§ 215-c. Promoting cost-effectiveness in public elementary and
secondary schools. 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section,
the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) "cost-effectiveness" shall mean one or more measures of the
efficient use of school district resources relative to school
performance in accordance with state educational standards, as
determined by the department.

(b) "cost-effective practices" shall mean those practices which most
efficiently use limited resources to produce a particular outcome or set
of outcomes in accordance with state educational standards.

(c) "board" shall mean the board of regents of the state of New York.

2. The board and the commissioner shall wherever practicable promote
cost-effectiveness and cost-effective practices in the public elementary
and secondary schools and boards of cooperative educational services of
the state. As part of the effort pursuant to this section, by January
first, nineteen hundred ninety-eight and periodically thereafter, the
commissioner shall (a) identify current structures, policies, laws and
regulations which hinder cost-effectiveness in schools and school
districts; (b) identify cost-effective districts by determining which
schools or school districts have demonstrated significant achievement or
improvement relative to resource allocation in such areas as student
performance, instruction, management, business administration, early
childhood education and such other areas as the board deems appropriate;
(c) identify cost-effective action, policies, practices and programs
which may be successfully replicated in other school districts; and (d)
recommend or, to the extent feasible, develop specific cost-effective
ways in which to encourage, recognize and reward academic improvement
and success in school districts, and remove existing penalties and
fiscal disincentives to such improvement or success.

3. The commissioner shall consult with school district administrators,
district superintendents and superintendents of schools, teachers,
school board members, parents, students, non-pedagogical school support
personnel, representatives from post-secondary institutions and other
pertinent groups and individuals in determining cost-effective programs
pursuant to subdivision two of this section.

4. The commissioner shall disseminate information to school district
administrators, school board members and other interested parties on how
cost-effective practices can be used and applied in school districts,
individual schools and the classroom. Such information shall include a
summary of exemplary cost-effective practices among school districts
receiving apportionments pursuant to subparagraph one of paragraph h of
subdivision fourteen of section thirty-six hundred two of this chapter.