-----Original
Message-----
From:
Sent:
To: District Superintendents, ROEs, Directors of Special Education
Subject: Weekly Message - from State Superintendent Robert Schiller -
Importance: High
Good afternoon.
I have just a few items this week.
Assessment/Accountability Task Force
discussions are frank, productive
ACT results from April 2002 PSAE being
shipped to districts
20-Minute State Board Packet for October
meeting in
ISU gets grant to expand NBPTS pool
I want to briefly highlight two topics. First, thank you to those districts that have
sent me information on how the budget crisis is affecting programs and services
for students. We are beginning to create
a very compelling picture of the local sacrifices that students and their
schools must be made when funding is inadequate to meet their needs. If you have not already sent me such a
message, I would appreciate hearing from you.
The case we build will be even stronger if we can tell stories from
all district types, sizes and locations.
Just drop me a note, nothing formal is necessary, at statesup@isbe.net.
Second, is simply a reminder that we have
officially opened the application period for several management vacancies at
ISBE. Job descriptions, salary
ranges and an application form to download, complete and send to our Human
Resources office are all available at
http://www.isbe.net/isbesites/isbevacancy/VL02-03.pdf. The deadline for applying is
********************
Assessment/Accountability Task Force discussions
are frank, productive
The Task Force on Assessment and
Accountability met for the second time on Tuesday, October 8. Throughout the discussion, we identified
several “themes” that describe educators’ concerns about ISAT (e.g., the
We also identified some potential improvements in
the testing system that warrant further study and discussion, including
expanding the test item banks, improving the quantity and quality of data
returned to schools and reducing the turnaround time for test results.
The Task Force will meet again on October 23 in
You can now find information about the Task
Force’s meeting schedule, agendas as they become available, a list of members
and background materials use to provide them with a context for discussion at
http://www.isbe.net/aatf/default.htm, or just go to ISBE.net and click on
Assessment and Accountability Task Force.
ACT results from April 2002 PSAE being shipped to
unit, high school districts
ACT has begun shipping its results from the 2002
PSAE administration last spring to all public high schools. Districts should begin receiving them as
early as today, Friday, October 11, and throughout next week. Late next week, ISBE will be distributing a
news release that addresses statewide results only, not local
high school results. We will send you a
copy of the release when we send it to the media.
In a nutshell, ACT scores for
The mean ACT Composite score for 2002 juniors increased to 19.5
compared to 19.4 for juniors in 2001.
This is the second year that virtually all high school juniors in
******************
20-Minute State Board Packet for October meeting
in
The State Board of Education sometimes conducts
its monthly meeting in communities other than
Education
Policy/Planning Issues
East St. Louis District #189
Background and Issues
Last month, the State Board initiated a series
of discussions with local school district personnel. This month’s guests will represent the
This district has made progress in student
achievement at the elementary level but continues to face many challenges and
barriers in relation to school improvement.
What will happen at
the Board meeting
Representatives from the
Next Steps
Because the November
Board meeting is a one-day meeting, it may not be possible to schedule a
dialogue with a local school district.
However, barring other conflicts, a similar session with a school
district will occur at the December meeting.
Financial Oversight Panel- Annual Report
Action Item for October 17
Background and Issues
Each September 1st the Financial Oversight
Panel is required to file its Annual Report with the State Board.
Chairman Mark’s presentation and dialogue with
the board members will allow all to understand the importance of continued
financial accountability for the
What will happen at
the Board meeting
Mr. Richard Mark, Chairman of the East St.
Louis Financial Oversight Panel, will make a presentation on the Panel’s
accomplishments for the past year.
His comments will go into detail on the
progress the panel has made to ensure the financial stability of the
The State Board of Education will have an
opportunity to understand in greater detail the specific concerns and
recommendations as presented in this Annual Report
The Superintendent and agency staff will:
o recommend to the Board to accept the Annual
Report, and to recognize the State Board’s support for the tireless efforts of
the East St. Louis Financial Oversight Panel members. The panel members are Richard Mark, Vice
President, Ameren UE, Saundra Hudson, CEO, Madison County Urban League and Ann
Duncan, Retired Carlyle Superintendent.
The Board will be asked to accept the East St.
Louis Financial Oversight Panel Annual Report.
Next Steps
The Board will review the financial and
educational issues that remain and consider alternatives to the ten-year
statutory sunset of the East St. Louis Financial Oversight Panel.
NCATE/State Partnership Agreement & Protocol
(Draft)
Discussion Item
Background and Issues
On
NCATE is scheduled to review the content of
its State Protocol form, and some revisions are anticipated. Because the ISBE/NCATE Partnership Agreement
and Protocol are due on January 1, 2003, NCATE has provided State Board staff
with the most recent draft of its documents.
While NCATE anticipates few changes in this version, the final agreement
and protocol submitted to the Board in December may differ slightly from the
version under consideration in October.
Approval of the final Partnership Agreement
and Protocol will allow the State to continue its relationship with the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and
Failure to approve the final version will mean
that
What will happen at
the Board meeting
The Superintendent and agency staff will:
o provide the Board with a draft of the
NCATE/State Partnership Agreement and Protocol;
o explain the terms of the proposed agreement and protocol; and
o solicit comments and reactions from Board members.
The Board will be asked to:
o provide staff with comments and direction on
the proposed agreement and protocol; and
o direct staff to develop a revised version of the agreement and
protocol for submission to the Board at its November meeting.
Next Steps
Upon direction, staff will incorporate
feedback from the State Board into a second draft. The revisions will be shared with the
Illinois Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (IACTE), the Partnership
Committee, and the State Teacher Certification Board. Reactions from these entities will be
reported to the State Board in November.
Middle Level Certification: Survey Results &
Next Steps
Action Item for October 17
Background
and Issues
At its August 21 meeting, the State Board
accepted the findings of a survey on middle level certification distributed by
staff in July. The purpose of the
questionnaire was to define critical issues that seemed to be causing concern
or confusion regarding the proposed certificate.
Flexibility in assigning teachers, educator
supply, capacity to meet anticipated demand, and job mobility were among the
concerns cited most frequently by stakeholders who responded to the survey.
To increase the level of participation in the
questionnaire, the Board directed staff to re-open the survey on August 26 and
to make it available for comment through the middle of September. The purpose of this action was to allow
education personnel who were away from their positions in July to respond to
the survey items.
What will happen at the Board meeting
The Superintendent and agency staff will:
o inform the Board of the final results of the
Middle Level Certification Survey
o advise the Board of information received from colleges and
universities concerning potential capacity for middle level certification
programming;
The Superintendent will recommend to:
o propose the enhancement of the present middle
level endorsement as an alternative to middle level certification by
potentially redefining the present endorsement in terms of selected standards
and performance indicators. Preparation
predicated upon these standards will significantly advance qualifications of
middle level teachers in working with middle grade learners
The Board will be requested to:
o accept the Middle Level Certification Results
and approve next steps; and
o direct staff to collaborate with the middle level advisory panel
and other stakeholders in the re-design of the present middle grade
endorsement.
Next Steps
Upon direction by the Board, Staff will meet
with the leadership of the middle level advisory panel for the purpose of
reconvening interested members of the group to recommend a standards and
performance-based endorsement. Moreover,
staff may be asked to solicit representation from other partners (e.g.,
administrators, regional superintendents, etc.) to engage them in the
process. A report to the State Board on
the progress of the initiative will be available in the spring.
Action Item for October 17
Background and Issues
The Illinois State Board of Education is
responsible for policy implementation and jurisdictional administration of the
GED Testing Program establishing fees (ISBE was granted the authority to set
GED fees under Section 3-15.12 of the School Code (105 ILCS 5/3-3.37)), and
supervision of all testing centers within Illinois.
Funds to operate the program are received from
GED candidates in the form of application, retest, duplicate certificate, and
transcript fees, with excess costs absorbed by the Regional Offices of
Education. Except for the funding
provided to ISBE by the General Assembly for per person fees and completion of
its GED responsibilities as the Chicago ROE in
The GED Testing Service (GEDTS) introduced a
new series of tests on
Additional costs of the 2002 Series GED Tests
include an increase in leasing fees for test batteries, an increase in the per
person fee assessed to jurisdictions for first-time examinees, and the
establishment of a statewide electronic scoring system.
In response to the increases, in July 2001,
ISBE convened a GED 2002 Fee Committee to review
What will happen at the Board meeting
The Superintendent and staff will:
o ask the Board to consider the recommendation
of the GED 2002 Fee Committee and approve the proposed GED application fee
increase
The Board:
o will review and potentially approve the
recommendation of the GED 2002 Fee Committee (representing the State Board of
Education, Community College Board, Department of Corrections, Regional Offices
of Education, adult education service centers, and adult education programs) to
increase the GED application fee from $30 to $35 effective January 1,
2003.
Next Steps
There will be a need to review the fiscal
structure of the Illinois GED Testing Program again in FY05. The recent fee increases instituted by GEDTS
will remain constant through calendar year 2006, at which time GEDTS in
Rules for Initial Review- Part 25 (Certification)
Action Item for October 17
Background and Issues
The amendments contained in this set of rules
arise from three recent pieces of legislation, as well as from the staff’s
experience with approving the providers of continuing professional development
for purposes of the renewal of teaching certificates.
The amendments contained in this set of rules
arise from several recent pieces of legislation, as well as from the staff’s
experience with approving the providers of continuing professional development
for purposes of the renewal of teaching certificates.
New Section 25.444 implements the Illinois
Teaching Excellence Program as amended this year by P.A. 92-796 (HB 1436).
The revisions found in Subpart J (Sections
25.800 through 25.875) of the rules reflect several changes in the certificate
renewal requirements enacted as part of P.A. 92-796. Changes have also been made in Subpart J
regarding requirements for speech language pathologists, reflecting legislative
changes enacted in 2001 via P.A. 92-510.
A new Section 25.872 has been added to deal
specifically with providers of continuing professional development activities
that are electronically mediated.
The revisions to Section 25.728 reflect
changes made this year by P.A. 92-734 regarding institutions’ use of test
results.
What will happen at the Board meeting
The Superintendent and agency staff will:
o present the proposed amendments for initial
review and secure the Board’s authorization to distribute them for public
comment.
The Board will be requested to:
o authorize solicitation of Public Comment on
Rules: Part 25 (Certification)
Next Steps
With the Board’s authorization, staff will
submit the proposed amendments to the Administrative Code Division for
publication in the Illinois Register to elicit public comment. Additional means such as the Superintendent’s
Bulletin and the agency website will also be used to inform interested parties
of the opportunity to comment on this rulemaking.
Finance and Audit
Issues
Finance, Audit and Agency Operations
Action Item for October 17
Background and Issues
In June 2002, the State Board adopted bylaws
outlining a new committee structure under which fiscal, audit and operations
issues will be handled by the Fiscal and Audit Committee. Superintendent Schiller requested that the
agency organize and standardize the financial and headcount data provided to
the Board for their future policy work and decision-making. Currently the
following Reports are provided or are being developed:
1. Budget / Annual Report (Annually in
January)
2.
3. Board Goals (Annually in November)
4. Appropriation and Expenditure (Monthly)
5. Financial Status Report - Contract/Grant Detail (Monthly)
6. Business Plans at the Director Level (Quarterly)
7. Headcount Reports (Monthly)
Personnel Transactions
Staff Detail by Division
Monthly Headcount Graph
What will happen at the Board meeting
The Superintendent and agency staff will:
o provide the Board standard reports with key information on fiscal
and administrative activities of the state agency.
The Board will be asked to:
o accept and approve the Standard Monthly Reports: Finance, Audit,
Agency Operations Status Reports
Next Steps
The Superintendent and agency staff will
continue to provide these reports pursuant to the schedule provided above.
School District Financial Profile
Discussion Item
Background and Issues
In March, 2002, staff met with the Board to
release the final Financial Watch, Financially Certified, and Financial
Oversight Panel lists under the FAAS measure and process. At that time, the Board encouraged staff to
finalize a new designation system and report progress by mid-year.
The proposed School District Financial Profile
is ready for use as an internal management tool and will be demonstrated to the
Board for discussion during the October meeting.
What will happen at the Board meeting
The Superintendent and agency staff will:
o update the State Board on the development and
implementation of the proposed School District Financial Profile which replaces
the Financial Assurance and Accountability System (FAAS).
o explain the overall framework and benefits of the School District
Financial Profile.
The Board will:
o understand the expanded capacity of the
School District Financial Profile to profile data in a variety of financial and
graphic contexts and how it will be used as a financial designation system.
o understand the intervention services to be provided through the
regional-based finance consultants.
Next Steps
Agency staff will proceed to implement the
School District Financial Profile with FY02 AFR data for use in the new
designations in the early spring of 2003.
The Board will be asked to approve the
designations and criteria indicators at the November meeting.
Hazel Crest School District 152 ½
Petition for Financial Oversight Panel
Action Item for October 17
Background and Issues
The State Board of Education recognizes that
Hazel Crest School District 152 ½ is experiencing serious financial problems
which have resulted in requests for assistance including a petition from their
district for a Financial Oversight Panel.
Staff have worked closely with the superintendent and attended a
September 30 board meeting where a resolution to petition the State Board of
Education for immediate appointment of a Financial Oversight Panel was
considered.
An Article 1B petition for a Financial
Oversight Panel requires a school district to be certified as being in
“financial difficulty” under Section 1A-8 and sets forth specific criteria for
this designation.
Because of the speed with which Hazel Crest
School District 152 ½ found itself in this situation, it is essentially
bypassing the normal progression of financial designation and instead is
petitioning the State Board to act immediately to appoint a three-member
Financial Oversight Panel.
If approved, the Panel will be able to provide
immediate oversight and approval for additional borrowing by the district as
well as development of an “emergency financial assistance and recovery plan.”
What will happen at the Board meeting
The Superintendent and agency staff will:
o provide the Board with an understanding of
the severe financial difficulties confronting Hazel Crest School District 152
½. Hazel Crest is an elementary school
district with an enrollment of 1,200 students located in South Cook County
within the villages of Hazel Crest and East Hazel Crest and the cities of
Harvey and Markham. Hazel Crest School
District 152 ½ petitioned the State Board of Education on October 7, 2002, for
immediate certification under Section 1A-8, the accelerated appointment of a
Financial Oversight Panel under Section 1B, and continued technical assistance
from the agency.
o provide the Board details of the school
district’s precarious financial position and the potential for it to exhaust
all available cash reserves prior to the completion of the 2002-2003 school
year.
The Board will be requested to:
o evaluate the possible legal basis for
certifying the district pursuant to the Section 1A-8 criteria. The district has $1.65 M in outstanding Tax
Anticipation Notes and $2.3 M in Revenue Anticipation Notes secured by most of
this year’s General State Aid entitlement.
o accept the petition requesting an Emergency Financial Oversight
Pane for Hazel Crest School District 152 ½, certify the district in financial
difficulty, and authorize the Superintendent to appoint the Financial Oversight
Panel
Next Steps
Upon approval Board approval, Hazel Crest
School District 152 ½ will be certified as being in financial difficulty under
Section 1A-8 and the Superintendent will appoint a Financial Oversight Panel
for the district so that a comprehensive assessment could potentially be made
by the General Assembly during the fall veto session.
Thursday,
October 17, 2002
9:00 a.m.
Governmental Affairs
Issues
State Legislative Status Reports
Discussion Item
Background and Issues
The Board’s Governmental Affairs Committee has
met to discuss legislative issues associated with the fall and spring sessions.
The Superintendent and members of the
Governmental Affairs Committee have been meeting with constituent groups, and
several more such meetings are scheduled for the coming month.
Agency staff prepared roughly 25 legislative
proposals specific to their areas of responsibility to meet the October 1st
deadline.
The schedule for development of the Board’s
legislative proposals calls for completion of that process in December.
The bulk of activity is geared for the Spring
2003 session; however, there may be a need to take legislative action in regard
to Hazel Crest 152 ½ and the Fall Waiver Report during the legislative session.
What will happen at the Board meeting
The Superintendent and agency staff will
discuss the process in developing legislative priorities and proposals to
support the Board’s goals and the needs of school districts in Illinois.
Next Steps
The Governmental Affairs Committee, the
Superintendent and staff will continue to work with stakeholders toward
development of a legislative proposal for FY04.
Federal Legislative Status Reports
Background and Issues
Governmental Affairs staff continues to
monitor activity in Congress regarding the FY2003 Labor/HHS/Education
Appropriations bill through almost daily discussions with agency federal
liaisons based in Washington.
Agency staff called each of the 15 entities
(school districts and the Springfield Boys and Girls Club) that are receiving
earmark funds secured for them by ISBE to ask them to contact the member of
congress who supported our request on their behalf to thank the member for that
support and to invite them to visit their school district to see for themselves
how these funds are supporting teaching and learning.
Agency staff also wrote letters to each member
of the Illinois delegation that has indicated their support for projects in the
FY2003 Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill thanking them for their on-going
support of students and school programs in Illinois.
What will happen at
the Board meeting
The Board will discuss the federal legislative
report and its implications for Illinois.
Next Steps
The Superintendent and agency staff will take
action consistent with the results of this discussion.
Additional
Agenda Items and Meeting Activities
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) – The
Board will discuss and consider IIT’s notice of objection to the Certification
Board’s recommendations concerning provisional unit accreditation and program
during the Plenary Session on Thursday, October 17, 2002.
Reports and announcements by Board members and
the State Superintendent
Closed sessions
The Board, Superintendent, and the Illinois
Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools are hosting an “Education
Leadership Forum” for southern Illinois Regional Superintendents, local
superintendents and board members on Wednesday, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Board and Superintendent were invited to
meet with local administrators and board members at the Edwardsville High
School at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2002.
The Board will be hosting a Budget Hearing at
1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2002, at the Collinsville Holiday Inn.
************************
ISU gets grant to expand NBPTS pool
Illinois State University has been awarded a
grant by the State Board of Education to expand the number of elementary and
secondary teachers who have national certification through the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards.
With the $181,900 grant, ISU will focus its
activities on increasing the number of National Board certified teachers
(NBCTs) outside of Chicago, and designing and implementing a regional model for
the recruitment, preparation, and professional development of teachers. It will also use the grant funds, in
partnership with ISBE, to help secure additional funding for the project from
NBPTS.
ISU, which currently works with Chicago NBPTS
candidates, is one of five National Board Resource Centers in the country and
has creatively designed opportunities to help prepare their NBPTS applications. Under the terms of the grant, the
University will identify and train
National Board certified teachers in six regions of the State, consistent with
the regions established for the Regional Offices of Education. The NBCTs will deliver pre-candidacy courses,
make recruitment presentations, and serve as mentors to candidates. The activities will also assure the delivery
of professional development opportunities to National Board candidates,
National Board certified teachers, and classroom teachers across the six
regions.
The recruitment efforts also will seek to attract
candidates from school districts and regions of the State that have not
historically participated in the National Board program, including rural
districts in central and southern
Robert Schiller
State Superintendent of Education