Many of you are likely off and running with the new
school year, and short of a few tears shed by children and probably parents,
too, I hope that it has been a painless beginning to what I hope is a productive
year.
We continue to work on the Annual Superintendents’
Conference to be held Tuesday and
Last week we were encouraged by the release of ACT
scores, and next week, in coordination with the College Board the SAT results
will be released. We will send you that information, under embargo, as we did
last week with the ACT. Again we will not be releasing district information,
only you can do that.
As we look forward to the coming school year, it is with
great sadness that two individuals who have been stellar advocates for education
will be departing the Illinois State Board of Education. David Wood, Assistant
Superintendent of Fiscal/ Support Services and Peter Leonis, Director of
Government Relations, will both be leaving ISBE in the weeks to
come.
David will become the
Peter has been at the forefront of many issues over the
years, from helping legislators understand the impact of unfunded mandates to
illustrating the domino effect of how budget cuts translate to a decreased
capacity to assist school districts. This year his role at ISBE was certainly
his toughest yet, with the changes proposed in Senate Bill 3000, in addition to
a large proportion of education bills pending this most recent and lengthy
legislative session. Throughout all of it, Peter operated as he always did by
setting the record straight on tough issues, and asking people the right
questions like, “How will this improve education?” After four years with ISBE
and a total of 15 years in state government, Peter will be starting with the
federal government in a few weeks in a role with the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS). He will be
sorely missed.
Robert Schiller
State Superintendent
of
Education
Included in today’s
message:
Final FY 05 Title I Allocations
Complete
The final FY 05 Title I Allocations for all local
education agencies (LEAs) are complete and can be accessed by clicking on the
underlined title. Funding is based
upon LEA eligibility for the four statutory formulas—Basic, Concentration,
Targeted and Education Finance Incentive Grants; and upon a variable hold
harmless. These figures replace the
earlier projected allocations. To access any increases in funds, an LEA
must submit a Title I amendment to the Illinois State Board of Education prior
to obligating or expending the additional funds.
To access the allocations go to: http://www.isbe.net/funding/pdf/FY05_title1_allocations.pdf
End of the Year Report Form is Past
Due
This is a reminder that the End of the Year Report Form
is past due. This data is submitted via IWAS and was due to ISBE by
SES Approval
Update
At the
Contact information for each provider is also at the
above website. Since potential providers may apply at any time, districts
will need to check the website monthly for updates to your district’s list.
Please refer to the
Superintendent’s Bulletin for future updates.
The No Child Left Behind Act
(
If you have questions or need assistance, please call
Cheryl Bradley at 217/782-2948 or email at cbradley@isbe.net.
Teacher Service Record Reporting
Package mailed
The Teacher Service Record reporting package for 2004-05
will be mailed on Monday, Aug. 30. Districts that complete paper forms must
submit them to ISBE by October 1, and districts that file electronically must
submit their files by October 15th. Any questions regarding the Teacher Service
Record should be directed to Steve Scaife, Division of Data Analysis and
Progress Reporting at 217/782-3950.
SchoolHouse Data
Update
On behalf of the Student Assessment Division, thank you
for your hard work in completing and approving the 2004 state assessment data on
SchoolHouse.
Final school and district score reports for ISAT, PSAE,
and IMAGE will be posted on SchoolHouse September 14. Paper copies of
final score reports, including reports for individual students, will be mailed
to schools and districts at the end of September.
With the new changes in the state law (and budget),
writing, social science, fine arts, and physical development/health will no
longer be tested at any grade level.
Invitation to Comment on
Rules
At its August meeting, the State Board of Education
released one set of proposed rules for public comment. This item has been posted
on the agency’s web site at www.isbe.net/rules; choose “Proposed Rules
and Amendments”. Please submit any
comments or suggestions you may have to rules@isbe.net.
Part 25
(
This set of amendments arises almost entirely from
enactment of P.A. 93-679, which was signed by the Governor on
·
renewal of administrative
certificates;
·
renewal of teaching
certificates;
·
teachers’ movement from the initial to the standard
certificate; and
·
certification testing for out-of-state
applicants.
The summary presented along with the proposed amendments
outlines the major changes in each of these aspects of certification policy and
explains the inclusion of other revisions not related to the recent changes in
the law.
Special Note: This rulemaking sets forth the
requirements for Illinois teachers, including special education teachers, to be
considered “highly qualified” for purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001. These provisions are included because
Deadline for Public
Comment:
Notice of Effectiveness of Emergency
Rulemaking
Emergency rulemaking is needed while the proposed
amendments to Part 25 are pending, because the changes in the law are already in
effect but there are some portions that are not self-explanatory. Therefore the
emergency amendments have been structured as completely new Sections whose goals
are:
These emergency amendments have been posted on the
agency’s web site at www.isbe.net/rules;
choose “Rules Currently in Effect” and scroll to the
relevant Part number. Once the ordinary rulemaking process is complete, the
emergency amendments will be replaced by the more comprehensive set of
changes.
Special Note: This rulemaking sets forth the
requirements for Illinois teachers, including special education teachers, to be
considered “highly qualified” for purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001. These provisions are included because
Effective
Date:
Important Information for Reading
First Programs
The State Board has been asked to clarify who may serve
as reading teachers and reading coaches in Reading First programs in light of
recent changes to the structure of teaching credentials. We hope you will
find the following information useful.
The structure of endorsements that has recently been put
in place differentiates between “reading teachers” and “reading
specialists.” A reading teacher is one whose assignment involves teaching
reading to students, while a reading specialist is one whose assignment involves
the provision of technical assistance and/or professional development to other
teachers and may also include teaching reading to students. Newly adopted
rules discuss the requirements for attaining both these
credentials.
We have been made aware that a fair number of the
individuals who have been serving as “reading coaches” in Reading First programs
do not hold the K-12 certificate endorsed for reading and therefore will not be
considered “reading specialists” under the new structure. However, this will not make them ineligible to serve
as reading coaches in the future.
Before the recent changes in the rules, it has been the
case for a number of years that 18 specific semester hours of college coursework
in reading were required of anyone whose major assignment was reading. No
separate requirements were stated for persons who assisted other teachers with
reading, the discrete function of today’s “reading specialists.” Therefore,
persons who had completed the 18-hour requirement held both the required
qualifications for teaching reading and those for serving as
“coaches.”
Section 1.745 of the new rules provides that a person
may be assigned as a reading teacher or a reading specialist if he or she “met
the requirements of Section 1.740…when they were applicable…” This rule means
that individuals who have completed the required 18 hours (or who do so on or
before June 30, 2005), continue to be eligible for assignment as reading coaches
in the Reading First program. [The 18
semester hours may be earned at the graduate or undergraduate level and must
include: 1) foundation or survey of reading fundamentals including reading in
the content areas; 2) testing procedures and diagnosis of reading disabilities;
3) diagnostic teaching techniques and materials; 4) clinical or laboratory
practicum in reading; and 5) literature appropriate for the age of students
included in the program.]
Please note that the requirements for the “reading
teacher” endorsement change as of
For further information, please contact Jamey Baiter at
217/557-7323 or jbaiter@isbe.net
School Treasurer Bonds
Deadline
This is a follow-up to the electronic memorandum sent to
all Regional Superintendents of Schools on
Section 3-8 and Section 8-2 of the School Code (105 ILCS
5/3-8 and 105 ILCS 5/8-2) require Regional Superintendents of Schools to yearly
file an affidavit with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) showing
which treasurers of school districts in their region are properly bonded.
This affidavit must be filed by Wednesday,
September 1, 2004. Copies of the actual school treasurer bond do not
have to be filed with ISBE.
An electronic version of the Affidavit, and other
information, can be found on the ISBE website at: www.isbe.net\sfms\html\t_bonds.htm
If you have questions, please contact Michelle Heninger
at 217.785.8779 or e-mail her at mheninge@isbe.net.
The Illinois State Board of Education in cooperation
with Regional Office of Education #12 announces the Safe School Activities for
School Year 2004-05. Included are workshops on the Impact of Terrorism and War
on School Security and Crisis Preparedness Planning, Bullying
Prevention/Intervention Awareness, Updating Your School’s Emergency Plan, A
Practical Approach to Threat Assessment, and the Fifth Annual Safe School
Symposium. For a complete list of all programs and locations, please visit the
ISBE web site link at http://www.isbe.net/pdf/safe_school_activities.pdf.
Current
ISBE Vacancies
http://www.isbe.net/hr/pdf/positions.pdf
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