Board in Brief
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
This is "Board in Brief," issued at the request of Commissioner David P. Driscoll to bring you up to date on Board of Education matters. This is a report on the regular meeting held on Tuesday, March 25, 2003 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.
Commissioner Driscoll opened the meeting by reporting on the results of the most recent MCAS performance appeals. He reported that to date, nearly 1,000 appeals have been submitted, including more than 400 in the latest round between January 25 and March 13. The Appeals Board reviewed about 280 submissions for this appeal period. Of the remaining appeals, about 60 are portfolios that will be reviewed in early April and 65 were withdrawn because the students passed the December re-test. Consistent with earlier submissions, about 50% of appeals are being granted, about 35% are being returned for more information, and about 15% are denied because the student does not meet the eligibility requirements or has too low a grade point average.
The Commissioner reported on the Department's initial implementation of the federally funded Reading First initiative, a major component of the No Child Left Behind Act. Massachusetts is the first state in the Northeast to receive this grant, which totals more than $15 million this year and $100 million over six years. The program is intended to help school districts improve reading instruction so that all students are reading at or above grade level by the end of grade 3. Later in the meeting, the Board approved over $11 million in initial grants to 38 school districts under the Reading First program.
Commissioner Driscoll reported that the House Committee on Ways and Means is expected to release its FY 04 budget on April 23. He also noted a monograph published by the Center on Education Policy called Teaching to the Test: The Good, the Bad, and Who's Responsible. The report credits the Massachusetts standards and assessments for helping teachers and students to focus on critical skills, including writing.
Lawrence Public Schools Partnership: Proposal to Update Agreement
The Board voted unanimously to authorize an extension of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education/Lawrence Public Schools Partnership through August 31, 2005. The partnership was first established through a memorandum of agreement in 1998. The agreement was last renewed in 2002 and it expires in August 2003. The new agreement will be the final extension of the partnership.
Associate Commissioner Juliane Dow provided a brief history of the partnership and introduced Eugene Thayer and Matt George, both former superintendents, who serve as the Department's representatives on the partnership team. They have been advising Lawrence officials and administrators on budget, personnel, contracts, collective bargaining, major policy issues and improvement planning. They commended the Superintendent, Mayor and School Committee for their cooperation and said they have seen great professional growth in the district's leadership.
Lawrence Mayor (and School Committee Chair) Michael Sullivan, School Committee Vice Chair Suzanne Piscitello and Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy presented an overview of recent accomplishments in the Lawrence Public Schools. They thanked the Board and the Commissioner for supporting the partnership, which Superintendent Laboy said has provided invaluable guidance and support. He said several elements were vital to the district's progress: (1) the initial fact-finding report that provided direction on governance, management, teaching and learning; (2) development of a core curriculum to address weaknesses identified in the report; (3) promotion of good teaching practices; (4) ongoing assessment in English language arts and mathematics to inform and adjust teaching; and (5) alignment of professional development for teachers with the district's goals. Superintendent Laboy concluded, "We're not where we want to be, but we're way ahead of where we used to be." The Superintendent said Lawrence views the Department as a "critical friend," and he thanked Commissioner Driscoll for his accessibility and support.
Review of the Improvement Plans from Henry Lord Middle School, Fall River; Dr. William Peck Middle School, Holyoke; and Putnam Vocational Technical High School, Springfield
The Board voted to accept the improvement plans presented by the Henry Lord Middle School in Fall River, Dr. William Peck Middle School in Holyoke, and Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield. Under the Regulations on Under-Performing Schools and School Districts, schools that have been declared under-performing must submit plans for improving student achievement to the Board. The Department evaluates each plan based on a rubric developed for this purpose as well as the detailed fact-finding report that identifies the school's areas of strength and weakness. The Commissioner then makes a recommendation to the Board as to whether to accept the plan. Associate Commissioner Juliane Dow gave an overview of the process and introduced the school and district representatives to present their plans: Fall River Supt. Richard Pavao and Lord School Principal Kurt Peterson; Holyoke Supt. Eduardo Carballo and Peck School Principal Alex Borelli; and Springfield Supt. Joseph Burke and Putnam High School Principal William Goodwin. The school officials thanked the Department staff for their help and commended the performance improvement mapping process that the Department coordinated.
No Child Left Behind Act: Standards for Identifying Unsafe Schools
The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires each state to adopt a standard for determining "persistently dangerous" schools. The law provides school choice options for students in such a school as well as for any student who is the victim of a violent crime in school. The Board voted unanimously to approve the Standards for Determining Unsafe Schools as presented by the Commissioner, with one amendment. As adopted, the policy says a "persistently dangerous" school is a school that meets either of the following criteria for three consecutive years: one or more students have been expelled for violation of the federal Gun-Free Schools Act, or the number of students who have been permanently excluded or expelled from school for more than 45 days for weapons or physical assaults or violent crimes exceeds 1.5% of the student enrollment.
Commissioner Driscoll and John Bynoe, Associate Commissioner for Student Support Services, explained that the Massachusetts policy is intended to assist local educators in improving the school climate and school safety by implementing prevention and early intervention. It also aims at helping schools to collaborate with parents, community agencies, law enforcement officials and others to prevent and address school violence. The Department will provide information and training for school staff on the new policy during the next several months.
Proposed Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences
The Board briefly discussed the Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences that will be included as Part II of the proposed Early Childhood Program Standards. The guidelines, drafted by the Department and the Early Childhood Advisory Council, are intended to help early childhood programs meet educational standards as well as health and safety requirements. The Board reviewed an earlier draft of the guidelines in June 2001 and released the draft for public comment. After further revision, the guidelines will be incorporated into the Early Childhood Program Standards that will be presented to the Board for approval at the April meeting.
Management Contract for the Holyoke Community Charter School
The Board voted (5-1) to grant conditional approval to the management contract between Holyoke Community Charter School and Springfield Education Management, LLC. The Board's approval is conditional on its review and approval of an amendment to the charter for the school. Under General Laws chapter 71, section 89, and 603 CMR 1.00, the Board of Education must approve the contract of a charter school that intends to procure substantially all educational services under contract with another person, either as part of the original charter or by way of an amendment thereto. Board Chairman James Peyser noted that while the new management contract meets legal requirements, the contract changes the nature of the charter school. The Board's decision to give the contract conditional approval permits the charter school to proceed with financing and construction, while preserving the Board's discretion to review and vote on the charter amendment at an upcoming meeting.
Approval of Federal Grants
The Board approved $12.5 million in federal grants, including over $11.4 million in grants to Massachusetts school districts under the Reading First program. The other federal grants included funds for special education leadership training (Project FOCUS); curriculum content institutes for educators' professional development in the spring and summer of 2003; family literacy (Even Start); dissemination of successful charter school practices; and after-school academic enrichment (21st Century Community Learning Centers).
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.
last updated: March 28, 2003
|
State Government · State Services 
