SBE HIGHLIGHTS

April 1-2, 2009

Special Note:To review background materials on each item, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/meetings/2009/04. 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

• The 2009 Invitation to Submit Textbooks for Evaluation and Adoption in North Carolina (GCS 1) - The 2009 Invitation to Submit Textbooks for Evaluation and Adoption in North Carolina was approved for the following curriculum areas: Mathematics 6-12, Second Languages 6-12, English Language Development (ESL) K-12 and Agriculture Education 7-12.
  
  
• Allowing Retest Results in the Calculation of Performance Composites of the ABCs and AYP (GCS 2) - Board members approved a new policy allowing first retest results in grades 3 through 8 in the calculation of ABCs performance composites and for AYP effective with the 2008-09 school year. All students who score Achievement Level II on the first administration of the EOG assessments must be retested, and parents of students who score Achievement Level I on the first administration must be notified that they may request that their children be retested.
  
  
• Changes to Policy Delineating the Components of the ABCs Accountability Program Including Adequate Yearly Progress for 2008-09 School Year (GCS 3) - As a result of the U.S. Department of Education's decision to uphold its initial ruling denying the NCDPI the use of its NCEXTEND2 Occupational Course of Study assessments for AYP determinations because they are weakly linked to the general curriculum, the Board approved the Department using these assessments' results for ABCs purposes only. As a result, some high schools may not make AYP because they will not be able to test 95 percent of students. The USED did approve the NCDPI taking this step while the department is modifying the OCS curriculum and these assessments to meet USED approval.
  
  
• Program Approval Exemption Requests Under the Innovative Education Initiatives Act (LFI 3) - Various program approval exemption requests under the Innovative Education Initiatives Act were approved for Early College East (Craven County Schools), Duplin Early College High School (Duplin County Schools), Wayne School of Engineering and Wayne Early Middle College (Wayne County Schools), Granville Early College (Granville County Schools), Roanoke Valley Early College (Weldon City Schools), Wilson Early College Academy (Wilson County Schools), Johnston County Early College Academy and Johnston County Middle College (Johnston County Schools), Fair Bluff Academy (Columbus County Schools), Early College of Forsyth (Winston-Salem Forsyth Schools), Stanly Early College (Stanly County Schools), Stokes Early College High School (Stokes County Schools), Wilkes Early College High School (Wilkes County Schools), Yadkin Early College High School (Yadkin County Schools), Jackson Early College High School (Jackson County Schools), and Mayland Early College High School (Mitchell County Schools).
  
  

Board members also approved:

• Updates to State Board Policies HSP-H-001 and HSP-H-007 to address outdated textbooks policy language. (GCS 5)
  
  
• Mathematics and Science Partnership Grants for continued funding of 14 projects and first-year funding of four projects. Mathematics and Science Partnership Grants are provided on a competitive basis to districts with demonstrated need in mathematics and science. The districts must partner with an Institute of Higher Education to be considered for a grant. (TCS 1)
  
  
• Revised eligibility requirements for provisional licensing in school counseling and school social work. The revisions take effect July 1. (TCP 1)
  
  
• Technology plans for 101 local districts and 26 charter schools. Approval qualifies these districts and charter schools for the School Technology Trust Fund, No Child Left Behind and federal e-Rate monies. (LFI 1)
  
  
• School-based calendar waivers for educational purposes submitted by Hertford County Schools (Hertford County Early College and CS Brown Student Development Center), Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (Atkins High School of Computer Technology, Atkins High School of Biotechnology, Atkins High School of Pre-Engineering, Winston-Salem/Forsyth Career Center, Carver High School, East Forsyth High School, Robert Glenn High School, Jacket Academy at Carver High School, Mount Tabor High School, North Forsyth High School, Parkland High School, Ronald Reagan High School, RJ Reynolds High School, West Forsyth High School, Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy), and Wilson County Schools (Wilson Early College High School). (LFI 2)
  
  

Discussion Agenda

• 2009-2010 Writing Assessment Plan (GCS 7) - NCDPI Deputy Chief Academic Officer Angela Quick discussed lessons learned from the 2008-09 NC Writing Assessment System and proposed adjustments for the 2009-2010 NC Writing Instruction and Assessment System. Over 5,000 responses were received from an online survey in addition to emails and comments from site visits and regional meetings and other communications with external groups. The most important positive feedback received was that many in the field support a shift from a single, on-demand assessment to a yearlong instruction and assessment system. The most important critical feedback received was that communication about the plan's purpose, logistics and implementation needed improvement. Proposed adjustments include opening the electronic pilot to all interested districts, allowing flexible windows for student writing assessments to be composed, allowing teachers in consultation with students to choose the content-specific writing assignments, and not restricting the use of word processing tools (such as spell check) on assignments. Staff will be updating the online professional development as well as developing single, comprehensive "how to" guides.
  
  
• Construction Education Programs Certification and Credentials (GCS 8) - State Board members, while meeting as the State Board of Career and Technical Education, discussed a proposed new policy that would ensure that construction education programs (carpentry, electrical trades and masonry) offered in the state's public schools are National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER) certified. The NCCER program leads to various trade certifications and credentials. Students also could earn community college credits while in high school. Teacher and program certification would occur during the 2009-2010 school year with teachers assessing and registering students in the national registry in August 2010.
  
  

Board members also discussed:

• Proposed amendments to State Board Policy HSP-C-021 to reflect two modifications to the ABCs growth formulas. The first amendment addresses the component for college university prep/college tech prep to give additional credit to schools with high baseline and current year performance. The second amendment focuses on revising the U.S. History prediction to use either Civics & Economics or Biology as the primary predictor in conjunction with English I as the secondary predictor. Once approved, the APA process would be initiated. (GCS 6)
  
  

Chairman's Remarks

Under the Chairman's remarks, Board members approved a recommendation of State Board Chairman and CEO Bill Harrison to defer by one year The North Carolina Graduation Project as a requirement for high school graduation. Ninth graders entering high school for the first time in the 2007-08 school year are now the first class required to complete The North Carolina Graduation Project.

Board members also approved a recommendation from Harrison to delay implementation of their Graduate Pay Policy (TCP-A-006), which authorizes that teachers be paid on the master's level salary schedule for any master's degree or advanced degree held from a regionally accredited Institute of Higher Education. The policy now goes into effect July 1, 2010. The delay was recommended as a result of the state's current economic situation.

Harrison noted that Gov. Bev Perdue has proclaimed April as Financial Literacy for Youth Month and April 15 as Personal Financial Literacy Day in North Carolina. In 2003, President Bush declared April as Financial Literacy for Youth Month to highlight the importance of financial literacy and of teaching Americans how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits. In 2006, the North Carolina General Assembly directed the NCDPI to provide students with instruction, activities and initiatives in personal financial literacy.