IASB workshop explains gray areas on Open Meetings, FOIA
For some board secretaries, it's just a matter of black and white, or just the facts, ma'm. For others, it's the "gray" area of law that raises the most questions about legal compliance with the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Open Meetings Act (OMA), and e-mail uses.
Both laws were the topic of a series of recent workshops sponsored by the Illinois Association of School Boards and Office of the Attorney General.
Scott Sievers, assistant public access counselor for Attorney General Lisa Madigan, said it is appropriate for local officials to presume that everything is open to the public regarding meetings and records. The workshops included Sievers' presentation and informal Q&A sessions. [For an account of the Q&A sessions, see this article in the online text version of the June Newsbulletin.]
He acknowledged that both laws have a lot of "fuzziness" and exemptions in their language and terms, which is why he suggests that local governing bodies act conservatively and follow the laws' intention, and not rely entirely on exemptions or loopholes.
"If you don't comply, you are opening the district up to lawsuits and potential criminal charges," he said, adding that judges are not very lenient or considerate of the time and expense that compliance requires. "Judges look at (compliance requirements) with different standards. They get tired of hearing complaints from public bodies and will hit you like a mole with a hammer."
Because of the presumed openness that meetings, notifications and records laws carry, in the end it's the local governing body that has to justify why they can't or won't comply. Justified or not, Sievers warned that lawsuits are the tools used by dissatisfied people and their causes, making the OMA and FOIA laws easy legal remedies.
How frequently do local officials get into trouble over these laws? The Public Access Counselor's office handled 988 FOIA cases or inquiries in 2006, including 660 from the general public. More than 400 of those contacts were requests for help to obtain documents from local public bodies. His office also handled 207 OMA cases in 2006, including 131 from the general public.
"These Acts and related case law do not address every situation, and decisions arising out of litigation are handled on a case-by-case basis. If you can plug the holes, why let the water in?" he asked.
Sievers, who formerly worked for the law office of Donald M. Craven, P.C., Springfield, is one of three people in the Public Access Counselor's office. He joined the agency in May 2006, and has also taught mass communication law at Eastern Illinois University and Western Illinois University, and is coauthor of the Open Government Guide, published by the Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press (5th ed., 2006).
Part of his job is outreach. Last year, the Public Counselor's office conducted 53 training sessions across the state and welcomes requests from school districts and other local governing bodies. "It's part of our mission," he said. Training is available at no cost, although the hosting organization is expected to provide the meeting space.
If your district has legal questions regarding the OMA or FOIA, it is best to contact Sievers' office by phone at 217/558-0486. Their hours are 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday-Friday. Most questions can be answered by phone, while those that require detailed research may take up to a few weeks for a written response.
"These are not formal legal opinions," he said, but his office does provide information on and interpretations of the OMA and FOIA in specific matters. "Districts should consult their own school attorneys as well," he said. "But when a public body is being criticized for doing the right thing, we can be a backstop for them."
Sievers also recommended the following resources:
Sievers can also be contacted by email at: ssievers@atg.state.il.us.
Official shares answers in 'Q & A' on Open Meetings, FOIA
A variety of issues regarding Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Open Meetings Act (OMA), and e-mail uses were addressed in a series of recent workshops. Answering those questions was Scott Sievers, assistant public access counselor for Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Here is a sample of the questions raised by school board secretaries and how Sievers answered them:
Q: What bodies are required to comply with the OMA and FOIA?
A: The public body (such as elected school boards) and any committee or subcommittee of that governing group. This does not include administrative or staff meetings, or their committees.
Q: What essentially does the OMA require?
A: Prior notification of meetings, a formal agenda, recorded minutes, and meetings held at a time and place convenient to the public.
Q: What constitutes notification?
A: Newspaper publication is only required when the schedule of meeting dates is changed. Otherwise, posting the notice at the principle place of business where the school board meets is acceptable, provided that the notice is accessible for 48 hours prior to the meeting. The schedule of meetings should be posted at the beginning of the calendar year, and should include time, date and place of the meetings.
Q: What about canceled meetings?
A: Again, meeting cancellations do not require newspaper publication, but you do have to post the notice 48 hours prior to the original meeting time and date.
Q: What action is the school board limited to?
A: Action is limited to what is included on the agenda; discussion can be held on any subject. Recital of the proposed action must be made prior to the vote.
Q: When are minutes needed and when do they need to be approved?
A: The secretary has seven days to make the minutes available publicly after the board approves them; however, there is no time requirement for the board to approve them. These rules also apply to the board's committees and subcommittees.
Q: What limits are there regarding members who elect to participate in public meetings "electronically," i.e., by phone or online?
A: As of Jan. 1 of this year, the board cannot meet electronically without a quorum physically present at the stated location of the meeting. Those who opt to participate electronically must meet specific reasons for doing so; being out of town or on vacation is not a valid reason.
Q: Are e-mail communications permitted to or among school board members?
A: Yes, but there are limitations. A board president cannot send one email and copy or forward it to the rest of the board, without risking multiple responses, and therefore violate the OMA. Even if emails are sent individually, they cannot show a string of emails or the comments raised by the remaining participants. That would comprise a "serial meeting" or "walking forum," because it would involve a conversation of the "nucleus" of decision makers. One-way, information-only emails are the safest use of emails to board members. It is advisable for districts that use email to communicate with elected board members include a disclosure or warning: "Do Not Respond." Generally, email discussions are fraught with peril. The problem with emails is, it's a done deal, i.e., it's an automatic and accurate paper trail.
Q: Can the board discuss public business at other meetings?
A: If two or more board members are appointed or are participating in other groups where school business is discussed, the meeting may be subject to OMA requirements. School board members are permitted to attend events and locations together; it's the purpose of the event and the potential subject matter that is at stake. Remember, perceptions matter.
Q: How should school boards construe "closed meetings?"
A: The exemption to the OMA should be cited. "Boiler plate" language or descriptions such as "personnel" should never be used. Remember, exemptions are just the authority to close a meeting; they are not requirements. If it opts to close a meeting, the board also must vote to enter the closed session and must record how each person voted. No action is permitted in closed session.
Q: What about board "retreats?"
A: These are considered public meetings and must be held at locations accessible by the public.
Q: What information is subject to the FOIA?
A: FOIA guarantees access to public records, not information, for inspection and/or copies. If the information sought is not in record or document form, you have no obligation to provide it. Essentially, records are any and all paper documents, electronic documents, video or audio documents. Unless the law specifically allows you to withhold the information contained in the document, you cannot. Information containing "sensitive" or controversial material or issues is not considered privileged or protected.
Q: Can the district charge for FOIA requests?
A: You cannot charge anyone for inspecting records, and you can only charge for the actual cost of reproduction. That does not include the time required to provide or reproduce such documents.
Q: What is the procedure for making a FOIA request?
A: The person making the request has to specify and identify the desired record. The district has seven working days to respond to the request.
Q: What about denying a FOIA request?
A: If the district opts to deny the request, it must state in writing who denied it, the reason for denial including the specified exemption if applicable, and information on the right to appeal the decision. This person can be the superintendent or someone designated to handle FOIA appeals.
Q: How do FOIA appeals work?
A: There is no time limitation on the person seeking the appeal; however, once it is filed, the district would have seven working days to determine if the original request was properly denied, or whether the trouble caused by denying the request is worth the potential conflict or lawsuit that may arise from the decision. And appeals are automatically triggered if the district fails to comply with the original request in the seven-day time limit.
Q: What is a reasonable FOIA request?
A: The law is very broad about this and it depends on the type of document that is sought. For example, a request for 12 years worth of board minutes would not be considered an unreasonable request, because such documents should be readily available. In fact, minutes are considered to be the "quintessential" public record. On the other hand, documents that would comply but would be difficult to obtain or reproduce might be considered "unduly burdensome." In that event, the district is required to notify the applicant in writing, explain why it's burdensome, and ask them to narrow their request. Consider "unduly" to mean "monumental."
Q: What happens when after FOIA appeal is denied?
A: The applicant has the right to file a lawsuit against the district. It is important to note that they do not have to prove why the document should be available; in fact, the burden is on the district to prove why it shouldn't be, or why it's a burden. In the end, it's the district that has to justify its action. What is also at stake in this point in the process is the potential time and cost of disclosure, and the award of attorney fees and legal costs.
Legislature adopts school mandate bills, cuts school powers
The legislature adopted three bills on May 22 that either increase mandates for school districts or cut back on school district operating authority. Specifically, lawmakers passed legislation that would: curtail schools' ability to contract out for services such as busing and meals, require AEDs at athletic fields, and limit school mandate waivers for physical education to two years. The governor has not begun reviewing any of these bills and it is unclear if he will sign them.
Perhaps the most significant is a bill that would restrict the school district practice of contracting out for non-instructional services. H.B. 1347 (Hannig, D-Litchfield) has received final approval and will now be sent to the Governor for consideration.
The bill would significantly restrict the school district practice of contracting for services such as transportation, food service, and janitorial services by adding new constraints for a school board entering into a contract with a third party to perform such non-instructional services. The Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance called the new restrictions "burdensome" for schools.
According to a May 23 Alliance report, under this bill "no contract could be entered into with a third party during the term of a collective bargaining agreement – this could mean years between opportunities to contract out for services. It also contains a provision that requires the third party to provide 'comparable' insurance and benefits. The term 'comparable' is not defined, which leads to confusion of what is acceptable – and could require third party contractors to increase their overhead costs, making it cost prohibitive for a school district to use their services."
But advocates of the legislation, including teacher organizations and unions, say private contractors are less accountable than school districts.
Supporters also argue that privatization does not necessarily save money, because contractors frequently low-ball or underbid to win a contract.
Bill approved for AEDs at athletic fields
The Senate also approved H.B. 1279 (Burke, D-Chicago). The bill will require districts to have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at all outdoor athletic fields. An AED generally would be required in any building within 300 feet of the facility where "an event or activity" is conducted. The bill was sent back to the House for concurrence in a Senate amendment.
P.E. mandate waivers limited to two years
The Senate approved a bill to limit school district use of the mandate waiver process. H.B. 1839 (Joyce, D-Chicago) limits waivers from the physical education mandate to a two-year time period and only allows the waiver to be renewed twice. All other mandate waiver requests are granted for five years with no limit on renewals.
The complete text of the bills listed above is available on the General Assembly's Web site at: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/.
State Board of Education pilots sweeping changes in special ed
ISBE recently launched a special education pilot project using a concept called Response to Intervention (RtI) that some experts believe could lead to a sea change in the way special education is provided. RtI places greater emphasis on early intervention and a reduced emphasis on psychological testing and other traditional tools of special education for use in responding to disabilities.
The new conceptual approach focuses on classroom sharing of general and special education resources and the development of educational environments that respond to all students. Experts say this is primarily a strategy to be used in the general education classroom, one aimed at intervening early to aid struggling students with intensive, targeted instruction. The goal is to give such students a better chance to succeed in regular classrooms early on and avoid the need for a "special ed" label later.
The system, now being piloted in six school districts in the state (see list on p. 4), focuses on an early functional assessment of student needs, and providing more usable information to classroom teachers. It also includes development of interventions by a collaborative, problem-solving team. Under the RtI model, schools use three levels of intervention and monitor how students respond or progress in their work at each level.
The first level contains the core curriculum in the regular classroom. RtI suggests that instructional and other variables such as class schedules should be examined at this level to determine where instruction needs to be strengthened, while at the same time addressing the learning needs of less-successful students. Children having persistent problems on the first level are temporarily grouped together in a smaller setting, the secondary intervention level.
The hope is that by giving the students "learning strategies" in small group arrangements, special educators can get them back into primary-level instruction in their regular classroom.
Kids still not meeting standards for their age and grade level receive third-level interventions to get more intense, personalized help with learning.
The main target population is students at risk of academic failure due to learning and/or behavioral difficulties, and those whose classroom performance is below expected levels.
Experts such as Vanderbilt University's Doug Fuchs say research suggests the approach can help prevent children from being labeled incorrectly as learning disabled, particularly when their problems are related to reading.
The Department of Education recently said it will award $14 million over five years to set up model programs and disseminate information to schools about the response-to-intervention approach.
The system is being tested in various schools around the country primarily in response to passage last year of a broad federal special education law, and the Bush administration's issuance of rules last October, that revised the way schools may determine whether a child has a learning disability. More than half of the nearly 7 million special education students in the nation today are learning disabled, and most of their special learning challenges are reading related, such as dyslexia or problems in processing information.
In order to identify the learning disabled students eligible for special education, schools have largely relied on a 1970s-era methodology that looks for disparities between IQ and achievement scores.
In the past, a special education identification often has been made around the 4th grade. Before that grade IQ tests are considered less reliable, and it's often not until the 4th grade that major achievement problems have become clearly visible.
But that current system involves a wait-to-fail approach, some child advocates say. The critics point to new research showing that intervening early can make it easier for students to overcome their learning problems.
Under the new federal regulations, schools would have greater latitude to identify learning disabilities, enabling them to observe how well children respond to intensive instruction in the subjects where they are having difficulties.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs awarded a $1.5 million grant over four years last October for University of Kansas professors to work with schools in Kansas and Illinois to test an RtI model.
Six districts in Illinois have volunteered to participate in the pilot program and revise their systems, data and practices in special education. These districts are participating:
The Illinois State Board of Education is also weighing sweeping changes in state regulations governing special education, with changes that appear at least somewhat tailored to removing barriers to RtI implementation.
For detailed information about RtI, experts recommend the booklet (paperback): Response To Intervention: Policy Considerations And Implementation, by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. It can be ordered online at: http://www.nasdse.org/documents/RtI%20Order%20Form.pdf . There is also a brief paper available from the same organization offering a brief overview of RtI. To download a free copy, visit: http://www.nasdse.org/documents/RtIAnAdministratorsPerspective1-06.pdf .
Five rural school districts sharing resources
Small and rural school districts increasingly are searching for new approaches to expand opportunities for students while maintaining local control and the advantages educational research has sometimes found in smaller schools. Indeed, expanding student opportunities was the impetus when officials from five school districts in northwestern-most Illinois met recently to talk over sharing school resources.
Of course, saving money by sharing common expenses was another motivation, according to some participants.
Participants included local school board members and administrators gathered from Orangeville CUSD 203, Pearl City CUSD 200, Stockton CUSD 206, Lena-Winslow CUSD 202 and Warren CUSD 205 in a recent meeting at Lena Elementary School.
The Lena-Winslow CUSD 202 Board of Education is credited with coming up with the idea for the meeting to discuss sharing resources, according to Regional Superintendent Marie Stiefel. Stiefel administers state board of education services in state region 8, which includes Carroll, JoDaviess and Stephenson Counties.
"We helped to organize the meeting of the local school leaders, and we also conducted a survey of the participants on significant resources and needs," Stiefel said. She said the survey included: what courses are most needed, what resources are available to share, and even what quantity of electricity each school district uses. She said she gathered the latter data in order to study the potential for joint-bidding for electricity purchases.
Participants said the meeting mainly explored non-traditional ways to offer new courses, such as through video conferencing and online instruction.
Pearl City CUSD 200 board member Jim Falk said the meeting gave him new insight into his colleagues. "It's a good opportunity to see how districts are managing their operations," he said.
Forming inter-district cooperatives was one of the options school leaders discussed. Eastland School District 308 and District 202 already operate food cooperatives, Stiefel said, and District 206 has expressed interest in exploring a gas cooperative.
Some districts currently participate in extracurricular cooperatives, as well. District 308 Superintendent Mark Hansen said his district has had a tradition of sharing extracurricular activities with other districts. For example, Eastland and Pearl City high school students participate in an award-winning speech team. Hansen noted District 308 is seriously considering offering academic opportunities to other districts as well.
"We have some wonderful electives," he said.
Those electives include home economics, agriculture, business and computer courses, Hansen said. He also said District 308 is more than able to act as a resource for other districts.
Hansen emphasized that the new choices will not damage school pride. He stressed that speech and drama collaborations have done no harm. In fact, he said greater opportunity for unity is a good thing.
Hansen said that such unity could give birth to "a new identity." Consolidation will, most likely, not create that new identity, he said.
Entries invited for 2007 school design award
School leaders who are particularly proud of a new building in their district are being encouraged to help the architect or other design professional responsible earn recognition and awards in the 2007 Exhibition of Educational Environments (EEE) program. The annual awards program is sponsored by IASB Service Associates.
Entries are being sought from firms engaged in any aspect of designing public school facilities. The facilities may be intended for instructional, recreational, administrative or other use, but construction must be completed in time for occupancy with the start of school in the fall of 2007.
The entry deadline is July 12 and entries must be made by — or with the written permission of — the author/owner of the project design documents. Each entrant is limited to no more than two project entries per year, and no project may be entered more than once. There is a $250 fee for each entry.
A total of 29 projects were chosen for the competition last year and were placed on display in the Riverside Center Exhibit Hall during the Joint Annual Conference. Plans are for preliminary materials to be evaluated this September. The judging will be carried out on a blind basis by a jury of school officials and architects experienced in school facilities or design.
Criteria include suitability for stated program requirements, functional relationships, aesthetics, grade-level or departmental organization, flexibility, expansibility, compatibility with external environment, uses of new technology, barrier-free accessibility, energy efficiency, environmental controls, site adaptation, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, activity area groupings, security and building orientation.
For information or entry forms, contact Dana Heckrodt, ext. 1131.
Get school code supplement and CD now
A new 2007 supplement to the Illinois School Code and Related Acts, compiled by Lexis Law Publishing Company for IASB, is now available from IASB.
It is being shipped now and comes with a CD ROM version that is compatible with nearly all computers, and is current for laws in force as of Jan. 1, 2007.
While the book contains the recent additions and updates to state law since last year, the CD also contains the full text of the School Code and features full annotation for each statute, including legislative history and judicial rulings. In addition to the School Code, the CD includes all or portions of two-dozen other statutes applicable to schools, ranging from the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to the Truth in Taxation Act.
School attorneys say keeping such a legal reference on hand makes tremendous sense in light of the major impact new laws can have on school districts operating in the ever-changing world of school law. Fortunately it's easy to use this reference tool to quickly uncover essential information about what the law now says on many of the issues board members and administrators face.
But readers of any law book should beware of one major pitfall, according to school law experts: If the law book you use is out of date, you would be better off with no law book at all. In fact, because of the myriad changes being enacted into statute each year, experts suggest replacing any law book that is more than a year old.
The new supplement to the laws governing Illinois schools may be ordered from IASB Publications now.
Ordering the School Code
Copies of the new School Code supplement are $24 each ($20 for IASB member districts), plus $5 per order for shipping. The Illinois School Code 2007 Supplement and its accompanying CD may be purchased directly from IASB in any of the following ways:
Buyers will be asked to provide the following information:
Member prices are available to IASB member school districts (board members and employees), and to members of IASB Service Associates and Illinois Council of School Attorneys.
Panel urges focus on teacher effectiveness
New recommendations on teacher quality were made to Congress and released to the public on May 11 at hearings of a U.S. House education committee looking into reauthorizing the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The recommendations spring from the bipartisan Commission on No Child Left Behind, which is led by influential state and federal officials and funded by several large national philanthropic organizations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
"Our nation's children deserve teachers who are effective at guiding them to high achievement, and our nation's teachers deserve the support they need so they can succeed. Therefore, the Commission urges Congress to shift the focus in making teacher quality determinations from credentials for entering the profession to effectiveness in the classroom," said a Commission news release.
The Commission's NCLB recommendations outline a plan it claims would ensure that students—particularly disadvantaged students who critics say are too often taught by the least experienced and prepared teachers—receive effective instruction. One key recommendation is to remove teachers from high-poverty schools who rate in the bottom quartile of effectiveness as measured by student test scores for seven consecutive years.
And the Commission wants schools to provide comparable numbers of "Highly Qualified Effective Teachers (HQETs) "so that all students receive the same opportunity to be taught by an effective teacher."
"This contains many scary things that could cost districts lots of extra money," said one public schools advocate in response to the Commission's report. Costly items are undeniably contained in the report, such as a Commission proposal that all schools, including Title I schools, maintain similar expenditures for teacher salaries.
The Commission further proposes requiring districts with high teacher turnover in their schools to develop plans that maximize the use of bonus pay, nontraditional routes into the profession, multiple career paths and mentoring to recruit and retain effective teachers, particularly those that teach in hard to staff subject areas such as math, science, special education and English language learners. Districts with high teacher turnover would also have to include plans for improving working conditions for all school staff based on independent audits of such conditions.
To ensure that all students are taught by the most effective teachers, the commission also recommends that those who spend more than a quarter of their school day teaching English language learners be required to receive specialized professional development and obtain a state-sponsored endorsement for instructing this growing population of students.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires all schools to be staffed by Highly Qualified Teachers by the end of this school year, but the federal law itself is due to expire in September. Currently the NCLB law requires Highly Qualified Teachers to demonstrate subject-matter expertise, hold state certification, and have at least a bachelor's degree.
But federal officials also have signaled an increased emphasis on staffing classrooms with not just highly qualified teachers, but with highly qualified and highly effective teachers.
Other voices
Various other interest groups besides the Commission recently have come up with their own NCLB recommendations on teacher quality. For example:
For a fact sheet on the Commission's "Highly Qualified Effective Teacher" proposal, visit: http://tinyurl.com/yw79tk. To access the Commission's full report, "Beyond NCLB: Fulfilling the Promise to Our Nation's Children," visit: http://www.aspeninstitute.org/.
Get adequate yearly progress scores right
ISBE lists deadlines for AYP corrections
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently announced the deadlines Illinois school district administrators need to observe in making 2007 data corrections to preliminary NCLB test scores. Corrections can affect school district Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) determinations.
In a May 15 message to superintendents, State Superintendent Christopher Koch explained: "…while we will continue to have a lengthy data correction period, we cannot continue to provide extensions for corrections. We must adhere to very tight timelines so AYP can be determined before school starts this fall."
The state has tightened procedures after its standardized tests were plagued with difficulties last year, as tests and materials arrived late, delaying the start of last year's test cycle. Then, 11,000 tests were found to be missing demographic data needed to process the results. All 160,000 high-school tests were rescored after a private contractor made an error in grading them. As a result of all the problems, 2006 school report cards — due to be released last Oct. 31 — were delayed past the test date for administering the 2007 tests.
State assessments measure performance against the Illinois Learning Standards. Scores are used to measure AYP under the NCLB Act; school districts can face sanctions under NCLB law if they fall short of its targeted benchmarks.
Schools can begin making student demographic data corrections now, via the Illinois Web Application Security system (IWAS) Assessment Correction files for 2007, Koch noted.
For grades 3-8, scores were posted on June 11 and are due to be finalized on June 29. For grade 11, scores will be posted on July 20 and will be finalized on August 3. Corrections cannot be made after scores have been finalized, Koch stated. The full calendar of student assessment correction deadlines is as follows:
Grades 3-8
The cleanup process has been in place since April. School districts should be checking now on IWAS to ensure that the student data are accurate as of the time of testing.
Scores were posted on June 11. Reading, math and science scores will be posted for ISAT, IMAGE and IAA. Writing scores were posted for ISAT on June 11. IAA writing scores will be posted in July.
Districts had until June 29, 2007 to clean up their data and to request rescores. Rescore information will be posted on www.isbe.net/assessment.
ISBE is asking school districts not to wait until the last day to load to IWAS – this slows down the process and there may not be time to correct any errors.
For those schools that have submitted their eReport Card data, preliminary AYP calculations for grades 3-8 was being calculated in June. Final AYP will be posted by Aug. 1. Notification will be provided to the superintendent via IWAS. Reading and math are the only two content areas that count towards AYP and the target for AYP is 55 percent for 2007.
Grade 11
The clean-up process began on May 14. Scores will be posted on IWAS no later than July 20.
Districts have until August 3, 2007 to clean up their grade 11 data and request rescores. Rescore information will be posted on www.isbe.net/ assessment.
Preliminary calculations for grade 11 will be calculated from July 20 – Aug. 3, with final AYP being posted no later than Aug. 10. Notification will be provided to the superintendent via IWAS.
Assessment corrections – 2007
The first day to request, upload and view reports with assessment scores filed via IWAS/SIS is as follows:
PSAE & IMAGE - Grade 11 – No later than July 20
ISAT, IMAGE & IAA - Grades 3-8 – The deadline was June 11
The final day to send revisions to the Assessment Correction file via IWAS/SIS is as follows:
PSAE & IMAGE - Grade 11 – Aug. 3
ISAT, IMAGE & IAA - Grades 3-8 – The deadline was June 29.
Reports to districts/schools
Grades 3-8 data disks and printed district/school summary reports delivered to Districts – Aug. 31
Grades 3-8 Printed Individual Student Reports – Sept. 17
Grade 11 Printed Individual Student Report and other reports – Sept. 17.
"I realize that many staff are not in the building during the summer and, by rule, districts must have 30 days to clean-up their data. However, there are multiple opportunities for corrections during the process that add up to much more than 30 days, that is why I am urging you to start your portion of data corrections now," Koch said.
The Illinois State Board of Education is finding a high number of students who cannot be matched because of inaccurate district information on their Assessment Correction file in IWAS. Thus, the state has been contacting superintendents from districts having large numbers of unmatched students. ISBE has been hurrying to do this before scores are posted in order to save districts clean-up time.
For more information, phone the call center at ISBE at 217/558-3600 or the ISBE Student Assessment Division at 217/782-4823 or e-mail: help@isbe.net.
IASB policy staff hosts policy services conference in Chicago
IASB policy services staff hosted the American Association of State Policy Services (AASPS) annual conference on May 17-19 in Chicago. IASB's Cathy Talbert, Associate Director for Field and Policy Services, who is president of AASPS for 2006-07, welcomed a record-breaking 80 registrants from 30 state school boards associations and NSBA.
The AASPS is organized for the purpose of providing "continuing education" and networking opportunities for state association staff in their roles as policy and governance consultants to school board association members.
The AASPS conference this year included an early bird workshop called "School Board Accountability: Monitoring District Performance," presented by IASB Director of Policy Service, Anna Lovern and IASB Senior Director, Board Development, Angie Peifer.
IASB General Counsel Melinda Selbee presented a session on "The Art and Science of Drafting Board Policy" and consultant Barb Toney, of IASB's Targeting Achievement through Governance program, coordinated a presentation on "Policy and Student Achievement—Targeting Student Learning: Linking Policies with Student Learning."
A welcome reception and dinner began with opening remarks by IASB Executive Director Michael D. Johnson. Entertainment was provided by a string quartet from Nequa Valley High School of Indian Prairie District 204.
Other event highlights included a breakout session on "Policy Issues – Understanding the Changes in Special Education" by Terry Engler, a founding partner in the law firm of Sraga, Engler and Boyle, LLC, Oak Brook. Engler centers her school law practice in the areas of special education and disability law, as well as other student and personnel-related issues.
Feedback from conference attendees indicates that most saw the event as a success. Organizers say IASB policy services staff, as well as other IASB staff, played key roles in attaining that success.
Two directors retire; board approves staffing plans
IASB's Board of Directors met May 18 and 19 in Springfield and reviewed and approved a $9.27 million budget for 2007-08. The budget is based on a goal of achieving a balanced budget for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2008.
Budget assumptions also include:
The Board approved following current practices for electing the IASB executive committee to be used to replace a retiring member of the committee after Lowell Beggs chose not to run for re-election. Although the IASB Constitution does not outline a process to replace executive committee members, it does call for the IASB Board of Directors to elect the committee members from among the board's membership.
Past practice has been that individuals interested in serving on the executive committee place their names in consideration by simply notifying the IASB president or vice president of their interest prior to the voting.
The Board also:
The retiring directors are: Lowell Beggs, Amboy CUSD 272; Fred Blue, Waltham CCSD 185; Cheryl Jackson, Bloomington SD 87; Wesley Stellhorn, Red Bud CUSD 132; and Gerald White, West Prairie District 103. Replacements have been chosen. Listed by division, they are:
Two of the five replacement appointees are temporary, however, because the Northwest and Starved Rock divisions will not hold their elections until the fall, including their elections of the division directors who will serve on the IASB Board.
NSBA tech conference set for mid-October
School technology experts say a good place to boost your district's technology performance is at the National School Boards Association's T+L Conference, a K-12 education technology conference designed for district leadership teams. The 21st annual T+L conference is set for Oct. 17-19 in Nashville and more than 2,000 school district leaders are expected to attend.
Exhibition and conference sessions will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. T+L, which stands for technology plus learning, explores how new technology tools are effectively used across a district in classrooms, administrative applications, parental engagement, and community outreach to improve student achievement. Districts that join NSBA's Technology Leadership Network receive a discount on the T+L conference registration.
To register online visit: https://secure.nsba.org/register/t+l/2007/tlreg_welcome.cfm/
T+L provides a learning experience for teams of technology directors, superintendents, school board members, district administrators, principals, and lead teachers. Plus, with a team of 8 or more, registration is the lowest available price, at $350 per attendee.
This year's event will focus on six key ideas of interest to every educator:
With expert seminars, district-led workshops, hands-on sessions, in-depth mini-academies, and plenty of networking opportunities, organizers say school board members and administrators will find the level of detail they need to take new, practical knowledge back to their district and apply it immediately.
School district workshops will feature one presentation from Illinois, as school leaders from Niles Township High School District 219 will discuss their "Individualized Learning Plans: Using Technology to Improve EVERY Student's Learning."
For more information or to register by phone call NSBA at 800/950-6722.
Report: Get students ready for life after high school
Students need training beyond high school to get a chance at obtaining high-level, high-paying jobs after high school according to Education Week's second annual special report "Diplomas Count 2007: Ready for What? Preparing Students for College, Careers, and Life After High School."
Unfortunately, the report states that there are still over a million students who do not graduate high school on-time with even a standard diploma. Many of these students are likely to take positions that pay just above the poverty line, if they are able to find a job at all.
Key findings
What is the relationship between education and pay?
Adults without a high school diploma will typically earn $19,400 per year, which is below the federal poverty line of $19,971 for a family of four. Earning a high school degree increases mean yearly earnings to $27,500.
Adults without a diploma will typically have jobs that require little training and previous experience.
These jobs include taxi drivers, cashiers, sheet-metal workers, customer service representatives, retail sales clerks, and bank tellers.
Only a small percentage of highly educated workers (those with a bachelor's degree) hold low-skilled jobs such as these.
What percentage of students will graduate high school on-time?
Conclusion
Schools and districts can do their part to reduce the number of true dropouts by identifying them as early as possible (preferably well before high school) and instituting interventions to prevent them from dropping out once they reach high school. Although no silver bullet exists to prevent all future dropouts, early intervention can help.
For the full report visit: www.edweek.org/go/dc07 .
Source: The Center for Public Education
IASA confab offers sessions on media, leadership under fire
The 42nd Annual IASA Conference was held on April 25-27 at the Hilton Hotel and President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield. The conference began with a Thursday breakfast featuring Murray Banks, a former teacher and triathlete from Vermont. His presentation "Performance Under Pressure: Leading with Passion and Style" was well received.
Thursday was also filled with sessions on current issues that superintendents and other administrators face. For example, Eric Robinson, CEO of Frontline Public Strategies, Inc., provided information on handling a media crisis at a school district with his presentation "Media Crisis Management 101: Essential Lessons in Media Relations and Crisis Management."
On Friday morning, Randolph L. Tinder, IASA president and superintendent of Forest Park 91, presented Presidential Awards. The three recipients of this award were: Dr. Harold Ford, IASA President in 2003; Mary Bates, Dr. Tinder's wife; and Dr. Walter H. Warfield, IASA Executive Director Emeritus.
The 2007 IASA Superintendent of the Year, Kevin Settle, superintendent of Mount Vernon District 80, was recognized during a Friday breakfast. This award, originally presented at the Joint Annual Conference in November, recognizes outstanding leadership among the ranks of superintendents.
Christopher Koch made a few brief remarks after being named the new Illinois state superintendent. He spoke to participants during a Friday breakfast session to review some of the issues that Illinois public school districts are facing today, and to seek support from those in attendance.
The conference ended with the "2007 Congressional Legislative Update and the Future of Education" general session. This panel presentation was led by U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis, 7th District; U.S. Representative Ray LaHood, 18th District; and Bill Houlihan from U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin's office.
Next year's IASA Conference, the 43rd such annual event, will be held on April 23-25, 2008 in Springfield.
Antioch (April 30, The Daily Herald) Antioch Elementary District 34 might be next to jump on the bandwagon as one of a growing number of school systems across the country to offer single-sex classes. Wilmette Elementary District 39 is already offering such classes.
Braidwood (May 3, Herald News, Joliet) Reed-Custer CUSD 255 wants a judge to rule on whether it is fair for the Will County supervisor of assessments office to grant a local power company a property tax break. The district has filed a lawsuit in Will County Circuit Court against the assessor's office and Exelon Generation Co., owners of the Braidwood nuclear power plant.
Carpentersville (April 24, The Courier News, Elgin) Community Unit School District 300 board members are considering a system that would electronically track every textbook, similar to the district's library book database already in place. The system would allow schools short on textbooks to see which other schools in the district have a surplus.
Chicago (April 25, Chicago Sun-Times) The number of graduates going on to college is on a steady rise, jumping from 44 percent to 46 percent to 48 percent over the last three years, school officials announced.
Chicago (April 30, Chicago Tribune) A total of 775 probationary teachers in Chicago public schools learned on April 27 they are losing their jobs, in a move that district leaders say could improve the quality of instruction. The teachers were dismissed for various reasons, but the most common was an inability to manage their classrooms.
Elgin (May 8, The Courier News, Elgin) Local law enforcement and government officials visited the Summit School Early Learning Center in Elgin recently to read to preschool children and speak to educators about the importance of early education for at-risk youths. The event was coordinated by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois, a bipartisan, nonprofit, anti-crime organization, and was a part of a statewide initiative to highlight the importance of early childhood education as an investment in crime prevention.
Macomb (May 1, Peoria Journal Star) Nearly 1,600 backpacks full of school supplies and food were delivered in Macomb by the Feed the Children organization of Oklahoma. The supplies were picked up by representatives of 10 area regional offices of education. The delivery will ensure that homeless students throughout central Illinois will have new supplies to start school in the fall. Regional superintendents will identify the homeless students and distribute the packs before school starts.
Naperville (May 15, Chicago Tribune) A Christian legal aid group is continuing its court battle to force a Naperville high school to permit students to wear T-shirts denouncing homosexuality. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund said it will appeal a recent U.S. District Court decision on the matter.
New Lenox (April 22, Herald News, Joliet) A battle is brewing between two school districts over 18 acres of land in the middle of a massive proposed subdivision. At issue is whether New Lenox District 122 may build a school on donated land that sits just outside of its boundaries. Just recently, school leaders in the neighboring district objected to the site's location and said they would meet with New Lenox school officials and the village to hash out their concerns.
Ottawa (April 25, The Times, Ottawa) Ottawa Township High School District 140 Superintendent Tom Jobst said the district has not yet decided whether to appeal a ruling against the district's challenge to the NCLB Act. In February 2005, OTHS filed a suit objecting to the federal law and Illinois' interpretation of it on the grounds the law is unfair to special needs students and school districts.
Port Byron (May 5, Quad-Cities Online) A lack of dedicated state funding for talented and gifted programs has caused at least one local school district to cut its program. Illinois required districts to have a talented and gifted program until 2002-03, when it cut all dedicated funding for the programs. The state instead put the money into general state aid. Riverdale CUSD 100 in Port Byron is cutting its Talented and Gifted program for the 2007-08 school year due to budget constraints and growing NCLB demands.
Rockford (May 2, Rockford Register Star) Trained mentors will guide 20 to 30 high school students who are on the fence about college under a program led by the Junior League. The aim is to convince Rockford District 205 students they need an education beyond high school and show them how to get there.
Springfield (May 8, State Journal-Register) The Springfield District 186 school board has approved single-sex classes in core subjects for two years at Jefferson Middle School, beginning next fall. The two-year pilot program was outlined and approved during a school board meeting on May 7.
Springfield (May 15 , State Journal-Register) Springfield high schools in Springfield District 186 were providing breakfasts and snacks for students taking the ACT exam, the state's Prairie State Achievement Exam, and the state's Work Keys workplace-readiness exam. Included were "brain food" snacks provided during scheduled 15-minute testing breaks, with fruit, pretzels and cookies being paid for by revenue from school vending machines.
ISBE teams with state police in planning for emergencies
The ISBE, Illinois State Police (ISP) and the Illinois Terrorism Task Force recently announced they are teaming up to improve local school security by training all ISP Safety Education Officers as multi-hazard instructors for local school districts. The training is part of a larger effort to better prepare schools for a variety of possible hazardous events.
ISBE, through a grant funded by the Illinois Terrorism Task Force, trained state police as Safety Education Officers in April to become instructors in "Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools." In total, 25 officers underwent the training. Having these additional trainers stationed throughout the ISP district offices is expected to allow for ongoing and updated training.
Under the School Safety Drill Act schools must work closely with "emergency first responder agencies" in conducting annual reviews of emergency and crisis response plans. Schools also must conduct three evacuation drills, one bus evacuation and one severe weather drill each school year.
ISBE steps up efforts to get homeless students educated
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is working with the state's homeless shelters to help homeless students get access to public education. ISBE is distributing approximately 2,000 question-and-answer booklets to homeless shelters so that they will be able to work with homeless families to enroll their children in public schools this fall.
Additional information on homeless education issues can be accessed at http://homelessed.net or by calling the Illinois State Board of Education Information Hotline at 800/215-6379.
IASB seeks officer nominations to lead
The nominating committee of the Illinois Association of School Boards is seeking candidates for the offices of president and vice president.
The following criteria will be used by the committee in considering nominees:
Nominating forms are due to be submitted by early August, and candidates will be interviewed that same month. A slate of candidates will be presented to the Delegate Assembly meeting in Chicago at the 2007 Joint Annual Conference in November.
To request necessary forms, interested candidates should write: IASB, 2921 Baker Drive, Springfield, IL 62703 or phone 217/528-9688, ext. 1102.
July/August Journal revisits wellness issue
In its 2004 "Weighing Healthier Options" series, the Illinois School Board Journal encouraged school boards to start talking about nutrition and physical activity at school. But what's happened since then? The July/August 2007 issue will revisit the topic on the first anniversary of the requirement for school districts to have local wellness policies.
In addition, this issue will contain the second in a two-part series on teacher preparation and an analogy of board work that looks to King Arthur's Knights of the Roundtable for its imagery.
June 29 – Board Presidents Workshop, Swissotel, Chicago, 8 am-3 pm
July 4 – Independence Day
July 27-28 – Basics of School District Governance (2-day Workshop), IASB, Springfield, 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Friday; 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday
July 31-Aug. 3 – National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, Chicago
August 17-18 – Basics of School District Governance (2-day Workshop), IASB, Lombard, 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Friday; 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday
August 24-25 – IASB Board of Directors Retreat, Pheasant Run, St. Charles
August 25 – IASB Board of Directors' Meeting, Pheasant Run, St. Charles
September 3 – Labor Day
September 6-7 – ISBE Annual Superintendents Conference, Springfield Hilton
September 11 – Wabash Valley Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Jasper Co. CUSD 1, TBA
This newsletter is published monthly by the Illinois Association of School Boards for member boards of education and their superintendents. The Illinois Association of School Boards, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, is a voluntary association of local boards of education and is not affiliated with any branch of government.
James Russell, Director of Publications
Gary Adkins, Editor
2921 Baker Drive
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