a strong voice for kids 2nd Congressional District
a strong voice for kids 2nd Congressional District
BURNETT: Last night we had a dinner honoring Pat Chlouber for her work on the Board. In Plato's Republic, one of the first virtues mentioned was patience, so he is asking us to be virtuous and be patient with him, as he chairs the meeting because of DeHoff's absence.
DEHOFF: (Absent because wife is in emergency room.)
HUDAK: First, my report from the Special Education Advisory Committee: The guidelines for special education in charter schools, which I previously mentioned would be created, are now available on the CDE website. Colorado is one of three states that will hold a statewide summit on the recruitment and retention of educators; funding comes from a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. It will be held in April 2003. Some of the causes of difficulty with recruitment and retention of special education teachers that will be mentioned in the draft of a paper we'll see at our May meeting include the following: low salary in rural districts, wide variations in salaries among districts, lack of professional development, lack of substitutes, large caseloads, lack of paraprofessional support, and too many demands on their time. The department has put the proposed new licensure standards on hold until after the summit. Second, I have been attending a series of seminars entitled "Zero to Five," covering various topics on early childhood development and preschool education. The last one was on the topic of family literacy. A recent study pointed out that using tax dollars for family literacy is the most cost-effective way, one that far surpasses other interventions; it has a 7:1 return on investment over a child's life. The study showed that children who attend family child care center programs have 10% fewer going into special education, 10% more graduating high school, 20% more readiness in kindergarten, 33% less child abuse, and much higher earnings and taxes paid when they become adults. Coincidentally, today's Denver Post headline story is "Crisis Hits Child Care," describing the cut-backs in funding to child care centers from a reduction in federal money. Third, I continue to attend meetings of the action committee for the Coalition to Close the Achievement Gap. They have done a good job analyzing the various requirements of accreditation and NCLB to correlate with the four focus areas of the Coalition. Finally, I attended a presentation by the No Excuses Project, which conducted a study of high-poverty, inner-city schools that had high student achievement. The study said that all of the successful schools had strong leadership (principals), used assessment data to determine instruction, and had high collaboration among the teachers.
ORR: Got a call from McInnis's office regarding our resolution on School Trust Lands which we sent to the Legislature after our last meeting. McInnis's office said that they would pull it off the table. The SBE will be meeting with the State Land Board next Friday at 2:00 p.m. in this room, which will be the first time that our two boards will have met. Read a tribute to Americans that he received in e-mail about how much Americans have done for the world while some countries criticize us for being "decadent and war-mongering."
POLIS: The Polis Foundation sent out its most recent education report. There is a great lack of knowledge around the state on what we on the SBE do. People have said that they're opposed to CSAP because they think it's connected to funding. We have a lot of challenges, including implementing SARs and NCLB. Hopefully the SARs will be more successful this time; they affect the public image of education in this state. Theme in both is communication. We need to be effective in communicating education policy around the state. It is our responsibility.
STANFORD: Been a busy month in the General Assembly. Visited with the faculty of Lincoln High School, an unsatisfactory-rated school; they are very positive and determined to succeed. Thanks to Dr. Davidson, who took over the Deputy Commissioner position and contributes to the sense of purpose and positiveness. Morale is high in the 1st CD. Missed the celebration of Chlouber because was with West High School, another unsatisfactory school, celebrating the Center for International Studies, a tremendous diversity, teaching 8 foreign languages. Rousing celebration - what's wrong with public education can be fixed by what's right with it. Bid farewell to Dick Elmer, who made a big contribution to the reorganization of CDE into regional service teams and to accreditation, ELL, and assessments. Davidson and he went to the last monthly meeting of the Large District Accountability Committee, who are happy with the process of reviewing accreditation in districts; parents and community are appropriately involved. There is a gradual recognition of the reality of NCLB; our stakeholders are welcoming the leadership of CDE under Windler to learn the provisions of the 1200-page document. Powerful presentation by Windler to the joint Education Committees yesterday. Emphasis is on the recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers and principals; thorough conversations are taking place about how to align CCHE with SBE's responsibility for licensure. The SBE will have the opportunity to adopt standards on principals. Will be meeting with Erlinda Archuleta (CDE) and the office of Civil Rights on ELLs.
SUCKLA: (Absent because of father's death.)
COMMISSIONER: Will have a presentation on the SAR today. Much going on regarding issues of accountability, including NCLB, with Windler's presentations to the Joint Education Committees and others around the state. Yesterday heard an extensive report from Dr. Davidson and the regional service team managers on the state accountability system. A major task with the SARs has been to see that they fit with accreditation, and now that they also fit with NCLB. A key group in dealing with all of this has been led by Dr. Davidson, the SAR task force, and a similar group led by Windler on NCLB, with CDE personnel as well as stakeholders such as those from CEA. Of the 34 recommendations by the SAR task force, 20 required legislation and have been incorporated into bills this session. Some will occur next year. Moloney and Stroup met with the Legislative Audit Committee about the necessity of delaying the SARs' release until December and of reconciling the 3rd grade assessment with the others - to be fixed next year. Were able to gain support about the unrealistic requirement of reporting by May 1 how the unsatisfactory schools did on this year's CSAP. Amazing that some of the most important things that are not well understood are going forward, but we have to restate these things repeatedly that the SAR is a work in progress. We learn from our experience, as our meeting with the audit committee showed. Central to that is a conversation that is ongoing through Davidson's group, as evidenced by a recent meeting with the Governor's staff.
Those on the work group have made extremely useful contributions for the roll-out of the SARs. They are working ahead on the issues that can be taken care of in CDE. It is totally unrealistic to try to produce the SARs by September this year, with the new data that is required. As the Commissioner indicated, the data on the unsatisfactory schools won't be available until July, so it can't be given to the districts by May 1.
We are also working on which schools should be exempt from SAR ratings; we suggested a procedure with a narrow definition of eligibility for exemption. Districts would be able to determine schools that they suggest for exemption; it might come to the Board to decide - SB 94 covers this topic, but there may be major amendments. The bill in its current form creates a separate track of "alternative" schools, which doesn't fit into our philosophy of accountability. SB 80 picks up a variety of recommendations made by the work group, and it also changes the ratings to be based on longitudinal data based on growth; it is uncertain whether that will go forward.
The CSAPs in writing and math are being rescaled to determine the cut scores. Diagnostic information will be available for teachers by July 24. Assuming that SB 80 is unsuccessful in changing the ratings to longitudinal growth, the new SAR improvement ratings will be based the 18 CSAPs that were given both last year and this year. The new 8 tests will be included only in the performance ratings.
On the issue of pie charts - which include all results, including those of the three categories of students who are not included in the rating - this hasn't been resolved.
Concerns have been expressed about inclusion of ACT scores in the SAR ratings. Students who don't show up to take the test are counted as a zero (minus 0.5 towards the weighted score). The other issue is the fact that the ACT is not standards-based like the CSAP. The issue is the credibility of the SARs, which inclusion of the ACT in challenges. This issue might be included in SB 80. The mandate of the ACT is to encourage more students to consider attending college, but it opens the door to unnecessary criticism of the SARs. Stanford suggested to have a Board conversation to determine if it is the will of this Board to advise the Legislature to remove the ACT from the SAR ratings. Commissioner Moloney acknowledged that the high schools had 30-40% absenteeism in the ACT administration, but warned that including the ACT in SB 80 could cause the bill to be opposed by the Governor. Stanford maintained that it is our job to give the Legislature good advice, and that we are not the arm of the executive branch.
The Board unanimously adopted the resolution "Commemoration of the Day of the Child," which resolves "that the Day of the Child 2002 is deserving of joyous celebration and that supporters of education throughout the state be encouraged to participate to the extent of their ability."
Approved a contract for the Special Education Services Unit and the Colorado Foundation for Families and Children to develop and implement a statewide, comprehensive, and coordinated system of services and supports for infants and toddlers who have special health care needs or disabilities and their families.
[The implementation of this federally funded early childhood initiative, which is Part C of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), is based on a community development strategy. A large geographic area of the state is sparsely populated and does not lend itself to a completely local initiative. The Colorado Foundation for Families and Children will ensure the implementation requirements of this initiative in 40 rural counties of the state. At the local community level, the contractor will assist local service providers to ensure that infants and toddlers eligible for Part C are provided with the services they need.]
Approved an external contract agreement for the Special Education Services Unit and PEAK Parent Center, Inc., (Parent Education for Assistance for Kids) to provide parent training and information, support and mentoring to parents, and workshops and conferences for parents of special education students.
[Both the federal IDEA and the state ECEA (Exceptional Children's Education Act) require that parents of special education students be actively involved in education planning and program development for their children. The PEAK Parent Center helps CDE's SESU meet this requirement by providing education workshops and materials, informing and supporting parents, and conducting workshops and conferences to train parents for participation.]
Approved the establishment of the following on-grounds special education schools/facilities, which have met the criteria for eligible facilities as described in the Rules for the Administration of the Public School Finance Act of 1994, as well as the requirements set forth by the Special Education Services Unit:
Directed CDE staff to delay the reissue of a Request for Proposal for a second Science and Technology Education Center grant, thereby directing the remaining funds to be held within the Science and Technology Education Fund for possible future award.
[On December 12, 2001, the SBE voted to award a development and operations grant to the Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education for a Science and Technology Education Center in Colorado Springs. In February, the Science and Technology Education Center Advisory Committee recommended that the SBE reissue an RFP for the distribution of funds for a second applicant. Based on the SBE's discussion at yesterday's Work Session, the SBE decided not to issue another RFP.]
Approved interest expenditure of Mary Jones Trust fund of $61,876 for fiscal year 2002-2003.
[The Mary Jones Trust Fund was created in 1981 when a donation of $91,000 was made to the Colorado Talking Book Library. Since then the trust has increased to $1,167,484. The CTBL has always made it a practice to expend only the interest of the fund. The intended use of the funds is to support projects that have an impact on a large number of CTBL patrons. CTBL is requesting that the interest income be used for operational expenses.]
(1) EMERGENCY EDUCATOR AUTHORIZATIONS
Approved emergency Type III educator authorizations for 51 initially and 12 renewals .
[Local districts may request Type III Emergency Authorization to employ non-licensed teachers, principals, administrators, or special services providers if they agree to provide an induction program. The SBE's approval is based on consideration of whether the district has demonstrated a shortage of licensed personnel and the employment of non-licensed personnel is essential to preserving the instructional program and to the well-being of the children enrolled.]
(2) DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS
(1) CONTINGENCY RESERVE PAYMENT
Approved $132,690.64 as a contingency grant, not to be repaid, due to interest paid from Adams County School District #14 (Commerce City) property tax collections that will not be recoverable through an abatement levy.
[The SBE has the authority to make supplemental payments from the Contingency Reserve to school districts experiencing financial difficulties. Currently the appropriation for the Contingency Reserve is $1,656,353; the Board has approved requests in the amount of $1,966,353.98, with repayment of loans expecting to total $1,068,226. Because the fund currently has a $0 balance, the grant to Adams 14 is being made contingent on the repayment of funds.]
(2) SCHEDULE HEARING ON RULES FOR OPERATION OF SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES
Scheduled a public hearing for July 11, 2002, to consider amendments to the Rules for the Operation of School Transportation Vehicles.
Approved charter school waiver requests from April 11, 2002, to May 9, 2002, for Crown Pointe Charter School in Adams School District #50 (Westminster).
The board had adopted emergency rules on the Administration of the ACT Assessment on a National Test Date and is now going through the regular process to adopt these rules. Part of that process is holding this hearing.
CYNTHIA SIMMS (Superintendent of Steamboat Springs school district) and JEFF LITTLE (member of the district's calendar committee): Steamboat Springs has its spring break at the end of April, since a large number of its families work in the ski industry (the last Wednesday in April is the state test date). They are asking for a provision in the rules to allow a district- as well as a student, as is currently in the proposed rules - to request to use the national test date, because the district won't have a make-up date.
The concern for CDE is that the national test scores don't come back very quickly, and because the scores are needed for the school ratings in the SARs, it is advisable to limit the number of students taking the ACT on a national test date. There is an agreement with ACT about limiting the number that they have to score early to 3000. Very few districts seem to have this problem, so we would be unlikely to have a problem. The SBE approved adding "or other" as indicated: "Students unable to take the curriculum-based, college entrance examination on department-designated dates due to conflicts with legitimate instructional, curricular, OR OTHER activities, as determined by the department" in the section defining those eligible to take the test on the national test date.
Lorrie Harkness, Director of Special Education for CDE, went over proposed revisions to the Rules for the Administration of the Exceptional Children's Educational Act.
There was discussion about Orr's proposal to add "religious" as follows: "The instruments used for evaluation of a child shall be selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial, cultural, ethnic, RELIGIOUS, or gender basis." Stanford questioned whether it might have unintended consequences. Harkness does not think so and recommends including it.
The SBE unanimously recommended approval of revisions at the next Board meeting.
The SBE will be asked in May to establish evaluation fees for the next fiscal year for educator licenses, authorizations, certificates, and endorsements, and CBI/FBI charges for background checks on applicants. The proposal is for a fee decrease on the evaluation fees from $48 to $40 and from $24 to $20. The proposal for the background check fee is to remain at $36.
The SBE will be asked to approve Teacher in Residence Programs for the following:
WILLIE DANIELS (a pilot for United Airlines and in the organization Shades of Blue): It is important to teach about aviation and aerospace. He had a radio talk show about what it takes to be a pilot. Glad to hear that the funding was approved. Extremely fortunate to have the Challenger Center in Colorado Springs (CCCS), because there is an aging work force of pilots. Fewer students are going into the aerospace industry and we are facing a crisis in the country. Was invited to raise the matching funds for the CCCS. Was dismayed that the Lowry Challenger Center had withdrawn their application. There is a long-term benefit to the Denver community in having these centers. The General in charge of the United States Space Command and NORAD said that we need to reach out to children, who at the age of 5 are interested in dinosaurs and space, to encourage the importance of space exploration.
PAUL JOHNSON (Adams County District 50 in Westminster): Is here representing Dr. Straface, the Superintendent, to support the rules on the ACT Assessment on a National Test Date. Concerned about using the ACT in the school ratings (SARs) - the ACT and CSAP are two very different tests.
Affirmed the decision of the Gunnison Watershed School District to deny the charter application for the Gunnison Charter School. (Polis moved to find that the decision of the district was contrary to the best interests of the pupils, school district, or community and to remand back to the district for reconsideration; Burnett seconded. Motion failed 2:4, with Hudak, DeHoff, Orr, and Stanford dissenting.)
Based on the question that came up during the Public Comment portion of the April 11, 2002, Regular Meeting, the SBE met to discuss whether we should recommend that the ACT results not be used in the performance ratings of schools on the SARs. The SBE had received a report in January "Implications for Use of ACT Exam," which indicated that the ACT is not standards-based enough to be appropriately comparative to the CSAP results. DeHoff said, "Comparing the CSAP and ACT is comparing apples and oranges." But he expressed concern about getting into the political fray on this issue. Suggested putting it into the SAR Task Force discussion for a recommendation beyond what they have already said (that the inclusion of the ACT results be mentioned on the SAR).
The ACT costs $1.3 million to administer to all Colorado 11th graders. The Board felt that administering it is worthwhile, so that all 11th graders have a chance to see if they are college eligible. However, there are no proficiency levels for the ACT as there are for CSAP, so a numerical distribution must be used based on standard normal distribution to adapt it for the SAR ratings. DeHoff pointed out that the ACT's effect on the performance rating is relatively minor, since it is one-seventh of a high school's tests. Stanford said that he is still concerned about basing the SAR ratings on two different kinds of tests. Orr said that the tests are not totally incompatible, but he would be more comfortable omitting it from the performance rating. Suckla agreed. Orr suggested that we propose not including the ACT until the students who were the 4th graders that first took CSAP are juniors. The group seemed to feel that we should "continue the moratorium on the ACT" that the Governor instituted this year.
Stanford moved the following: That the SBE recommend that the Legislature continue the moratorium on using the ACT in the SAR performance ratings until the SAR Task Force studies the appropriateness of including it. Hudak seconded the motion. Orr moved a friendly amendment to change the wording following "until" to "such time as those students who took the first CSAPs in 1997 (4th grade) are in the 11th grade (2004).
Commissioner Moloney argued against the motion. He said that we have no evidence that the ACT isn't appropriate to compare with CSAP. He said that we are in the process of "delicate" negotiations regarding the improvement grade now, and it won't sit well with the Governor to have us spring this on him. I pointed out that our proposal is merely to recommend to the Legislature, and as the prime education policy group in the state empowered by the state Constitution, it is within our jurisdiction to make recommendations. Stanford said that if Moloney is concerned that the press will cover this issue before Governor Owens hears about it, we could ask our Chair to speak on our behalf before the article appears. He pointed out also that there is a time constraint, with the legislative session ending in a few weeks. He also suggested that we could do what we think is right, despite the law - we did so in giving the CSAPs early last year and in exempting schools from SAR ratings. DeHoff said that we shouldn't openly antagonize anyone. He suggested that we table the motion until the Commissioner and SBE members have time to talk with legislators and the Governor.
The motion was laid on the table until April 19, 2002.
Burnett moved that the SBE revisit its decision made at the April 11, 2002, Regular Meeting (see 4D above) regarding the Request for Proposal for the Science and Technology Education Center and that we direct CDE staff to reissue an RFP for a second Science and Technology Education Center, using the existing information in the Science and Technology Education Fund, and implement an evaluation and recommendation using the advisory board's submittal, as per 22-81-201, C.R.S. The motion was seconded by Suckla.
The fund has $686,000 remaining, which is the amount appropriated for a second Science and Technology Education Center. Discussion centered around whether the money could be used for other goals that the SBE has, such as closing the achievement gap and family literacy. Representative Sinclair indicated he feels strongly that the SBE's decision on April 11 went against legislative intent, which was cited by Representative Dean and Senator Matsunaka, and that the money can be used only for a Science and Technology Education Center. Another issue is that the advisory committee rejected the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which originally submitted an RFP, and the SBE would have liked the second grant to go to them. The DMNS's rating by the advisory committee was very close to the score they set for approval. There are two other interested entities: Poudre School District and DeVry Institute in Denver.
The motion passed 4:2 (with Hudak and Stanford dissenting; Polis was temporarily absent). Applications will be due by May 22. The SBE will make the selection at its June retreat.
The motion from the April 17 meeting was discussed. Suckla said she heard that the Board had made a deal with the Governor to hold off for a year and do a study (nobody confirmed that). Polis mentioned that preparatory courses for ACT and SAT gave an advantage to wealthier students and their schools. Dr. Davidson said that the content of the ACT tests raised significant questions about their comparability with CSAP, but psychometricians had been able to cope up with a way to weight the scores. He said that we need to look at this year's results, but it probably is not going to affect unsatisfactory schools' ratings significantly. Orr said that he objected to bringing the motion off the table because the newspaper already had printed an article about this issue, so the message had already been sent. Since it was a moot point, the Board took no further action on the issue.
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