STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION – TOPIC SUMMARY

Topic: Director Shepherd NASBE Participation

Date: December 4, 2009

Staff/Office: Jan McComb, Board Staff

Action Requested: Information only Policy Adoption Policy Adoption/Consent Calendar

ISSUE BEFORE THE BOARD: Approve Director Shepherd’s participation in NASBE study group.

BACKGROUND: Each year, the National Association of State Boards of Education creates a number of study groups on topics of interest to their members.

One of the study groups is For the Common Good: Challenges and Opportunities in Coordinating the K-12 Education and Military Sectors to Meet the Needs of Youth . Participation on the study group will entail three working meetings in the 2010 calendar year (January 22-23, March 19-20 following the Legislative Conference, and June 11-12; all to be held in Arlington, Virginia or Washington, DC. The Annual Conference in Salt Lake City in October will also feature the study group findings. A description of the study group's purpose and focus is attached, as well as detailed information on the January meeting. NASBE, through its partnership with the United States Army, will assume the cost of travel and two nights lodging for each meeting.

FOR THE COMMON GOOD: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN COORDINATING

THE K-12 EDUCATION AND MILITARY SECTORS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUTH

The U.S. Army and America’s educators share the important goals to motivate, educate, train and develop today’s youth to be leaders, decision makers and citizen-contributors to achieve life-long success. In support of these goals, the Army has developed a range of unique programs and resources: some school-based (e.g., Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC)), some targeted to individuals (e.g., Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships), and some with direct applications to longstanding education and workforce preparation skills and needs (e.g., Army Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Career Exploration Program, March 2 Success). While many of these military programs and resources have been in successful operation for years, the larger context of the K-12 education system – particularly at the high school level – is in flux as it is responding to demands for increased transparency and accountability for student knowledge and skills in the 21st century.

In March of 2009, NASBE and the U.S. Army Accessions Command (USAAC) signed an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formalized the partnership. The MOU provided the cooperative framework to increase collaboration in supporting the Nation’s young people and improving the educational experiences, next-stage preparedness, and graduation rates of the Nation’s high school students.

The 2010 study on examining the coordination between K-12 education and the military to meet the needs of the youths will explore several key issues including:

·  Build a comprehensive understanding of post-secondary choices for students;

·  Improving graduation rates;

·  Improving the health and fitness of high school students;

·  Expanded career exploration/assessment and test preparation resources for educators and students; and

·  Elevating the need for well-trained teachers, particularly in the areas of science and mathematics.

The core composition of a NASBE study group includes members of State Boards of Education from eighteen to twenty states. The Study Groups convene over a day and a half in January, March or April, and June. At each meeting content and policy experts present to the study group members; allowing them to delve deeply into the issues and determine areas for continuous study and examination. Each convening builds on the previous meetings and electronic communications and mailings provide Study Group members with on-going information resources and learning opportunities between meetings. NASBE seeks funding to offset the meeting expenses and the writing, publication and dissemination of the findings of the study groups. States pay for the travel and hotel of members’ participation. Ex officio individuals representing specific perspectives and experiences are also invited to participate

A report on the group’s findings with recommendations for state policy will be released in October at the NASBE Annual Conference.

NASBE is a nonprofit 501(c)3 association that represents state and territorial boards of education. It has existed for fifty years, currently maintaining a staff of twenty at its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. NASBE is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of officers and area directors who are state board of education members from across the country. Sixty percent of the Association’s revenues come from state board of education dues. The organization also has funded projects that support the work of state boards from foundations and government agencies, including The Wallace Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Joyce Foundation, the Foundation for Child Development, the Met-Life Foundation, and the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. NASBE also has annual support for our convening activities from more than twenty corporate partners.

In addition to state boards of education, the NASBE membership includes associate members (typically former state board members, local superintendents and school board members, members of other education organizations, as well as others with an interest in education policy). NASBE has two affiliate organizations: the National Council of State Boards of Education Executives (NCSBEE) and the National Council of State Education Attorneys (NCOSEA).

STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approve Director Shepherd’s participation.

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