The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Briefing for the May 19, 2014 Special Meeting and the May 20, 2014 Regular 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 20, 2014, at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, 210 Station Avenue, South Yarmouth. The regular meeting will start at 8:30 a.m. (coffee will be available at 8 a.m.) and should adjourn by 1 p.m. The Board will also hold a special meeting from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, May 19, 2014, at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, 210 Station Avenue, South Yarmouth. We have arranged overnight accommodations for Board members who need them. If you need additional information about the schedule, please call JC Considine at (781) 338-3112.
Overview
We are holding the May meetings in Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District in honor of Dan Brogan, 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. Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District Superintendent Carol Woodbury, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Principal Kenneth Jenks, and other local officials will welcome the Board to Dennis-Yarmouth on Tuesday morning and make a brief presentation at the start of our meeting.
We have two topics for our special meeting on Monday evening. In the first hour, from 5-6 p.m., the Board will discuss and decide on any appeals filed on the Level 5 school turnaround plan for the Parker School in New Bedford. In the second hour, from 6-7 p.m., we will discuss the Department's work with the Department of Higher Education to transform educator preparation in the Commonwealth.
The business agenda for our regular meeting on Tuesday morning leads off with the welcome from Dennis-Yarmouth school officials. We will recap the special meeting on the Parker School and update the Board on the three other Level 5 schools. The Board will receive a report on the vehicles the Department has created for two-way communication with the field around our major initiatives. Dan Brogan will present his end-of-year report on the activities of the State Student Advisory Council. I will brief the Board on the Grade 12 NAEP results for Massachusetts. We will also have updates on PARCC and on the FY2015 state education budget, and will review the proposed schedule for regular Board meetings through June 2015.
Special Meeting
Level 5 School Turnaround Plan for Parker School, New Bedford: Consideration of Appeal(s) - Discussion and Vote (5-6 p.m.)
The first hour of the special meeting is reserved for the Board's discussion and deliberation on any appeal of the Level 5 school turnaround plan for the John Avery Parker School in New Bedford. The Board will receive all the materials in advance of the meeting, including the turnaround plan, any appeal, the Commissioner's response, and any other relevant documents. An appellant will have the option of addressing the Board for 10 minutes at the special meeting to highlight the key points in its appeal. The Commissioner will have an opportunity to respond. General Counsel Rhoda Schneider will assist the Board in the appeal process.
Transforming Educator Preparation - Discussion (6-7 p.m.)
In the second hour of the special meeting, I will present a progress report on our work on educator preparation, including data on preparation programs, revised procedures for reviewing and approving the programs, and new performance measures under development. In collaboration with the Department of Higher Education, we are participating in a seven-state Network for Transforming Educator Preparation, a two-year grant through the Council of Chief State School Officers, focusing on licensure, program approval, and data. We have invited Higher Education Commissioner Richard Freeland and Susan Lane, Director of Engagement from the Department of Higher Education, to join Associate Commissioner Heather Peske, Liz Losee, Rob Curtin, and Meagan Comb of the Department for the presentation and discussion.
Regular Meeting
Comments from the Chair
Chair Banta will report on current issues and activities. She also will ask Penny Noyce, chair of the Board Committee on the Commissioner's Performance Evaluation, to update the Board on the committee's work.
Comments from the Commissioner
Teacher of the Year.
On Tuesday, May 6, I had the distinct pleasure to visit Belmont High School to announce the 2015 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Dr. Jeffrey Shea, a Belmont High School Social Studies teacher, was named this year's recipient of the state's top educator award. Jeffrey is the state's 53rd recipient of this award and automatically becomes the state's candidate for the National Teacher of the Year Program. See the press release on this announcement.
National Assessment Governing Board.
The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (see agenda item 5). Former Commissioner David P. Driscoll chairs the NAGB board. The NAGB board is meeting in Boston during the week of May 12. I will be participating in some of the events and plan to report to the Board on May 20.
Comments from the Secretary
Secretary Malone will brief the Board on current issues and activities.
Items for Discussion and Action
Welcome from Dennis-Yarmouth Public Schools
Superintendent Woodbury, Principal Jenks, and other local officials will welcome the Board to Dennis-Yarmouth. Some background material on the Dennis-Yarmouth Public Schools is included in your packet under Tab 1.
Update on Level 5 Schools - Discussion
We will recap the Board's discussion from the May 19 special meeting regarding the John Avery Parker Elementary School in New Bedford, and discuss next steps with respect to that school and the three other Level 5 schools: Dever Elementary School and Holland Elementary School in Boston, and Morgan Full Service Community School in Holyoke.
Engagement with the Field on Major Initiatives (Curriculum, Assessment, Educator Evaluation) - Discussion
The Board has expressed interest in the vehicles we have created to strengthen two-way communication between the Department and the field. At the May 20 meeting, I will report on the Department's work with groups of superintendents, principals, and teachers around our core reform initiatives, including curriculum, assessment, and educator evaluation. We have invited Barnstable Public Schools Superintendent Mary Czajkowski, who is President of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.), and M.A.S.S. Executive Director Tom Scott to attend the May 20 meeting and present an update on the initial meetings of the superintendents' advisory council. In addition, we will update the Board on the work of the principals' advisory group and the teacher advisory cabinet.
State Student Advisory Council End-of-Year Report - Discussion
Board member Dan Brogan will present his end-of-year report on activities of the State Student Advisory Council. While Dan will continue to serve as SSAC chair and as a Board member through June, it is fitting for him to present the report this month, since we are meeting in his hometown. He will submit the full written report on behalf of the SSAC in June.
Grade 12 National Assessment of Educational Progress Results - Discussion
I will provide an overview of the recently released results from the 2013 administration of the grade 12 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Thirteen states, including Massachusetts, volunteered last year to have a sample of their 12th graders participate in order to generate state-level results. In Massachusetts, more than 4,800 students from 106 schools participated in the 2013 grade 12 NAEP assessment. Our 12th graders tied for first in mathematics performance and second in reading. A summary report is included in your packet, and additional information is available at http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/.
Update on PARCC - Discussion
At the May 20 meeting, I will update the Board on progress made by the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) over the past several weeks. This month we are in the second testing window of the 2014 field tests. Our Department is participating in a "drive-in" meeting on PARCC that the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents is organizing on May 19, and I will also report on it as well.
Update on FY 2015 State Education Budget - Discussion
We expect to receive the Senate Ways & Means Committee's budget proposal for FY2015 on or about May 14. At our meeting on May 20, we will discuss the education budget proposal and next steps in the process.
Proposed Schedule for Regular Board Meetings through June 2015 - Discussion
Under Tab 8 is a list of proposed Board meeting dates for the upcoming school year. Please review it in anticipation of a vote on the schedule at next month's meeting.
Other Items for Information
Education-Related News Clips
Enclosed are several recent articles about education.
Report on Charter School Matters Approved by the Commissioner
Under Tab 10 is a report on charter school matters I have approved under the authority that the Board has delegated to me.
If you have questions about any agenda items, please call me. I look forward to seeing you in Dennis-Yarmouth on May 19 and 20.