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

Briefing for the October 30, 2007 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, at Randolph High School, 70 Memorial Parkway, Randolph, starting at 8:30 a.m. Coffee will be available at 8:00 a.m. The meeting will adjourn by 1:00 p.m. If you need overnight accommodations or any additional information about the schedule, please call Belinda Wilson at (781) 338-3118.

Overview

We are holding the regular meeting on October 30th in Randolph to call attention to the fiscal difficulties that this school district and others are experiencing. Randolph Superintendent Richard Silverman and other local officials will welcome the Board to the high school and make a brief presentation. Our meeting agenda includes continuing discussion on the proposed recommended high school core program of studies (MassCore), initial discussion of the budget proposal for FY 2009, a presentation on support services for students, recommendations on underperforming schools, and discussion and vote on regulations on regional school districts, several charter school matters, advisory council appointments, and approval of grants.

Regular Meeting

Comments from the Chairman

The Chairman will update the Board on current issues and activities, including the commissioner search process.

Comments from the Commissioner

1. Commonwealth Readiness Project. Governor Patrick launched the Readiness Project a few months ago. He has appointed more than 150 experts and practitioners to recommend a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan to improve public education in Massachusetts. I met recently with the Readiness Project's Leadership Council, and some members of the Department's staff and I have met or will be meeting with several of the subcommittees that are reviewing specific areas.

2. Perkins State Plan for Career and Technical Education. The reauthorized federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006, known as Perkins IV, became law in August 2006. In May 2007, the Department submitted to the U.S. Department of Education a One-Year Transition State Plan that we are implementing this school year. Perkins IV provides about $20 million to Massachusetts each year, 85% of which goes to school districts and public two-year colleges to improve career- and vocational-technical education programs. The remaining funds are used for state leadership activities and administration.

   Next spring we will submit a Five-Year State Plan for the second and subsequent years of Perkins IV. We have posted the draft five-year plan on the Department's website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/cte/perkins/5yrplan.pdf and http://www.doe.mass.edu/cte/perkins/5yrplan.doc. The website invites public comment on the draft state plan and also has information about the two public hearings on the plan that the Department will hold in December. We will keep the Board posted on the progress of the state plan.

Items for Discussion and Action

1. Presentation by Randolph School Officials - Discussion

   The Board of Education is meeting in Randolph to call attention to the fiscal difficulties that this school district and others are experiencing, and to hear a brief presentation from Superintendent Richard Silverman and other school and community leaders about the scope and consequences of the problem. Your materials include some data about the school district and recent news articles. The Department has begun a study to identify the causes of budgetary problems in Randolph and other struggling communities around the state. The discussion this month is an important step in determining what the Board and Department can do to assist these communities. This discussion, as well as the study that the Department is conducting, will help to inform our FY 2009 budget proposal.

2. MassCore (Recommended High School Core Program of Studies for College- and Career-Readiness) - Continuing Discussion

   Last month the Board received information from our new School-to-College database, which the Board of Higher Education and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education are implementing in partnership, about how students' performance on the grade 10 MCAS tests relates to their future success in college. That report helps to set the stage for our continuing discussion on the MassCore recommended high school core curriculum at this meeting. We received extensive comment on the draft MassCore and have worked with the advisory committee to revise the proposal. Based on the Board's discussion this month, we will make further modifications if necessary and then bring back MassCore for a vote in November.

3. Board of Education Budget Proposal for FY 2009 - Initial Discussion

   The Board is holding a special meeting on November 1st to discuss its budget proposal for FY 2009. Under Tab 3 we have provided some initial recommendations and background information. The Board will vote on its budget proposal at the November 27th regular meeting.

4. Supports for Students - Continuing Discussion

   This item was deferred from the September meeting. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has been working with other agencies and organizations to assist schools and districts in providing various kinds of supports that students need in order to be successful in school. An initial list of some of these state- and federally-funded initiatives is enclosed with the memo under Tab 4. Chairman Reville has invited Rick Weissbourd of the Harvard Graduate School of Education to join us at this month's meeting for a discussion on how to create a more coordinated and effective system of supports for students.

5. Commissioner's Recommendations on 15 Underperforming Schools - Discussion

   Between 2000 and 2004, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reviewed 62 of the Commonwealth's lowest performing schools, and the Commissioner designated 27 as "underperforming." Fifteen of the 27 schools have remained in underperforming status (now called "Commonwealth Priority Schools"). This month we are presenting recommendations on those 15 schools as well as an update on the status of the other 12 schools on which action has already been taken. The Board is scheduled to vote on the recommendations at the November 27th meeting.

6. Amendments to Regional School District Regulations (603 CMR 41.00): Commissioner's Operation of Regional Districts in Emergency Circumstances - Discussion and Vote

   State law directs the Commissioner to "assume operation" of a regional school district if the member towns have not adopted a budget by December 1st. This year two school districts (Southern Berkshire and Mohawk Trail) have budget impasses that may not be resolved by that deadline. I am proposing amendments to the regulations on regional school districts to establish the procedures to be followed if we need to invoke the statute. I recommend that the Board adopt the amendments as emergency regulations this month, so that they will take effect before December 1st. As required by the Administrative Procedures Act, we will solicit public comment and present it to the Board at its January 2008 meeting, at which time the Board can vote to make the amendments permanent. Associate Commissioner Jeff Wulfson and Deputy General Counsel Kristin McIntosh will be present to answer any questions you may have about the regulations.

7. Charter Schools:

   1. Renewals for Four Schools (Abby Kelley Foster, Foxborough Regional, Mystic Valley Regional, and Sturgis) - Discussion and Vote

      Four charter renewals were presented to the Board last month for initial review and discussion: Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School in Worcester, Foxborough Regional Charter School in Foxborough, Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden, and Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis. I recommend that the Board vote this month to renew these four charters. Associate Commissioner Jeff Wulfson and Charter School Director Mary Street will be at the Board meeting to respond to any questions about charter school matters.

   2. Charter Amendment for Uphams Corner Charter School - Discussion and Vote

      For the reasons presented in the memo under Tab 7(B), I recommend that the Board vote this month to amend the charter granted to the Uphams Corner Charter School concerning leadership structure and curriculum/school design.

   3. Approval of Extended Loan Term for Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School - Discussion and Vote

      Under the charter school statute, a charter school may incur temporary debt in anticipation of receipt of funds but requires approval of the Board of Education if it wishes to agree to repayment terms that exceed the duration of the school's charter. The Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School requests the Board's approval for an extended loan term. The memo under Tab 7(C) provides details. The school has agreed to the safeguards explained in the memo. I recommend that the Board approve this request.

8. Advisory Council Appointments - Discussion and Possible Vote

   The Board's advisory councils are made up of volunteers who work with us to improve public education by providing advice and comment in specific program areas such as educational personnel, mathematics and science education, and special education. This month I am presenting proposed appointments and reappointments of members to various advisory councils. If Board members would like to suggest additional names for consideration, please let me know. The Board may discuss the nominations and then vote on the appointments at the November 27th meeting. Alternatively, the Board may choose to waive its bylaw and have the discussion and vote this month, to enable the new members to participate fully in the upcoming advisory council meetings.

9. Approval of Grants - Vote

   Presented for your approval this month are grants totaling $330,000 under the following programs:

   • School Redesign: Expanded Learning Time, Planning Grants ($230,000 - state funds)
   • Perkins IV Leadership Academy ($20,000 - federal funds)
   • Charter School Dissemination Program ($80,000 - federal funds)

   I recommend that the Board approve the grants as presented. If you have questions about any of the grants, we will be pleased to respond.

Other Items for Information

10. Education-Related News Clippings

    Enclosed for your information are several recent newspaper articles about education, including an article by Board of Education Chairman Paul Reville published in the October 23rd issue of Education Week, "Stop the Narrowing of the Curriculum by 'Right-Sizing' School Time," and an article from the October 24th Boston Globe about the Fund for World Class Schools established by members of the Mass. High Tech Council under the leadership of MHTC president and Board of Education member Chris Anderson.

11. Massachusetts Education Research Brief: "Supply and Demand of STEM Workers in Massachusetts"

    Through our Office of Strategic Planning, Research, and Evaluation, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is publishing a series of Education Research Briefs, providing short, readable, objective summaries and analyses of issues in education policy. You received the first issue, "Current Trends in School Finance," in September. Issue #2, written by Carrie Conaway, Director of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, focuses on the supply and demand of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workers in Massachusetts. A copy is enclosed under Tab 11. These research briefs are also posted on our website.

12. Report on Randolph Public Schools by Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA)

    Enclosed for your information is a report on the Randolph Public Schools, prepared by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA) and referred to us by the Educational Management Audit Council (EMAC). At a future Board meeting, we will discuss the EQA report and possible next steps.

13. FY07 Annual Report on Educator License Revocations and Limitations

    Each year the Commissioner reports to the Board on educator license investigations, revocations, limitations, and related matters that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has addressed. The Fiscal Year 2007 report is enclosed under Tab 13.

14. FY07 Annual Reports from Board of Education Advisory Councils

    We have compiled the most recent annual reports of the Board's advisory councils into a single document for your information. It is enclosed under Tab 14.

15. Directions to the Meeting

If you have questions about any agenda items, please call me. I look forward to seeing you in Randolph on October 30th.