subject area extensions for students with disabilities teachers to teach a special class provided there is weekly collaboration with a certified content specialist in the subject being taught and monthly co-teaching. The State Education Department expects that the proposed amendment will not have a negative impact on the number of jobs or employment opportunities at higher education institutions, BOCES or school districts. Therefore, the amendment will have no negative impact on jobs or employment opportunities at these institutions. Because it is evident from the nature of the proposed amendment that it will have no negative impact on jobs and employment opportunities, no further steps were needed to ascertain these facts and none were taken. Accordingly, a job impact statement was not required and one was not prepared.
