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. Public Schools of North Carolina . . State Board of Education . . Department Of Public Instruction .

SBE HIGHLIGHTS

August 5-6, 2009

Special Note:To review background materials on each item, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/meetings/2009/08. 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 Agenda

  • ABCs/AYP Report for 2008-09 School Year (GCS 1) - State Board members approved the 2008-09 ABCs/AYP Report. The report found that the number of North Carolina public schools earning the state’s top school designations more than doubled in 2008-09, and that approximately 71 percent of schools met standards for Adequate Yearly Progress required under federal education law. These two performance measures were helped in part by the State Board of Education’s decision to include reading, mathematics and science retest results for students in grades 3-8 in the state’s ABCs accountability program and in federal Adequate Yearly Progress calculations. On the measure of academic growth, the percentage of schools earning Expected Growth increased to 41.4 percent – up from 27 percent – while the percentage of schools earning High Growth results moved from 55 percent to 39.4 percent. The report also included information about schools’ performance under the federal No Child Left Behind/Elementary and Secondary Education Act measures. A total of 2,515 public schools are included in the ABCs of Public Education. The complete report is available online at http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs.

  • Recommendations for Preliminary Approval of 2009 Charter School Applications (LFI 1) - Henderson Collegiate (Vance County), Lake Lure Classical Academy (Rutherford County) and Mountain Island Charter School (Mecklenburg County) received preliminary charter approvals. These schools will begin undergoing rigorous training for operation as charter schools in addition to developing the bylaws, policies and procedures deemed necessary for the effective and efficient operation of a charter school. Final charters will be granted in spring 2010 so that the schools can open for students in the 2010-11 school year.

  • Charter Termination of PreEminent Charter School (LFI 2) - Pending receipt of additional information, the Board postponed its discussion regarding the status of the charter of PreEminent Charter School until its September Board meeting.

Board members also approved:

  • Reallocating almost $1.2 million in Reading First Funds for 2009-10 that were reverted by schools or unallotted, and allocating $1.1 million in Education for Homeless Children and Youth (McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act) grant awards to 25 local districts to ensure that children and youth experiencing homelessness are provided with a free, appropriate public education and have equal opportunity to enroll and succeed in school. There are approximately 15,000 homeless students attending public schools, but some feel this number is under-reported. (TCs 1)

Discussion Agenda

  • Supplemental Educational Services (SES) Evaluation Policy (GCS 2) - Board members discussed a proposed policy that the NCDPI staff would use to monitor the quality and effectiveness of services offered by approved Supplemental Educational Services providers. The policy also outlines procedures for withdrawing approval from providers that fail for two consecutive years to increase the academic proficiency of the students they serve. SES providers offer additional academic assistance to eligible students outside the regular school day to increase their academic achievement.

  • K-12 Mathematics, English 10, Occupational Course of Study, and K-12 Information Technology Essential Standards (GCS 4) - Draft essential standards for K-12 Mathematics, English 10, Occupational Course of Study and K-12 Information Technology in addition to a proposal to eliminate the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Computer and Technology Skills and Information Skills (these two areas have been merged under the draft essential standards) were discussed. The proposed essential standards for these subject areas are the result of analysis of current research, national and international standards, as well as business and labor market standards. Writing teams composed of teachers, business members, the NCDPI curriculum and assessment staff, and district curriculum consultants and exceptional children’s consultants worked collaboratively to draft these standards for Board consideration. The draft standards are available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards.

  • Revised Mentor Standards and Training (TCP 3) - Proposed mentoring and education program standards developed by the North Carolina Mentor Task Force for Board consideration were discussed. The Board charged the Task Force with developing recommendations that address four specific areas: new program standards, the establishment of a network of mentor programs, training for mentors, and a review and update of State Board policies on the Beginning Teacher Support Program.

Board members also discussed:

  • Middle school students receiving credit for taking high school English language arts courses, specifically English I. To receive credit, students would have to score at or above proficiency on the end-of-course assessment. The student would receive high school credit for the course, but the grade would not be included in the student's high school GPA. (GCS 3)

  • Adding content area concentrations to the elementary license area as a way to encourage elementary (K-6) teachers to pursue graduate study in academic content areas (English, math, science and social studies). The concentration area would be added to the license once the teacher had completed 18 semester hours of graduate work in that content area. (TCP 1)

  • Approving a qualifying score of 163 for the revised School Leaders Licensure Assessment. Currently the qualifying score is 155. The revised SLLA (core content remains the same but structure and formatting have been updated) will be administered beginning in September when the current test will no longer be available. (TCP 2)

  • Clarifying the effective date of the adjusted Praxis II score for physical education. (TCP 5)

Information Agenda

  • 2008 Teacher Working Conditions Survey Data and Research (TCP 4) - Eric Hirsch, special projects director with the New Teacher Center, provided Board members a summary of findings from the 2008 Teacher Working Conditions Survey including connections to student achievement and teacher retention, support for new teachers, tools for using data at the school level to inform school improvement discussions, and support for the new teacher/principal evaluation instruments.

Special Recognition

  • The Honorable Patricia Timmons-Goodson, associate justice for the North Carolina Supreme Court, swore in re-appointed State Board of Education members Wayne McDevitt (District 8) and Tricia Willoughby (At-Large) and new board member Reginald Kenan (District 2).

  • State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison recognized new State Board of Education Teacher Advisor Jessica Garner (2009-10 AT&T North Carolina Teacher of the Year).
 

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