District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Board in Brief
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

This is "Board in Brief," issued at the request of Commissioner David P. Driscoll to bring you up to date on Board of Education matters. This is a report on the regular meeting held on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.

Comments from the Chairman

Chairman James A. Peyser opened the meeting by welcoming a new member to the Board of Education. Governor Romney has appointed Christopher R. Anderson of Westford, president of the Massachusetts High Tech Council, to fill the seat of Rick Crowley, whose term has expired. Rick Crowley had been a Board member since March 2001 and served this year as Vice-Chairman. Chairman Peyser also announced that the Governor has reappointed Henry M. Thomas III to the Board. Chairman Peyser welcomed Governor Mitt Romney to the Board meeting.

Opening Remarks from Governor Mitt Romney

Governor Romney addressed the Board and discussed his education reform initiatives and priorities. He thanked Board members, Chairman Peyser, and Commissioner Driscoll for the work they do to improve public education. He noted that, despite impressive student results, much work remains to be done to close the achievement gap, including turning around the lowest performing schools, and to address the excellence gap so that Massachusetts students and schools meet the standards of our international competitors. Governor Romney highlighted the major tenets of his education reform proposal, and said the highest priority of the Commonwealth must be education.

Massachusetts Association of School Committees Presentation

Maurice Hancock of Brockton, current president of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, presented to the Board the MASC's views on the respective roles and responsibilities of the Board of Education and school committees relating to school and district accountability. Mr. Hancock reviewed the priorities that the MASC has set for the current year.

Revised High School Science and Technology/Engineering Standards

The Board voted to adopt the revised high school science and technology/engineering standards presented by the Commissioner. The high school standards in the Massachusetts science and technology/engineering curriculum framework cover five disciplines: biology, chemistry, earth/space science, introductory physics, and technology/engineering. The revisions create a single, comprehensive list of standards for each subject area, eliminating the designation of standards as "core" and "non-core;" improve the clarity and increase the specificity of some standards; and integrate scientific inquiry and mathematical skills into the framework.

The Board solicited public comment on the draft of the revised high school science and technology/engineering standards in 2005. The final standards approved by the Board this month reflect comments and suggestions from teachers and department heads, school administrators, higher education institutions and professional organizations, among others. The revised standards will serve as the basis for the high school science and technology/engineering MCAS tests starting in 2007. The standards will be posted on the Department's website, and will be disseminated to schools and districts.

Improvement Plans from Three Under-Performing Schools

Chairman Peyser and Commissioner Driscoll updated the Board on improvement plans from three of the seven schools that were declared under-performing in the 2005 winter review cycle: Normandin Middle School (New Bedford), Springfield Academy for Excellence (Springfield), and Brightwood Elementary School (Springfield). At the November 2005 meeting, school superintendents Michael Longo of New Bedford and Joseph Burke of Springfield presented the school plans from their districts to the Board and responded to questions. The Board decided to defer action on the plans, pending further discussion of the school and district accountability system at the December meeting.

Chairman Peyser reported that the superintendents have responded to the questions and concerns that Board members raised in the initial review of the plans and have made a first attempt to address the elements in the proposed school improvement framework that the Chairman presented in December. Commissioner Driscoll agreed that the Board has launched an important discussion with these districts and with the entire education community. He said he is pleased with the process, and the Department will continue to work with the superintendents and their teams to address the gaps that remain. The Commissioner will bring the revised plans back to the Board in the spring.

Charter Schools

The Board voted to renew the charter of Murdoch Middle Charter Public School in Chelmsford, and voted to renew, with conditions, the charter of Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School in Cambridge. The Board also had an initial discussion on the applications from two charter schools for renewal of their charters: the Academy of Strategic Learning, a Horace Mann charter school in Amesbury serving at-risk students in grades 7-12; and Seven Hills Charter School, a Commonwealth charter school in Worcester serving students in grades K-8. The Board is scheduled to vote on these charter renewals at the February 28th Board meeting.

The Board also received summaries of the four final applications for new Commonwealth charters. At the February meeting, the Commissioner will recommend that the Board grant charters for new charter schools.

Approval of Grants

The Board approved $3,239,750 in grants under three federally-funded programs: Project FOCUS Academy High Schools ($72,700); Community Service Learning/Dropout Prevention School-Based Program ($79,880 in new grants plus $36,044 in increases to current grants); and Reading First Targeted Assistance ($3,040,800); as well as increases for two grant recipients under the state-funded Adult Basic Education program ($10,326).

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Malden.