Briefing for the September 24, 2019 Regular Meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

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The next regular meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) will be on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, at Taconic High School in Pittsfield, MA. The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. (coffee will be available at 9:00 a.m.) and should adjourn by 1:30 p.m. If you need overnight accommodations or any additional information about the schedule, please call Helene Bettencourt at (781) 338-3120.

Overview

Chair Craven suggested that the Board hold more meetings at schools around the state, and we thank Pittsfield Superintendent Jason McCandless and Taconic High School Principal Matthew Bishop for hosting the meeting on September 24. Our agenda includes a welcome from the school and a report on educator diversity initiatives, followed by the Board's annual election of the vice-chair. The Berkshire County Education Task Force will report on the task force's work to deal with school governance and organization at a time of declining enrollment in many small, rural school districts. I will present my goals for 2019-2020, and we will review the 2019 student, school, and district performance results. I am recommending that the Board vote at this meeting to solicit public comment on a proposed regulatory amendment that would extend for another year the interim passing standard for the competency determination. The Board also will discuss the process and timelines for the FY2021 education budget. After we conclude these business items, the Board will go into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to litigation.

Regular Meeting

Comments from the Chair

The September meeting is the Board's annual meeting under the by-laws. Chair Craven will appoint members to committees, and the Board will elect its vice-chair (item 2 on the business agenda).

Comments from the Commissioner

1. Results of review of spring 2019 ELA grade 10 MCAS test. On August 30, I notified Board members, school officials, and other interested parties that we had received the independent research study examining students' performance on the English language arts section of the spring 2019 10^th grade MCAS test. The study, led by Stanford researchers, showed that while black students experienced a small difference in performance as compared to white students on the second day of the English Language Arts MCAS test, that small difference was within the normal variation of such differences on past MCAS tests. Still, we are making some opportunities available to students with regard to that test. Those include:

   • First, if students appeared to be on track to meet the required minimum test score before they reached the essay question but struggled on the questions afterward, we will grant them an exception to the minimum score requirement. (Based on a preliminary analysis, approximately 60 students statewide fall into this category.)
   • Second, we will allow the students who took this test to retake it in November 2019 if they believe that the presence of the essay question impaired their ability to score high enough to qualify for a John and Abigail Adams Scholarship.
   
   

   Internally, we continue to improve the test development process. While we have always sought to have a diverse Bias and Sensitivity Review Committee, we are also making diversity a goal for our Assessment Development Committees. We are also developing additional guidelines and policies to assist the review committees, and we are conducting additional training for committee members and staff.

2. Early literacy pilot. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) funded a pilot Literacy Leadership Institute this summer in the Somerville Public Schools. The institute model aims to strengthen effective instructional practices and boost literacy for 7–10 year olds who are not yet able to achieve grade level benchmarks in reading. The pilot program integrated coursework, practicum experiences, and instructional coaching for teaching teams from Somerville and ten additional teachers from other communities. The program started in June, and teachers engaged in practicum experience in July as they worked with students enrolled in the Somerville Public Schools summer program. The coursework and support for participating teachers will continue through December. We are documenting the pilot program and its results, with the expectation that it could be a model for early literacy professional development in the future.

3. Boston Public Schools district review. The Department will be conducting a district review of the Boston Public Schools in October 2019. The review will consist of two main parts: (1) classroom observations that will be done in 100 schools between October 1–11, and (2) an onsite visit conducted by a team of reviewers during the week of October 21. The onsite portion of the review will include interviews with city officials, district personnel, school administrators, union representatives, teachers, students, parents, and other interested parties. We expect to publish the written report on the Boston district review early in 2020.

4. Metco program update. The Metco program is a state-funded grant program that promotes diversity and educational opportunity for more than 3,300 Boston and Springfield school students, as well as thousands of students in the Metco receiving school districts. The Department has been working in collaboration with METCO, Inc. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Milly Arbaje-Thomas, the organization's board of directors, and district superintendents and Metco directors, and recently approved a revised Boston Metco application and developed new admissions guidelines for the program. Starting on October 1, 2019, METCO, Inc. will transition the current paper-based application process to an online platform. The shift will modernize the process and provide increased access to Boston families. The changes to the Boston Metco application and admissions process do not apply to the Springfield Metco program, which uses a lottery to enroll students. We look forward to updating the Board further at a future meeting.

5. Vocational technical education planning. The Department has been reviewing current vocational technical education regulations and practices, in collaboration with the field, to determine where revisions may be needed. I expect to bring some proposed regulatory amendments to the Board for initial review this fall.

Comments from the Secretary

Secretary Peyser will brief the Board on current issues and activities.

Items for Discussion and Action

1. Welcome from Taconic High School; Pittsfield Educator Diversity Panel — Presentation

   Pittsfield Superintendent Jason McCandless will welcome the Board and make a brief presentation. Also, Pittsfield school officials, joined by Ventura Rodriguez and Shay Edmond, will speak to the Board about the teacher diversification pilot program grant our Department initiated last year, and how it has supported the district's efforts to strengthen teacher recruitment and retention. Information about the Pittsfield Public Schools and the grant program is included in your materials under Tab 1.

2. Election of Board Vice-Chair — Discussion and Vote

   Under the Board's by-laws, the September meeting is the annual meeting of the Board, at which the Board elects its vice-chair. Chair Craven will call for nominations from members and then conduct the election. The vice-chair presides over meetings when the chair is not available.

3. Berkshire County Educational Task Force — Presentation

   The Berkshire County Education Task Force was formed in 2015 to study the challenges created by a significant drop in enrollment in many of the county's small, rural school districts. These problems are not unique to Berkshire County; we are seeing them in other rural areas of the state. Bill Cameron, who retired several years ago as superintendent of the Central Berkshire regional district, is the current chair of the task force. I have asked him to lead a presentation at this month's meeting on the task force's work to date and their recommendations going forward.

4. Commissioner Riley's Goals for 2019-2020 — Discussion

   At Chair Craven's request, I have outlined key goals that will guide my work in 2019-2020. I look forward to discussing my goals with the Board.

5. 2019 Student, School, and District Performance Results — Discussion

   At the September 24 meeting, I will present the 2019 student, school, and district performance results for review and discussion.

6. Proposed Amendment to Competency Determination Regulations — Initial Discussion and Vote to Solicit Public Comment

   As outlined in the memo under Tab 6, I am recommending that the Board amend the competency determination regulations that would extend the interim passing standard in English language arts and mathematics for one additional year, to include students in the class of 2023. With the Board's approval, we will solicit public comment on the proposed amendment and bring it back in December for final action. Associate Commissioner Michol Stapel and Lucy Wall of our legal staff will join us for the discussion on September 24.

7. FY2020 Budget Overview; Process and Timelines for FY2021 Budget — Discussion

   Now that we have the FY2020 state budget for the fiscal year that began on July 1, we are also starting to plan for the FY2021 budget. At this month's meeting, Senior Associate Commissioner/CFO Bill Bell will review the Department's budget picture. In October, with assistance from the Board's Budget Committee, we will discuss possible budget priorities and program initiatives that the Board may wish to propose. The Board will vote on its FY2021 budget priorities at the November meeting.

Other Items for Information

8. Report on Grants Approved by the Commissioner

   Enclosed is information on grants that I have approved since the last meeting, under the authority the Board has delegated to the Commissioner.

9. Annual Reports from 2018-2019 Advisory Councils to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

   Under Tab 9 are the 2018-2019 annual reports to the Board from the six advisory councils that submitted a report this year. (In addition, the Board received the annual report from the State Student Advisory Council this past spring.) We appreciate the time, effort, and constructive feedback that the advisory councils provide.

Executive Session

10. Executive Session to Discuss Strategy with Respect to Litigation

    At the conclusion of the business agenda, Chair Craven will ask for a vote to go into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to pending litigation. The Board will return to open session only to adjourn the meeting.

If you have questions about any agenda items, please call me. I look forward to seeing you at the meeting in Pittsfield on September 24.

Last Updated: September 16, 2019