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

Briefing for the November 18, 2008 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, November 18, 2008, at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Avenue, Somerville. The meeting will start at 9 a.m., preceded by a tour of the high school at 8:30, and will adjourn by 1 p.m. If you need overnight accommodations or any additional information about the schedule, please call Belinda Wilson at (781) 338-3118.

Overview

Superintendent Anthony Pierantozzi and Somerville High School principal Anthony Ciccariello will welcome Board members to join them on a tour of the school promptly at 8:30 a.m. Our meeting will convene at 9 a.m. in the school auditorium. The agenda includes presentation of the report of the Task Force on 21st Century Skills, a vote on our education budget proposal for FY2010, a final vote on amendments to the MCAS performance appeals regulations for Science and Technology/Engineering, discussion of the process and standards for charter school renewals and votes on two other charter school matters, and an initial discussion and vote on proposed amendments to the regulations on licensure of vocational technical educators.

Comments from the Chair

Chair Maura Banta will brief the Board on current issues and activities.

Comments from the Commissioner

Advisory councils. Chair Banta, Board members Tom Fortmann and AJ Fajnzylber, and I met in Worcester on November 3rd with the chairs and many members of the Board's 17 appointed advisory councils, including the new Advisory Council on School and District Accountability and Assistance. (The Board actually has 18 advisory councils, counting the State Student Advisory Council that AJ chairs.) I charged all of the councils to advise us on closing the achievement gap and the expectation gap for students. Over the course of the year we will draw on the expertise of particular councils on policy issues that come before the Board.

Wallace Foundation and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) conferences. I will report on the November 6-7 Wallace Foundation conference in Boston on educational leadership and the CCSSO annual policy forum that I am attending on November 13-16.

Comments from the Secretary

Secretary Paul Reville will update the Board on the work of the Executive Office of Education.

Items for Discussion and Action

1. Report of Task Force on 21st Century Skills - Presentation

   In April 2008, then-Board Chairman Paul Reville asked member Gerald Chertavian to lead a task force to develop recommendations that would build on our existing high academic standards by integrating 21st century skills and knowledge into the core educational program. At our November meeting, Gerald and several task force members will present their recommendations. The white paper is still being refined and will be distributed at the meeting. The Board will have a full discussion on the task force recommendations at the December meeting.

2. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Budget Proposal for FY 2010 - Discussion and Vote

   The Board's budget committee met again on November 5th. We are continuing to work on the budget documents based on the committee's deliberations and the information we are receiving from the Administration about the state's fiscal situation and budget planning for FY 2010. I will distribute the updated budget proposal to you when it is ready. The Board will vote on the budget at the November 18th meeting. Per Mass. Gen. Laws c. 69, § 1A, as amended in March 2008 by the education reorganization act, I will transmit the Board's recommendations to the Secretary of Education, who "shall then prepare and submit a budget request on behalf of the department to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on education, and the secretary of administration and finance."

3. MCAS Performance Appeals: Amendment to Regulation 603 CMR 30.05 (Performance Appeals in Science) - Discussion and Vote to Adopt Final Regulation

   In September the Board adopted amendments to the MCAS performance appeals regulations to allow students in the class of 2010 and beyond who have not passed the high school Science and Technology/Engineering MCAS test to file a performance appeal in that subject area. The regulations already provide a performance appeals process for English Language Arts and Mathematics. As required by the Administrative Procedures Act, we have solicited public comment on the amendments, which the Board adopted on an emergency basis. We received only one comment, which is described and addressed in the memo under Tab 3. I recommend that the Board vote this month to adopt the amendments as final regulations.

4. State System of Accountability: Charter School Review and Renewal Process and Standards - Discussion

   At the Board's special meeting in Holyoke on October 20th, we discussed the state system of accountability and assistance, which will be a continuing subject for the Board's policy consideration over the next year. Board members expressed interest in reviewing how the process and standards for charter school review and renewal fit within the larger accountability system. This month we are presenting an overview of the charter school review and renewal process. It is timely not only in relation to the accountability discussion but also because the Board will take action on renewal of 11 charters in this fiscal year. Associate Commissioner Jeff Wulfson and Charter Schools Director Mary Street will present the overview and respond to your questions.

5. Charter Schools:
   1. Charter Amendment for Rising Tide Charter School - Discussion and Vote

      Pursuant to the charter school regulations, the Board must approve major changes in the material terms of a school's charter, including changes to a school's maximum enrollment and grades served. The Rising Tide Charter School in Plymouth has requested an amendment to add a high school to the current middle school program and to increase the school's maximum enrollment from 320 students in grades 5 through 8, to a total of 700 students in grades 5 through 12. We are providing to you the request from the charter school as well as comments from the Plymouth school superintendent. I recommend that the Board approve the charter amendment as presented.

   2. Modification of Probation Conditions for Boston Renaissance Charter Public School - Discussion and Vote

      Boston Renaissance Charter Public School (Renaissance) opened in 1995 and the Board renewed the charter for the second time in 2005. The Board placed conditions on the 2005 renewal regarding academic achievement and reduction of grade span, and voted in February 2007 to place the school on probation with new conditions. This month we are reporting on the charter school's progress in meeting the 2007 conditions and I am recommending some modifications to those conditions. The memo under Tab 5(b) provides details.

6. Proposed Amendments to Vocational Technical Education Regulations, 603 CMR 4.00 - Initial Discussion and Vote to Seek Public Comment

   We are proposing amendments to revise the sections of the Vocational Technical Education Regulations, 603 CMR 4.00, that relate to licensure of vocational technical educators. The proposed amendments would add one new vocational technical teacher license and align the licensure provisions more closely in several areas with the Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval Regulations, 603 CMR 7.00, and the Recertification Regulations, 603 CMR 44.00. With the Board's approval, we will solicit public comment on the proposed amendments and then bring them back to the Board in final form for a vote at the January 2009 meeting.

Other Items for Information

7. National History Teacher of the Year

   We are delighted that David B. Mitchell, a history teacher at Masconomet Regional High School in Topsfield, has been named the nation's 2008 Preserve America History Teacher of the Year. He was selected from all of the state winners as the national honoree and received the award from First Lady Laura Bush in New York City a few weeks ago. Our press release is enclosed under Tab 7. We are hoping Mr. Mitchell will be able to join us at our meeting on November 18th so that the Board can recognize and congratulate him.

8. Education-Related News Clippings

   Enclosed are several recent articles about education.

9. Report on Grants and Charter School Extended Loan Terms Approved by the Commissioner

   The Board voted in June and September 2008 to delegate grant approvals to the commissioner temporarily, and then voted in October 2008 to delegate these approvals indefinitely. This authorization allows us to make decisions and inform grant applicants on a timely basis. Enclosed under Tab 9 is a report on grants I have approved in the last month. The Board also voted in October 2008 to delegate to the commissioner authority to approve extended loan terms for charter schools, a routine administrative matter. Under the charter school statute, a charter school may incur temporary debt in anticipation of receipt of funds, but requires approval from the Board if it wishes to agree to repayment terms that exceed the duration of the school's charter. The Commonwealth has no liability for any portion of these loans. The second item enclosed under Tab 9 is a memo on one charter school extended loan term that I approved on the Board's behalf under this authorization.

10. 2002-2008 MCAS Achievement Gap Analysis: Additional Information

    Last month I presented an overview of the spring 2008 MCAS results, including several graphs displaying students' grade 10 MCAS performance in English language arts and mathematics, 2002-2008, by race/ethnicity, low income status, special education/general education, and limited English proficiency. The Board requested that similar graphs be generated for other student groups, in particular, for males and females. The additional graphs are enclosed under Tab 10.

11. Directions to the Meeting

If you have questions about any agenda items, please call me. I look forward to seeing you in Somerville on November 18th.