MINUTES
State Board of Education
January 15, 2004
The January meeting of the State Board of Education was held in the State Board Room, Grimes State Office Building, Des Moines. The following Board members were present: Gene Vincent, Sally Frudden, Jim Billings (by phone), Charles Edwards, Sister Jude Fitzpatrick, Greg McClain, Mary Jean Montgomery, Don Roby, Megan Srinivas, and Kay Wagner. Also present were Department Director Ted Stilwill and Department staff members Gail Sullivan, Judy Jeffrey, Lee Tack, Kathi Slaughter, Carol Greta, Jeff Berger, Jan Friedel, Evelyn Anderson, Beverlee Adams, Roger Foelske, Michelle Wendel, Jackie Crawford and Susan Fischer. Also present were: Larry Murphy, Oelwein, Iowa, Michael Morrison, President, North Iowa Area Community College, Walter Pearson, Simpson College, Elaine Smith-Bright, School Administrators of Iowa, Rod Boshart, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Chris Green, John Naughton and Madelaine Jerousek, The Des Moines Register, Chuck Schoeffner, The Associated Press, and Dar Danielson, Radio Iowa.
President Vincent called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.
It was moved by Kay Wagner and seconded by Sister Jude Fitzpatrick to approve the agenda as written.
There was no public comment at this time.
Sister Jude Fitzpatrick – No report
Sally Frudden indicated she had attended the Iowa Learns Council and a draft report was in progress. She also reported that First Lady Christie Vilsack had visited the TLC Learning Center in Charles City. Frudden felt there was a positive response from legislators attending the legislative reception in moving toward universal preschool in Iowa.
Mary Jean Montgomery reported she had attended the leadership/partnership meeting sponsored by the Wallace Foundation held in Washington, D.C. She indicated she had also attended the Iowa Public Television Board meeting. The main topic of discussion for the IPTV Board was the strategic plan and Montgomery asked Board members to provide her with individual feedback on how well they felt IPTV was doing or to make suggestions for change.
Don Roby reported on discussion at the Community College Council meeting and indicated the accreditation of North Iowa Area Community College was on the January Board agenda for action.
Megan Srinivas – No report
Greg McClain said he had attended the I-JAG meeting and he distributed a handout showing a participant profile summary and a follow-up status report. He also was pleased that John Deere Company was hosting another I-JAG on-site meeting in February. McClain reported that he would be attending the first NASBE meeting on high school athletics and indicated that one of the speakers would be Coach Thompson from Georgetown.
Kay Wagner indicated she had attended the Area 9 Superintendents’ meeting and reported that Senator Maggie Tinsman was in attendance. Wagner said she had also attended the Coordinating Council meeting.
Charles Edwards – No report
Gene Vincent stated he and Don Roby had participated in a program on Iowa Public Radio. He felt there were good questions from the call-in audience.
President Vincent lead a discussion and review of the legislative reception that had been hosted by the State Board. He complimented Megan Srinivas on her outstanding interaction with legislators. All members felt the reception was successful and that attendance was good because education is important to this state. It was noted there was reason for concern, but legislators understood the effort needed to keep education strong. Vincent felt the Board was successful in promoting their revenue resolution.
Larry Murphy of Oelwein spoke to the athletic eligibility agenda item. He encouraged the Board to leave the athletic eligibility requirement as it currently reads.
Director Ted Stilwill reported on the following items:
The minutes of the November 10-11, 2003 and December 15, 2003 State Board meetings were approved.
281, Iowa Administrative Code, Chapter 84, Financial Incentives for National Board Certification, was approved for notice of intended action.
281, Iowa Administrative Code, Chapter 83, Teacher Quality Program, was approved for adoption.
Jim Billings was connected by phone for the athletic eligibility agenda item. President Gene Vincent indicated he had contacted many superintendents regarding this issue. He felt that all Board members had a common cause, of increasing student achievement for all students with many different ways on how to get to the result. Vincent also indicated in his conversations with superintendents he had found many diverse educational programs and policies on what is being done to maintain eligibility for the students that are not making the grade. President Vincent recommended that the Board leave the rules of high school eligibility as they were with the addition that we require every school district that is participating in high school athletics to file with the Department what the school district is doing to help students and their policy. He indicated this did not necessarily need to become a motion, but it was a recommendation.
Kay Wagner said she would like to make a motion to be opened up to discussion. President Vincent said he was not ready to entertain a motion at this time. He reported that at the last meeting, a Board member had worked very hard on a motion to be presented and if he still would like to present that motion, he would recognize him. Don Roby said he did not want to bring the motion forth at this time. Roby felt he would like to hear the discussion before bringing the motion to the table.
Vincent indicated his recommendation did not involve changing the rules and the Director had the authority to request this information be submitted to the Department. The Board does not have this authority.
Mary Jean Montgomery asked President Vincent to explain his recommendation. Montgomery felt this was a step back from a year ago to not increase the standard. Vincent explained that this would be a compulsory requirement that districts file what they are doing with the Department. He said this would promote the fact that the Board is encouraging districts to expect more than the minimum standard.
Kay Wagner identified that if this information is filed with their school improvement program then it would be presented in the report to the community and the information would be more visible.
Vincent indicated he felt it is difficult for the State Board to set policy to address the needs of all athletes.
Greg McClain felt the only way to solve that concern was not to have a rule at all; and since we do have the rule he felt the Board should be accountable.
Charles Edwards felt the real issue was much larger and said he thought it was more about overall student performance and the kind of job the State Board is doing to prepare students to move on in life. He felt that athletic eligibility was one of the components of that overall student performance. He supported trying to encourage local districts to make the plan more visible, and to make it part of the school improvement program. He felt this was a step in the right direction.
Frudden said there had been a lot of discussions over the past months on high expectations for students. The real key to all of this is helping kids meet the expectation. The Board needs to help meet that expectation and felt that including it in the school improvement plan would accomplish this. We need to give students the tools so they can do better.
Megan Srinivas explained that she felt these tools were important, however, it was still up to the student whether to use them or not. She indicated a slightly higher standard might motivate the students to use the tools.
Sister Jude Fitzpatrick said that if the Board would proceed in this direction to require the district to report in the CSIP they should urge the districts to set the highest possible standards for students that are participating. She indicated she had had a concern that Board members that had supported the decision that raising athletic eligibility criteria be made at the local level, were characterized as not supporting higher standards. She felt this could not be further from the truth and that all Board members wanted that to happen. She indicated she would like it established closest to the student so that the establishment of the expectation and the support that follows happen at that level.
Mary Jean reported the Board only had the ability to change the rules and to set the bar and this minimum is very low. The Board should send a message that says kids need to succeed in order to participate in a privilege (not a right) and that kids that are failing school need to pay attention to what they need to do to make sure they succeed. She indicated she would like to raise the minimum to “pass all” and require this policy be reported as part of the comprehensive school improvement plan.
Greg McClain indicated that was the same compromise he was thinking, that the Board require pass all. He felt this would accomplish the idea of giving students support and the encouragement to do better.
Jim Billings commented he respected all of the positions on the Board and the direction from which they came. He reported he had received many comments from superintendents at the IASB Convention and did not have any comments that indicated districts wanted the Board to change the rules and that it was not because they felt they were lowering standards. Billings also indicated he did not feel it was a local control issue, but that the administrators and teachers were the ones working closest to the students.
Don Roby felt he had been in the position of working with these students and believed they were capable of passing the courses and that all special education students were exempt. Roby indicated his motion would be to pass all. He reported he had received the same message from students and teachers that had been discussed, but he had received a different message from parents. Roby said he could support Vincent’s recommendation, but would prefer the minimum be pass all.
Charles Edwards encouraged the Board to use the language of local responsibility, not local control. He felt the issue was that local boards are responsible for how student performance is doing and student athlete performance is part of that whole. The responsibility for students is at the local level and the Board cannot change the programs, but the Board can make district policy more visible and the Board can make districts accountable for what they are doing.
Motion: Kay Wagner moved that the current academic requirements for athletic eligibility be maintained and that the Department of Education require school districts to report the policy on the student eligibility for athletics in the comprehensive school improvement plan submitted to the Department so that it is presented and explained to the community with encouragement that the local education community support high standards for their student athletes. The motion was seconded by Charles Edwards .
Amendments to Motion: Greg McClain moved that the original motion include that students be required to pass all classes. Motion seconded by Mary Jean Montgomery.
Kay Wagner and Charles Edwards accepted the amendment to the motion.
Vote: A roll call vote was required for the amendment to the motion. Ayes: Edwards, McClain, Montgomery, Roby Nays: Frudden, Billings, Fitzpatrick, Wagner, Vincent. Amendment to motion failed.
Greg McClain offered a second amendment to eliminate the rule as it currently reads but still require the reporting on the CSIP.
Kay Wagner and Charlie Edwards declined the amendment to the motion.
A clarification was requested on the original motion. Director Stilwill outlined the following three parts: 1) Maintain the current standards, 2) Encourage districts to go beyond the state minimum and 3) have the Department require that districts report what their current standard is and what mechanisms are in place to assist students.
Greg McClain offered a third amendment to include the CSIP reporting and to review this issue in one year to evaluate if this process has moved the performance and the requirements at the local level and that we also keep track of GPA’s so that the Board would have a benchmark in the fall and after implementing the CSIP reporting review the GPA performance of the athletes.
Kay Wagner declined the amendment to the motion.
Sister Jude Fitzpatrick called for the question.
Vote: A roll call vote was taken on the motion that the current academic requirements for athletic eligibility be maintained and have school districts encourage high standards beyond the state minimum and to request the Department to require that districts report on the annual comprehensive school improvement plan the district’s current standard and what mechanisms are in place to assist the student athletes.
Ayes: Frudden, Billings, Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Montgomery, Roby, Wagner, Vincent. Nay: McClain The motion carried.
Janice Friedel, Administrator, Division of Community College and Workforce Preparation introduced this agenda item and asked Evelyn Anderson, Chief, Bureau of Community Colleges and Career and Technical Education to review the North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) accreditation report. Ms. Anderson introduced Dr. Michael Morrison, President of North Iowa Area Community College who was present. Dr. Morrison thanked Evelyn Anderson and the accreditation team for their efforts regarding the evaluation visit.
Ms. Anderson indicated the Iowa Department of Education had conducted the evaluation visit in October. She summarized the opportunities, strengths and suggestions made by the accreditation team. NIACC published its self-study for North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA) and reported information consistent with the format of the NCA five criteria. NIACC prepared a cross-reference sheet that bridged the state criteria with the NCA information. The cross-reference also provided other resources that could be used as supporting evidence. Information from an internal audit was also shared with the evaluation team. Anderson recommended that NIACC be granted continued accreditation.
Motion: It was moved by Kay Wagner and seconded by Sally Frudden that the State Board approve North Iowa Area Community College accreditation report and that NIACC be granted continued accreditation status.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
Dr. Michael Morrison, President, North Iowa Area Community College, reviewed the issues surrounding “equity in distributing state funds”. He believed that how this complex issue was dealt with could have a long-term impact on the total community college system. He discussed and shared a powerpoint presentation of some of the following ways to examine and analyze equity:
Morrison indicated that these methods of analyzing equity are not intended to be exhaustive. The task was to reach the best decision that is possible in a complex environment with many complex variables. The community college values and mission, along with the ability to continue to work together and enhance political support, are important considerations in resolving the issues. Dr. Morrison said this discussion was meant to be a starting point for discussion on community college funding.
Janice Friedel, Administrator, Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation presented this report. She acknowledged department staff and field support that made the compilation of this report possible. Friedel indicated that the Fiscal Year 2003 Year-End Report was a point-in-time report utilizing the Management Information System (MIS) data files submitted to the Department of Education. Some of the data outlined was as follows:
The report provided a snapshot view of the community colleges at the end of fiscal year 2003.
Administrator Janice Friedel, Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation said that Iowa’s 15 community colleges offered thousands of credit and non-credit courses. The 2003 Condition of Iowa Community Colleges report reviewed Iowa community college programs and related services. The report is supported by Management Information System (MIS) data. Data was based on FY 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. Friedel reviewed an executive summary of the Condition of Community Colleges 2003 report.
Judy Jeffrey, Administrator, Division of Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Carol Greta, Legal Consultant, presented information on the desegregation plan rule process which must be adopted by July, 2004. Jeffrey indicated that they had worked with representatives for all five of the school districts in Iowa that currently limit open enrollment via desegregation plans to gather input from those districts.
Carol Greta said the law states that “By July 1, 2004, the state board of education shall adopt rules establishing guidelines and a review process for school districts that adopt voluntary desegregation plans. The guidelines shall include criteria and standards that school districts must follow when developing a voluntary desegregation plan.”
Administrator Judy Jeffrey, Division of Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education reviewed the authority for the State Board of Education to set standards and procedures for the approval of practitioner preparation programs. Simpson College had developed a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree. At the present the institution has only undergraduate practitioner preparation programs approved by the State Board. She indicated this new program would exceed the primary scope of its current programs, thus requiring State Board approval. Simpson has already received notification from NCA of its intent to extend the accreditation to include this master’s program.
Jeffrey said the approval period for this program would be aligned with that of the undergraduate programs. The approval period for the graduate program will commence upon State Board approval with the program undergoing full review again during the spring of 2010 approval visit. This program is recommended for approval to the State Board of Education.
Motion: It was moved by Don Roby and seconded by Mary Jean Montgomery that the State Board approve the addition of a master’s degree practitioner program at Simpson College submitted by the Bureau of Practitioner Preparation and Licensure.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
Judy Jeffrey, Division Administrator, Division of Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education; Susan Fischer, Licensure Administrative Consultant, and Elaine Smith-Bright, Director of Professional Development of School Administrators of Iowa presented this agenda item. Ms. Jeffrey also invited Mary Jean Montgomery to add comments as she had been part of the leadership/partnership group.
Jeffrey gave a brief review of the history of the leadership initiative and how it began with the State Board establishing a priority of improving educational leadership. The recommendations were forwarded through community conversations and a committee of practitioners and business leaders resulted in the adoption of the Iowa Standards for School Leaders, a change in principal licensing requirements, and rule changes for State Board approval of administrator preparation programs.
Jeffrey said that the Department had received a planning and implementation grant from the State Action for Educational Leadership Partnership (SAELP) funded by the Wallace Foundation. She noted that this grant had made it possible to continue the work of the partnership. The recommendations that had been developed through subcommittees had been approved by the State Board with a subsequent work plan put in place. Jeffrey informed the Board that a landmark meeting would be occurring. All of the principal preparation programs had asked to meet with the professional associations and the AEAs to begin a conversation about developing a statewide system for really looking at how mentors are selected and trained for both candidates in administrative preparation programs and beginning administrators. She indicated this is an initial step in collaborating across the system in thinking about how we really can provide the best kind of mentoring opportunities.
Elaine Smith-Bright explained the superintendent and principal evaluation instruments being used in the state of Iowa. She indicated the goal was to provide districts and superintendents a model evaluation based on the Iowa Standards for School Leaders. Smith-Bright said that approximately 100 superintendents were using the evaluation process and instrument in a format that fits their individual district. Also approximately 30 superintendents are piloting the newly developed evaluation process and instrument. She reviewed the program components, the collaborative partners and the evaluation process for the superintendent and principal evaluations.
Smith-Bright said the mentoring and induction program goal was to develop a quality induction program and positive one-on-one mentor-new administrator relationship that would ensure improved administrative school leadership and promote the success of all students. This program began as a pilot project in January of 2003 and served 30 pairings of mentor and mentees. In August of 2003 the project was implemented and now serves 60 pairings of mentors and mentees.
Judy Jeffrey reviewed the leadership academy/center segment. She explained this was currently in a small group Think Tank development hosted by School Administrators of Iowa.
Susan Fischer commented on the re-licensure requirement including at least one credit of collective professional development coursework and how the new evaluator training will be looked at in the future to fit the licensure requirement. Fischer also reviewed the tiered licensing system for administrators and the licensure requirements as a whole.
Jeffrey highlighted the partner meeting that had been held and said the decision had been made to move forward with two major breakthrough ideas: 1) how to institutionalize the Iowa Standards for School Leaders, and 2) to advocate for one district to rethink the governance question, the conditions of practice for administrators.
Director Ted Stilwill handed out the proposed topics for the March State Board meeting.
President Gene Vincent adjourned the January State Board meeting.
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Gene E. Vincent Ted Stilwill, Director and
President Executive Officer