Board in Brief
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
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, June 28, 2005, at Clark University in Worcester.
Comments from the Chairman
Chairman James A. Peyser opened the meeting by thanking the University Park Campus School and Clark University for hosting the Board meeting. Worcester Superintendent James Caradonio and Clark University President John Basset welcomed the Board. Chairman Peyser read two citations, from the Board and the Governor, to outgoing member Roberta Schaefer. Chairman Peyser thanked Dr. Schaefer for her decade of service in support of education reform. Dr. Schaefer said that her service on the Board has given her a profound appreciation for the work that public educators do every day.
Comments from the Commissioner
Commissioner Driscoll thanked departing Board members Roberta Schaefer and Emily Levine for their contributions and service to the Board of Education. Ms. Levine introduced the newly elected Student Advisory Council Chair, Jonathan Urbach, a senior at Falmouth High School. Mr. Urbach's service as a member of the Board will begin at the July meeting.
Amendment to Add a Science and Technology/Engineering Requirement to the Competency Determination Regulations
The Board voted to adopt an amendment to add science and technology/engineering to the high school competency determination requirement, starting with the class of 2010. The amended regulation requires students to pass a high school level MCAS test in one of the following content areas: biology, chemistry, introductory physics, or technology/engineering, in addition to passing the MCAS English language arts and mathematics tests as a condition of graduation. Chairman Peyser noted this is an important step in implementing the state education reform act, which directs the Board to establish the competency determination in five academic areas. Commissioner Driscoll said the Department will review data from the 2006 and 2007 MCAS tests in order to inform the Board about school readiness for the addition of the science and technology/engineering tests to the competency determination for the class of 2010.
School and District Accountability System
The Board voted to approve the attendance and graduation measures that will be used as additional performance indicators for Cycle IV (2005 and 2006) in the School and District Accountability System, in compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The Board's vote retains the same measures and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) cut-points that were used for Cycle III (2003 and 2004), as follows. For elementary and middle schools and school districts, the additional indicator is average attendance based on year-end data, and the cut-point is a rate of 92% or higher or a 1% or greater improvement in average attendance compared to the previous year. For high schools, the additional indicator is the grade 12 competency determination attainment rate, and the cut-point is a rate of 70% or higher.
Commissioner Driscoll updated the Board on the twelve schools selected to serve as 2005 Commonwealth Compass Schools. The purpose of the Compass Schools program is to recognize and celebrate improvement in Massachusetts schools, and to disseminate good ideas, effective practices and models for success. The schools that earned recognition this year are: Andover High School, Andover; Thompson Elementary School, Arlington; Sarah Greenwood Elementary School, Boston; South Street Elementary School, Fitchburg; Framingham High School, Framingham; Community Day Charter Public School, Lawrence; Turkey Hill Middle School, Lunenburg; Lynnfield High School, Lynnfield; H.H. Galligan Elementary School, Taunton; Franklin Avenue School, Westfield; Lawrence W. Pingree School, Weymouth; and Mill Swan Communication Skills Center, Worcester. The twelve schools will be honored at a State House ceremony in the fall.
Associate Commissioner Juliane Dow presented a progress report from the Winchendon Public Schools. In April 2005 the Board voted to accept the turn-around plan submitted by the Winchendon Public Schools to address the issues that led the Board to declare Winchendon an underperforming school district. The Department is continuing to work closely with Winchendon and the other underperforming districts and schools.
English Language Learners: Educator Licensure Issues
The Board had an initial discussion on ways to strengthen the preparation, knowledge and skills of teachers who teach English language learners in elementary and subject matter classes, outside of intensive English language development classes. Based on the discussion, the Commissioner will bring specific proposals back to the Board for consideration at a future meeting.
Amendments to Regulations on Essex Agricultural Technical High School
The Board voted to approve amendments to regulations on Essex Agricultural Technical High School, a former county agricultural school that is now governed by a board of trustees in accordance with Chapter 74A of the General Laws. The amendments update the regulations (603 CMR 45.00) and clarify that the school, as a state-approved vocational technical school, is subject to the Board's regulations on vocational technical education, including the requirements concerning licensure of vocational technical superintendents.
Annual Performance Evaluation of the Commissioner
The Board voted to approve the Commissioner's performance evaluation. In May, Chairman Peyser appointed a committee of Board members to conduct the Commissioner's annual performance evaluation. The committee, using four criteria for evaluating the Commissioner's performance, rated his performance over the last year as "outstanding" and proposed a 4% salary increase, effective July 1, 2005. In voting unanimously to approve the committee's recommendation, Board members commended Commissioner Driscoll for his strong leadership, particularly in supporting the Board's work, building external support for Board policies, managing the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and raising student performance.
Charter Schools
The Board approved amendments to the charters of Lowell Community and Seven Hills Charter Schools. Both schools requested an amendment to their charters because they have terminated or are terminating their contractual relationships with educational management organizations and are revising their governance structures accordingly.
The Board also approved extended loan terms for Four Rivers Charter School (Greenfield) and the Media and Technology Charter High School (MATCH) in Boston.
Approval of Grants
The Board voted to approve grants totaling $818,000 for Adult Basic Education programs: $118,000 in federal funds for program and staff development regional support centers, and $700,000 in state funds for "transition to community college" programs.
Annual Approval Items
The Board voted to approve non-operating school requests from 21 communities for the 2005-2006 school year. By statute, towns that do not operate their own public schools must request and receive approval annually from the Board to tuition their students to public schools in other towns.
The Board also voted to authorize the Commissioner, in consultation with the Chairman and members of the Board, to approve grants and other matters that require action before the next Board meeting. Commissioner Driscoll will report to the Board on any such approvals.
Schedule for Regular Board Meetings through June 2006
The Board approved its regular meeting schedule through June 2006. The schedule will be posted on the Department's website, at http://www.doe.mass.edu/boe
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Thursday, July 28, 2005 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.
last updated: July 5, 2005
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