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

Board in Brief

This is "Board in Brief," issued at the request of Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester to bring you up to date on Board of Elementary and Secondary Education matters. This is a report on the regular meeting held on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at the Massachusetts Archives in Boston.

Comments from the Chairman

Commissioner Chester welcomed incoming Board members Maura O. Banta of Melrose (the Board chair-designate) and Beverly A. Holmes of Springfield, who were in the audience, and the newly elected chair of the Student Advisory Council, Andrew "AJ" Fajnzylber from Brookline High School. The three new members will begin their terms on July 1.

Commissioner Chester recognized Board member Christopher Anderson, who was not in attendance but whose term expires on June 30. The Commissioner said he appreciated Mr. Anderson's leadership as past chair of the Board and as a member, and said that Mr. Anderson was very helpful to him personally during his own transition to Massachusetts.

The commissioner congratulated Board Chairman Paul Reville and Board member Dana Mohler-Faria for their outstanding work on the Readiness Project report. The commissioner also recognized Ronald Honesty, the Department's director of grants management, for his selection as recipient of the 2008 achievement award from the Boston chapter of the Association of Government Accountants.

Commissioner Chester publicly acknowledged the two winners of this year's teacher of the year awards: George Watson, a Spanish teacher from Walpole High School, who was named the 2008-2009 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year; and David Mitchell, a History/Social Studies teacher from Masconomet Regional High School, who was named the 2008 Preserve America History Teacher of the Year.

The commissioner said the Department is seeking nominations to the advisory councils to advise the commissioner and the Board on matters related to improving public education and student achievement. He invited Board members to encourage qualified candidates to apply. The commissioner also announced that he will appoint a working group this summer to make recommendations to him on amending the MCAS Performance Appeals process to include Science and Technology/Engineering, which is part of the high school graduation requirement beginning with the class of 2010. The commissioner said he will bring his recommendations to the Board in August or September, and with the Board's approval, the proposed amendments will then be posted for public comment so the updated performance appeals process can be established during the 2008-09 school year.

Commissioner Chester referred Board members to the memorandum he distributed on conditions in the Greenfield Public Schools, and said he would keep Board members apprised of the situation.

Public Comment

Seven individuals spoke to the Board on topics including the MCAS read-aloud accommodation, the MCAS History and Social Science test, school libraries, and gifted and talented education.

Comments from the Chairman

Chairman Paul Reville said this would be his last meeting in the role of chairman, as he assumes the role of Secretary of Education on July 1. The chairman also said he is proud of the work that new Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell D. Chester has done during his first month on the job.

Chairman Reville acknowledged the release of the Readiness Project report and distributed copies to members. The chairman said the Department and the Board are great partners in this work to translate the Governor's vision into action.

The chairman noted that Board member Christopher Anderson was unable to attend the meeting due to a personal commitment, and said the Board would find an opportunity to honor him for his service. The chairman also welcomed new Board members Maura Banta (chair-designate), Beverly Holmes, and student Board member Andrew "AJ" Fajnzylber who will begin their service on July 1.

Chairman Reville announced that Board member Jeff Howard has graciously agreed to serve on the Commissioner's working group on amending the MCAS. Performance Appeals process to include Science and Technology/Engineering. The chairman also said the Board will find some time this summer for a retreat to plan for the work that lies ahead.

Chairman Reville said that as he transitions out of the role of chairman, he enjoyed the opportunity to work with the Board and the Department and appreciated the support of his colleagues. The chairman thanked Jeffrey Nellhaus, who he said served so well as Acting Commissioner, the new Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester, and others who have provided valuable assistance. The chairman said he has always seen the wide range of opinion on this Board as one of its greatest strengths. Chairman Reville said the work that lies ahead, outlined in the Readiness Project report, is nothing less than reinvention of the education system for the 21st century, and it will require all hands on deck. The chairman said this work will be done in partnership with the Department and the Board, and the expertise of the Department will be critically important.

Districts' Plans for Commonwealth Priority Schools

Chairman Reville noted that at the Board's May meeting, the commissioner presented recommendations from the State Review Panels that had reviewed the District Plans for School Intervention submitted by the nine Commissioner's Districts: Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester. This month Commissioner Chester made a recommendation to the Board to accept the districts' plans, with the understanding that he intends to review the current process and criteria for identifying and intervening in schools with low performance and to develop a system of accelerated technical support. He said the key question is whether the plans will improve student learning. He added that the Department is committed to monitoring results and providing service and support to the districts as they work with these 54 Commonwealth Priority Schools.

After discussing the plans and the supplementary material that the commissioner had provided, the Board voted to accept the plans from the nine districts.

Readiness Project

Chairman Reville led the Board in a discussion of the Governor's Readiness Project Action Plan, which was released in full earlier in the day during a ceremony at the JFK Library. The chairman said the premise is that while Massachusetts is a national leader in education reform, persistent and complex problems remain, including the correlation between low academic performance and poverty. Chairman Reville said the two priorities of the Readiness Project are to improve teaching and learning and to connect more deeply with the lives of children so they come to school ready to learn. Board member Dana Mohler-Faria added that the Readiness Project is intended to be comprehensive, cohesive, and very much child-focused.

Chairman Reville said the challenge is to deliver on the promise of education reform so that all students reach proficiency and beyond. The chairman echoed the Governor's statement earlier in the day, that "all means all." He said that as Secretary of Education, he would regularly convene the chairs of the boards (early education, elementary and secondary education, higher education) to initiate a collaborative planning process for this work.

English Language Arts Curriculum Framework Review: Second Progress Report

Commissioner Chester presented a second progress report to the Board on the work of the English Language Arts Curriculum Framework Review Panel. This work, which began in November 2007, is part of a systematic review of all seven curriculum frameworks to make them more accessible and stronger in academic content. Commissioner Chester noted that he is very interested in incorporating the recommendations of the Board's 21st Century Skills Task Force into this curriculum framework and others. Based on the Board's discussion, Commissioner Chester said he would ask the Panel to proceed, so that a draft of the updated English Language Arts Curriculum Framework can be presented to the Board this fall.

Charter Schools

The Board voted to approve proposed amendments for three charter schools: Conservatory Lab Charter School (grades served), Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (location of facilities), and Roxbury Preparatory Charter School (maximum enrollment and grades served).

Non-Operating Schools

By statute, towns that do not operate their own public schools (generally because the town is small and is not a member of a regional school district) must request and receive approval annually from the Board to tuition their students to public schools in other towns. The Board voted to approve these tuition arrangements for 20 school districts for the 2008-2009 school year.

Randolph Public Schools: Proposed Turnaround Plan

In November 2007, the Board voted to designate Randolph Public Schools as an underperforming district. In February 2008, the Board voted on actions and benchmarks for Randolph. The Board deferred action on the question of chronic underperformance and state receivership for the district for 120 days, with the understanding that the Department would appoint a District Support Team to work with local school, municipal, and community leaders to adopt a turnaround plan and to assist in a community-wide, consensus-building effort. At its May 2008 meeting, the Board received an update from the District Support Team, and the commissioner subsequently met with Randolph officials to discuss their plan. At the June 25th Board meeting, Supt. Richard Silverman and other representatives from Randolph presented their District Turnaround Plan to the Board.

The commissioner said he was recommending that the Board approve the Turnaround Plan for the following three reasons: (1) the Turnaround Plan has focused on critical priorities and has articulated broad strategies to address them; (2) the successful April 2008 override vote in Randolph has provided more resources for education in Randolph and indicates the community's willingness to assume responsibility for improving its schools; and (3) Randolph leaders have taken initial positive steps to craft a new, more collaborative working relationship with a shared focus on improving the quality of public education in the Randolph schools.

The Board voted to accept Randolph's Turnaround Plan. The Department will provide assistance and support for the turnaround efforts as the commissioner shall determine, and he will report periodically to the Board on Randolph's progress in implementing the District Turnaround Plan and improving student learning.

Authorization to Commissioner on Grants

The Board voted to authorize the commissioner, in consultation with the Chair and the members of the Board, to approve grants and any other matters that require action between the June meeting and the next regular Board meeting. Chairman Reville invited outgoing Student Advisory Council Chair Zachary Tsestos to summarize the Council's major accomplishments over the past year. Chairman Reville recognized new student Board member Andrew "AJ" Fajnzylber, who addressed the Board. The chairman thanked Mr. Tsetsos for his contributions to the Board's deliberations over the past year.

Next Meeting

The next regular meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, August 26, 2008. The August meeting date is subject to change. Please check the Board's website for the meeting schedule for 2008-09, which will be posted when it is confirmed.