Illinois State Board of Education Policy Planning Committee met Dec. 8.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
I. Roll Call
Chairperson Susie Morrison brought the meeting to order at 12:33 p.m. Roll call was taken, and a quorum was present with three members. Chair Morrison was physically present, and Jaime Guzman and Dr. Donna Leak were present via video conference.
Committee Members Present
Chairperson Susie Morrison
Dr. Donna Leak
Jaime Guzman
Committee Members Absent
None
Other Board Members Present
Dr. Steven Isoye, Chair of the Board
Staff Present
Dr. Carmen I. Ayala, State Superintendent
Kirsten Parr, Board Services Coordinator
Kim Clarke, Executive Assistant to the State Superintendent
Dr. Brenda Dixon, Research and Evaluation Officer
Dr. Christine Paxson, Director of ESSA/IL-EMPOWER
Rae Clementz, Director of Accountability
Dr. Jason Helfer, Deputy Instructional Education Officer
Krish Mohip, Deputy Operational Education Officer
Barbara Moore, Director of Operational Special Education
Oriana Wilson, Executive Director of Programs
Robert Wolfe, Financial Officer
Irma Snopek, Policy and Communications Officer
Jeremy Duffy, Legal Officer
II. Public Participation
There was no public participation.
III. Approval of the November 1, 2022, Meeting Minutes
Mr. Guzman moved that the Education Policy Planning Committee approve the November 1, 2022, meeting minutes. Dr. Leak seconded the motion, and it passed by a roll call vote. Dr. Leak was temporarily absent during the vote.
IV. Discussion
A. Statewide Systems of Support Update
Dr. Paxson introduced the presentation. She discussed the resources available for districts engaged in school improvement planning, as well as efforts to communicate and work directly with districts on improvement. She shared that IL-EMPOWER learning partner contracts have been prepared, and providers in this program will soon be able to begin work and provide services to schools.
Dr. Paxson shared that initial reports showed general improvement for schools that had been designated Comprehensive in 2018 and 2019, but that she could provide more detailed information when full analysis of data was complete.
Ms. Clementz discussed the upcoming proposal for ESSA Amendment 3. She first provided historical context of the previous two amendments. She said that Amendment 3 was focused on providing greater definitions for program exit criteria, with the U.S. Department of Education asking for more detailed metrics for quantitative progress.
Mr. Guzman asked about growth measures, and Ms. Clementz responded that the potential measure pertained to student performance; however, plans for a measure have not been implemented.
Ms. Clementz discussed options for Intensive Support for schools not exiting Comprehensive status, which she expects to be approximately one-third of the original cohort. She highlighted a more rigorous needs assessment process, more rigorous local accountability and reporting, and required training for school board members provided by Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) and ISBE.
Ms. Clementz introduced Carolina Fabian, the new director of Family and Community Engagement.
Dr. Leak asked for a clarification on how annual summative designations pertained to support status. Ms. Clementz said that schools marked for school improvement status in 2018 would exit that status based on their 2023 designations, regardless of designations in preceding years, and similarly, schools that entered into that status in 2019 would exit depending on their 2024 status. Ms. Clementz clarified other outcomes for particular district conditions.
Chair Morrison asked how many schools were in targeted status. Dr. Paxson said that there were 316 Comprehensive school and 752 Targeted schools. Ms. Clementz anticipated that of about 300 schools originally identified as Comprehensive in 2018, approximately 34% were expected to remain Comprehensive in 2023.
Chair Morrison asked to confirm that Targeted schools that remained Targeted after four years would be moved to Comprehensive, and Ms. Clementz confirmed that was the case, as defined by law. Dr. Leak asked about the designation if the Targeted status was for one group of students in the first year, but a different group of students in the reassessment year. Ms. Clementz confirmed that a school would have a Targeted designation for that new group of students.
Chair Morrison asked about the assistance that ISBE has provided to Targeted schools. Dr. Paxson said that ISBE provided technical assistance, connected administration with resources and professional development opportunities, and had provided 32 guidance documents for schools to develop their internal capacities so they could meet challenges. Chair Morrison said that she anticipated data on outcomes from interventions and determining if stronger direct assistance might be needed.
Chair Morrison asked if a Request for Sealed Proposals for a more rigorous needs assessment had been released. Dr. Paxson said that it had not, and that she could follow up with more information on the status and timeline of that project. Chair Morrison asked how many entities staff was searching for to provide that assessment, and Dr. Paxson said they were looking for one.
Chair Morrison suggested that, if the more rigorous assessment was successful, then it would be useful to utilize as a first assessment for newly Comprehensive schools. Dr. Paxson clarified that the more rigorous assessment would be for external evaluation, and that an updated school-level assessment was in process of being readied for application. Ms. Clementz said that the rigorous needs assessment would be beyond what was intended for assessment of newly identified schools.
Chair Morrison asked about ISBE’s tools for intervention, especially for districts that had been facing challenges for decades. Dr. Paxson said that staff was with working with the Illinois Balanced Accountability Measure (IBAM) Committee to determine best practices for intervention and oversight in these cases. Dr. Ayala shared that she had recently worked with IASB to discuss plans for a systems-level approach to intervention for districts with great needs, where a student outcome-focused model of governance is needed. Chair Morrison appreciated the work on more direct intervention to help the students in these districts.
Chair Morrison discussed the requirement for national accreditation in interventions with East St. Louis and North Chicago and asked if a similar goal could be applied for school improvement. Ms. Clementz said that staff was focused on the outcome-centered model, but that accreditation was a possibility.
Dr. Leak asked about analysis on common root causes among districts with great needs to determine systemic approaches to addressing such causes. Dr. Paxson said that the Research Department has been studying those districts, and that she can provide the available reports on these districts to the Board. Chair Morrison suggested that there might be a few common causes for which ISBE could provide high-level assistance.
Mr. Guzman asked for clarification about suggested amendments pertaining to exit criteria, and how that might apply to schools that remained in Comprehensive status. Ms. Clementz affirmed that schools under improvement status that were Comprehensive in their fifth year would move into the proposed more intensive support intervention.
Chair Morrison thanked the staff for their work and emphasized hopes for a systems-level intervention to help students in need. Dr. Ayala said that findings suggested skill and knowledge were often less crucial to addressing chronic underperformance, and that adjusting a mindset toward student outcomes was a key component.
V. Review of December Board Action Items
A. Approval for Adoption – Part 226 (Special Education)
Ms. Moore said that there were no major changes since the Board approved the rules for public comment, but that a date had been changed to accommodate a recent Public Act.
B. Contracts & Grants over $1 Million – Approval of the Senate Resolution 774 – Performance Evaluation Report Act
There were no questions.
C. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Preschool Development Grant Birth – 5, Year 3 - National Louis University
Chair Morrison asked about the administrative costs to the university that were covered by this grant. Dr. Helfer said that staff could follow up with information. Mr. Wolfe noted that Finance staff keep track of the cost-share information to ensure that grantees stayed within standards. Chair Morrison asked about a typical range, and Mr. Wolfe said that they expect a 5% to 7% share of a grant covering the administrative costs for non competitive grants.
D. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Preschool Development Grant Birth – 5 3-Month Extension for the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
Chair Morrison asked to confirm that this grant was under a federally permitted extension, and Ms. Wilson confirmed that this was the case. Dr. Leak asked if it also served to synchronize the end dates of grants, and Chair Morrison said that this was the case.
E. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of the 1003 School Improvement Grants
Chair Morrison asked if these were the planning grants for schools in the program, and Dr. Paxson said that they were. Chair Morrison asked to confirm that these grants were unrelated to the approval of partner organizations in the program, and Dr. Paxson said that this was the case.
F. Approval of Renewal Decision for Elgin Math and Science Academy Charter School
Dr. Leak asked about the perception of local communities on state-chartered schools and the fiscal impacts of these schools on the school districts. Mr. Turovetz said that conversation on the legislation regarding these concerns was possible.
G. Approval of Renewal Decision for Horizon Science Academy Charter School - McKinley Park There were no questions.
H. Approval of Renewal Decision for Horizon Science Academy Charter School – Belmont
Mr. Turovetz said the details of the recommendation for Horizon Science Academy Charter School – Belmont were being finalized and said that all school districts would be receiving five-year renewal recommendations.
VI. Review of January Board Action Items
A. Approval of Amendment to ESSA Accountability Exit Criteria
Chair Morrison asked how long the public comment period would be on the recommended amendments, and Ms. Clementz said that it was open as long as possible but limited by the need for action prior to the February 1, 2023, due date.
Dr. Leak suggested providing a flowchart to districts that clarified the pathways from different statuses and designations. Ms. Clementz said this could be provided.
VII. New Business: Items for the Next Agenda
Dr. Leak said an assessment update would be valuable. Mr. Guzman agreed and specified a continued interest in pursuing the Center of Assessment recommendations.
Dr. Ayala said that the State Assessment Review Committee had recently met, and that there could be an update at the next meeting.
VIII. Next Meeting: January 10, 2023
IX. Adjourn
Dr. Leak moved to adjourn. Mr. Guzman seconded the motion, and the motion passed by a unanimous roll call vote. Chairperson Morrison adjourned the committee at 1:26 p.m.
https://www.isbe.net/Documents_Board_Meetings/20221208-EPP-Minutes.pdf
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