a strong voice for kids 2nd Congressional District

EVIE’S BOARD NOTES – APR 2005

SBE Work Session (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)

HIGH SCHOOL REFORM – The Denver Public Schools’ Commission on Secondary School Reform and the Colorado Children’s Campaign’s Commission on High School Reform presented their reports. Both groups did studies to find out why Denver and Colorado have particularly low graduation rates and high dropout rates, and what can be done about it. The CCC study recommended standardizing the calculation of high school graduation rates statewide, requiring all high school students to apply to a post-secondary institution, encouraging school choice, and revising eligibility requirements for in-state tuition and state financial aid to serve graduates who are undocumented. The DPS study recommended treating students as individual learners, making every high school a quality school with its own goals, empowering principals, engaging teachers, offering more school choice, and creating a new role for the district to focus on the success of each school in a more collaborative environment in which resources are allocated more effectively. From the conversation with the two groups, we determined that our Board could help by establishing a statewide dialog on this topic, working to establish an identification number that follows students P-16, establishing accreditation guidelines that allow or encourage reform, and addressing the issue that some students don’t find CSAP relevant or worthwhile.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND – For this discussion, we had the largest crowd of observers that I have ever seen for one of our meetings. We were presented with a position paper written by CASE, CASB, CEA, and the BOCES Association that made recommendations for things that should be changed in No Child Left Behind and in our state’s plan for implementing it. The recommendations dealt with NCLB’s provisions for special education students, English language learners, the calculation of Adequate Yearly Progress, highly qualified teachers, supplemental services, and support for struggling schools. Then CDE staff presented a review of the recent audit of our state NCLB implementation plan, which criticized us in several areas, and we were given a list of amendments (waivers/flexibility) allowed by the U.S. Department of Education for various states, which includes many items that Colorado already has in its plan. The SBE was strongly encouraged by the presenters of the position paper to reestablish an ongoing public dialog about NCLB, which we originally had through the HR1 Hub Committee. We agreed to revive the HR1 subcommittees and work through the Hub Committee to collaboratively agree on amendments to NCLB and our state plan.

LEGISLATION – There were two bills that were noteworthy. The first, SB 214, is a revision of the state’s two systems of accountability, Accreditation and the SARs. The bill removes CSAP from counting toward Accreditation, which we feel strips the SBE’s authority greatly. The bill also incorporates most of the SBE’s recommendations for revising the SARs. Some of our members wanted to push to kill the bill, but Karen Middleton, Rico Munn, and I spoke strongly on behalf of working to amend it. We decided to write a letter to the Legislature expressing our concerns. The second bill, HB 1255, is the bill codifying the rules for payment of excess costs for special education when students enroll in out-of-district schools of choice. Although it passed both houses by nearly two-thirds, the Governor vetoed it. Nevertheless, our rules still are in effect.

BOCES BECOMING LEAs – Last August the SBE received a copy of the Donnell-Kay study on how BOCES services could be improved. The majority of services provided by BOCES are for special education. The report suggested that BOCES can help districts with data analysis and management. In order to do that, BOCES are asking us to grant them the status of a Local Education Agency, so that they have the authority to receive grants to manage resources and programs. We agreed to look into doing this.

MATH STANDARDS – CDE staff have analyzed math results from CSAP, ACT, and NAEP, as part of the ongoing effort to review the Math standards. Overall, students’ proficiency in math declines as they go up in school grade levels. The areas where students have the greatest deficits are in arithmetic, especially at 9th and 10 grade; concepts (patterns and the meaning of operations); and problem solving (how to apply knowledge to an actual need). In May, CDE will provide classroom recommendations for teaching math. The SBE will be asked to approve voluntary instructional priorities for math K-12, with math vocabulary, to help form focused K-16 math partnerships and to campaign for math teacher development.

SBE Regular Meeting (Thursday, April 14, 2005)

RULES FOR ALTERNATIVE PRINCIPAL LICENSURE – We held a hearing on the amendments to the rules for principal licensure, to allow for the alternative licensure of principals, required by a law passed last year. The law allows the following non-traditional candidates to become principals: regularly licensed teachers, people with 3 years’ experience as a teacher without a regular license in the state of Colorado, or people with 3 years’ experience in management (in business, government, military, or non-public education); the last one would have to be under the supervision of a professionally licensed principal. I brought up the concern that in the last case, a person who has no experience working with students could serve as a principal under the supervision of a someone who is not on site most of the time, such as a superintendent or the principal of another building. I was assured by CDE staff that the standards for principal preparation would require the last type of candidate to gain teaching experience, probably in an alternative teacher licensure program.

DESIGNATED AGENCIES FOR ALTERNATIVE TEACHER LICENSURE – SBE member Peggy Littleton expressed concern about approving the alternative teacher licensure programs at Metro State College in Denver, Naropa University, and the Friend’s School, because their curricula for teaching reading leaned too heavily towards whole language and would not adequately prepare people to teach reading. In the end, we approved these programs unanimously, after CDE staff assured us that the programs were adequately rigorous and that we would be able to rescind the approval in the future if we receive information that their alternatively licensed teachers were doing a poor job of teaching reading.

Charter School Hearings (Thursday, April 14)

In the case of the League of Charter Schools’ challenge to the exclusive chartering authority of the Aurora (Adams-Arapahoe) School District, the district’s exclusive chartering authority was upheld, on a vote of 6:1 (Littleton dissented, and DeHoff was absent on recusal).

In the case of the Jefferson County Parents for School Choice’s challenge to the exclusive chartering authority of the Jefferson County School District, the challenge was withdrawn.

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 4, 1:30 p.m. – HR1 Hub Committee meeting in the Board Room at CDE.
May 11-12 – Next SBE Work Session and Regular Meeting.