April 2008 SBE Highlights

November 5-6, 2008

Special Note:To review background materials on each item, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbe_meetings/0810/0811sbagenda.html. Click on the appropriate agenda category: Globally Competitive Students (GCS); Twenty-First Century Professionals (TCP); Leadership for Innovation (LFI); Twenty-First Century Systems (TCS); or Healthy Responsible Students (HRS).

Action Agenda

2009-2011 Biennial Budget Request (TCS 1) - Board members approved their 2009-2011 Biennial Budget request for submission to the Office of State Budget and Management. Board priority items include assisting high need schools, redesigning assessment and accountability, healthy students initiative and beginning teacher mentors.
Approval of Grant - Reading First Supplemental Funding (TCS 2) - Board members approved the distribution of an additional $1.4 million for the Reading First Initiative. Eighty percent of the funds were allotted to grant schools based on their most recent average daily membership figures.
Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities (GCS 1) - Board members approved amendments to the "Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities" to reflect changes to G.S. 115C-106.3(3a) and 107.7(b).
Changes to Policy Delineating the Components of the ABCs Accountability Program Including Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2008-09 School Year (GCS 2) - Changes were approved to Board Policy HSP-C-020 to reflect the components of the ABCs accountability program including Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2008-09 school year. The changes include the elimination of the writing assessment in grades 4 and 7, the inclusion of the science results in grades 5 and 8 in the performance composite and not including non-exit standards EOC assessments in growth calculations but including them in the performance composite.

Action on First Reading

Approval/Adoption of the Teacher Evaluation Instrument Performance Rating Scale (TCP 1) - Definitions for the Teacher Evaluation Instrument Performance Rating Scale of developing, proficient, accomplished, distinguished or not demonstrated were approved. The definitions reflect those used in the school executive evaluation instrument.
Report on the Effectiveness of Representative Mentor Programs (TCP 2) -The Report on the Effectiveness of Representative Mentor Programs was approved. The report includes an evaluation of the effectiveness of a representative sample of local mentor programs and recommendations for both improving mentor programs generally and the appropriate level of state support for mentor programs.
School-Based Calendar Waivers for Educational Purposes (LFI 1) -School-based calendar waiver requests were approved for the following schools: Buncombe County Early College (Buncombe County Schools), Early College EAST (Craven County Schools), Cross Creek Early College (Cumberland County Schools), Franklin Early College High (Franklin County Schools), Greene Central High (Greene County Schools), ISS Visual and Performing Arts Early College High (Iredell-Statesville Schools), Stokes Early College High (Stokes County Schools), Wayne Early Middle College High (Wayne County Schools), Roanoke Valley Early College (Weldon City Schools), Weldon High School/STEM School (Weldon City Schools), Wilkes County Early College High (Wilkes County Schools), and Early College of Forsyth High (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools).
Halifax Public Schools' Repayment Schedule (TCS 3) -Board members approved waiving the financial penalties incurred by Halifax County Schools on outstanding overspent programs and salary audit exceptions. Halifax has agreed to a five-year repayment plan, which includes a 1 percent interest assessed monthly to the remaining balance of the loan.
Changes to the 2007-08 ABCs/AYP Results (GCS 3) - The following changes to the 2007-08 ABCs/AYP results were approved.
2007-08 ABCs Status Changes:
- Knightdale Elementary went from Under Review to High Growth
  2007-08 AYP Status Changes:
- Roanoke High went from Not Met to Met
- Williamston High went from Not Met to Met

The 2007-08 Statewide ABCs/AYP Report (GCS 4 - Board members approved the 2007-08 Statewide ABCs/AYP report, which found that a total of 52.6 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level on both general tests given in grades 3-8. Reading performance ranged from 52.5 percent proficient at the 7th grade to 60.9 percent proficient for 4th and 6th grades. Math performance ranged from 68.6 percent proficient at 7th grade to 74.8 percent proficient for 3rd grade. In addition, 31 percent (748 schools) met the standards for Adequate Yearly Progress. A total of 69 percent of schools (1,664 schools) did not make Adequate Yearly Progress. A total of 551 schools entered Title I School Improvement or continued in School Improvement, and 22 schools exited School Improvement based on their 2007-08 performance. The full report is available online at http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs/.

High School Exit Documents (GCS 6) - This item was moved to Action on First Read. Board members approved a proposed policy that gives direction to local school districts regarding the awarding of a Graduation Certificate to students with disabilities who would not otherwise qualify for a regular diploma and to students with disabilities in the Occupational Course of Study (OCS) who have not completed all the requirements of the OCS for a diploma. This certificate would allow students to participate in graduation exercises.

Discussion Agenda

Proposed Revisions to the Non-Teaching Work Experience and Graduate Pay Policies (TCP 3) - Board members continued their discussion of proposed changes to the non-teaching work experience and graduate pay policies. The proposed revisions would allow one year of experience credit to be awarded for every year of full-time non-teaching work experience, up to 10 years, for work requiring a bachelor's degree or equivalent completed after the bachelor's degree was awarded. The proposed revisions also would recognize all graduate degrees earned through regionally accredited institutions. No revisions are proposed to the manner in which non-teaching work experience credit is awarded for teacher assistants or for Class V Career and Technical Trade and Industry licensed areas. This policy will be rewritten to separate non-teaching work experience and graduate pay policies. The graduate pay policy will return for action in December. The non-teaching work experience policy will return for discussion at a later time.
Revised Teacher Education Specialty Area Standards (TCP 4) - Proposed revised teacher education specialty area standards were discussed. The revised standards focus on the knowledge and skills essential to the content areas. Assisting in the revision of the standards were panels of teachers and higher education faculty. In addition, stakeholder input was solicited throughout the revision process. Once approved, the standards are to be reflected in the re-visioned teacher education programs expected to be operational no later than fall 2010.
Proposed Framework for North Carolina Board Certification for Principals (TCP 5) - Board members discussed the proposed framework for North Carolina Board Certification for Principals and Assistant Principals. The ad hoc committee convened to develop the framework included in its recommendations that, rather than developing a separate North Carolina Board Certification, the state should instead utilize the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards' Advanced Principal Certification.
Addition of Middle Grades Literacy Coach as a License Area (TCP 6) - The addition of Middle Grades Literacy Coach as a license area was discussed. Currently individuals employed as a middle grades literacy coach must complete all training prescribed by the NC Teacher Academy and implement the 21st century literacy model designed by the NC Teacher Academy. The successful completion of this training would enable the individual to note this training on the license.
Proposed Standards for the Evaluation of School Counselors and School Social Workers (TCP 7) - New standards for the evaluation of school counselors and school social workers that are aligned with the new teacher standards were discussed. When approved by Board members, the new standards will serve as the basis for new evaluation instruments that are aligned with the new instruments developed by McREL.
Annual Report on the Reasons Teachers Leave (Teacher Turnover Report) (TCP 8) - The Board discussed the "Annual Report on the Reasons Teachers Leave." The state's 115 school systems reported that of the 96,966 teachers employed during the 2007-08 school year, 13,432 teachers left their systems for a system-level turnover rate of 13.85 percent. This represents an increase in the turnover rate reported for 2006-07 of 12.31 percent. Of the reasons teachers gave for leaving, resigned to teach elsewhere (22.02 percent) was given most often followed by retirement (16.26 percent) and resignation due to family relocation (12.16 percent).
Cooperative Innovative High School Program Waiver (LFI 2) - Board members discussed granting an exemption request to the Early College at Guilford that would enable its students to meet their physical science graduation requirement by taking college-level chemistry or physics without taking an end-of-course assessment. The students would not receive high school credit for these courses only graduation credit for physical science. Board members also discussed granting a waiver to Wayne Early/Middle College High School (Wayne County Schools) that would release students taking the Integrated Math series from taking the Geometry EOC exam. The Geometry EOC is problematic for students in the Integrated Math program because the geometry content is taught throughout the three years of integrated math.
North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) Funding Formula (TCS 5) - Board members were provided a quick overview of the various funding formula options for the North Carolina Virtual Public School. Possible options include: request and obtain full funding from the General Assembly, charge a fee per course, develop a formula where NCVPS is treated like an LEA with its own ADM and a combination of the above. The State Board is to adopt a funding formula to fund e-learning beginning in the 2009-2010 school year. NCVPS is to be available at no cost to students enrolled in a public school, a Department of Defense school or a school operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The funding options will be discussed in more detail at the Board's December meeting.
Allowing Retest Results in the Calculation of Performance Composites of the ABCs (GCS 5) - Options and implications for using retest scores in the calculation of performance composites under the ABCs was discussed. The U.S. Department of Education (USED) has advised the NCDPI that retest scores can be used at all grade levels and for all end-of-course assessments if the State Board mandates that retesting be required for all grades and EOC courses and not remain a local option. This ensures that AYP decisions are made equitably across the state. The USED also does not allow the use of the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and a confidence interval for AYP so students who meet the Achievement Level III standard using the SEM must be retested and score proficient without the SEM for their retest scores to be included in the performance composites for AYP. Board members requested other stakeholder opinions, such as the Compliance Commission for Accountability, be sought to ensure all viewpoints are represented.

Information Agenda

Report on LEA Status for Title III Improvement (GCS 7) - Board members were presented a report on LEA status for Title III improvement. As part of No Child Left Behind, LEAs receiving Title III funds must meet a series of Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO). Those that do not meet their AMAO targets in the same set two years in a row will be required to develop a detailed improvement plan. A list of districts that had not met at least one AMAO for two consecutive years, three consecutive years and at four consecutive years was presented. The USED also has just released new final AMAO regulations that will affect how North Carolina calculates AMAO in future years.

Chairman's Remarks

State Board of Education Vice Chairman Wayne McDevitt congratulated State Superintendent June Atkinson on her recent induction into East Carolina University's Educator Hall of Fame; noted the success of the National Association of State Board's of Education conference and the attendance of said conference by two Board members and three staff members; and his participation in an education summit sponsored by the U.S. Army whose commitment to core values, leadership development and to "never leaving someone behind" mirror those of the State Board. He also asked Board Senior Policy Advisor Kathy Sullivan to bring an updated Board response to No Child Left Behind to take to the state's delegation when they are sworn into office in January.

State Superintendent's Remarks

State Superintendent June Atkinson in her report to the Board discussed the Oct. 14 meeting of the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee where initiatives to improve the graduation rate were discussed; the Oct. 21 Superintendents' Quarterly meeting, which focused on technology; and the numerous presentations she gave and events she attended during October.

Deputy State Superintendent's Report

Deputy State Superintendent J.B. Buxton discussed the Department's progress on the Framework for Change effort and next steps; the Dropout Prevention and Recovery Initiative being coordinated with the North Carolina Community College System that will target over-age (15 - 18 years olds) and under-credit students; and School Innovation Day, which is scheduled for Nov. 18 and will provide the media, business community and citizens outside education access to innovative programs occurring in public schools across the state.

< Back to Top>