BOARD OF REGENTS
EMSC Continued: Renewing the Learning Standards
In 2008 Chancellor Bennett asked the Board to lead an effort to review New York’s Learning Standards, beginning with the standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and English as a Second Language (ESL). The Regents adopted the current standards in 1996. They cover the major subjects including:
- English Language Arts,
- Mathematics, science, and technology,
- Social Studies,
- The arts,
- Languages other than English,
- Career development and occupational studies, and
- Health, physical education and family consumer sciences.
In conducting their review of the standards, the Regents are seeking recommendations from teachers, school administrators, members of the higher education community, business and community leaders, parents, and other state and national experts in each of the content areas. We have organized focus groups throughout the State that are open to the public.
New York raised the percentage of core classes taught by “highly qualified teachers” in all subjects in 2008. And the State narrowed the gap between high and low poverty schools. Overall in New York, 95.7% of classes in core academic subjects were taught by highly qualified teachers, an increase of 3.6% since 2005.