SBE HIGHLIGHTS

AUGUST 5-7, 2008

Special Note: To review background materials on each item, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/meetings/2008/08. 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 on First Reading

AYP Results for High Schools, AYP Math Results for Elementary and Middle Schools, ABCs Growth and Cohort Graduation Rates (GCS 1) - Board members approved the 2007-08 AYP results for high schools and AYP mathematics results for elementary and middle schools in addition to 2007-08 ABCs growth determinations and cohort graduation rates for the graduating class of 2008.

Slightly more high school students are graduating in four years or less, according to North Carolina's four-year cohort graduation rate for the graduating class of 2008, presented by the NC Department of Public Instruction to the State Board of Education today. In 2008, 69.9 percent of the students who started ninth grade in 2004-05 had completed high school in four years or less. The four-year cohort graduation rate in 2007 (for those students who entered ninth grade in 2003-04) was 69.5 percent. The five-year cohort graduation rate for students who entered ninth grade in 2003-04 (class of 2007) also was presented today, showing a five-year graduation rate of 71.8 percent, up from the five-year rate for the 2002-03 ninth graders (Class of 2006) of 70.3 percent.

More than half (55.2 percent) of North Carolina's public schools posted high academic growth in 2007-08 as measured by the state's ABCs of Public Education accountability model, according to results presented to the State Board of Education today. Another 26.8 percent earned expected academic growth under the model. Academic growth is calculated by comparing students' academic performance from year to year and comparing that growth to what was typical in prior years across the state. Teachers, principals, other certified school staff and teacher assistants receive incentive awards based on their schools' growth designation.

This year, awards will be provided at the amounts of $1,053 per certified staff at schools earning high growth designations. Certified staff at schools meeting expected growth will receive awards of $527. For teacher assistants the amounts are $351 for high growth and $263 for expected growth. Traditionally, these amounts have been higher - up to $1,500 for high growth and $750 for expected growth for certified staff, and up to $750 for high growth or $375 for expected growth for teacher assistants. This year, the state's budget law capped the amount of money that can be spent on incentive awards at $94.3 million. To stay within this cap, the State Board of Education had to adjust the incentive award amounts by 29.8 percent for all recipients. More complete information about both topics is available online at www.ncpublicschools.org under "News."
Update on Framework for Changes' "Writing Assessment" (GCS 2) - Board members approved the new North Carolina Writing Assessment System that will be piloted during the 2008-09 school year. The adopted plan (Option 1) will replace the former fourth and seventh grades writing assessments with a requirement that all students in grades four and seven complete two content-specific writing assignments and two on-demand writing tasks. Students in grades seven will use word processing tools in order to complete their assignments. All seventh grade students with the exception of students in 10 pilot LEAs will store their work in local portfolios. Teachers will use state rubrics to score student writing, and NCDPI will monitor the portfolios to ensure compliance. Students in 10 pilot LEAs will participate by using an electronic storage, uploading and retrieval system for their writing samples. This pilot will be evaluated next summer with results reported to the Board in September 2009. To see the complete plan, please go to www.ncpublicschools.org/sbe_meetings/revisions/2008/pdfs/gcs2rev.pdf.
Approval of Grants (TCS 1) - Carl D. Perkins College Tech Prep Grants totaling almost $2.7 million were approved for 31 College Tech Prep Consortiums (28 community colleges; 46 local districts). The grants are available for two years (2008-09 and 2009-2010) pending available funding and satisfactory performance.

Personal Financial Literacy Grant Awards totaling almost $60,000 were approved for six initiatives in the following schools: H.M. Cummings High (Alamance-Burlington Schools), Raleigh Charter High (Wake County), J.H. Rose High (Pitt County Schools), E.E. Smith High (Cumberland County Schools), Weldon High (Weldon City Schools), and Franklinton High (Franklin County Schools). Teachers will use these funds to create, design, implement and share ideas with students and colleagues that reflect best practices for reaching students about the components of financial literacy.

NCLB Enhancing Education Through Technology - IMPACT II Year 2 Awards were approved for Walkertown Middle (Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools), Canton Middle (Haywood County Schools), Pembroke Middle (Public Schools of Robeson County), Union Middle (Sampson County Schools), and Swain Middle (Swain County Schools). The grants, which total almost $1.2 million, will be used to provide the necessary personnel, resources, access, professional development and student instruction to produce technologically literate students by the eighth grade and to positively impact student achievement.
2008-09 Special Provisions (TCS 3) - Board members approved the use or redirection of funds to support 14 special provisions outlined in House Bills recently passed by the General Assembly.
Program Approval Requests Under the Innovative Education Initiatives Act (TCS 4) - Program approval requests under the Innovative Education Initiatives Act were approved for Blue Ridge Virtual Early College High School, Columbia iSchool, Hyde County Early College High School and J.P. Knapp Early College High School.
ABCs Incentive Award Formula (TCS 5) - Board members approved the ABCs incentive award formula that will be used to determine ABCs financial awards for certified personnel and teacher assistants whose schools met or exceeded growth expectations in the 2007-08 school year. The state's budget law capped the total funds to be used at $94,325.612, so the awards had to be adjusted downward by 29.8 percent to stay within the cap.
SBE Plan for the Use of Mentor Funds and Mentor Training (TCS 6) - The proposed plan for use of mentor funds and mentor training was approved. Districts will use the funds to provide mentoring support to eligible employees.

Discussion Agenda

Changes Regarding Eligibility Criteria for Accommodations and Alternate Assessments Designated for Students Identified as Limited English Proficient (GCS 3) - Board members discussed revisions to policies HSP-C-021 and HSP-A-011 to reflect limited English proficiency participation in the state's testing and accountability programs for 2008-09 and beyond. The changes include the new criteria for receiving testing accommodations, participation in the state-designated alternate assessment, and consistency with state and federal policies and practices.
State Graduation Requirements Revision of HSP-N-004 (GCS 4) - Board members discussed suggested revisions to clarify the policy on State Graduation Requirements to address course and credit requirements for students entering ninth grade for the first time in 2009-10 and beyond and for students who entered ninth grade for the first time prior to 2009-10.
More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Curricula Recommendations (GCS 5) - A list of curricula for use statewide in More at Four classrooms was discussed. Upon Board approval, the list would become effective in the 2009-10 school year.
Renaming the Hearing Impaired Teacher License Area (TCP 3) - A proposal to rename the Hearing Impaired licensure area to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing licensure area was discussed. The proposed change reflects current and preferred terminology.
Proposed Rubric for Preservice Teachers and the Teacher Education Program Approval Process (TCP 4) - A proposed rubric to evaluate preservice teachers and teacher education programs was discussed. The proposed assessment instrument aligns with the new evaluation instrument for teachers approved by the Board in June.
Teacher Evaluation Policies (TCP 5) - Board members discussed proposed policies related to the evaluation of teachers as a result of their approval of new standards for teacher evaluation in June. These include requiring an annual evaluation of teachers using the new instrument, completion of state-approved training on the new instrument, and the reporting of summative ratings on the new instrument.

Information Agenda

NC Virtual Public School/Learn & Earn Online Director's Report (LFI 1) - North Carolina Virtual Public School Director Bryan Setser shared a detailed summary of the first year results and progress of the North Carolina Virtual Public School. The report included highlights on enrollment and academics, an update on credit recovery and summative recommendations from the Friday Institute for Innovation's evaluation report.

Chairman's Remarks

State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee highlighted the meeting dates for the 2009 State Board of Education schedule and said that he was working with Board staff on alternative meeting schedules to shorten the meetings so that they occurred on two business days, rather than on three. That work is continuing.

State Superintendent's Remarks

State Superintendent June Atkinson noted that Sept. 7-13 has been designated as Graduation Awareness Week in North Carolina. She encouraged local school districts, community groups and others to use this opportunity to highlight the importance of graduation.