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

Briefing for the May 19, 2009 Meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

The next regular meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will be on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at Brookline High School. Board members are invited to arrive by 8 a.m. for coffee and a brief tour of the high school. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will adjourn by 1 p.m. If you need overnight accommodations or any additional information about the schedule, please call Beverley O'Riordan at (781) 338-3118.

Overview

We are meeting at Brookline High School in honor of AJ Fajnzylber, who in June will conclude his elected term as chair of the State Student Advisory Council and as a member of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Superintendent Bill Lupini, Brookline High School Principal Bob Weintraub, and other local officials will welcome the Board and make a brief presentation at the start of our meeting. The topics for discussion on our agenda are: an update on the state education budget and federal stimulus funding for education, the charter school review and renewal process, two initiatives in educator preparation and licensure (including a vote on an emergency regulation relating to the mathematics subtest for prospective elementary and special education teachers), regionalization and inter-district collaboration (including a vote on final amendments to the regional school district regulations), and an update on revision of the English language arts and mathematics curriculum frameworks.

Comments from the Chair

Chair Banta will report on current issues and activities, appoint members to a committee to evaluate the commissioner's performance and invite Jeff Howard to give an update on the work of the Proficiency Gap Committee. Also, Chair Banta will announce that the Board will hold a special meeting on Monday evening, June 22nd, to discuss the ongoing work to redesign the accountability and assistance system.

Comments from the Commissioner

1. Teacher recognition. I was pleased to join Secretary Reville on May 5th at the Statehouse for a reception to honor some of our finest teachers. At the ceremony we recognized the Massachusetts Milken Award winner, five recipients of the Asperger's Association of New England's Award for Excellence in Teaching Students with Asperger's Syndrome, and the state's five finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This was a great event and a wonderful opportunity to recognize some of the excellent teaching going on across the Commonwealth. The Milken Award winner was Chris Louis Sardella, a fifth grade teacher from the Marion E. Zeh Elementary School in Northborough. The Asperger's Association award went to Ruth Levine Arnold from the Heath School in Chestnut Hill, Terry Belliveau from the SABIS International Charter School in Springfield, Ruth Bluestone from the Parkview Elementary School in North Easton, Donna Kyed from the Cottage Street Elementary School in Sharon, and Ann Oakes from Brockton High School. Recipients of the Presidential Awards for Math and Science Teaching were Diana Cost from the Abigail Adams Middle School in Weymouth, Deborah Seaver from the Brookside Elementary School in Milford, Erin Flynn from the John D. Philbrick Elementary School in Boston, Kara Frankian from the Floral Street School in Shrewsbury, and Kristen MacDonald from the Fannie E. Proctor Elementary School in Northborough. These teachers exemplify the great skill and dedication that teachers in Massachusetts public schools bring to their work with students every day.

2. Bureau of Special Education Appeals. I expect to submit a plan by May 31st to the U.S. Department of Education in response to their directive to me to change the current organizational structure of our Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) to bring it into full compliance with federal law. Lehigh University Professor Perry Zirkel, a national expert in special education law and due process hearings, will be reporting to me on the meetings he has conducted at my request with key stakeholder groups to get their perspectives on the various options, and on his research on how other states handle the dispute resolution process. We are also talking with other Massachusetts state agencies that might play a role in a restructured BSEA. I have made it clear to all concerned that I have only two objectives: to bring our dispute resolution process into full compliance with federal law, and to do it in such a way that we can continue to offer high quality, impartial services to parents, students, and schools. I will keep the Board posted on this matter.

3. Reports to the Legislature. The Department has filed the following reprts with the Legislature, in response to directives in the FY09 budget and the General Laws. These reports are posted on our website at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/research/reports/legislative.html.

   • Intervention and Targeted Assistance Efforts reports on the Department's Accountability and Targeted Assistance Center, which maintains and manages the state's School and District Accountability System. The report includes the state system for identifying underperforming schools and districts; targeted assistance and intervention in Commonwealth Priority Schools, chronically underperforming schools and Commonwealth Pilot Schools; and progress to date in implementing chapter 311 of the acts of 2008, which dissolved the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability and the Education Management Audit Council and shifted the responsibility for review of district performance to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
   • The Implementation of the Special Education Reimbursement ("Circuit Breaker") Program reports on audits of school districts that are eligible for reimbursements for (a) students whose special education programs cost greater than four times the statewide foundation budget and (b) claims for extraordinary relief if special education costs in FY08 exceeded FY07 costs by at least 25 percent.
   • After-School and Out-of-School Time Quality Grant reports on the grant program that provides funding to support and enhance quality in after-school and out-of-school time programs with public and private partnerships across the Commonwealth through activities that include academic tutoring and homework centers; programs that improve the health of students; art, theater, and music programs; enrichment activities; advanced study for the gifted and talented; and community service programs.
   • School Leadership Academies Training Initiative reports on the ongoing work to support the development and implementation of the School Leadership Academies Training Initiative. The initiative, in partnership with the Legislature, the Wallace Foundation and the Massachusetts Leadership Alliance, is designed to identify, train and support principals and superintendents in order to increase their abilities to provide effective instructional and educational leadership to improve student achievement.

Comments from the Secretary

Secretary Reville will brief the Board on current issues and activities.

Items for Discussion and Action

1. Update on State Education Budget and Federal Stimulus Funding for Education - Discussion

   I will update the Board on the latest information we have on the state budget for the balance of FY2009 and the budget outlook for FY2010. (We have the FY10 House budget proposal and may have the Senate budget proposal as well by the date of our meeting.) I will also report on the work we are doing in connection with allocation of federal stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). During the month of May the Department is holding 11 regional workshops for school district leaders throughout the Commonwealth to provide technical assistance on the ARRA grant process and to exchange ideas about how to use the federal funds most effectively. Secretary Reville will brief the Board on the education budget perspective from the Governor's office.

2. Charter School Review and Renewal Process - Initial Discussion

   At our special meeting on March 23rd on charter school policy, the Board asked me to bring back some options for revising the charter school review and renewal process. We will have an initial discussion of some proposals at this month's meeting. We could, if you wish, use some of the time at the Board's retreat on August 13th to consider further whether and how to modify the current process for discussing and deciding on charter school matters - for example, to delegate certain functions to the commissioner or to a committee of the Board.

3. Educator Preparation and Licensure

   1. Mathematics Subtest for Elementary and Special Education Teachers - Discussion and Vote to Adopt Emergency Amendment to Educator Licensure Regulations (603 CMR 7) for Transition Period

      In April 2007, the Board amended the Regulations for Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval to strengthen preparation and licensing of elementary and special education teachers to teach mathematics by specifying the subject matter knowledge requirements in mathematics. In December 2007, the Board approved Guidelines for the Mathematical Preparation of Elementary Teachers for use in preparation programs for elementary and K-8 special education teachers. These actions are significant steps to improve student proficiency in mathematics.

      The 2007 regulations are now reflected in the Massachusetts Tests of Educator Licensure (MTEL). As of 2009, the revised General Curriculum test includes a separately scored mathematics subtest and a multi-subject subtest. At this month's meeting, I will present my decision for implementing a passing score (cut score) for each subtest and ask the Board to adopt an emergency amendment to the regulations to implement a reasonable transition plan.
      The materials for this agenda item will be sent to Board members and posted online on or before May 13th.

   2. Progress Report on Drafting New Standards for Principals, Superintendents, and Other Leadership Roles - Discussion

      I reported to the Board in October 2008 on our work in educational leadership development, which has been supported by funding from the Wallace Foundation. This month I am presenting an update on our progress since October. I expect to bring proposed educational leadership standards to the Board for initial discussion in June.

4. Regionalization and Inter-district Collaboration

   1. Update on Regional Collaboration Efforts - Discussion

      Seeking out opportunities for regional collaboration in K-12 education to provide students with a full range of educational and support services at a reasonable cost is a high priority for Governor Patrick, Secretary Reville and me. I will present an overview of our work in this area, which falls under two headings: providing a regional system of support to existing districts, and encouraging our smallest districts to consolidate into larger units.

   2. Amendments to Regional School District Regulations (603 CMR 41) - Discussion and Vote to Adopt Final Regulations

      At the January 2009 meeting, the Board voted to solicit public comment on proposed amendments to the regulations governing regional school districts, dealing with three issues: a transition period following creation of new regional school districts, procedures for member towns to determine the method of assessing regional district costs, and procedures to be followed if a town fails to hold a town meeting to reconsider a previously rejected regional district budget. The memo under Tab 4(b) summarizes the comments we received on the proposed amendments and our responses. I recommend that the Board vote to adopt the amendments this month.

5. Update on the State-Led Common Core Standards Initiative and Revision of English Language Arts and Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks

   Deputy Commissioner Jeff Nellhaus and I will update the Board on activity at the national level to develop "common core standards" in English language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. We will discuss the implications of this national initiative for the revision of our Massachusetts curriculum frameworks and update you on progress and anticipated next steps in revising the frameworks.

Other Items for Information

6. Education-Related News Clippings

   Enclosed are several recent articles about education.

7. Report on Renewal Conditions: Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter Public School

   The Board renewed the charter for Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter Public School in February 2007 with two conditions, which the school has now met. A report is enclosed for your information.

8. Report on Grants Approved by the Commissioner

   Under Tab 8 is a report on grants that I have approved, per the Board's vote in October 2008 to delegate grant approvals to the commissioner. This authorization allows us to make decisions and inform grant applicants on a timely basis. The Board also delegated authority to me to approve extended loan terms for charter schools, a routine administrative matter. I have not approved any such loan terms since my last report.

Directions to the Meeting

If you have questions about any agenda items, please call me. I look forward to seeing you at Brookline High School on May 19th.