District/School Administration Administration
Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Board in Brief
Tuesday, March 26, 2002

This is "Board in Brief," issued at the request of Commissioner David Driscoll to bring you up to date on Board of Education matters. This is a report on the regular monthly meeting held on Tuesday, March 26, 2002, at the Springfield Central High School in Springfield.

Vice Chairman Henry Thomas welcomed the Board to Springfield, and introduced Superintendent of Schools Joseph Burke, Principal Celeste Budd-Jackson, and School Committee Vice Chair Marjorie Hearst, who gave the Board a brief update on education reform in Springfield.

Chairman James Peyser updated the Board on a report released this week by Mass Insight, entitled Taking Charge: Urban High School Students Speak Out about MCAS, Academics, and Extra-Help Programs. The report is based on interviews of 140 students who did not pass the grade 10 MCAS on their first attempt. Most of the students reported that they are working harder and are getting extra help in math, reading and writing as a result of the MCAS, and that they believe they will be able to meet the tenth grade standard. Chairman Peyser said "Students are clearly motivated to pass the MCAS, and they understand the connection between their effort and improvement." The full report can be found at http://www.massinsight.org

Commissioner Driscoll noted that the Department will issue a report at the end of April 2002 on the cumulative percentage of students in the Class of 2003 who have now earned a competency determination based on the results of two test administrations - the Spring 2001 MCAS and the December 2001 MCAS retest. The report, which will indicate results by school and district, will be calculated based on student enrollments from April 2001 and October 2001.

Report and Recommendations of the Joint Committee on Educational Policy, Keeping the Promise: Multiple Pathways to a High School Diploma

Chairman Peyser briefed the Board on a recent report by the Joint Committee on Educational Policy (JCEP). Governor Swift established the JCEP by Executive Order in October 2001. The JCEP consists of the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board of Education and the Board of Higher Education, the Commissioner of Education and the Chancellor of Higher Education. The Executive Order directed the JCEP to "explore options for those students who complete high school without a competency determination to earn their high school diploma, and advise the Governor as to such options." The JCEP report, Keeping the Promise: Multiple Pathways to a High School Diploma, includes policy recommendations as well as technical, logistical, and financial issues which will be discussed further by the Board at a future meeting.

Report on Implementation of Federal ESEA/No Child Left Behind Act

Deputy Commissioner Mark McQuillan gave the Board an overview of the major elements of the No Child Left Behind Act, which reauthorizes the Title I program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and requires states to implement accountability systems for academic improvement covering all public schools and students. It includes new programs to strengthen reading instruction as well as programs addressing educator quality and many other important provisions. The Commissioner announced that the Department is holding conferences around the state in April to inform schools and districts about the NCLB Act.

The Board also heard presentations on two specific components of the NCLB Act. Associate Commissioner Juliane Dow reported on the implementation of the school performance rating process that has been in effect since 1999 and how it relates to the new accountability provisions of the federal law. John Bynoe, Administrator for Learning Support Services, reported on the Department's school safety initiatives and the changes to the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act that have been made through the NCLB Act.

Update on History and Social Science Framework

Sandra Stotsky, Senior Associate Commissioner, updated the Board on the revision of the History and Social Science curriculum framework. In December 2001 the Board voted to solicit public comment on proposed revisions to the framework. Chairman Peyser noted that the process has been very open and the Department has received a great deal of comment from many different perspectives, both in writing and at public forums that the Department sponsored. The Board discussed the variety of views on the scope and sequence of History and Social Science courses from elementary through high school. After careful consideration of the comments from the field and from the Board, Commissioner Driscoll plans to bring a revised framework to the Board for a vote later this spring.

Other Business

The Board voted to approve $2.14 million in grants under the following federal programs: Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education for Adult Learners; Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Special Populations Support Projects; Exemplary Models in Career and Technical Education; and Curriculum and Professional Development in Adult Basic Education; and under one state program: Summer Food Service Program Expansion. The Board approved a School Building Assistance grant for construction of a new Worcester vocational-technical high school, and voted to approve the final School Building Assistance costs and grant amounts for 35 previously authorized school construction projects. The Board also voted on a procedural matter relating to an adjudicatory hearing requested by the Lynn Community Charter School, concerning the Board's February 2002 decision not to renew the school's charter.

Next Meeting

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.