About the NC SBE SBE Meeting Information SBE Highlights SBE Policy Manual Advisory Councils, Boards and Commissions Legislative Report Legal Affairs On the Road Education News Resources HOME	April 2-3, 2003 Special Note: To review background materials on each item, please go to /sbe_meetings/0304_sbagenda.html Click on the appropriate agenda category, High Student Performance (HSP); Quality Teachers, Administrators and Staff (QP); Effective and Efficient Operations (EEO); Safe, Orderly and Caring Schools (SS); or Strong Family, Community and Business Support (FCB). Issues Session Focuses on Teacher Effectiveness Research Dr. William Sanders and Dr. June Rivers, both of SAS Institute, presented highlights of their research on the significance of teacher effectiveness on student achievement. Sanders and Rivers have done landmark research in Tennessee linking teacher strength to increased rates of student achievement over time. Their findings show that 60 percent of the differences in student achievement can be linked to teacher differences, 35 percent of the differences are related to differences among schools within the same district and 5 percent of the differences are related to differences in school districts. The importance of the teacher to students’ growth in achievement is especially pronounced for students performing at lower levels. School differences make more of a difference for students who are high performing. This research also found that teacher effects are cumulative, particularly in mathematics. Dr. Sanders noted that this type of data analysis can be effectively used to make policy decisions that will help teachers meet the challenges of the classroom and thus help improve student performance, help districts distribute highly effective teachers throughout their systems, and help to ensure that teachers have the appropriate skills and information to teach subject matter in a most effective matter. Action Agenda Development of a Standard Course of Study for English Language Development, K-12 (HSP 1) — Sections 3113(b)(2) and 3122(a)(1) of No Child Left Behind Title III require that each state develop English language proficiency standards which define progressive levels of competence in the use of English in the four domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The standards must include a series of levels which set clear benchmarks of progress that reflect differences for students entering school at various grade levels. The new standards also must have aligned assessments. The State Board approved that DPI begin the development process, which will include numerous opportunities for stakeholders’ input and which will culminate in a final Course of Study that will be completed in December 2003 and brought for Board approval. Revision of the NC Science Standard Course of Study (HSP 2) — The Board gave its approval to the timeline and plan for revising the NC Standard Course of Study for Science, K-12. The revision timeline calls for presentation of the revisions to the State Board in December 2003 for full implementation in 2005-06. Presentation of 2003 Invitation to Submit Textbooks for Evaluation and Adoption in North Carolina (HSP 3) — As required by law and State Board policy, Board members received a thorough training and updating on the current textbook process. The 2003 Textbook “call” was approved this month in the following subject areas: Mathematics, K-12; Healthful Living Education, K-9; Health Occupations, 6-12; Career Development, 6-12; Technology Education, 7-12; and Trade and Industrial Education, 9-12. SB 1115, Study of Coordination of Central Office Duties Between School Systems (EEO 2) — In response to SB 1115, the State Board of Education approved a report detailing its findings regarding ways that base funding formulas for central office administrators can be reduced based on the coordination of duties. The Board was not able to identify a formula adjustment that could be equitably implemented across the State as the study requested. The report does note, however, that some school systems already coordinate duties across district lines when it is efficient. The Board also included a section in support of encouraging efficiencies when possible through establishing incentives that would allow participating school systems to retain a portion of the savings they realize through such efficiencies. Central office administration makes up less than 1 percent of the state’s overall education budget. Technical Assistance Policy, LEA Assistance Program (EEO 3) — The State Board of Education is seeking legislative authority to identify local school districts that are low performing and to send assistance teams to these school districts for evaluation and to make recommendations for improvement. This authority would take the LEA Assistance Program that the Board and DPI have been modeling in Hoke County to a statewide application. The proposed legislative amendment would allow the Board to identify low-performing school administrative units on an annual basis according to their failure to meet the minimum performance composite score, as defined by the Board. LEA Assistance Program teams could then be assigned to a select group of school administrative units for assistance. Also, during this month’s Board meeting, State Superintendent Mike Ward and Deputy Superintendent Brad Sneeden provided an update of the LEAAP efforts currently underway in Hoke County. The assessment phase of the process has been completed and the implementation phase is beginning. Dr. Sammie Campbell Parrish, a former Associate Superintendent with DPI and former dean of the School of Education at NC Central University, has been selected to lead the LEA Assistance team. Information Items Process for Developing Sanctions for Late Reporting (EEO 5) — A frustration of the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction sometimes centers around gathering information from local school systems in a timely manner. Sometimes when local education agencies are asked to provide information, all LEAs do not provide the information without repeated calls from DPI staff. A policy of sanctions for LEAs that do not meet reporting requirements is being considered as a way to deal with this issue. The process for developing the policy would include: strengthening the DPI Annual Data Plan to specify which items are required of each LEA; defining what is meant by LEAs that are willfully or negligently failing to comply with requests; providing a recurring report on reporting contingencies; and defining the procedures to withhold the local superintendent’s salary allotment. It is proposed that the salary allotment be withheld after: a caution letter has been distributed to the superintendent that outlines the areas of noncompliance and a caution letter has been sent to the chairman of the local board of education and public notice provided of continued noncompliance. The salary allotment would be withhheld until the local school system comes into compliance. North Carolina Science, Mathematics and Technology Center (HSP 5) — Dr. Sam Houston, former local school superintendent in North Carolina, has been appointed as President of the NC Science Mathematics and Technology Education Center. He presented an overview for the board of the Center’s work to create a statewide system of educational expectations, vision, policies, practices and resources in science, math and technology education for all students. The Center’s goals also include building capacity of teachers in these areas and recognizing schools that are especially successful in these areas. The Center’s role is to serve as advocate for high quality programs, as a broker of educational initiatives and resources, as a catalyst for innovation and change, as a provider of strategic programs that do not duplicate existing ones, as a facilitator of existing networks and groups and as a communicator of the status of science, mathematics and technology education. Recommendations from the Economic Development Board and North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development (HSP 6) — In session as the State Board of Vocational Education, Board members received an overview of the recommendations concerning education from the Economic Development Board and North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development. State Board Chairman Phil Kirk chaired the Education Sub-Committee of t he Commission and reviewed the goals developed by that sub-committee. One of the primary goals of this group is for North Carolina to develop an outstanding education system and a highly qualified workforce which can help the state to develop a globally competitive workforce. The Commission’s full report includes a variety of specific action steps to achieve this and other goals related to education. These actions include implementing the recommendations of the Commission on Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps. Good News – Middle Schools National Schools to Watch Ashe County Middle School, Durant Road Middle School (Wake County), Rugby Middle (Henderson County) and Topsail Middle (Pender County) were recognized as being recently named Middle Schools to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. North Carolina is one of three states to pilot this program designed to recognize schools that are models of academic excellence, responsiveness to students, social equity and strong internal processes. <Back to Top>