Local School System Calendar Modification Requests
AN UPDATE ON THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION PREPARED BY:
MARYLAND STATE
EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION · NEA
May 19, 2015
MEETING DATES FOR
THE STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION
June 23, 2015
July 28, 2015
August 25, 2015
September 22, 2015
October 27, 2015
December 8, 2015 / Consent Agenda Items
The State Board of Education (SBOE) reviewed and approved the following:
- March 2015 minutes
- March Personnel appointments
- March 2015 budget adjustments
- Local School System Calendar Modification Requests
- Ratified the electronic vote taken in absence of the April SBOE meeting, approving school year calendar amendment requests from Howard and Kent Counties to cancel their last day of school.
- April 2015 minutes
- April Personnel appointments
- April 2015 budget adjustments
COMAR 13A.03.02 Graduation Requirements for Public High Schools
The Maryland State Board of Education (SBOE) voted to approve the COMAR 13A.03.02.06 and .02 Graduation Requirements for Public High Schools in Maryland. Motion passed with one vote in opposition. The Graduation Requirements regulations revises the assessment regulations for the two year transition from High School Assessment (HSA) English and Algebra assessments to The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) English 10 and Algebra I assessments. When the SBOE phased in the HSAs to become graduation requirements, it was proposed to phase in passing the PARCC English 10 and Algebra I as a graduation assessment requirements and phase out passing the HSA English and Algebra assessments to graduate. It was recommended that passing the PARCC English 10 and Algebra I become a graduation requirement in the 2016-2017 school year. The proposed amendments presented on December 16, 2014 reflect the transition plan as described above. The proposed regulations allow any student who has taken an HSA-aligned or PARCC-aligned test in English and/or Algebra prior to the 2016-2017 school year to meet graduation requirements by passing the course and taking the aligned assessment. The definition section of the regulation to define "HSA" and "PARCC Assessment" was also amended.
COMAR 13A.08.01.01E (Amend); COMAR 13A.08.02.01 (Amend); COMAR 13A.02.06.02B 9 (Amend) and Student Records Manual
SBOE adopted the regulations as amended for publication. Motion passed unanimously. The four categories of revisions include: (1) updated language for increased clarity, (2) alignment to amended policy and/or regulation, and (3) updated changes in procedures at MSDE and (4) removal of duplication and/or replication of language.
The SBOE was asked for approval to publish amendments to COMAR as listed above to be incorporated by reference to the Maryland Student Records System Manual (MSRSM) 2016. A summary of Revisions and Updates addressed the MSRSM and a revised and updated MSRSM 2016 was provided. The highlights include reorganization of material, procedural implementation guidelines, a revised numbering system, new federal and state statutory and regulatory guidance, and minor edits. The proposed amendments will also bring MSRSM into alignment with the new regulations related to school discipline and the Maryland Guidelines for a state Code of Discipline that was approved by the SBOE in July 2014.
Discipline Changes
MSRSM has been updated to reflect changes in Maryland's Guidelines for a Code of Discipline which will impact how local school systems (LSSs) report the data to the state. This does not stipulate what codes are used at the local level.
For consolidated state reporting, codes are mandated for state reporting. Codes may differ at local levels but must be reportable to the state per MSRSM. MSDE will be conducting several webinars for locals on the new system as well as posting information to the website for review and comments.
Dr. Chester E. Finn, Jr., new SBOE member, commented that the discipline coding still uses only male and female coding exclusively. Response: Ms. Kristina Kyles, MSDE staff, said MSDE is focused on guidance support at this time but is working on the issue. Dr. Finn inquired how they get Hispanic data if Latino/Hispanic is not a category. Response: MSDE is following federal guidelines regarding how the race can be selected. There are seven distinct categories based on this one question; when data is disaggregated this becomes more apparent. Therefore, MSDE gathers more specific data than just Hispanic coding. Dr. Finn also asked what placement for PARCC scores meant. Response: Dr. Henry Johnson, assistant superintendent Division of Curriculum, Assessment, and Accountability, explained it refers to the score the student achieved on the PARCC test.
Mr. Larry Giammo, SBOE member, said there are reasons for the reporting of race as we all can appreciate that there are students who have various and sometimes difficult, home life situations.
Next Steps: MSDE will have an annual review process and assemble a committee to review and create procedures for the collection of arrest data for collection in 2015-16 school year.
Information & Discussion
Early Childhood Update
SBOE heard a progress report on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant, as well as a report on the baseline results from Maryland’s new Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) from Mr. Rolf Graftwallner, MSDE staff. The new assessment succeeded the Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) assessment program that the state used for more than a decade.
Highlights of the Early Learning Challenge Grant Report
- Some major milestones through December 2014 include:
- Surpassed the number of programs participating in Maryland EXCELS during the first 18 months with the exception of the number of public kindergarten programs.
- Completed the first statewide administration of the KRA and development work on the formative assessment (Early Learning Assessment).
- Full scale field tests on the Preschool STEM project has been initiated in 50 classrooms.
This report establishes a new baseline statewide, by subgroups, and for each of Maryland's 24 local jurisdictions. Based on the new higher standards, the new baseline results for this first year are:
- Maryland’s new KRA findings are that nearly half (47 percent) of Maryland’s incoming students in the fall of 2014 were fully ready for learning.
- Students demonstrated that they possess the foundational skills and behaviors that prepare them for the curriculum that is based on Maryland's new more rigorous kindergarten standards.
- 54 percent of females are demonstrating readiness compared to 40 percent of the males.
- More than half of Asian kindergartners (53 percent), white kindergartners (57 percent), and kindergartners reporting two or more races (52 percent) are demonstrating this new level of readiness.
- Kindergartners with disabilities, those learning the English language and those from low-income households, have fewer students demonstrating readiness from Maryland kindergartners as a whole.
- Children who attended care centers (57 percent) and non-public nursery schools (68 percent) the year prior to entering kindergarten exceed the statewide readiness average.
- 57 percent of children from middle- and upper income families are ready for kindergarten.
- The data also provided information on kindergarten readiness based on Pre-K experience, including:
- Higher rates for success if student attended Pre-K program; nearly 46 percent of public Pre-K programs demonstrated readiness.
- Nonpublic nursery schools and childcare centers both top 50 percent in readiness;
- While only 33 percent of children who stay at home or are in informal care were found to be fully ready.
- Next year’s version of the KRA will be 20 percent shorter, with some of the more time-intensive items removed. An enhanced reporting feature will be in place in 2015-16, when teachers can get on-time reports of their students’ skill levels.
- Increased touch screen questions (10 more added).
- Mr. Graftwallner indicated that principals should look at data and have teachers look at identifiable gaps for introduction to first grade. He highlighted the booklet, "Readiness Matters," which provides county by county information.
- He also shared that this booklet will be helpful to the pre-school operators to give them a better indication of how their students are doing. Mr. Graftwallner stated that they can provide these operators with specific data. Dr. Finn inquired if that data is only provided upon request. Response: yes.
- Ms. Linda Eberhart, SBOE member, asked for more specific information about what the 20 percent shorter test really means. Response: a third of the questions will be touchscreen questions. She followed up and asked if MSDE will have to re-set cut scores since there are new items. Response: First step was to reduce the test length. We did that so we are referring to the new version as KRA 1.5. Then we did standard setting which gives us reporting features MSDE didn’t have the first year. Next year, teachers will have access to student profiles sooner because cut scores are set. Information will also be more readily available to parents; they should be ready for parents for November Parent conference conversations.
- Mr. Steven R. Priester, SBOE student member, asked about the amount of time it took to administer the entire class using the KRA. Response: It depends on the class. Honestly, MSDE didn’t calculate how long it took to respond. MSDE conducted a survey with 1,400 teachers and 67 percent of teachers said they spent less than 60 minutes administering the test. We used 50 minutes as the average testing time.
- Mr. Graftwallner indicated that MSDE will be conducting a USER Acceptance test in July, with 25 teachers to get a better idea on the time spent on KRA 1.5.
- Mr. Preister followed up his question and asked has MSDE investigated not just the time to administer, but also the impact on how long it took from the first student testing to the last student. If the last student had more instruction during that time it would have influenced the score. What are the safeguards for that? Response: The assessment window determines the start and end time. We could shorten the assessment window but that would be a greater burden for teachers.
- Dr. Finn urged the SBOE to review more carefully the gaps that exist between students who attended full day kindergarten versus those that didn’t.
Update on State Tests
Dr. Johnson and Mr. Doug Straiter, MSDE staff, presented that public schools in Maryland administered the PARCC state assessments for the first time during the 2014-2015 school year. Because this was the first year of administration of the new PARCC state assessments, performance level setting needs to occur prior to reporting scores. The process began in April 2015 and will conclude in August, 2015. Score reports will be distributed to schools and parents during the fall, 2015.
Local districts will have until 2017 to use the paper/pencil assessments at which time all assessments (with the exception of those needed for accommodation purposes) must be administered online. There are "very few" issues related to online administration of the assessments in 2014-2015 during both windows (Performance Based Assessment and End of Year). The increase in testing times, along with the addition of a testing window, are the two major issues that districts and staff reported.
The PARCC consortium, as a group, is discussing ways to mitigate these concerns prior to the next test administration in 2015-2016.
Performance-level meetings will be held: July 27-31-High School; August 17-21-Middle School; August 24-28-Elementary School. Ms. Linda Eberhart, SBOE member, will attend the Middle school session. It was suggested that other board members attend if they want to be more involved in this process.
The Governing Board of the consortium will make final decisions around the reduction of testing times by June 2015 and recommendations around additional tests in high school (English 9, English 11, and Geometry) will be made to the State Board in June, 2015.
It was noted that 82 percent of students took the PARCC test online; the largest percentage of all PARCC tests administered online was in Maryland.
Dr. Johnson shared that they had fewer MSA science administered online this year. The HSA window opened yesterday, May 18 and will end June 4th. This will be the last year of HSA for English 10 and Algebra. Maryland administered a proficiency test called WIDA for English Language Learners and Alt MSA for one percent of the special education population. The approximate cost for all the assessments for the 2014-2015 school year was $42.5 million which is a reduction of approximately $500,000 from the previous year. They still realized that reduction in cost even though they added an additional test, Algebra 2, to the testing mix. As they enter the 2015-2016 school year, the SBOE has to decide whether or not they will administer the English 9, English 11, and Geometry. MSDE has been in conversations with LSSs about adding these three exams. MSDE will come back in June to the SBOE with recommendations and budget proposals for these exams so they can take action.
Comments:
- Mr. Giammo stated he was concerned about the standard setting process. It should be criterion-based versus normative-based. It seems that Maryland is using a normative process if they are watching how students are doing to determine standards.
- Mr. Giammo inquired about the cost of conducting the test. How much will it cost the state?
- Mr. Giammo also questioned the accuracy of scoring. He appreciated the need for confidentiality, but wondered if tests like these need to have the confidentiality of all those involved. How can you be assured that the questions are really appropriate (used the John Oliver rabbit and pineapple segment) as voiced concerns when relying on the test, as well as Pearson. He also said that it is important to balance between confidentiality and confidence level that exist between teachers administering and students taking the test. Response: Dr. Lowery said this is about test integrity and there are sample questions online where people can interact with the items. Next year we will be field testing the items before releasing the items. However, in building the database, they can release more information. The other piece about Pearson is we work with the Governing Board in monitoring. When Dr. Lowery looks across the country at who left the PARCC Consortium, "these exiting states are train-wrecks." Maryland is watching closely and the consortium and Governing Board are pushing states appropriately. Dr. Lowery said there is a new commission to look at assessments and there will be two state board members on the commission. MSDE will be coming back in June for the SBOE to look at recommendations for inclusion of additional tests or not. Ms. Elizabeth Kameen, Council, clarified SBOE involvement on the commission.
SBOE member Recognition
SBOE recognized the accomplishments of Dr. Charlene M. Dukes and Ms. Donna Hill Staton. They thanked them for their service and contributions to supporting effective teaching and learning. Dr. Dukes and Ms. Staton both shared remarks about their learning experience on the board.
- Dr. Dukes was recognized for adoption of the Maryland State Curriculum for Personal Financial Literacy Education and regulations requiring all schools to infuse instruction in financial literacy.
- Ms. Staton was recognized for introducing Universal Design for Learning to all Maryland public schools.
- During their tenure both conducted groundbreaking studies of concussions and concussion-related issues in Interscholastic Athletics.
SBOE welcomed and recognized the 2014-2015 Teachers of the Year from all 24 Maryland school systems to celebrate their accomplishments. The teachers received a plaque and took commemorative photos. SBOE hosted the teachers to a luncheon after the recognition ceremony.
List of Teachers
1) Allegany County – Dana Reinhardt, 3rd Grade
2) Anne Arundel County – Christina Houstian, Social Studies, Grades 9-12
3) Baltimore City –Elizabeth Barletta, Math/Science, 5th Grade
4) Baltimore County – Anne Cross, 5th Grade
5) Calvert County – Laura Collins, Science/Grades 6-8
6) Caroline County – Chad Shelly, Biology/Grades 9-12
7) Carroll County – Nicole Heinlein, STEM/ELA, 3rd Grade
8) Cecil County - Kelly O’Hara, Social Studies, Grades 9-12
9) Charles County – Kimberly King, Math, 6th Grade
10) Dorchester County – Thomas (Trey) Mills, Chemistry, Grades 10-12
11) Frederick County – Erin Doolittle, Pre-Kindergarten
12) Garrett County – Ryan Wolf, Math, Grades 9-12
13) Harford County – Lawrence Jehnert, 3rd Grade Teacher
14) Howard County – Jody Zepp, AP Government & AP Psychology