August State Board News
Two Presentations-Separate and Unequal
Senator John Vratil and Attorney General Phill Kline each made
presentations to the State Board on Tuesday. The Quality Performance
Accreditation Standards were the subject and the Senator and the
Attorney General differed on their perspectives of ESEA/NCLB, the
state Supreme Court's decision and the impact of both on the accreditation
standards.
Senator Vratil, a long time critic of No Child Left Behind, reiterated
his argument that by aligning the QPA standards with NCLB the state,
the local school districts and children all lose when those standards
call for 100% proficiency.
"We do not honor the standards by making them unrealistic.
A goal of 100% proficiency is good. A standard of 100% is not,"
Senator Vratil stated. He asked the Board to consider standards
that are reasonable and reachable.
Attorney General Phill Kline said that the (Kansas Supreme) court
"went beyond any other decision in the country". Kline
went on to ask the board if they wanted to be able to make decisions
regarding the standards or have those decisions dictated to them
from on high?. He continued, "Will you make the decisions or
will the Court? Who will make policy decisions in the future, you
or the Court?"
The State Board is expected to discuss these issues further at their September
meeting.
Science Standards - 1999 Revisited
Chairman Steve Abrams moved that the Board accept the revisions
to section 2D of the science standards. He presented a second motion
to submit the standards to McREL [the only entity that responded
to the RFP] for external review.
The first motion passed 6-4 with Sue Gamble, Carol Rupe, Bill Wagnon
and Janet Waugh voting no. The second passed 7-2-1 with Wagnon and
Waugh voting no and Iris Van Meter abstaining.
Board member Kathy Martin asked that those who voted no on the
first motion to keep an open mind. "It is not the end of the
world," she continued.
Members of the Science Standards Writing Committee requested that
their names be removed from the document because of their strong
disagreement with the changes the Board made to section 2D.
The external review is scheduled to be completed in time for the Board to take
a final vote on the science standards in October.
Number of Kansas Schools on Improvement Drops to 15
(The following information is from a KSBE press release) The number
of Kansas Title 1 schools on improvement has decreased for the second
straight year. The preliminary list, presented to Board members
at their August meeting, showed that the number of schools on improvement
dropped from 21 last year to 15 in 2005. The number of districts
held steady at seven, although one district dropped off the list
while another was added.
Federal law requires that the information on Title 1 schools be
released prior to the beginning of the school year, which is why
the State Board received preliminary information on Tuesday.
Of the 21 schools on improvement last year, eight came off improvement
this year. Six schools remain on improvement, but made AYP in 2005.
Schools must make AYP two consecutive years to be removed from improvement
status. Two schools are on improvement for the first time.
The full tentative list of schools and districts on improvement
can be found at http://www.ksde.org/sfp/nclb/preliminary_si_list_aug05_sboe.htm
Information on AYP status for all schools in Kansas will be available in October.
Commissioner Search
The State Board has contracted with the National Association of State Boards
of Education (NASBE) to conduct the search for a new Commissioner of Education.
Applications will be accepted by NASBE until August 26, 2005. NASBE will conduct
initial interviews with all applicants and check references. NASBE's executive
director, Brenda Welburn, is scheduled to meet with the State Board on Wednesday,
September 7, at 8 am. Following that meeting, the State Board expects to invite
finalists to Kansas for interviews.
In other action, the State Board:
Approved Visiting Scholar requests
o SEKESC - behavior analyst, renewal
o USD 229 - Latin teacher
Awarded "Accredited" status to
o USD 259, Sowers special education center
o USD 287, Appanoose elementary
o USD 309, Nickerson HS
o USD 348, Baldwin intermediate center, HS
o USD 361, Chaparral HS
o USD 376, Sterling Grade, JHS, HS
o USD 404, Riverton MS, HS
o USD 446, Independence HS
o USD 474, Haviland elementary, HS
o USD 500, Edison elementary, Rosedale MS
Approved $3.2m in IDEA Title VI-B Special Education Continuous Improvement
Grants
Approved $2.4m in Comprehensive School Reform Grants
Approved $375,000 in Kansas Afterschool Enhancement Grants
Approved Wellness Policy Guidelines
Approved requests for bond elections from
o USD 204, Bonner Springs
o USD 385, Andover
o USD 446, Independence
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