District/School Administration Administration
Board in Brief

Thursday, May 25, 1995

This is Board in Brief, issued at the request of Commissioner Bob Antonucci, to bring you up to date on Board of Education developments of interest to the Department staff. The following is a report on the Board meeting held on Tuesday, May 23, at Westboro High School in Westboro.

Report of the Commissioner

The FY 1996 Budget
Commissioner Antonucci reported that the debate on the FY 1996 state education budget is underway in the Senate. Henotedthat an amendment to decrease the Department administration budget has been defeated. Compromise will be reached in conference committee. He will keep the Board updated on the status of the budget.

McDuffy Case

The Commissioner informed the Board that the plaintiffs in the McDuffy case have filed a motion for further relief, asking the Supreme Judicial Court to review and determine the constitutional adequacy of the Education Reform Act, including the foundation budget. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is working with the Attorney General and the Administration to respond to the plaintiffs' motion.

Special Education

The Commissioner briefed the Board on the recent Federal special education report, which was critical of special education in Massachusetts. He emphasized that there are inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the report, and he has appealed its findings. While agreeing that Massachusetts can and will improve some of its monitoring procedures, he said, "It's frustrating that the report doesn't reflect the good work of the Department and school districts, and our many positive achievements in special education." He will continue to inform the Board on his work with the U.S. Office for Special Education Programs.

Report of the Chairman of the Board

Chairman of the Board Martin Kaplan introduced newly appointed Board member Abigail Thernstrom of Lexington. She replaces Richard Rowe of Belmont, whose term expired.

Chairman Kaplan informed the members of the Board that Commissioner Antonucci received the Ida M. Johnston Alumni Award from the Boston University School of Education on Saturday, May 20, "for extraordinary achievements as an Elementary and Middle School Teacher, an Assistant Principal, Director of Adult Education, Superintendent of Schools, and Commissioner of Education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in a career unified around a spirit exemplifying excellence and integrity to the profession; for providing leadership to foster quality education in the Commonwealth; for an unending zeal in developing and providing technical assistance for all school systems; for leadership in strengthening relationships between institutions of higher education and public education; and for steadfast loyalty and dedication to his Alma Mater."

Additionally, he noted that Senior Associate Commissioner Mary-Beth Fafard will be honored by the University of Oregon School of Education as its 1995 Alumna of the Year.

Board member Erin Megin, a senior at Westboro High School, was recognized by Chairman Kaplan and Commissioner Antonucci for her year of service on the Board. She was presented with a citation and a gift from the Board.

The Board then engaged in an extensive discussion on three major issues in Education Reform; student assessment; evaluation of teachers and administrators; and draft curriculum frameworks for Mathematics and Science & Technology.

Student Assessment

Commissioner Antonucci introduced Ed Roeber of the Council of Chief State School Officers, who was invited to join the Board to provide a perspective on what other states are doing and have learned about student assessment. The discussion centered on several critical policy issues needing resolution before the Board adopts standards for the Competency Determination and the Certificates of Occupational Proficiency and Mastery. The issues include: time to develop and implement a valid and reliable assessment system; budget and staffing; preparation of students and schools for the new assessment and the consequences that flow from it; and inclusion of students with disabilities or who are not yet proficient in English.

Referring to the inadequate level of funding for this initiative in the proposed FY 1996 budget, Board member Paul Reville noted that assessment is a key component of Education Reform and requires appropriate financial support. Several Board members asked what other states have done to avoid having a new state graduation requirement increase the dropout rate. Member Frank Haydu said the Board should balance consequences to students, such as denial of a diploma, and consequences to schools that are responsible to prepare students to meet high standards. Vice Chair Madelaine Marquez said the challenge is to assure that assessment is a tool for educational improvement, not just a way to punish the underserved.

Board member Abigail Thernstrom (seated third from the left) and several other members pressed the need for objective and reliable measures of student performance, in relation to uniform standards. The merits of various forms of assessment -- multiple choice and open-ended questions, portfolio assessment, and others -- were discussed, as was the approach of using multiple measures of student performance, with accommodations and alternatives as needed for diverse populations. Board member Stacy Scott stressed the importance of building teacher ownership of the assessment process, so that it will be used to improve teaching and learning as well as for accountability.

Commissioner Antonucci described the next steps. He will soon select a contractor to begin developing the assessment system, and he intends to pursue vigorously the funding that is needed. The MEAP will likely be given again in 1996, since it was included in both the Governor's House I and the Senate Ways and Means budget proposal. The Department is continuing to study other states' experience in their assessment programs, in order not to reinvent the wheel. Chairman Kaplan concluded this discussion, commenting that student assessment is the next major step in Education Reform following the Common Core of Learning and the curriculum frameworks. It will be a topic of further discussion at future Board meetings.

Proposed Regulations on Evaluation of Teachers and Administrators

Commissioner Antonucci led the Board in a review of the proposed Regulations on Evaluation of Teachers and Administrators, which include draft Principles of Effective Teaching and Administrative Leadership. Consistent with the Education Reform Act, these are intended to contribute to the continuous improvement of teaching, administration and accountability in our public schools. Several members of the working groups that helped prepare the proposed regulations, including Wellesley Asst. Supt. Paul Ash and Taunton Supt. Gerald Croteau, spoke in support of the principles and the proposed method of implementation.

Commissioner Antonucci remarked, "No other Board of Education has ever adopted such a comprehensive a set of principles of effective teaching and administrative leadership. These reflect the best research and the experience of school districts in Massachusetts and other states. This effort is central to the success of Education Reform."

He emphasized that the draft regulations establish core principles at a statewide level, while each school district maintains the responsibility to establish performance standards locally through collective bargaining. School committees, teacher associations and superintendents were all involved in developing these regulations and will be key to their successful implementation.

Board members were enthusiastic about the proposed regulations and principles, and authorized the Commissioner to distribute them widely for public comment.

Curriculum Frameworks

Joining Commissioner Antonucci and the Board in a review of the second draft of the Mathematics and Science & Technology curriculum frameworks were several teachers and other members of the frameworks committee, and Department staff. Board members were pleased that the drafts encourage development of higher order skills for all students, but recommended that the frameworks also affirm the need for all students to acquire basic skills as a foundation.

Member Stacy Scott commented on the "poetic elegance" of the draft framework in math, which he said should be balanced by an introduction that connects math to real life and to students' opportunities for further study and successful work. Members also requested that the Department produce brief summaries of all the curriculum frameworks, in a format that will be helpful to parents and others. The Board will review the final versions of the frameworks after the period of public comment.

Next Board Meeting: June 20 in Malden