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

Board in Brief
Tuesday, August 24, 2004

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, August 24, 2004 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.

Comments from the Commissioner

Commissioner Driscoll opened the meeting by noting a recent report by the State Auditor on the School Building Assistance program. Staffing shortages in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have delayed the Department's audits of school building projects, as noted in the report. The Governor signed legislation late in July creating a new School Building Authority. The Commissioner has met with State Treasurer Tim Cahill to begin the transition of the SBA program from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to the Treasurer's office. The new Authority board, of which the Commissioner is a member, will now be responsible for the project approvals and other program decisions previously made by the Board of Education.

Commissioner Driscoll gave the Board a brief report on educator license revocations. He said that the Department and local school officials need to continue to be diligent in addressing this issue, both for the safety and well-being of students, and for the integrity of the educational profession. The Commissioner thanked Department staff members Cathleen Cavell and Frank Shea for their work investigating and prosecuting educator misconduct cases, and said he is considering budgetary and legislative recommendations to support these efforts.

Commissioner Driscoll updated the Board on his decision this past spring to eliminate the dictation portion of the Communications and Literacy Skills test of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). The dictation section was intended to test candidates on spelling, capitalization and punctuation. Concerns had been raised about the test's accessibility to candidates who are deaf or hard of hearing. As a result, the Department asked National Evaluation Systems (NES), the contractor for the MTEL, to design a written test that thoroughly evaluates the same skills of spelling, capitalization and punctuation while maintaining the same high standards the Department required of the original format. The Commissioner said he is pleased that NES was able to comply. The dictation portion of the Communication and Literacy Skills test will be replaced as of the September 2004 test administration.

The Commissioner updated the Board on the final FY 05 state budget for education. The Department is seeking a supplemental appropriation for the MCAS testing program. The Commissioner said he will keep the Board apprised of any changes to the MCAS testing program that may be necessitated by the budget shortage in this area.

Chairman James Peyser noted that the FY 05 budget included language changing the composition of the Board of Education, whose size will remain at nine members (one seat is currently vacant). Specifically, in FY 06, the Governor will appoint one member to the Board representing parents of school children, from a list of three nominees from the state Parent Teachers' Association. Another provision of the FY 05 budget creates a new Board and Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to oversee early childhood functions currently housed at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Office for Child Care Services, and the Department of Public Health. By April 1, 2005, the new Board of EEC must appoint a Commissioner. The EEC Commissioner will serve as a member of both the Board of Education and the Board of Higher Education.

School Performance

Associate Commissioner Juliane Dow updated the Board on school performance reviews. As a result of the Department's Winter 2004 Panel Review cycle, eight schools (three in Boston, one in Lowell and four in Springfield) were declared to be under-performing. Under the Regulations on Under-Performing Schools and Districts, schools that have been declared to be under-performing must undergo a fact-finding review. The Board received copies of the fact-finding reports. Working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the eight schools will use these reports and the results of the performance improvement mapping process to develop school improvement plans, which they will present to the Board at the October meeting.

The Board also received an update on the seven schools that have been selected to serve as 2004 Commonwealth Compass Schools, based on their exemplary school improvement. This year's Compass Schools include one technical high school (Franklin County Technical School), five elementary schools (Hooks School in Chelsea, Barbieri School in Framingham, Taylor School in New Bedford, Merrymount School in Quincy and Machon School in Swampscott), and one PreK-8 school (McKay School in Boston). The Compass Schools will be honored at an event on October 5th at the State House, and will present at the Pathways Conference that the Department is sponsoring on November 8th. Chairman Peyser congratulated the schools for the progress they have demonstrated.

Charter Schools

The Board voted to renew the charter for Neighborhood House Charter School in Boston, which serves students in grades PreK-8. Chairman Peyser said the school has been a leader in student performance and achievement, and in communicating and disseminating best practices.

The Board also had an initial discussion of the renewal of the charter for Media and Technology Charter High School in Boston. The renewal of this charter will come to the Board for action at the September meeting.

The Board voted to approve an amendment to the charter for Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter School. The amendment allows the school to locate in Williamstown on a temporary basis while the school's permanent location in Adams completes the permitting and inspection processes.

Amendments to Regulations

The Board voted to solicit public comment on proposed amendments to the school finance regulations, 603 CMR 10.07, to conform to recent amendments to the governing statute for the special education reimbursement ("circuit breaker") program. After the comment period, the Commissioner will bring the amendments back to the Board for final action in October.

The Board also voted to approve amendments to the Regulations on Under-Performing Schools and School Districts, 603 CMR 2.00. The proposed amendments clarify the respective roles of the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability and the Commissioner/Board of Education, incorporate recommendations of the Governor's Task Force on State Intervention in Under-Performing Districts, and make some editorial changes.

School District Performance

Holyoke Supt. Eduardo Carballo and Mayor Michael Sullivan, and Winchendon Acting Supts. George Blaisdell and Eugene Thayer, updated the Board on the district improvement planning in their districts. In November 2003, the Board voted to declare the Holyoke Public Schools and the Winchendon Public Schools under-performing school districts. Under the Board's Regulations on Under-Performing Schools and School Districts, districts that have been declared to be under-performing must submit a written plan that identifies the specific actions the district will take to improve student performance in all its schools. The final district improvement plans from Holyoke and Winchendon will come to the Board for action at a later meeting.

The Board discussed the Tier II report on the Southbridge Public Schools prepared by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA) and transmitted to the Board by the Educational Management Audit Council (EMAC). Joe Rappa, the director of EQA, presented a brief overview of the report. Southbridge Superintendent Jo Ann Austin presented the district's response to the report. After reviewing all the information presented, the Commissioner will make a recommendation to the Board about next steps, in accordance with the Board's Regulations on Under-Performing Schools and School Districts.

Approval of Grants

The Board voted to approve $12,163,118 in grants under the following federal programs: Model Technology Integration, Enhancing Education through Technology, Even Start Family Literacy, McKinney-Vento Homeless Education, Massachusetts Research-Based Career Development Education, Massachusetts 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and Adult Basic Education Distance Learning. The Board also received information on the state and federal grants that the Commissioner approved during the summer under the authorization that the Board voted at the June meeting.

Information Session on Educator Licensure

Associate Commissioner Bob Bickerton and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education administrators Carol Gilbert and Brian Devine presented an information session for the Board on educator licensure, as requested by the Board this spring. The information session highlighted key issues in the educator licensure standards and procedures.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, September 28, 2004 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.