Responding to comments from NYSUT and other education advocates, the Regents are moving to require more public participation in how the state's Contracts for Excellence funding is spent.

The program regulations, which are to be finalized later this month, call for districts to develop their contracts in consultation with parents, teachers, administrators and any distinguished educators appointed by the state to help them. There must be one public meeting and a 30-day written comment period. A public comment assessment must be posted on a school district Web site and the proposed contract must be posted on the district Web site within 48 hours after submitting it to the State Education Department.

Last year, with a rushed approval process, many districts prepared plans without public input, said SED Senior Deputy Commissioner Johanna Duncan-Poitier.

At the Regents' May meeting, Duncan-Poitier said more results-oriented data would be available later this month when test results are released for grade 3-8 assessments in math and English language arts.

In addition, independent audit reports will be done for all contract districts, which will show how district spending lived up to the contracts.

NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira said the union will be carefully monitoring the implementation of year two of the Contracts for Excellence, a program generally referred to as "C4E." She is pushing SED to use the shared decision-making process to ensure teachers are included in the process of developing the plan.

 - Sylvia Saunders