From:        STATE SUPERINTENDENT

Sent:          Friday, September 13, 2002 5:11 PM

To:             District Superintendents, ROEs, Directors of Special Education

Subject:     Weekly Message from State Superintendent Robert Schiller - 9/13/02

 

Good afternoon.  I have six items to outline for you this week, but I first want to follow up on my call for “a few good men and women.” 

 

Last week I told you that, as we seek to fill numerous anticipated management openings at the agency, I want to make sure persons with field experience are part of our candidate pool.  Below is a list of positions that will be posted within the next two weeks via the formal process of the agency’s Vacancy Bulletin. The positions on this list are currently vacant, filled on an “acting” basis, or will be made vacant by retirement.

 

If there is a position in which you are interested, please, please contact Personnel by calling 

(217)782-6434, by sending your request to Personnel, Illinois State Board of Education, 100 North First Street, Springfield, IL 62777 or by e-mailing gjacaway@isbe.net.

 

I will notify all of you by means of this weekly message when the formal vacancy list is issued.  It will be viewable on our web site.

                       

Title

 

Work Unit

Salary Range

Manager

Department of External Assurance

 

$80,000 - $116,000

Manager

Department of School Finance

$80,000-116,000

 

 

 

 

Division Administrator

Budget & Financial Management

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

Career Development & Preparation

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

Curriculum & Instruction

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

eLearning

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

English Language Learning

$70,000 – $100,0000

 

 

 

Division Administrator

External Assurance (A)

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

Multi-Media & Web Services

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

New Learning Opportunities

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

Organizational Review (Internal Audit)

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

Personnel

$70,000 – $100,0000

 

 

 

Division Administrator

Program Support

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

School Business & Support Services

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

Staff Development

$70,000 – $100,0000

Division Administrator

System of Support

$70,000 – $100,0000

 

 

 

Division Supervisor

Accountability

$50,000 - $85,000

Division Supervisor

Certificate Renewal & Leadership

$50,000 - $85,000

Division Supervisor

eLearning

$50,000 - $85,000

Division Supervisor

Fiscal & Administrative Services (Fiscal)

$50,000 - $85,000

Division Supervisor

Fiscal & Administrative Services (Admin Serv)

$50,000 - $85,000

 

 

 

Division Supervisor

Professional Certification & Testing

$50,000 - $85,000

Division Supervisor

Regional Office Services

$50,000 - $85,000

Division Supervisor

Special Education Compliance

$50,000 - $85,000

Division Supervisor

Technology Support

$50,000 - $85,000

 

 

In addition, this week’s message contains

 

§ 20-Minute Board Packet for September 18-19 Meeting

§ ISBE conducts first of four budget hearings on September 19.

§ State Technology Plan needs your scrutiny

§ Scholarships, annual stipend make NBPTS process more appealing

§ Federal grants support technology capabilities in new, renovated schools

§ Parent involvement is focus on TV public service announcements

 

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20-Minute Board Packet for September 18-19 Meeting

 

Complete meeting materials, including specific documents mentioned below, are available at http://www.isbe.net/board/

 

I.  Education Policy/Planning Issues

 

School District Showcase  (Wednesday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    During the next several months, each State Board meeting will highlight an Illinois school or school district that has made significant educational progress.  School personnel will have an opportunity to talk with Board members about the actions they have taken that contributed to their success, as well as the challenges and barriers they have faced.

 

·    The first showcase will feature Irving Elementary School in Quincy.

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    Representatives from Irving Elementary School and the Quincy district board/administration will talk formally and informally with State Board members.

 

Next Steps

·    A similar session highlighting a local school will be scheduled for October.

 

 

2002 Statewide Achievement Data: SAT and Advanced Placement Exams  (Wednesday afternoon)

 

Background and Issues

·    The statewide results of the 2002 SAT I indicate that Illinois students who took this voluntary college entrance examination are doing significantly better than the national average. 

 

·    Nine percent of Illinois high school students participated in this exam.  Their verbal scores were 77 points higher than the national average and 63 points higher than the national average in mathematics.

 

·    The Illinois scores represent a continuing upward trend, with verbal scores up 2 points over last year and up 15 points from 1997.  Math scores were up 8 points from 2001 and up 20 points from 1997. 

 

·    The average SAT I scores for minority students showed an increase over last year.

 

·    Advanced Placement (AP) exam results for Illinois public school students also showed strong performance.

 

·    363 public schools had at least one student taking an AP exam, and 278 schools had at least ten students taking an exam.  Student participation from these schools represented 60% of the total.

 

·    46% of Illinois public students scored a 4 or 5, as compared to 34% for the nation.

 

·    Participation in AP programs by Black and Hispanic remains significantly lower than by White and Asian students

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Superintendent and staff will present the data and policy implications for Board discussion.

 

Next Steps

·    Staff will seek continued federal funding for incentives and support for student participation in the AP program.

 

·    Staff will pursue additional program and funding improvements as directed by the Board and the State Superintendent.

 

 

Illinois Learning Standards (Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    The fourth annual evaluation of the implementation of the Illinois Learning Standards (ILS) in Illinois schools identified significant correlations among overall ILS implementation and student ISAT performance in specific content areas.  This is believed to be the first study in the country to establish significant quantitative correlations between standards use and achievement.

 

·    The evaluation also showed that there is greater belief among local educators that the Standards are “here to stay,” and greater buy-in for the concept of standards-led teaching and learning.

 

·    Local educators particularly emphasized their belief that the ILS provide a means for assuring a more equitable education for all students “by asserting that schools are accountable for certain levels of content mastery for all their students.”

 

·    Despite increased acceptance of the Standards, the percentage of schools whose ILS implementation is at “Level 3” remained about the same this year as last.  This prompted the question of what level of implementation is sufficient (on a 5-point scale) and if further growth is desired, what must be done to accomplish it. 

 

·    The evaluation also indicated that local educators continue to find it difficult to understand the link between ISAT and PSAE and the Learning Standards.  The timeline and format for reporting assessment data create perceived barriers for use of test data.

 

·    Recommendations from the evaluation, which was conducted by Lizanne DeStefano and Nona Prestine at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, indicate that the State Board should:

ü set explicit expectations for local ILS implementation;

ü foster and support capacity building for effective standards implementation; and

ü clarify the relationship between state assessments and the ILS.

 

·    Staff analysis of the implications of this report highlighted the potential use of the high school performance standards to develop “curriculum frameworks” for the core courses needed for strong performance on the PSAE and for college preparation.

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The evaluation team will present their findings and recommendations for Board discussion and response.

 

·    The Board will consider the recommendations from the State Superintendent that it do the following:

ü direct staff to conduct a gap analysis of the recommendations in the report in relation to current ISBE activities and to develop a work plan for continuing standards implementation in Illinois;

ü ask the Assessment and Accountability Task Force to consider the report recommendations regarding assessment;

ü authorize a project to develop high school coursework “frameworks” and pursue additional policy discussions around core curriculum; and

ü authorize a second-phase evaluation/study to answer additional questions about state policies and support that can help districts improve student achievement in relation to the Learning Standards.

Next Steps

·    Staff will disseminate the evaluation report to the education community.

 

·    Staff will initiate actions consistent with the Board’s decisions and directions on the recommendations described above. 


No Child Left Behind: Highly Qualified Teacher Guidance Document

(Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that during the FY03 school year, all newly hired teachers in programs supported by Title I funds must be “highly qualified” according to the definition set forth in this law.  By 2006, all teachers in the core academic areas (as defined in the law) must be “highly qualified” for their assignments.

·    The proposed guidance document indicates that most of the certificates issued through the Board’s current certification system are aligned with the NCLB requirements.

·    A notable exception is the transitional bilingual certificate (Type 29) which will be continued (with proposed changes) but will not meet the federal requirement for “highly qualified.”  Teachers who hold the Type 29 certificate can be considered “highly qualified” for purposes of federal law if they pass the applicable examinations.  However, teachers who pass these examinations still have to complete an approved program to qualify for receipt of an Illinois certificate when their Type 29 certificate expires.

·    The No Child Left Behind Act also requires that school districts notify parents when their child has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by one or more teachers who are not “highly qualified.”

·    Staff have developed sample information and notice forms that can be used by districts to meet this federal requirement.

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Board will discuss and take action on the recommended guidance document.

 

Next Steps

·    Pending Board approval of the guidance document, it will be widely disseminated along with the sample information and notice forms.

 

 

No Child Left Behind: Supplemental Educational Services  (Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that schools that have not made Adequate Yearly Progress for a third consecutive year must provide “Supplemental Educational Services” or SES for their students.

·    The State Board is required to develop a list of approved providers of SES, which can include public, private and faith-based organizations as well as local school districts.  The Board is also required to monitor and publicly report on the quality and effectiveness of services provided by approved providers, and withdraw approval from those providers that fail to demonstrate student achievement.

·    As the first step in meeting these and other state responsibilities regarding SES, the staff have developed draft criteria for review and approval of potential SES providers.  These criteria were developed consistent with federal law and draft guidance and with the advice and counsel of numerous stakeholders in the public and private communities.

·    The proposed criteria include the following requirement:

ü evidence of previous success by the provider;

ü the use of programs and practices that reflect research and are aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards;

ü instruction that is linked with the academic program services received by eligible students during the regular school day and that is secular, neutral and non-ideological;

ü evidence of employment of competent staff who at a minimum meet the requirements for paraprofessionals under NCLB and have successfully completed a recent criminal background check; and

ü evidence of the provider’s financial soundness and capacity to supply uninterrupted quality services for the term of the contract with the local school district. 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Superintendent and staff will present the proposed criteria for SES providers and ask the Board to adopt the document. 

 

Next Steps

·    Staff will disseminate the criteria and, in early October, release an “Application for Supplemental Service Providers.” 

·    In November, the Board will be asked to take action on approvable providers that have submitted early applications.

·    In December, the Board will take action on approvable providers that have submitted applications subsequent to those reviewed at the November meeting.

·    The list of approved providers will be disseminated and staff will provide technical assistance for those schools that must provide SES during the second semester of the FY03 school year.

 

Report on ISAT and PSAE Cut Score Setting  (Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    In response to Board member questions, the staff have prepared a summary of the process and history of cut score setting for ISAT and PSAE, as well as the IGAP which preceded these tests.

·    With the exception of the cut scores for 4th grade science on ISAT, all cut scores for the state assessments (whether IGAP, ISAT or PSAE) have remained exactly as initially set by the State Board.

·    The 4th grade ISAT cut scores, which were set by the Board in 2000, were reexamined upon a special request and partially re-set in 2001.  The only change was between the bottom two performance categories (i.e., Academic Warning and Below Standards).

·    Assessment best practices call for maintaining cut scores for 5-7 years to ensure that longitudinal trends can be maintained and progress in any given year is measured against the same standards.

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Superintendent and staff will respond to Board member questions/comments about the report in the Board packet.

 

·    The Board will be asked to refer further discussion of cut score setting to the Task Force on Assessment and Accountability for its consideration within the broader context of refining and improving the state testing process.

 

Next Steps

·    Further action will be based on Board direction at this meeting and the recommendations from the Task Force on Assessment and Accountability.

 

 

The Illinois After-School Initiative Task Force  (Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    Identical resolutions passed by the Illinois House and Senate in 2001 led to creation of the Illinois After-School Initiative Task Force.  This group’s assignments were to (1) assess the state of after-school services in Illinois, the number and location of students in need of after-school programs, and the funding streams for such programs; and (2) develop a plan for coordinating after-school services and “achieving a goal of providing after-school services for every school age child in the state.”

·    The Task Force, co-chaired by leaders from the State Board of Education and the Department of Human Services, has developed a preliminary report which emphasizes that its goal is to make high-quality after-school services available to all Illinois students and not to mandate student participation.

·    The preliminary Task Force report identifies the desired roles of families, communities and the state and includes guiding principles for after-school services, core elements of such services, funding streams and funding issues, critical policy questions and recommendations for priority and secondary actions.

·    The key recommendation calls for continued work by the Task Force and others to answer the strategic questions in the report and to develop a plan for meeting the goal of universal after-school program availability. 

·    Policy issues associated with the report include (1) the challenge of funding after-school programs at a time when there are so many other priorities for state education dollars, and (2) the potential impact of the federal “Supplemental Educational Services” requirement on the development of after-school programs and services in Illinois.

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    Staff will present the preliminary Task Force report and respond to questions.

 

·    The Board will be asked to endorse the preliminary recommendations for inclusion in the Task Force’s final report.

 

Next Steps

·    The final report will be provided to the Board in October for Board approval. 

 

·    The report is to be submitted to the General Assembly by the end of October. 

 

 

Rules for Initial Review: Part 29 – Standards for Administrative Certification and Part 226 – Special Education  (Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    The proposed amendments to Part 29 put in place a new credential that will eventually be required of all individuals who wish to serve as directors or assistant directors of special education.  The standards for this new credential were adopted previously.

·    The proposed amendments to Part 226 phase out the current approval requirements of the special education director position.

·    The State Teacher Certification Board has reviewed and endorsed these complementary sets of proposed rules.

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Board will be asked to authorize distribution of the proposed amendments for public comment.

 

Next Steps

·    Consistent with Board authorization, the proposed rules will be submitted for publication in the Illinois Register and made available for public comment through various other means.

 

·    Following the public comment period, the rule amendments will be brought to the Board, with changes as indicated by the public comment, for final action.

 

 

Rules for Adoption:  Part 1 – Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision

(Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    These amendments respond to legislation that established requirements for the supervision of speech-language pathology assistants and paraprofessionals.  The proposed rules set out specific requirements and exempt individuals with experience.

·    The Board reviewed the proposed rules in June and submitted them for public comment. 

·    The only comment, from the State Advisory Council on the Education of Students with Disabilities, expressed concern about the underlying legislation, fearing that it could decrease student access to services by fully qualified speech-language pathologists and possibly increase the cost of such services. 

·    Since this comment did not pertain to the proposed rules, no changes have been made to the version presented in June.

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Superintendent and staff will present the proposed rule amendments for adoption by the Board.

 

Next Steps

·    Staff will submit the adopted rules to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules for its required review.

 

·    When that process is complete, the adopted rules will be filed with the Secretary of State and disseminated as appropriate.

 

 

Rules for Adoption:  Part 25 – Certification  (Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    The proposed rules deal with electronic registration for certification tests, making that a more feasible option.  Other changes are technical in nature.

 

·    The Board reviewed the proposed rules in June and submitted them for public comment.  There was none so the rules are presented as they were in June.

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Superintendent and staff will present the proposed rule amendments for adoption by the Board.

 

Next Steps

·    Staff will submit the adopted rules to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules for its required review.

 

·    When that process is complete, the adopted rules will be filed with the Secretary of State and disseminated as appropriate.

 

 

Waiver Report to the General Assembly  (Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    The Fall 2002 Waiver Report is the fifteenth report to be submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to the waiver law.  It contains 33 waiver requests covering ten topic areas, all of which must be acted on by the General Assembly, as well as 220 requests that have been approved by the State Board of Education under its statutory authority.

·    Three waiver requests are highlighted because of staff concerns about their impact on student learning:

 

ü The Boone/Winnebago Regional Learning Academy request to count as full days of attendance sessions of no less than three and one-half clock hours for some students:

 

ü The Sauk Village Consolidated School District #168 request to provide every-other-day physical education for students in K-5 and to provide students in grades 6, 7 and 8 with nine weeks of computer instruction in place of daily physical education; and

 

ü The Fisher Community Unit School District #1 request to excuse students in grades 9-12 from daily physical education in order to participate in the band during school time. 

 

·    The Superintendent has recommended that the Fall 2002 Waiver Report be submitted without comment, except for a recommendation from the Board to deny the three requests described above.

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Superintendent and staff will respond to Board member questions about the report and recommendations.

 

·    The Board will be asked to take final action regarding the transmittal of this report with three recommendations for General Assembly denial.

 

Next Steps

·    Consistent with Board direction, the waiver report will be submitted to the General Assembly on or before the due date of October 1, 2002. 

 

 

2002 Title II State Report Card  (Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    Title II of the Higher Education Act requires that each state submit to the public and the U.S. Department of Education a “report card” on the status of teacher preparation.

·    The law requires specific data elements in the state report card, including statewide and institutional pass rates on state certification exams, criteria for assessing the performance of teacher training programs, a listing of “low-performing” teacher preparation programs in the state, information on waivers of the state’s certification or licensure requirements, information on alternative routes to certification, and a description of efforts by the state to improve teacher quality.

·    This is the second State Report Card to be developed consistent with these requirements and, with one exception, the data are similar to that in the 2001 Report Card.

·    The exception is in the area of waivers to state certification and licensure, where the data indicate that Illinois has a greater percentage of teachers on waivers in 2000-2001 than in 1999-2000.  In 1999, 2.6% o the teaching force held one of the waiver certificates; that percentage increased to 3.2% in 2000.  This increase is noteworthy because the total teaching population increased by nearly 4000 between the two years.

·    The percentage of teachers on waivers in high-poverty districts (6.5%) remains higher than the state average or percentage in low-poverty districts.  Moreover, that percentage grew from 5.4% in 1999 to 6.5% in 2000.

·    Pass rates on certification tests remain high among all teacher preparation institutions in Illinois; however, this picture may change next year when the results of the Enhanced Basic Skills test will be reported.

·    Beyond next year, the percentage of teacher candidates reported as passing the state certification tests will be impacted by new legislation that requires passage of the Basic Skills and content area tests as a condition for (respectively) teacher education program admission and student teaching.  When those changes are made, teacher preparation institutions should be able to report 100% passage on the assessments. 

·    If the Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT), which will assess core knowledge, language arts and technology knowledge and skills of all teachers beginning in October 2003, is retained as a certification test, future Title II reports could show a disparity between results on the APT and the other types of tests.  If it is required as a condition of program completion, all institutions should be able to report 100% passage on all three assessments.  The State Board has not yet made this policy decision.

·    These factors will make the Title II more difficult to understand as an accountability measure.  Further complicating the Title II report is a difference in the definition of federal definitions for “highly qualified” teachers and teachers on “waivers.”

·    With the continuation of high pass rates in the 2002 State Report Card, it is problematic to assign credible meaning to the quartile rankings.

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Superintendent and staff will present the report and its policy implications for Board discussion.

 

·    The Board will be asked to approve the report for submission to the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Next Steps

·    Based on Board action, the report will be submitted to the federal government and to the citizens of Illinois, as required by the federal statutes.

 

 

II. Finance and Audit Issues

 

Budget Development/EFAB Report  (Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    State Board budget hearings have been tentatively scheduled for September 19 and 24 and October 7 and 17 in Springfield, Naperville, Chicago and Collinsville.

·    The recommendations of the Education Funding Advisory Board (EFAB) will be considered during the development of the FY04 budget.

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    Bob Leininger, chairman of the Education Funding Advisory Board, will present the findings, conclusions and preliminary recommendations of that group.  No Board action is expected at this meeting.

 

·    The Board will continue to discuss the process and structure for development of the FY04 budget proposal and it will adopt a schedule for budget hearings.

 

Next Steps

·    Announcements regarding the budget hearings will be widely disseminated.

 

 

 

Finance, Audit and Agency Operations Reports Report   (Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    The State Board is now receiving regular reports on various aspects of agency operations, including headcount, grants, expenditures, and performance results.  This is the second such presentation.

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Board will discuss the reports and their implications and accept the reports for September and October.

 

Next Steps

·    Staff will take action consistent with the results of this discussion and continue preparation of reports for following months.

 

 

III.  Governmental Affairs Issues

 

State Legislative Status Reports (Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    The Board’s Governmental Affairs Committee has met twice 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.

 

 

·    The schedule for development of the Board’s legislative proposals calls for completion of that process in December.

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Board will discuss the plan for development of the FY04 legislative agenda and issues that have been identified for potential inclusion in that package. 

 

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  (Thursday morning)

 

Background and Issues

·    Congress has returned to Washington after the August recess to begin working on a number of major legislative initiatives.  This includes thirteen FY03 appropriation bills, none of which are ready for the President’s signature.

 

·    Minority Leader Trent Lott is reported to believe that the appropriations decisions will be deferred until after the election, during a “lame-duck” session.  Lott predicts that this may be fraught with problems since he has “never seen a good lame duck session.”

 

·    The decisions on the education appropriations will have implications for Illinois programs and budget.

 

·    Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) will be a major focus during the fall and winter.  The House Education and Workforce Committee is expected to include voucher provisions in its IDEA bill.

 

What will happen at the Board meeting

·    The Board will discuss the federal legislative report and its implications for Illinois.

 

Next Steps

·    Staff will take action consistent with the results of this discussion.

 

 

IV. Additional Agenda Items and Meeting Activities

 

·    Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) – The Board will acknowledge receipt of IIT’s notice of objection to the Certification Board’s recommendations concerning provisional unit accreditation and program approval and defer the matter for further consideration during the next Board meeting.

 

·    Resolution of Appreciation for the members of the Round Lake School District Finance Authority

 

·    Approval of closed session minutes

 

·    Information items, including the monthly status report on rulemaking

 

·    Reports and announcements by Board members and the State Superintendent

 

·    Closed sessions

 

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ISBE conducts first of four budget hearings on September 19

The State Board needs your input to help shape the FY04 education budget, and the first of four such opportunities will be September 19 in Springfield, just prior to the Superintendent’s conference.

You can present your views from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Governor’s Room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  A printed copy of your testimony would appreciated.  The Board members are just beginning their budget development process and wanted input from local educators before preparing a preliminary line-item proposal.  At their August meeting, they reviewed the financial and economic context for the FY 04 budget.  During their work-study session on September18, Bob Leininger will present the Education Funding Advisory Board’s recommendations for discussion with the State Board.

For more information, contact Budget and Financial Management at 217/782-0249.

 

State Technology Plan needs your scrutiny

Just a reminder that ISBE is soliciting your views about a five-year plan for using technology in the state’s classrooms before taking action at their      November 20-21 meeting. 

 

The plan, “Digital-Age Learning,” builds upon the first state technology plan adopted in 1995.  That plan outlined many of the strategies used to help Illinois move from 49th in the nation to first in the nation in the use of digital technology in K – 12 education.

 

The purpose of the 2002-2007 Illinois State Technology Plan is to set a course for the convergence of technology literacy, higher-order thinking, 21st Century skills, and academic standards for Illinois students.

 

The Plan outlines the progress of the state since the 1995 plan and describes the goals and strategies developed to guide the state in building on that progress over the next five years.  Strategies fall within four primary spending categories: hardware, software, infrastructure and personnel development.  Using the strategies to reach every student and every teacher in the state over the next five years will take an investment of a little over $1 billion, the report estimates.

 

Copies of “Digital-Age Learning,” the State of Illinois Five-Year Plan, may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.isbe.net/board/meetings/aug02meeting/digitalfiveyr.pdf.  Questions should be directed to eLearning at 217/782-5439.

 

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Scholarships, new annual stipend make NBPTS process even more appealing

An annual $3,000 stipend is one more good reason for Illinois teachers to seek certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).  On August 10, 2002, Governor George Ryan signed legislation changing the state stipend for Illinois public school teachers who hold a Master Certificate from a one-time payment to an annual $3000 stipend. 

 

Scholarships covering the entire $2300 fee for teachers seeking National Board Certification are still available for

2002-03. 

 

Increases in NBPTS federal and state appropriations will allow more Illinois teachers to participate in this outstanding professional growth experience during the 2002-2003 school year.  The scholarship application period extends through October 31, 2002. 

 

Both the national NBPTS application and the state scholarship application may be completed on paper or electronically. The national application can be accessed on the NBPTS website at http://www.nbpts.org/.  The state scholarship application is available at https://sec1.isbe.net/NBPTS .

 

A short video and information packet have been developed to help promote the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards process and the scholarships available for it among Illinois teachers.

 

During the thirteen-minute video, Illinois National Board-certified teachers describe why they participated in the process and the impact it has had on their students and teaching.  The video provides a useful introduction to NBPTS certification and would be suitable for use at faculty meetings or as part of continuing professional development activities. 

 

NBPTS application packets and/or the video information packet are available through the Division of Professional Preparation and Recruitment at 217/782-4330 or by e-mailing a request to profprep@isbe.net.

 

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Federal grants support technology capabilities in new, renovated schools

Federal technology grants will give 53 school districts funds they need to make technology improvements associated with new or recently completed renovation projects.

 

The districts will share in nearly $5 million allocated to Illinois through the technology portion of the federal School Renovation, IDEA and Technology Grant Program.  The grants must be used for technology improvements in conjunction with renovation projects that are current or have been completed within the past year.  Allowable technology expenditures include wiring; acquiring hardware and software; costs associated with connectivity linkages and resources; and costs associated with microwave, fiber optics cable and satellite-transmission equipment.

 

More than 330 proposals, requesting about $60 million, were submitted in response to the request for proposals.  External evaluators, as well as agency technology staff, reviewed the proposals and selected recipients based on the quality of the proposals with weighting factors applied for low-wealth districts and those with fewest computers in classrooms.

 

Following is the list of districts awarded federal Technology Grants by the State Board of Education:

 

County

District Name

Bureau

Depue Unit School District 103

Carroll

Savanna Community Unit District 300

Champaign

Rantoul City School District 137

Clay

North Clay Community Unit School District  25

Clinton

Germantown School District 60

Clinton

St Rose School District 14-15

Cook

Berwyn North School District 98 

Cook

Bloom Township High School District 206

Cook

Chicago Public School District 299

Cook

General George Patton School Dist 133

Cook

Lincoln Elementary School District 156

Cook

Orland School District 135

Cook

Thornton Township High School District 205

Effingham

Teutopolis Community Unit School District 50

Fayette

Ramsey Community Unit School District  204

Fayette

St Elmo Community Unit School District 202

Franklin

Akin Community Consolidated School District 91

Franklin

Benton Community Consolidated School District 47

Franklin

Benton Consolidated High School District 103

Franklin

Christopher Unit 99

Franklin

Ewing Northern Community Consolidated District 115

Franklin

Sesser- Valier Community Unit School District 196

Franklin

Zeigler- Royalton Community Unit School District 188

Greene

North Greene Unit District 3

Hancock

Carthage Community Unit School District 338

Hancock

Dallas City Community Unit School District 336

Jackson

Elverado Community Unit School District 196

Jefferson

Summersville School District 79

Jefferson

Woodlawn Community Consolidated School District 4

Johnson

Buncombe School District 43

Johnson

Cypress School District 64

Johnson

New Simpson Hill Consolidated District 32

Madison

East Alton- Wood River Community High School District 14

Madison

Livingston Community Consolidated School District 4

Marion

Iuka Community Consolidated School District 7

Marion

Raccoon Consolidated School Dist 1

Marion

Salem Community High School District 600

Marion

Salem School District 111

Perry

Pinckneyville Community High School District 101

Pope

Pope County Community Unit District 1

Pulaski

Meridian Community Unit School District  101

Randolph

Coulterville Unit School District 1

Saline

Carrier Mills- Stonefort Community Unit School District 2

Sangamon

Community Unit School District 16

St. Clair

Brooklyn Unit District 188

St. Clair

Cahokia Community Unit School District 187

St. Clair

Signal Hill School District 181

Union

Cobden School Unit District 17

Union

Jonesboro Community Consolidated School District 43

Vermilion

Georgetown- Ridge Farm Community Unit District 4

Williamson

Herrin Community Unit School District 4

Williamson

Johnston City Community Unit School District 1

Winnebago

Hononegah Community High School District 207

 

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Parent involvement is focus on TV public service announcements

Keep an eye out for two 30-second public service announcements (PSAs) promoting parental involvement that have been distributed to all commercial TV stations, major cable TV systems, cable operators and CATV programming in high schools.  Produced by ISBE and featuring 1999 Illinois Teacher of the Year Val Pierce of Peoria and 2000 Illinois Teacher of the Year Kevin Murphy from LaGrange, the PSAs are also posted on the Internet.  They can be accessed at “Parent/Teacher Conference” http://video.isbe.net/ramgen/general/parent-psa-conf.rm and “One Day in the 4th Grade”  http://video.isbe.net/ramgen/general/parent-psa-oneday.rm.

 

If you would like a videotape copy for local use, contact Public Service and Communication at 217/782-4648. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Schiller

State Superintendent

 of Education

statesup@isbe.net