New York State Education Department Commissioner Richard P. Mills Subject Files

Arranged in three chronological groupings: 1. 1995 to 1997; 2. 1997 to 2000; 3. 2000 to 2007. Within each grouping, the files are arranged roughly alphabetically by categories determined by the Office of the Commissioner of Education: Commissioner's Office; Department Administration; Cultural Education; Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Continuing Education; Higher Education; VESID and Special Education; Organizations; Advisory Councils and Task Forces; State Agencies; and Yellow Copies.

Richard P. Mills was born November 28, 1944 in Paris, Illinois. He received a bachelors' degree in history from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1966, then took classes toward a master's degree at Columbia University. He postponed his master's studies in 1967 to teach history at the Dalton School in New York City, after which he joined four other teachers in founding Elizabeth Seeger School, an alternative private high school in Manhattan. After seven years of teaching, he returned to Columbia University to receive master's degrees in American history and business administration, after which he earned his Ph.D. in education from Teachers' College at Columbia University in 1977. Mills served in various capacities within the New Jersey Department of Education, ultimately becoming a top education advisor to New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, assisting him in the state takeover of Jersey City's public schools. In 1988, Mills was named Commissioner of Education in Vermont. In his seven years as commissioner in Vermont, he became known for creating a "portfolio" approach to student assessment, where students were evaluated based on a portfolio of their written work, rather than periodic standardized tests. In 1995, Mills was chosen to succeed Thomas Sobol as President of the University of the State of New York and Commissioner of Education of New York State.

Mills tenure involved an aggressive effort to raise standards and improve underperforming schools in New York State. Along with the New York State Board of Regents, Mills embarked on a plan in 1995 to order the closing or reorganization of failing schools, as determined by graduation rates and standardized test scores. This type of direct intervention was rarely undertaken in the past by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), but was used frequently during Mills' tenure to compel reform in individual schools, particularly in New York City. Also, the State Legislature in 1995 gave the commissioner the power to oust local school boards if they did not take adequate measures to improve underperforming schools. Commissioner Mills used this power that year to remove some of the authority of the Roosevelt School Board, and in 2002, he removed the school board entirely, allowing for the state takeover of the Roosevelt School District. Mills' tenure also saw a State Education Department lawsuit against the New York City Board of Education for hiring uncertified teachers. Beginning in 2000, the department increased its focus on closing achievement gaps based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status, spurred on in later years by requirements set forth in No Child Left Behind, the 2003 reauthorization of ESEA.

Somewhat ironically, considering his advocacy of portfolio-based assessments as commissioner in Vermont, Mills made the use of standardized testing a centerpiece of state education policy. In 1995, Mills proposed that all high school students be required to take the Regents High School Examinations, rather than the less-demanding Regents Competency Exams, essentially mandating that all students take college-preparatory courses. In 1996, Mills, with the Board of Regents' approval, mandated that all students, beginning in 2000, be required to pass a series of Regents High School Examinations in various subjects in order to receive a high school diploma. As the 2000 deadline approached, this requirement became controversial, as schools struggled to upgrade their curricula to meet the tougher standards reflected in the tests. Furthermore, in 1998, Mills ordered that exams for students in the fourth and eighth grades be made more stringent, with more advanced math, reading comprehension, and essay-writing requirements. Through the next decade, Mills continued to advocate for tougher standards and use of standardized testing despite periodic concerns about high failure rates for the Regents Exams and "alternative schools" asking for exemptions from administering the exams.

On June 30, 2009, Richard Mills resigned from the office of Commissioner of Education, and was replaced by David M. Steiner.

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.

W0108-05, W0108-08, W0108-10, W0108-10A: These records were transferred by the State Education Department in 2005, 2008, and 2010 respectively and originally accessioned as part of Series 15080. When Series 15080 was separated into individual series corresponding to each commissioner in 2017, the records were re-designated Series W0108.

This series description was enhanced as part of the States' Impact on Federal Education Policy Project (SIFEPP), in November 2006. The New York Community Trust - Wallace Special Projects Fund provided funding for this project.

This series may contain material to which access is restricted. Archives staff will review requested documents and disclose information pursuant to New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).

W0108-10: Personnel records found in this accretion are restricted to protect personal privacy.