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

Briefing for the November 27, 2007 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be on Tuesday, November 27, 2007, at the Ferryway School, 150 Cross Street, Malden, starting at 9:00 a.m. An optional tour of the school will begin at 8:15 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

The Ferryway School is in its first year of implementing Expanded Learning Time, a program that will be highlighted at this month's meeting. Principal Thomas DeVito has invited all Board members to meet him at the school at 8:15 a.m. for a tour of the building and a brief discussion about the Expanded Learning Time initiative.

Malden Mayor (and School Committee Chairperson) Richard Howard, Superintendent Sid Smith, and Principal Thomas DeVito will welcome the Board and present on the Expanded Learning Time initiative. We will hear a presentation from the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association on parent involvement in children's education. I will update the Board on our study of fiscally distressed districts, following which we will discuss the report from the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability on the Randolph Public Schools. I will make a recommendation on Randolph for a possible vote this month. Our meeting agenda also includes continuing discussion and votes on the proposed recommended high school core program of studies (MassCore), the budget proposal for FY 2009, recommendations on underperforming schools, the Guidelines for the Mathematical Preparation of Elementary Teachers, and state and federal 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

Reports to the Legislature. The Department is required to file several reports with the Legislature each year, primarily in response to budget language. This month we have submitted the following reports to the Legislature: Students with Disabilities Annual Report, including statistics and update on the federally required State Performance Plan; Audio-Digital MCAS Pilot Program to provide the tenth grade mathematics and English Language Arts MCAS tests in audio digital format for use with the Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic's "books on tape" or books on CD software and players; and Strategic Vision and Progress Report further defining the priority areas identified by the Department: support for students, support for educators, support for schools and districts, and state leadership. The reports are posted on the Department's Office of Strategic Planning, Research, and Evaluation website: http://www.doe.mass.edu/research/reports/.

Items for Discussion and Action

1. Presentation on Expanded Learning Time - Discussion

   We are holding this month's meeting at the Ferryway School to highlight the school's participation in the Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative, a first-in-the-nation effort to redesign schools with substantially more time for learning. The Board will hear from Malden school officials, Jennifer Davis of Massachusetts 2020, and Sarah McLaughlin of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Your materials include a brief overview of the statewide ELT program and information about the November 30th Expanded Learning Time Summit that we are co-sponsoring with Massachusetts 2020.

2. Mass. Parent Teacher Association: Parent Engagement in Children's Education - Discussion

   At the suggestion of Board member Ruth Kaplan, who holds the seat on the Board designated by law for a parent representative nominated by the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association, we have invited representatives of the Massachusetts PTA to present on ways that parents engage in their children's education. Massachusetts PTA President Michelle Tremont, President-Elect Kimberly Hunt, National PTA representative Deborah Walsh, and Margaret O'Hare of the Massachusetts Parent Information and Resource Center will make a brief presentation. Background materials under Tab 2 include information from the PTA as well as a June 2007 report produced by the Parents Advisory Council to the Kentucky Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

3. Preliminary Report on Review of Fiscally Distressed Districts - Discussion

   The Board and Department have heard concerns from local school officials about fiscal constraints that are affecting educational services for students. At the Board's request, the Department is analyzing data on district finances, staffing, and enrollment to look for trends that might shed light on what is happening and why. This month we are presenting a brief update on the study. As we continue with the study over the next several months, we will review our draft findings with superintendents of some of the affected districts. We expect to bring preliminary findings to the Board in early 2008.

4. Report on Randolph Public Schools from EQA/EMAC - Discussion and Possible Vote

   Enclosed is the report on the Randolph Public Schools that was prepared by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA) and referred to us by the Educational Management Audit Council (EMAC). Dr. Joseph Rappa, Executive Director of EQA, will present the key findings. I am recommending that the Board declare the Randolph Public Schools to be an underperforming district. The Board may choose to vote on that recommendation this month or defer action on it. Randolph Superintendent Richard Silverman made a presentation to the Board at our October 30th meeting. In accordance with our Regulations on Underperforming Schools and Districts, we have invited Superintendent Silverman and the Randolph School Committee chairperson to this month's meeting.

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

   At the October meeting the Board continued its discussion of MassCore, the recommended high school core curriculum. Based on that discussion, we have clarified the definition of a unit of study. While MassCore is a recommendation rather than a mandate, it sets a standard that will be an important step towards increasing the college and career readiness of Massachusetts high school graduates. I recommend that the Board vote this month to approve MassCore.

6. Board of Education Budget Proposal for FY 2009 - Discussion and Vote

   Based on the Board's discussion at its November 1st special meeting on the budget, we have made some revisions to the education budget proposal for FY 2009. The proposed budget includes funding for a number of new initiatives as well as increases to current programs. The Board's adoption of this budget proposal is an important step in identifying and presenting the areas that we believe need priority attention. With the Board's approval, we will transmit the budget proposal to the Administration and the Legislature.

7. Commissioner's Recommendations on 15 Underperforming Schools - Discussion and Vote

   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"). At our October 30th meeting I presented 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. Of the 15 schools, one is scheduled to close at the end of this year. Of the 14 remaining, I recommend that the Board vote this month to declare six schools (four in Springfield and one each in Holyoke and Lawrence) "Priority 1" schools, maintain four schools in Commonwealth Priority Schools status, and declare that four schools are no longer identified as Commonwealth Priority Schools in light of the progress they have made.

8. Guidelines for the Mathematical Preparation of Elementary Teachers - Discussion and Vote

   In April 2007 the Board of Education voted to approve amendments to the Educator Licensure Regulations to strengthen the mathematical preparation and knowledge of elementary and K-8 special education teachers. In August, we distributed Guidelines for the Mathematical Preparation of Elementary Teachers, to explain the scope and depth of knowledge expected in elementary mathematics. Board member Tom Fortmann played a major role in drafting the guidelines. I recommend that the Board vote this month to formally approve the guidelines. This is an important step in strengthening the teaching and learning of mathematics in our schools.

9. Approval of Grants - Vote

   Presented for your approval this month are grants totaling $990,384 under the following programs:

   • Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students ($23,700 - state funds)
   • Workplace Education ($1,500 increase - state funds)
   • Academic Support Services: Pathways One-Stop Career Centers, School Year Program ($170,064 - state funds)
   • Academic Support Services: Pathways One-Stop Career Centers, Summer Program ($42,286 - state funds)
   • Adult Basic Education: Transition to Community College ($50,000 increases - state funds)
   • Adult Basic Education: Distance Learning ($294,334 - federal funds)
   • Mass. Reading First: Targeted Assistance ($408,500 - 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.

11. Report on District Leadership Review in Gill-Montague Regional School District

    The Board voted in June 2007 to designate the Gill-Montague Regional School District as underperforming. The Department then engaged a team of evaluators to conduct an onsite district leadership review. The evaluation report and my transmittal letter to the superintendent, outlining next steps, are enclosed.

12. Progress Reports on Holyoke and Winchendon

    The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA) has conducted follow-up reviews in two of the Commonwealth's underperforming districts: Holyoke Public Schools and Winchendon Public Schools. Copies of these EQA reports are enclosed for your information. The Department is reviewing these reports with district leaders from Holyoke and Winchendon and their district turnaround partners. Following our review, I will present recommendations to the Board. Dr. Joseph Rappa of EQA will be available at the Board's November 27th meeting if you have questions for him about the follow-up reviews.

13. Directions to the Meeting

If you have questions about any agenda items, please call me. I look forward to seeing you at the Ferryway School on November 27th.