MINUTES
State Board of Education
March 11-12, 2004
The March 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: Sally Frudden, Jim Billings, Charles Edwards, Sister Jude Fitzpatrick, Mary Jean Montgomery, Don Roby, Megan Srinivas, and Kay Wagner. Board members absent: Gene Vincent and Greg McClain. Also present were Department Director Ted Stilwill and Department staff members Gail Sullivan, Judy Jeffrey, Lee Tack, Carol Greta, Janice Friedel, Kathi Slaughter, Evelyn Anderson, Tom Grimm, Dennis Dykstra, Su McCurdy, Marlene Dorenkamp, John Hartwig and Beverlee Adams. Also present were: Michael Hupfer, Iowa Lakes Community College; Jim Blietz, Joan Crowl, Marilyn Weber, Emily Nelson, Karen Thomsen, Ken Petersen and Martin Pennock, Glenn Grove, Area Education Agency 13; Dewitt Jones and Robert Smith , Waterloo Community School District; Larry Williams, Ester Mae Cox, Flora M. Lee, Kimberly Baxter, Sioux City Community Schools; Ruth White, Department of Human Rights; Dwayne Ferguson, Legislative Fiscal Bureau; and Madelaine Jerousek, The Des Moines Register.
JOINT MEETING WITH THE IOWA ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES
The State Board met jointly with representatives of the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees on the topic of One Source. The purpose of One Source is to provide a single point-of-contact to ensure that businesses and industries have a convenient, hassle-free, and responsive method of obtaining consistent curriculum, consistent pricing, and consistent course delivery throughout Iowa. A panel presentation was given by Gene Gardner, Executive Director, IACCT, Tom Lesan, Vice President of Economic Development, Southwestern Community College, Jim Richardson, President, Southeastern Community College and Collette Saylor, Executive Director, One Source. The panel provided an overview of the One Source project, how it worked, and how it would benefit Iowa’s economy, the citizens, and the educational community.
President Pro Tem Sally Frudden called the Board’s business meeting to order at 1:35 p.m.
It was moved by Kay Wagner and seconded by Mary Jean Montgomery to approve the agenda as written.
There was no public comment.
Charles Edwards – No report
Megan Srinivas – No report
Don Roby reported on the discussion at the Community College Council meeting and indicated the Council approved the Iowa Lakes Community College interim report and it would come before the Board at this March meeting. He stated that Evelyn Anderson, Chief, Bureau of Community Colleges was retiring and he expressed his gratitude for the excellent work she had contributed to community colleges.
Kay Wagner indicated she had attended the Area 9 superintendents meeting in her area and would attend Senator Maggie Tinsman’s meeting with the agenda including business, agriculture, and education stakeholders in the discussion.
Sister Jude Fitzpatrick stated she had attended the Coordinating Council meeting with a discussion on University of Phoenix proposals. She also indicated the Council was working on a collaborative effort with the state universities to eliminate drink specials at bars and eating establishments.
Mary Jean Montgomery reported she had attended the Iowa Public Television Board and Foundation legislative reception—a demonstration of datacasting was presented and discussed. She also shared an article honoring student member Megan Srinivas for a World Food Prize award.
Sally Frudden said she would give an update on the Iowa Learns Council as part of the Friday State Board agenda. She had participated in the Recognition program for Iowa Students for Excellence in Career and Technical Education and Career and Technical Student Organizations. She indicated it was rewarding to hear the wonderful successes and achievements accomplished by these young people.
Frudden acknowledged Megan Srinivas, student member of the Board, for the Sports Illustrated recognition article. She had also attended a distinguished alumni award reception at which Troyce Fisher, SAI and Veronica Stalker, Waukee Superintendent were honored. She noted that Director Stillwill had been a past recipient.
Director Stilwill reported on the following topics:
Jeff Berger, Legislative Liaison presented an overview of current legislative activity. He also demonstrated the Department’s electronic version of the daily update.
Don Roby suggested that the State Board go on record in support of Director Ted Stilwill for Senate confirmation.
Motion: Don Roby moved and Mary Jean Montgomery seconded that a letter of support be drafted and submitted to the General Assembly recommending Director Ted Stilwill be retained as Director of the Department of Education.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
The minutes of the January 15, 2004 State Board meeting were approved.
281, Iowa Administrative Code, rescind Chapter 70, AEA Media Centers, was approved for notice of intended action.
281, Iowa Administrative Code, rescind Chapter 71, AEA Educational Services, was approved for notice of intended action.
The Generalist Level I paraeducator preparation programs offered by Grant Wood AEA 10 and AEA 267 were approved.
In re Mary Oehler, Kenneth and Marilyn Oehler v. Davenport Community
School District, 22 D.o.E. App. Dec. 46.
Motion: Sister Jude
Fitzpatrick moved that the State Board hold a closed session under Iowa Code
section 21.5(1)(f) to discuss a decision to be rendered in a contested case
conducted according to provisions in Chapter 17A. Jim Billings seconded.
Vote: A roll call
vote was taken as follows:
Aye-Billings, Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Montgomery, Roby, Wagner,
Frudden. Absent: Vincent, McClain. The motion carried unanimously.
Closed Session
Motion: Charles
Edwards moved and Jim Billings seconded to approve the proposed decision.
Vote: A roll call
vote was taken. Aye: Billings, Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Montgomery,
Frudden. Nay: Roby, Wagner Absent: Vincent, McClain The motion carried.
Carol Greta, legal consultant, reviewed the decision In re Bailee Wieden. She indicated that the Appellants were seeking reversal of a decision of the Southeast Polk Community School District Board of Directors made in September denying a request that their daughter, Bailee, transfer intradistrict from Four Mile Elementary School to Willowbrook Elementary School. Bailee is in first grade and has two half-siblings that attend Willowbrook Elementary within the District. Greta said that Iowa Code section 279.11 gives local boards discretion to determine “the particular school which each child shall attend. The District showed that Willowbrook’s first grade sections were already full and that it was not allowing any transfers into that building. Appellants did not demonstrate that the use of residence was an irrational basis on which the District made assignment and transfer decisions.
Motion: Kay Wagner moved and Sister Jude Fitzpatrick seconded that the State Board approve the Southeast Polk Community School District Board of Directors’ decision made on September 18, 2003, to deny Bailee’s transfer request from Four Mile Elementary School to Willowbrook Elementary School be affirmed.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
Carol Greta, legal consultant and Ralph Childers, Policy and Workforce Initiatives Coordinator, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) presented the Chapter 56 rules. Greta indicated this rule change would conform rule language to statutory intent and align Vocational Rehabilitation Division’s program expectations with Iowa Code section 259 by promulgating current guidelines into rules. A recent district case settlement had stipulated that guidelines currently existing in DVRS manuals be promulgated into rules.
Motion: It was moved by Don Roby and seconded by Sister Jude Fitzpatrick that the State Board approve Chapter 56, Vocational Rehabilitation rules for notice of intended action.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
Rules: Chapter 79, Standards for Practitioner and Administrator Preparation Program Rule Amendments
Administrator Judy Jeffrey, Division of Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education presented an overview of the Chapter 79 rule amendments. She indicated that the current rules governing the Department’s approval process of practitioner preparation programs does not specifically require the institutions to identify a set of prescribed experiences and responsibilities, and institutions are not required to inform students of the Iowa Teaching Standards. Jeffrey indicated that House File 549 required that all institutions establish prescribed minimum experiences and responsibilities for student teaching and that opportunities be presented for students to become knowledgeable about the Iowa Teaching Standards and for student teachers to participate in a mock evaluation based on the new standards. The proposed rule changes would require institutions to meet the statutory requirements.
Motion: It was moved by Sister Jude Fitzpatrick and seconded by Charles Edwards to approve the Chapter 79 rules for Standards for Practitioner and Administration Preparation Program for notice of intended action.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
Michael Hupfer, President, Iowa Lakes Community College and Tom Grimm, Educational Program Consultant, Bureau of Community Colleges and Career and Technical Education outlined a brief overview of the Iowa Lakes Community College accreditation report. Grimm explained that an interim evaluation was conducted halfway between comprehensive evaluations. Each interim evaluation included a visit to the community college. Topics for the interim accreditation visit included:
Don Roby indicated that Iowa Lakes Community College had the highest marketing penetration per capita of any community college in the state. President Hupfer also told the Board the “stigma” of attending a community college had changed and the test scores and student success compared with students that started at the Regent’s universities or private colleges are as good if not better when they get to the last two years of their degree.
Motion: Don Roby moved and Mary Jean Montgomery seconded that the State Board approve the Iowa Lakes Community College Interim Accreditation Report, and that Iowa Lakes Community College be granted continuation of its 10-year state accreditation.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
Lee Tack, Administrator, Division of Financial and Information Services gave a presentation about the FY04-05 AEA annual budgets. He indicated the Board may only approve budgets submitted by AEAs accredited by the Board or that had been given conditional accreditation by the Board. All AEAs were accredited for the 2004-2005 fiscal year. He shared an overhead presentation on AEA funding. Tack introduced Jim Blietz, Administrator, and Emily Nelson, Director of Administrative Services, AEA 13 to review an actual AEA budgeting process. Bleitz thanked the State Board and Director Stilwill and staff for the support provided to area education agencies. Jim Bleitz introduced other AEA 13 administrators in attendance.
Administrator Blietz gave a powerpoint presentation reviewing the AEA 13 budget process. He discussed reconfiguring AEAs for school improvement and AEA funding, balances and the impact on services. Some of the actions taken were:
He indicated that several positions would not be filled and there would be a reduction of an additional five to eight staff positions including reading, math, science, school psychologists, speech/language pathologists and other special education services. All federal IDEA funds would be depleted for the 2004-05 year.
Mary Jean Montgomery suggested an overview of this information be directed to The Des Moines Register. She felt this had been an excellent presentation with valuable information that should be shared explaining the impact of fiscal losses to the area education agency system.
Motion: It was moved by Kay Wagner and seconded by Charles Edwards that the State Board approve the AEA budgets for fiscal year 2004-2005.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
Lee Tack, Administrator, Division of Financial and Information Services reported that the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) was required to report to the State Board the names of districts with negative unspent balances for the previous fiscal year and the amounts by which these districts exceeded their budget authority. He indicated the districts are required to prepare corrective action plans and present them to the SBRC. He reported that four school districts had exceeded their authorized budget in 2002-2003. Tack thanked Su McCurdy, Administrative Consultant and SBRC Liaison and Marlene Dorenkamp, Consultant, Division of Financial and Information Services for all the work provided to the SBRC Committee.
Judy Jeffrey, Administrator and Dennis Dykstra, Administrative Consultant-Finance, Division of Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education presented this Special Education Finance Study. Jeffrey explained that this committee was convened based on a recommendation from Governor Vilsack in his veto message pertaining to Senate File 453, the Reinvention Bill. The Committee needed to review special education finance and make recommendations addressing the distribution of state, local and federal funding for special education services, both instructional (LEA) and support (AEA), which would be predictable and equitable and would maintain the integrity of the current system.
Mr. Dykstra indicated another purpose of the Committee was to examine Iowa’s current system for funding special education in order to 1) propose short and long term recommendations that can occur within the present system that would ensure adequate funding for students with disabilities while not increasing special education expenditures; and 2) identify potential legislative changes that will be needed to implement any recommendations proposed.
Rules: Amendments to Chapter 84, Financial
Incentives for National Board Certification
Director Stilwill indicated he was changing his recommendation for Chapter 84 from an action to an information item as a result of discussion this week at the Administrative Rules Review Committee (ARRC). Judy Jeffrey, Administrator, Division of Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education indicated consideration was being given by the ARRC at this time to clarify if the Department of Education had statutory authority to write these rules.
Judy Jeffrey, Administrator, Division of Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education explained that Chapter 256.7 of the Code of Iowa provided authority for the State Board of Education to set standards and procedures for the approval of practitioner preparation programs. Clarke College had received approval to offer an Alternative Preparation Program in June of 2002. The Alternative Preparation Program was discontinued when the new Teacher Intern Program was created by the Board of Educational Examiners. Due to concerns with the Teacher Intern Program, Clarke College decided to offer the masters degree program as a traditional preparation program. Jeffrey indicated that some components of the program, such as online courses and completion of field experiences and student teaching out of the area would require a more extensive review prior to full approval.
Jeffrey recommended that Clarke College’s MAT program be conditionally approved for 2003-2005. The Department will conduct a formal program review during the 2004-05 academic year.
MOTION: It was moved by Mary Jean Montgomery and seconded by Kay Wagner that the State Board approve the Clarke MAT Degree program on a one-year conditional basis.
Vote: The motion carried unanimously.
Sally Frudden, State Board member and Director Ted Stilwill, both members of the Iowa Learns Council presented the Iowa Learns update.
Ted Stilwill, Director, discussed the Governor’s process for inviting two communities with strong leadership to participate in this process. Waterloo Community School District and Sioux City Community School District were chosen. Stilwill indicated that Waterloo had completed the formal process and the Governor had visited Waterloo and presented the Closing the Achievement Gap Report to their community. Sioux City had presented the Governor with a report but it had not been released to date. They will be providing a summary of the report to the Board.
Larry Williams, Superintendent, Sioux City Community School District and Flora M. Lee, Success4 Consultant, Western Hills, AEA 12 were co-chairs in presenting an overview of the Sioux City School District Governor’s Task Force Achievement Gap Report. Mr. Williams also introduced several other Task Force members in attendance.
Director Stilwill introduced Ruth White, Director, Department of Human Rights and invited her to participate in this discussion. She had also served as a member of the Task Force.
Superintendent Williams indicated the Task Force began with 21 community persons, including 8 high school students and 5 ex-officio members. As the work progressed the group grew and its membership changed. The Task Force identified work to be done in three major areas:
The emphasis was on identifying strategies that would accelerate the academic performance of low-income and students of color who have historically performed less well than their peers. Mr. Williams noted that the Task Force recommendations aimed to move all students to higher levels of academic performance, leaving no child behind and supporting all students’ continued growth. After continued dialogue and review of local data, the Sioux City Task Force identified five broad goals and relating strategies most appropriate for addressing its local achievement gaps. The following goals were grounded in research-based evidence and best practice.
Flora M. Lee, Success4 Consultant, AEA 12, reported on her involvement and commitment to the task force process. Her major focus in participation was to be able to help kids and to be able to implement a plan. She felt that in accomplishing what was best for her own children, all other children would also reap the benefit. Lee reported the Sioux City Board had not yet voted on the plan but had made a verbal commitment and she assured the school board that when the final plan was approved, she would be there to assist until full implementation was reached.
Lee felt the students were very diligent and honest in telling the task force what needed to be fixed in the schools and also what was working very well in the school district. She indicated the composition of the Task Force changed as members of the transient community changed. She felt this worked to the good and a draft plan was now in place and ready to be approved and implemented.
Dr. Judy Stewart was also a great resource person provided by the North Central Regional Educational Lab and had spent considerable time with the task force to assist in many aspects of developing the plan.
Superintendent Williams concluded the Task Force felt that having a high-quality teacher in every classroom was the number one factor in eliminating achievement gaps. The community was wholeheartedly committed to responding to the gaps with both short- and long-term systemic plans. The plans also align with the overall vision and direction of the No Child Left Behind Act, Iowa Comprehensive School Improvement Process and the Sioux City Community Board goals. He also indicated resources within the school system and community at-large would have to be earmarked to address the concerns.
Dewitt Jones, Superintendent, Waterloo Community School District, and Robert Smith, Director of UNICUE, Co-Chairs of the Governor’s Task Force on African American Student Achievement Committee presented the Task Force report. This report had been completed and shared with the community.
Jones indicated the Task Force had used the North Central Educational Research Laboratory’s (NCREL) services and other data to formulate sixteen targeted areas for the Waterloo Community School District to close the achievement gap for African-American students. The sixteen targeted areas were as follows:
Making Process for Closing the Gap
Superintendent Jones said the Task Force had recommended piloting these initiatives at three schools, Longfellow Elementary School, Walter Cunningham School for Excellence, and Logan Middle School.
Robert Smith, Director of the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Urban Education and a Black Hawk County Supervisor, appreciated the invitation to share with the Board. Smith shared an experience he had had as a high school freshman and the difference a counselor had made in his life by being honest and giving him the proper tools to be successful in life.
He said he had served on the Waterloo Board of Education for six years with many rewarding and challenging experiences. He said he felt strongly about setting high expectations for children and making the resources available for them to meet the challenge.
Dr. Jones said the Task Force also recommended that annual categorical benchmarks for African-American achievement beyond the scope of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements be established in the following areas: Improving Post Secondary School Enrollment, Discipline Referrals, Expulsions, Attendance Data, Graduation Rates, Dropout Rates, Enrollment in High School Advanced Placement Classes, ACT Participation, PSAT Participation, Retention Rates, Activity Eligibility, and High School Grade Point Averages. Accountability, monitoring, and reporting African-American academic achievement data bi-annually to the Board of Education was also a recommendation.
It was recommended by the Task Force that all stakeholders hold a community summit to understand the issues; come to agreement that this is a community issue; and establish common goals and plans to close the achievement gap for African-American students.
Mary Jean Montgomery asked about the gender and ethnicity grouping of classes. Dr. Dewitt responded the pilot was beginning with black males in a classroom with the same mentor and teacher for four years.
Sally Frudden talked about the preschool segment of universal preschool for all children in Iowa and encouraging the Governor and legislature about the importance of this element.
Kay Wagner complimented the Task Force on the focus of completing the goals. She said it was work well done. Wagner indicated as a classroom special education teacher she felt there was value in having students in one location for the education continuity.
Ruth White, Director of Human Rights, indicated the focus on cultural competence fit into all seven divisions of Human Rights. Cultural competence would suggest that a systemic approach to the value of those cultures would assist if you were talking about education, access or socioeconomic status. She felt that mentorships for students of color and the idea of separating out a group of young people for a nurturing atmosphere would have a positive effect for achievement. White said Human Rights staff were very happy to work with both Sioux City and Waterloo groups. She felt that a lot of passion and determination had been exhibited and she hoped that the State Board would echo the elements that are parts of these reports so that these efforts could be sustained so there would not be a need to revisit this same issue in three years.
Jim Billings commented these reports were outstanding and he was pleased to see dollars attached to the plan to make it happen.
Ted Stilwill expressed appreciation to these groups and felt we needed to support the passion and plans these communities have designed to close achievement gaps in this state. He stated that commitment is visible in these communities and it needs to be supported and fought for by all education stakeholders.
Iowa’s Adult Literacy Program Benchmark Report for Program Year 2003
John Hartwig, Educational Program Consultant, Bureau of Community Colleges and Career and Technical Education presented the Iowa Adult Literacy Program Annual Benchmark Report for Program Year 2003. He commented that the overall goal of the Act is “to increase the employment, retention, and earnings of participants, and increase occupational skill attainment by participants, and improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the Nation.
Hartwig indicated that the major intent of The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) was to establish performance measures and benchmarks to demonstrate increased accountability in line with the major goals and objectives of the Workforce Investment Act. He said the core federally mandated indicators were:
Mr. Hartwig outlined benchmark accomplishments achieved in the State of Iowa. He said the benchmark data could serve as the basis for local and state program improvement for program year 2004. The overall goal for benchmark improvement for program year 2004 was to increase benchmark attainment from 81 percent to 90 percent. He said the benchmarks clearly demonstrate that Iowa’s Adult Literacy Program makes a difference in the lives of those served.
Director Stilwill handed out the proposed topics for the April State Board meeting.
President Pro Tem Sally Frudden adjourned the March State Board meeting at 11:45 a.m.
_________________________ ________________________________
Sally Frudden Ted Stilwill, Director and
President Pro Tem Executive Officer