Research


Scope and Content Note

This series contains correspondence, reports, meeting materials, speeches, and other materials documenting the tenure of Richard Mills as President of the University of the State of New York and Commissioner of Education of New York State. Included are materials that document each of the major deputy-level offices of NYSED: Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education (EMSC); Higher Education and Professions; Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID); and Cultural Education. EMSC documentation includes materials related to assessment, regional school services, New York City field services, and workforce preparation. Materials related to standards and assessments are particularly numerous, and include correspondence with teachers and superintendents regarding the content and fairness of revised, high-stakes Regents examinations, as well as regarding curriculum revisions needed to meet the standards reflected in the Regents exams. Also included are materials related to underperforming schools placed on a list of schools under registration review (SURR), including notes and correspondence from site visits made to these schools by Commissioner Mills and department staff. Higher education materials include files related to quality assurance, teaching, and the Regents College, a non-traditional degree-granting unit for adult learners. Materials related to the Office of Professions include letters from individuals appealing their denial of professional licensure, and letters of complaint against members of professions regulated by NYSED. VESID materials include performance reports, correspondence with politicians and advocates for the disabled, and other materials related to special education and employment for the disabled. Also included are materials related to the New York State School for the Blind and School for the Deaf.

Also included in the series are materials from various task forces, advisory councils, and organizations with which Commissioner Mills was involved. Especially prevalent are the Council of Chief State School Officers; the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching; the National Center on Education and the Economy; the New York State United Teachers; the Annenberg Foundation; and the New York State Council of School Superintendents. Also included are materials from the Advisory Councils on Special Education Services, Adult Learning Services, Non-Public Schools, Rural Schools, School Board Members, and School District Administration. Mills' office also kept files of correspondence from various state agencies, the Governor's Office, and the State Assembly, particularly concerning yearly budget proposals. There are a number of organizations related to standards and assessments represented in the series, including Achieve, Inc., Education Trust, Educational Testing Service, and the National Education Goals Panel.

Also noteworthy are subject files related to specific educational topics with which Commissioner Mills was especially engaged. Among these are standards and accountability, educational leadership, and school reform. In particular, there are programs, correspondence, and other materials related to the 1996 Education Summit, which featured governors, business leaders, chief state school officers, and other prominent individuals, including President Bill Clinton. Also evident in the series is the department's focus on organizational effectiveness and accountability. This focus is reflected in the inclusion of quarterly reports from each of the deputy-level offices of NYSED, as well as notes, presentation materials, and research material from strategic planning sessions and leadership development seminars.