Grundy Reporter

Illinois State Board of Education met Jan. 12

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

I. Roll Call

Chairperson Susie Morrison brought the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. Roll call was taken, and a quorum was present with two members. Chairperson Morrison made the declaration, “An in-person meeting is not practical or prudent because of a disaster. Physical presence for the meeting is unfeasible due to the disaster.” All attendees joined via phone. She verified that each member could hear one another and follow the discussion, and that they were able to testify.

Committee Members Present

Chairperson Susie Morrison

Jackie Robbins

Other Board Members Present

Darren Reisberg

Staff Present

Dr. Carmen I. Ayala, State Superintendent

Kirsten Parr, Board Services Coordinator

Kim Clarke, Executive Assistant to the State Superintendent

Dr. Jennifer Kirmes, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning

Rae Clementz, Director of Accountability

Amanda Elliott, Executive Director of Legislative Affairs

Dr. Brenda Dixon, Research & Evaluation Officer

Carisa Hurley, Director of Early Childhood

Dr. Dana Kinley, Executive Director of Systems of Support

David Turovetz, Director of Charter Schools

Emily Fox, Director of Educator Effectiveness

Dr. Erica Thieman, Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Ernesto Matias, Education Officer

Dr. Jason Helfer, Deputy Instructional Education Officer

Krish Mohip, Deputy Operational Education Officer

Molly Uhe-Edmonds, Director of Student Care

Trisha Olson, Legal Officer

Cara Wiley, Director of Wellness

Dr. Annie Brooks-Pearl, Executive Director of Regulatory Services

Oriana Wilson, Executive Director of Programs

Robert Wolfe, Financial Officer

Martin McGreal, Director of District/School Leadership

Mark Haller, Director of Nutrition

Christine Paxson, Director of ESSA/IL-EMPOWER

Jeff Aranowski, Executive Director of Safe & Healthy Climate

II. Public Participation

There was no public participation.

III. Approval of the December 1, 2020, Meeting Minutes

Ms. Robbins made the motion for the Education Policy Planning Committee to approve the December 1, 2020, meeting minutes. Chair Morrison seconded the motion, and it passed by roll call vote.

IV. Presentations

A. ISBE Student Advisory Council Project Update

Ms. Uhe-Edmonds outlined the structure of this presentation and informed the committee that it will cover the work of the Student Advisory Council (SAC) related to its four focus areas: a) developing ways to respond to post-COVID-19 achievement gaps, b) creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion framework, c) ensuring the safety and emotional well-being of students, d) addressing the teaching shortage and rethinking recruitment.

Chair Morrison suggested, not for this update but possibly a future one, reviewing the work of the councils from recent years and making note of their recommendations that have been acted on. Ms. Uhe-Edmonds said that this work has begun.

B. Learning Renewal

Dr. Ayala provided an outline of the presentation being prepared for the Board meeting on January 20 and requested feedback/suggestions from the committee. The presentation will focus on three areas: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) 1 funds, ESSER 2 funds, and learning renewal (in regard to the agency’s status with partnerships and the Strategic Plan). There will also be updates provided in regard to the Illinois P-20 Council meeting held recently.

Mr. Reisberg suggested inviting the SAC to stay to participate in the discussion with the P-20 council.

V. Review of January Board Action Items

A. Rules for Adoption – Part 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) Educator Licensure Department Changes

Dr. Ayala highlighted a change to this item that was made since the previous meeting. Ms. Fox explained that it was in response to public comment. Originally, previous qualifications would not be accepted after 2025. This has been amended.

Chair Morrison asked what action was taken in response to conversations related to Education for Employment (EFE) licensure. Dr. Kirmes explained that the licensure requirements for EFE system directors were made identical to requirement for area career center directors, which was suggested in public comment. Additionally, per Perkins planning, the whole CTE delivery system is being evaluated, leading to more discussion about appropriate licensure.

B. Rules for Adoption - Part 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) MS & HS Graduation Requirements

There were no questions for this item at this time.

C. Rules for Initial Review - Part 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) Time Out and Physical Restraint

There were no questions for this item at this time.

D. Rules for Initial Review - Part 380 (Student Online Personal Protection) New Part

There were no questions for this item at this time.

E. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million - Approval to Release a Request for Proposals and to Award Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grants

There were no questions for this item at this time.

F. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million - Approval of Preschool Development Grant Birth – Five There were no questions for this item at this time.

G. Approval of Renewal Decision for ACE Amandla Charter School

Mr. Turovetz provided information on this upcoming approval.

H. Approval of Renewal Decision for Bronzeville Academy Charter School

Mr. Turovetz provided information on this upcoming approval.

I. Approval of Renewal Decision for Betty Shabazz International Charter Schools

Mr. Turovetz provided information on this upcoming approval.

Ms. Robbins asked why the renewal would be for three years and if that period could be shortened based on performance. Mr. Turovetz explained that it takes about three years to implement plans for change and see the results, especially taking into consideration the impact COVID-19 has had on the schools and students. He affirmed that revocation is always an option.

Chair Morrison asked if the schools’ interim assessments are being monitored and if schools are being evaluated on more than just the state assessment. The answer to both was yes, and Mr. Turovetz listed some of the alternative ways that are in place or will be developed.

Mr. Reisberg suggested that the Board should consider a two-year renewal instead of three in order to emphasize the need for significant improvement as quickly as possible.

J. Approval of the Spring Legislative Agenda

Ms. Elliott informed the committee that the agenda currently includes:

-- Remote Learning Opportunities for Students

-- Educator Misconduct

-- State Education Equity Committee

-- Licensure

-- Transparency and Efficiency (Cleanup Bill)

The Black Caucus included two of the three planned provisions in the agency’s licensure bill in its education omnibus bill, which has already passed both houses.

Chair Morrison asked if the alliance and the teachers unions are on board with the bill for providing remote learning opportunities to suspended students. She also asked how this bill impacts the Truants’ Alternative and Optional Education Program and safe schools. Additionally, she made note of the fact that many teachers have commented that if remote learning were to become a permanent fixture, they would leave the profession, so the agency should be careful about passing something that could be beneficial to students but ends up being harmful to educators. Ms. Elliott said that the alliance had no opposition to this bill. She said that Chair Morrison’s concern has been part of the discussion pertaining to the agenda and that it would continue to be communicated with partner groups in order to ensure understanding of intent.

Ms. Elliott offered to provide an update on the most recent session of General Assembly. The committee accepted. She informed them that the previous night, the House and the Senate passed the Black Caucus’ Education omnibus bill and provided a summary of how the bill affects ISBE.

Mr. Reisberg noted that the teacher shortage may make it difficult for Illinois to comply with the new two-year language requirement and asked if it would be possible to begin to develop and approve a foreign language component of the virtual course catalog. Ms. Elliott said that the teacher shortage was brought up several times in discussing the bill and the solution was usually the use of the virtual course catalog.

Chair Morrison asked what the rationale was behind the two-year language requirement for high school students, considering the facts that many higher education institutions are no longer requiring two years of language and the requirement may be more beneficial to students of younger ages. Ms. Elliott explained that part of the rationale was the desire to align high school requirements with the requirements of the flagship university of the state. The University of Illinois has this language requirement. Additionally, the Black Caucus values students learning a second language and even though high school language course do not often lead to language acquisition, they set the stage for it and provide exposure to a second language. There will also be more support being provided to language programs, specifically through Evidence-Base Funding.

Ms. Elliott added that the Illinois Board of Higher Education will be issuing a report every May that details the admission requirements of every public university in the state, which will then be posted on the ISBE website as well as the websites of every high school in the state.

Chair Morrison asked for an explanation of the codification of the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) assessment. Ms. Elliott clarified that the language of ISBE’s rules has been put into statute, so there will not be any changes to the current implementation of the KIDS assessment. Chair Morrison noted that the reporting of this assessment in the press has been misleading. Dr. Ayala asked if the statutory language indicates that the assessment must be given within the first forty days of school. Ms. Elliott said she would have to check and follow up.

Ms. Elliott reported that section 4.5 of Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act was repealed. A trailer bill is moving to the Governor’s desk that will put back in length of school day. Additionally, the time out and restraint bill is up for passage this day. There is also a bill being discussed that waives the requirement of student teachers to videotape themselves for the EdTPA.

Mr. Reisberg asked when the removal of section 4.5 will take effect. Ms. Elliott said that it would be immediate, though the trailer bill included content that may change that. She said she will update Mr. Reisberg about that.

Mr. Reisberg asked about the status of the waiving of certain requirements for student teachers and the effect of COVID-19 on them. Dr. Ayala told him that the agency has a COVID core team meeting regularly that will discuss and address this.

Chair Morrison spoke of the potential value of the experiences of student teachers paired with teachers in remote settings. Dr. Ayala made note of feedback from the field about the difficulty of finding a teacher with the ability and willingness to take on a student teacher.

Mr. Reisberg asked if there is an expectation of important changes in leadership in the general assembly. The answer was yes and Ms. Elliott listed all the potential changes being made.

K. Approval of Accountability in 2021 Addendum

Rae Clementz provided an update on this upcoming approval, listing several edits made as a result of public comment.

VI. Review of February Board Action Items

A. Rules for Initial Review – Part 305 (School Food Service) Reimbursable Meal

Mr. Haller provided information on this rulemaking.

B. Emergency Rulemaking – Part 305 (School Food Service) Reimbursable Meal

Mr. Haller provided information on this rulemaking.

C. Approval of Renewal of Student Information Contract

Mr. Witkowsky provided information on this upcoming approval.

Chair Morrison asked how long the contract is for and when it would come back for a recompete. Mr. Witkowsky said that this is the first extension and there would be another next year. After that, it will go up for a full rebid. Chair Morrison expressed appreciation that this plan reflects the application of feedback the Board gave in previous meetings. She asked if it would be possible to have a list of all external contracts that support technology, information technology, student assessment systems, etc. She asked that this list include the amount of money being spent for each contract, the number of staff being employed by the contract, and a brief summary of each project. Mr. Witkowsky said that he could work on this.

Chair Morrison requested an update on the longitudinal data system. Dr. Ayala said this update could be provided in a meeting in the near future.

D. Approval of Review of Invitation for Bid (IFB) – Software Solutions Educator Effectiveness Systems – Four Developers and One Business Analyst

Mr. Witkowsky provided information on this upcoming approval. Mr. Wolfe provided an explanation of what an IFB is.

E. Spring 2021 Waiver Update

Ms. Elliott provided this update, informing the committee that the Board would receive the report in January and act on it in February to send to the General Assembly.

VII. Discussion Items

A. Statewide System of Support – IL-EMPOWER 2.0

Mr. Mohip and Dr. Helfer presented on this project. They outlined the roles and responsibilities of IL-EMPOWER coordinators and the process for Comprehensive schools. They also provided general program updates.

Chair Morrison asked how many schools are currently in the planning year. The answer was zero – all of them are in implementation years, described in the slides.

Chair Morrison asked how many schools each coordinator is responsible for. Dr. Helfer said he believes the number is between 20 to 30, but he will follow up with her about the accuracy of that. Chair Morrison expressed concern about overwhelming the coordinators and asked how they are being set up to thrive. Dr. Helfer and Mr. Mohip relayed some of the thought being put into this, including the fact that the fairness of the workload will be gauged in part by what the coordinators experience this spring.

Chair Morrison asked if the Year 2 Measurement Inc. evaluation is complete. Dr. Helfer said that there is one more data point to be collected until completion. Chair Morrison asked if there could be a document listing all the evaluations the agency is conducting and their statuses.

Chair Morrison spoke of the positive history of the use of partners (other than the primary partners) by schools and asked how many of those relationships exist today now that the use is no longer required. Dr. Helfer said he could provide that specific answer in a follow-up and said that none of the contracts between schools and partners that were entered in the fiscal year 2021 period have been terminated.

Dr. Ayala asked for confirmation that partners other than the primary partners (known as learning partners) are still available and funding is available to utilize those partners if schools choose to. Mr. Mohip confirmed.

Chair Morrison asked what measures are in place to evaluate the partners. Mr. Mohip said that some of that information will come from the quarterly reporting system and some of it will come from analysis of the schools’ available data. Chair Morrison noted the importance of being clear with schools about what metrics are being used. Dr. Helfer agreed and listed some ways they are communicating this to schools.

Chair Morrison noted previous discussions about the scope of IL-EMPOWER’s impact, including ISBE itself, so she asked for an update in the near future about how the work of the agency is supporting and working with the coordinators and partners in the field. Dr. Helfer confirmed that the team is addressing this.

B. Standards and Assessments

i. Accountability Update

This item was discussed during the review of January Board items.

ii. Priority Learning Standards Update

Erica Thieman discussed the development plan of the standards, the reception of Regional Office of Education (ROE) feedback, the delivery methods for the standards, the agency’s capacity-building model, the standards’ alignment to the ISBE Strategic Plan, the Council of Chief State School Officers grant-funded work, and the next steps that the agency will be taking.

Chair Morrison expressed a point of confusion from the field about which standards are meant to be used for which year. Dr. Thieman said that all districts should be encouraging their educators to prioritize the standards based on the data from their students and the local needs. The standards presented here exist to facilitate educators’ decision-making about what to focus on, not make the decision for them.

Chair Morrison asked if the standards are building off a blueprint from assessment. Dr. Thieman said that this is the case for math and English language arts, but not for sciences.

Chair Morrison relayed comments from the field about the priority standards for high school not aligning adequately with the contents of the SAT, which is concerning since the SAT serves as an accountability measure. Dr. Thieman said that College Board has analyzed the standards and confirmed that they align with the content of the test. They will also partake in a discussion with the professional learning community in February or March about the standards. Chair Morrison asked if materials explaining the alignment could be shared with educators, since there is a lot of skepticism in the field. Dr. Thieman said that College Board is developing a presentation as well as resources to be shared with ROEs.

Chair Morrison asked who would be employed as the capacity builders. Dr. Thieman said that it would be employees of the ROEs who have relevant backgrounds. Chair Morrison asked if there were any plans for some schools to be served by capacity builders from other districts. Dr. Thieman said no, but districts do have choice in who the person will be and the qualifications of the position have been communicated.

iii. Social Science Standards

Dr. Thieman presented. She spoke about the subjects the standards committee are working on. She reported that the members who worked on the previous step of the process were retained and that they are working on developing focus groups consisting of students in grades 9-12.

Chair Morrison asked if the group now includes leadership from the Illinois Council for the Social Studies. Dr. Thieman said she believes so but will check and follow up.

Ms. Robbins asked how much detail there will be in the proposed changes when they are presented to the Board. Dr. Thieman said that there would be a red-lined version of the current standards.

C. Status Report of the Virtual Coaching Program

Dr. Kirmes provided information on the virtual coaching program, reporting that the Illinois Education Association spent the fall laying the groundwork for the program and it is time to put plans into action. She highlighted that participation is lower than desired, so there is a focus being put on outreach, which seems to be a fruitful effort thus far. There will also be more detailed, disaggregated data to present to the Board.

Chair Morrison asked if the agency has access to the contact information of all who have earned their teaching licenses in the past two years and if it would be possible to utilize that for outreach. Dr. Kirmes said that the agency has begun to do this. Chair Morrison also recommended reaching out to new teachers in Comprehensive schools, specifically. Dr. Kirmes agreed that this would be a good idea.

Chair Morrison asked how many new teachers there were last year. The answer was about 5,000.

D. Legislative Agenda Update

There were no questions for this item at this time.

VIII. New Business: Items for the Next Agenda

-- The standing items (IL-EMPOWER, Standards & Assessments/Priority Standards)

-- The online catalog that replaced the virtual school

-- The panel for IL-EMPOWER

IX. Next Meeting: February 1, 2021

X. Adjourn

Ms. Robbins made a motion to adjourn. Chair Morrison seconded the motion, and it passed by a roll call vote. Chairperson Morrison adjourned the committee at 2:53 p.m.

https://www.isbe.net/Documents_Board_Meetings/EPP-Minutes-20210112.pdf