Grundy Reporter

Illinois State Board of Education Met Nov. 19.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

1. Roll Call/Pledge of Allegiance

A. Consideration of and Possible Actions on Any Requests for Participation in Meeting by Other Means

2. Public Participation

A. Public Participation will be completed using an online form that can be found at https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Illinois-State-Board-of-Education-Calendar.aspx and will open on November 19 at 8:30 a.m. and close at 9:30 a.m. Participants will be able to review the participation guidelines and indicate if they wish to speak. For Public Participation, please join the link below by computer or phone: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/422561965; Call in number: (224) 501-3412; Access Code: 422-561-965

3. Presentations and Recognitions

A. Assessment

B. 2020 Thomas Lay Burroughs Award Recipient

C. Implementation of PA 101-643: District Intervention Funding

D. Illinois Preparation Profile

4. Closed Session (as needed)

A. Litigation, when an action against, affecting or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or when the public body finds that an action is probable or imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be recorded and entered into the minutes of the closed meeting. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(11)

5. Superintendent’s Report – Consent Agenda

*All action consideration items listed with an asterisk (*) below are considered to be routine and will be enacted in one motion and vote. Any board member who wishes separate discussion on any item listed on the consent agenda may remove that item from the consent agenda, in which event, the item will be considered in its normal sequence.

A. *Approval of Minutes – Plenary Minutes: October 21, 2020

B. *Rules for Initial Review -Part 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) KIDS Assessment/Unlicensed Personnel During a Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation C. *Rules for Adoption - Part 226 (Special Education) Bilingual Interpreter

D. *Approval of Illinois Assistive Technology Device Loan and Evaluation Grant (4630-LE) E. *Approval of Illinois Assistive Technology Exchange Network Grant (4630-EN) F. *Approval of Illinois Statewide Assistive Technology Training and Technical Assistance Program Grant (4630-TA)

G. *Approval of Illinois Service Resource Center Grant

H. *Approval of the Three-Year Renewal with College Board to Administer the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) per the Existing Contract

End of Consent Agenda

6. Approval of the Strategic Plan

7. Upcoming Board Actions

A. Approval of 2020 State Board of Education Annual Report for the General Assembly 

B. Approval for one-year grant extension for Facilitating the Coordination of Agricultural Education (FCAE)

C. Approval to release and award a request for sealed proposal for the Illinois CTE Improvement Project

D. Approval of Special Education Data Reporting and Training Contract with ROE 20 E. Approval of Elevating Special Educators Project – IDEA Part D: State Personnel Development Grant – IGA with ROE 9

8. Discussion Items

A. Social Science Standards Recommendations

B. Spanish Language Arts Standards

C. Summary of FY2022 Budget Hearings

9. Public Participation (as needed)

10. Announcements & Reports

A. Superintendent’s/Senior Staff Announcements

B. Chair of the Board’s Report

C. Member Reports

11. Information Items

A. ISBE Fiscal & Administrative Monthly Reports

B. FOIA Monthly Report

12. Adjourn

This meeting will be accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons planning to attend who need special accommodations should contact the Board office no later than the date prior to the meeting. Contact the Superintendent's office at the State Board of Education. Phone: 217-782-2221; TTY/TDD: 217-782-1900.

NOTE: The Chair of the Board may call for a break in the meeting as necessary in order for the Board to go into closed session.

Approved 12/16/2020

ROLL CALL Chair of the Board Leak called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m.

Chair of the Board Darren Reisberg announced that the Board meeting was being audio-cast live over the internet and video recorded. He declared that an in-person meeting is not practical or prudent because of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that made a physical presence for the meeting unfeasible.

Chair Reisberg asked the clerk to call the roll. A quorum was present with seven members attending via webinar. State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala was also in attendance.

Members Present:

Mr. Darren Reisberg, Chairperson

Dr. Donna Leak, Vice Chair

Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Secretary

Dr. Christine Benson

Dr. David Lett

Ms. Susie Morrison

Ms. Jacqueline Robbins

Ms. Jane Quinlan

Jacqueline Robbins joined the meeting at 10:17 a.m.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Chair of the Board Reisberg reminded those in attendance of the public participation policy and the sign-up procedures for today’s remote meeting.

Asia Canady from Start Early shared a concern regarding the Illinois Preparation Profile (IPP) in that retention of students and teachers in public schools is a metric for success. This creates an unintended barrier for teaching candidates, particularly candidates of color, in the early childhood workforce, as it penalizes institutes of higher education for investing in community based teachers.

Felipe Perez, director of Pipeline Diversity in Chicago Public Schools and member of the steering committee that ISBE consulted in the development of the IPP, expressed support for the IPP. His job involves recruitment as well as building teacher pathways; the IPP will help both of these efforts.

Maria Estlund, senior policy associate for Illinois Action for Children, echoed Ms. Canady’s concern regarding the retention of students and teachers in public schools as an IPP metric for success, and how it will negatively impact people who are working full time in community based programs.

Jason Leahy from the Illinois Principals Association expressed concern about the principal pipeline in Illinois and the possibility of future shortages.

Robin Steans from Advance Illinois spoke on assessment. She expressed that this is an unprecedented set of circumstances in which students are being impacted significantly and differently. Schools need information on how to meet needs. She said that it’s not about whether or not we collect the info; it’s about how.

Theodia Gillespie from the Quad County Urban League spoke in favor of assessment to collect the data that will be necessary to drive decisions and recovery and to learn the true impact the pandemic has had on different communities. She is not in favor of assessment being used for accountability.

ASSESSMENT | PRESENTATION

Jolene Stark, executive director of the Illinois Parent Teacher Association, spoke in favor of assessment to collect data that will guide how schools and districts move forward equitably.

Patricia Mota from the League of United Latin American Citizens spoke in favor of administering assessments to avoid inequitable consequences, but she also stressed the importance of considering the unique dangers of testing for students of color. She also stressed the importance of developing proper safety protocols.

Dr. Michelle Smith, superintendent of Berwyn North School District 98, spoke against standardized testing and urged the Board to reconsider administering the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR). She said that the data will just confirm what is already known and testing will increase the stress the students already have. She added that districts can collect data locally.

Dr. Dan Cox, superintendent of Rochester Community Unit School District 3A, spoke against administering assessments and encouraged the Board to apply for a waiver. He explained the utility of local methods of assessment and the importance of tending to the social emotional needs of the students.

Dr. Jennifer Garrison, superintendent of Vandalia CUSD 203, spoke against administering the IAR and advocated for local control for assessment. She urged the Board to listen to practitioners in the field. She echoed the framing expressed earlier that it is not about whether or not to collect the data, but how.

Dr. Ken Wallace, superintendent of Maine Township High School District 207, spoke against administering state assessments. He suggested we already know what assessment will tell us, and he made the point that even outside of the context of the pandemic, education has been moving away from standardized assessment. He urged the Board to repurpose the exorbitant amount of money spent on testing.

Dr. Brad Skertich, superintendent of Collinsville CUSD 10, advocated against administering state assessment and asked that the Board apply for waivers. He emphasized the importance of tending to students’ needs holistically and he asked that the Board listen to practitioners’ voices and allow for local control of collecting data on student growth.

Dr. Ayala expressed understanding of the gravity of this decision and the importance of making as equitable of a decision as possible. She shared her thoughts on the value of a statewide assessment being administered, saying the data will play a vital role in helping the Board determine how to invest resources in the most effective manner. She alluded to work the agency is doing to collect stakeholder input in order to administer the assessments safely and securely. She made clear that she does not want to administer for accountability and is in favor of the Board applying for a federal waiver, if it is made available.

Dr. Ayala introduced representatives from a variety of organizations that were invited to weigh in on the consequences of not having assessments to determine the impact of COVID-19 on student learning. These representatives were Denise Forte of the Education Trust, Meghan Whittaker of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, and Amalia Chamorro of the Education Policy Project at UnidosUS.

Ms. Forte spoke in support of state assessment, as it is the only and most valuable tool to evaluate how diverse communities are being impacted. There is a need for comparable statewide assessments. The IAR is currently the only common data point that gives insight to whether and how the system of education in Illinois is addressing the needs of a diverse student population. It also gives insight into where to allocate resources.

Ms. Whittaker spoke in support of state assessment, as students with disabilities were invisible in this data until recent years. She said losing this year of data would be of great detriment to them. She provided data that demonstrates the validity of the results from remote testing as well as examples of how students with disabilities can be adequately accommodated, as these are two major concerns of stakeholders.

Ms. Chamoro spoke in support of state assessment, particularly as it relates to the Every Student Succeeds Act, as it benefits English Learners (ELs); losing two years of data would undercut their progress. She provided data that demonstrates that this assessment results in a boost in progress. She highlighted the importance of considering the intersectionality between ELs and students with disabilities.

Dr. Leak thanked the presenters for providing their perspectives at the national level while also expressing concern about there being inequitable representation of perspectives from the field. She noted that these advocates were given ample time to present, while superintendents had to make use of limited public participation time. She voiced agreement with her colleagues from public participation who affirmed the value of assessment and said that the question is not whether students will be assessed, but how. Dr. Leak also shared that as a parent, it is concerning to hear that this one data point is considered the only way to see how her child is doing academically.

Dr. Pacione-Zayas echoed Dr. Leak’s concerns, noting that the representatives who spoke today had not previously been educators or school administrators. She went on to explain that standardized tests can often serve as gatekeepers for Black and Brown students, while failing to provide new insights or produce material changes in these students’ education. She said that standardized tests are limited in what they can do to change teaching and learning and, noting that there is substantial scientific evidence to support this, the state should not be spending $13 million on administering them. Dr. Pacione-Zayas noted valuable ways that the money could be repurposed. She argued it would be tone deaf to move forward and collect data on gaps that are already known to exist, especially considering the health risks and how they disproportionately affect communities of color.

Chair Reisberg addressed the concerns about the representation of perspectives and explained the decision-making process for organizing the meeting as it was. He encouraged open discourse and asked that mutual respect be maintained.

Dr. Ayala, addressing Dr. Leak’s concern about the state assessment being viewed as the only data point, clarified that the agency recognizes that the state assessment is not the only way to measure student learning and that there are a variety of reliable methods of measurement at local levels. However, the state assessment is the only common data point across the state. She also reported College Board’s success in administering the SAT this fall

as an example of the feasibility of maintaining safety. Dr. Ayala also addressed the concerns about the representation of perspectives, first by affirming her respect for district leaders and teachers, and second by reminding the Board members that they receive the agenda well in advance and are welcome to provide feedback on it before the meeting.

Dr. Lett expressed opposition to administering the statewide assessment and encouraged making use of the ample, normed data at the local levels. He also acknowledged that no matter how hard the agency tries to emphasize that the assessment will not play a role in accountability, it will inevitably be used to build a narrative and bash the teachers who are trying their best in this unprecedented time. The assessment will only serve to detract from district time and stress out students, to whom the assessment is meaningless. Dr. Ayala informed the Board of efforts that are already underway to mine local data and reported on the issue of a significantly low response rate. Dr. Lett ventured that local leaders are likely preoccupied at the moment, and he expressed faith that schools would respond in due time.

Chair Reisberg supports the exploration of creative ways to collect the necessary data that the state assessment would usually provide. He raised the issue of not all districts having local assessments that will provide the data and made the point that these districts could suffer significant consequences because of that. Chair Reisberg also reminded the Board that a final decision does not need to be made today.

Dr. Quinlan asked for some more details about the administration of the SAT in the fall. She also asked about how absenteeism would impact the desired data. Dr. Ayala said that she would have to follow-up with Dr. Quinlan with those answers. She also said that participation rates matter more when the assessments are being used for accountability purposes.

ILLINOIS PREPARATION PROFILE

2020 THOMAS LAY BURROUGHS AWARD RECIPIENT

IMPLEMENTATION OF PA 101-643 DISTRICT INTERVENTION

Dr. Benson weighed in on the concerns about representation of perspectives and felt that the practitioners’ side had been well represented by members of the Board in their discussions at this meeting and in the past several. She spoke on the value of the national perspective while expressing appreciation for the speakers who presented it. She cited various levels of uncertainty in Congress, a surge in the virus, schools being prompted to return to remote education, and the news of two potentially effective vaccines, all of which significantly complicate the process of unpacking what the conditions will be like in the spring. She affirmed that standardized tests are not the whole child and their data has limits, but it has value that should be discussed at the national, state, and local levels.

Dr. Leak affirmed that all perspectives should be taken into consideration and reiterated her concern that they were not given equitable opportunity to be considered. She also noted that the SAT and IAR have significantly different time commitments. This will be important to consider when determining the levels of safety in administering them.

Cristina Dimmit-Salinas, director of the ROE/ISC Department, presented a demonstration of ISBE’s new, interactive tool that has been in development since 2016.

Chair Reisberg provided positive feedback and is proud that Illinois is leading the way in data transparency.

Dr. Ayala also provided positive comments, in addition to explaining the fact that certain data is currently missing from the profile due to the pandemic impacting the agency’s ability to collect it; however, it will be gathered and included soon. She also gave assurance that for the first year or so, it will not be used for accountability purposes and it will be monitored for necessary adjustments.

Dr. Pacione-Zayas praised the overall design and layout of the project. She expressed concern about rolling it out before the data set it complete and asked why the agency is not choosing to wait if the information will be available in a matter of months. Dr. Ayala said that the team working on the project can look into what the impact of delaying the rollout would be.

Chair Reisberg asked what the exact estimated time of arrival of the missing data is. He asked a question about when the department would be able to incorporate the desired data into the framework. Ms. Dimmit-Salinas said that the department would be receiving the data in a few months and that she can report a more granular look at the timeline in a future update.

Dr. Ayala began by stating that this award recognizes local leadership, particularly in: • Improving student learning, closing achievement gaps, and supporting educational excellence;

• Expanding educational opportunities for underserved students; and • Resolving a crisis or major difficulty with the result of more equitable outcomes for students.

Dr. Ayala announced that the winner this year is Paul Wedemann, president of the Fenton Community High School District 100 School Board.

Mr. Wedemann gave a thank-you speech acknowledging all those who have supported him and helped him reach his achievements.

Dr. Tom Bertrand, executive director of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), acknowledged the significance of Mr. Wedemann’s accomplishments and congratulated him and his entire leadership team.

The official presentation will take place at the IASB’s virtual meeting on Nov. 21, 2020. The open meeting recessed for 15 minutes and reconvened at 12:45 p.m.

Education Officer Ernesto Matias and Financial Officer Robert Wolfe introduced Superintendent Arthur Culver of East St. Louis School District 189 and Superintendent John Price of North Chicago CUSD 187.

FUNDING | PRESENTATION The superintendents reviewed highlights of their districts’ five-year financial and strategic plans for growth.

Dr. Pacione-Zayas stepped out of the meeting and returned after closed session at 2:14 p.m.

CLOSED SESSION Dr. Quinlan moved that the Board enter into closed session under the exceptions set forth in the Open Meetings Act of the State of Illinois as follows:

A. Litigation, when an action against, affecting or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or when the public body finds that an action is probable or imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be recorded and entered into the minutes of the closed meeting. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(11)

She further moved that Board members may invite anyone they wish to be included in this closed session.

Ms. Robbins seconded the motion, and it passed with a seven-member majority roll call vote.

The open meeting recessed at 1:17 p.m. and the Board went into closed session at 1:25 p.m. The open meeting reconvened at 1:50 p.m.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Dr. Kimako Patterson, superintendent of Prairie-Hills District 144, spoke against administering a statewide assessment and asked that the Board consider other ways of collecting the data it needs. She relayed information from her district regarding attendance, performance, and pandemic conditions, and urged the Board to prioritize safety and security because basic needs are not being met for many students. She also urged the Board to acknowledge and accommodate the social-emotional needs of superintendents.

Julieta Rosales Pasko, first vice president of the Learning Disabilities Association of Illinois, spoke on behalf of Padres Ayudando a Padre, the Learning Disabilities Association of Illinois Diversity Committee, Familias Especiales, Grupo del Sur, Special Olympics North, and Access Living in favor of increasing the amount of training required in Part 226. She also encouraged the Board to start initiatives that will address the shortage of bilingual educators.

Linda Coronado, a community resident who taught a medical interpreting course for over 10 years and was the director of Interpreting Services at Cook County Hospital, spoke in favor of increasing the amount of training required in Part 226. She outlined the parameters of what she would consider a sufficient training program. She cautioned against using the label, “bilingual employee.” She also said that the document needs to specify whether this is a “certification” process or a “certificate” process.

Rita Brusca-Vega spoke on behalf of Illinois Learning Disabilities Association in favor of increasing the amount of training time required in Part 226. She outlined some of the time consuming components of an adequate program.

John Burkey, executive director of the Large Unit District Association (LUDA), explained why a number of superintendents have been expressing concern about competency-based education. He highlighted the absence of a mention of competency-based education in the ISBE Strategic Plan as well as a recent lack of contact between LUDA and the agency. He asked that ISBE take action to champion competency-based education and provide more collaboration opportunities. He also highlighted the fact that competency-based education goes hand in hand with equity.

Victoria Trinder, who is on the faculty of the department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Chicago and program coordinator of the BA in Urban Education at UIC, spoke against the rollout of the IPP. She provided context of UIC’s accomplishments relevant to the goals of the IPP and offered critiques of the metrics used by the IPP. She stated that faculty members at UIC feel betrayed that they were not at the table to help develop them.

CONSENT AGENDA Dr. Ayala reviewed the items under the consent agenda.

Dr. Pacione-Zayas addressed the thoughts expressed in public participation on Part 226 and asked what the agency’s reasoning was in determining the training time. Dr. Ayala said that the Multilingual Department collaborated with a variety of stakeholders to develop these training standards for bilingual interpreters. She and Dr. Matias explained that an increased number of hours would become burdensome both timewise and financially and would prevent many people from being able to become interpreters. Shortages in trained interpreters result in a burden being placed on employees who happen to be bilingual. Joanne Clyde, director of the Multilingual Department, added to their answer by citing other programs with similar requirements. Dr. Pacione-Zayas wanted to note the importance of interpreters being able to fully understand and translate Individualized Education Programs, as it can be significantly difficult even without a language barrier. She also cautioned against using standards from other states as the gold standard.

Dr. Lett asked if the increase in the price for the SAT is negotiable because he believes that a 6.25% increase is exorbitant. Dr. Sean Clayton said that the increase was a given based on language from the base contract and he would have to follow-up to achieve certainty about opportunities for negotiation. Chair Reisberg appreciated this note and suggested that the Finance and Audit Committee spend some time investigating the possibility of negotiation for renewals on future contracts.

Chair Reisberg urged the agency to evaluate parent and teacher experiences with interpreters who will be trained according to Part 226 for the first time.

Dr. Leak moved that the State Board of Education approve the consent agenda.

Dr. Benson seconded the motion, and it passed with a unanimous roll call vote.

The following motions were approved by action taken in the consent agenda motion:

Approval of Minutes

Plenary Minutes: Oct. 21, 2020

The Illinois State Board of Education hereby approves the Oct. 21, 2020, meeting minutes.

Rules for Initial Review

Part 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) KIDS

Assessment/Unlicensed Personnel During a Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation

The State Board of Education hereby authorizes solicitation of public comment on the proposed rulemaking for:

Part 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision)

Including publication of the proposed rules in the Illinois Register to elicit public comment.

Rules for Adoption

Part 226 (Special Education) Bilingual Interpreter

The State Board of Education hereby authorizes the State Superintendent to submit the proposed rulemaking for Part 226 (Special Education) to JCAR for second notice.

Further, the Board authorizes the State Superintendent of Education to make such technical and non-substantive changes as the State Superintendent may deem necessary in response to suggestions or objections of JCAR.

Contracts and Grants Over $1 Million

Illinois Assistive Technology Device Loan and Evaluation Grant (4630-LE)

The State Board of Education authorizes the State Superintendent to release the RFP for the Illinois Assistive Technology Device Loan and Evaluation Grant and to award a grant to the successful bidder in the amount not to exceed $4.5 million over the five-year grant cycle.

Illinois Assistive Technology Exchange Network Grant (4630-EN)

APPROVAL OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN

UPCOMING BOARD ACTIONS

The State Board of Education authorizes the State Superintendent to release the RFP for the Illinois Assistive Technology Exchange Network Grant and to award a grant to the successful bidder in an amount not to exceed of $2 million over the five-year grant cycle.

Illinois Statewide Assistive Technology Training and Technical Assistance Program Grant (4630-TA)

The State Board of Education authorizes the State Superintendent to release the RFP for the Illinois Statewide Assistive Technology Training and Technical Assistance Program Grant and to award a grant to the successful bidder in an amount not to exceed $1.5 million over the five-year grant cycle.

Illinois Service Resource Center Grant

The State Board of Education authorizes the State Superintendent to release the RFP for the Illinois Service Resource Center and to award a grant to the successful bidder in the amount not to exceed $3.25 million over the five-year grant cycle.

Three-Year Renewal with College Board to Administer the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) per the Existing Contract

The State Board of Education hereby authorizes the State Superintendent to execute the three-year renewal with College Board for FY22-24 not to exceed $30,632,370.33 for the administration of the SAT with Essay, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 products administered at grades 11 (and grade 12 as required), 10, and 9 respectively.

Approval of the Strategic Plan

Dr. Ayala presented information on the Strategic Plan and outlined its development up to this point.

The Board provided praise and positive feedback.

Dr. Pacione-Zayas moved for the State Board of Education to hereby approve ISBE’s Strategic Plan.

Dr. Leak seconded the motion, and it passed with a unanimous roll call vote.

Approval of 2020 State Board of Education Annual Report for the General Assembly There were no questions for this item at this time.

Approval for one-year grant extension for Facilitating the Coordination of Agricultural Education (FCAE)

There were no questions for this item at this time.

Approval to release and award a request for sealed proposal for the Illinois CTE Improvement Project

There were no questions for this item at this time.

Approval of Special Education Data Reporting and Training Contract with ROE 20 There were no questions for this item at this time.

Approval of Elevating Special Educators Project – IDEA Part D: State Personnel Development Grant – IGA with ROE 9

There were no questions for this item at this time.

DISCUSSION ITEMS Spanish Language Arts Standards Ms. Clyde presented on the Spanish Language Arts (SLA) Standards.

Ms. Morrison asked about the timeline of the next steps. Ms. Clyde said that the draft rules will be brought before the Board by December or January and provided a specific list of steps in a slide. Ms. Morrison asked when this process started. The answer was August.

Chair Reisberg asked if any significant opposition for or criticism of these standards is anticipated. Ms. Clyde answered that the standards are tied to the Common Core, so stakeholders who take issue with the Common Core may be critical. Chair Reisberg asked

how many other states have Spanish Language Arts Standards. Ms. Clyde answered that at least California, Texas, New Mexico, and Puerto Rico do.

Dr. Ayala added that Illinois adopted SLA Standards over 20 years ago, so the agency had a baseline to work from in addition to referencing standards from other states and countries. She also noted that the SLA Standards are closely tied to the English Language Arts Standards. She added that the Strategic Plan has a goal to develop a Spanish language assessment; developing standards is the first step toward that.

Dr. Pacione-Zayas asked about how regionalisms are being accounted for in the pedagogy, especially considering most Spanish-speaking students in Illinois do not speak Spain’s Spanish. Francela Lopez, an SLA Standards Workgroup Facilitator, said that the current standards to not account for that.

Social Science Standards Recommendations

Dr. Erica Thieman, director of Curriculum and Instruction; Dorlande Charles, Chicago Public Schools social science teacher; Greg Turner, East St. Louis District 189 competency-based education coordinator; Sarah Said, director of Language and Equity at Elgin Math and Science Academy; and Dr. Sarah Shear, assistant professor of Social Studies and Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, presented on the social science standards recommendations.

Ms. Morrison asked about who will be on the teams making the recommended revisions. Dr. Thieman said that’s still being determined but the idea right now is to retain the current committee, as that will ensure readiness by next year. Ms. Morrison asked what facilitator is being used for the social science standards. Dr. Thieman gave the names of the facilitators. Ms. Morrison asked if any of the committee members who looked at these standards were

the same members who worked on the standards that were developed in 2016. The answer was yes, but that there were also a lot of different members as well to ensure diversity. Ms. Morrison asked that specifics of who was retained be included in an update. Lastly, she asked what the involvement of the Illinois Social Science Standards Council was. Elizabeth Hiler of ISBE said there has not been any formal connection with it. Ms. Morrison encouraged reaching out to the council.

Chair Reisberg asked if, given they pass the JCAR process, these standards will have immediate impact next year. Dr. Thieman said that training the educators will be important in creating the impact. Dr. Ayala expanded on that by saying that the heavy lifting of revisions is in the professional development.

Dr. Leak asked about how this work might help push some of Illinois’ legislative efforts. Dr. Thieman said that the committee has been in conversation with legislators, who have expressed the desire for certain groups to be involved in drafting the revisions, and the committee will be reaching out to them soon. Dr. Leak asked how the resources that will be offered with the standards will be vetted. Dr. Thieman explained that the people who will vet those resources will be chosen in a similar fashion as the committee, prioritizing diversity in experience and culture. Dr. Ayala added that the agency will be developing a curriculum evaluation tool as part of the Strategic Plan.

Dr. Pacione-Zayas asked to what extent students were consulted. Ms. Said reported that they have not been consulted as of yet, but that would be an important change moving forward. Chair Reisberg and Dr. Leak recommended involving the Student Advisory Council. Dr. Pacione-Zayas asked to what extent scholars were consulted. Dr. Thieman said that the

committee consulted with some scholars from institutions of higher education and that the scholars Dr. Pacione-Zayas has recommended consulting with indicated they wanted to contribute moving forward.

Dr. Ayala said the next step would be to work with Dr. Thieman on a timeline.

Summary of FY 2022 Budget Hearings

Mr. Wolfe provided a summary of the FY 2022 Budget Hearings.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REPORTS

Chair Reisberg gave recognition to Dr. Quinlan as the chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. He asked if there were advantages to having the hearings remotely and what the feedback looked like. Mr. Wolfe said that the feedback they got was positive and that there were many comments of appreciation for the time, energy, and effort the staff put in. He said that it in the future, outside of the pandemic, the finance team would consider holding the hearings remotely or conduct a hybrid version.

Dr. Pacione-Zayas asked for a comment regarding the Governor’s indication that he may decide to cut Evidence-Based Funding by $150 million and what implications that has for the budget. Mr. Wolfe explained that there are appropriations for FY 2021-22 and those are the appropriations that have been put in place. There will be collaboration between the administration and the General Assembly to discuss anything related to the budget. No matter the amount of resources given, the agency will work to allocate them equitably and ensure that the budget is a reflection of the Strategic Plan.

Superintendent/Senior Staff Announcements

Dr. Ayala provided an announcement regarding FAFSA.

Chair of the Board’s Report

There were no announcements at this time.

Member Reports

There were no announcements at this time.

INFORMATION ITEMS ISBE Fiscal & Administrative Monthly Reports Freedom of Information Act Monthly Report

MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT

Ms. Morrison moved that the meeting be adjourned.

Dr. Lett seconded the motion, and it passed with a seven-person majority roll call vote. The meeting adjourned at 3:59 p.m.

https://www.isbe.net/Documents_Board_Meetings/agenda-minutes-20201119.pdf