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School Board News Bulletin
September, 2006

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This publication is also available as a PDF file

ARTICLES

Impact from late ISAT data to be 'minimal'

Let IASB help you prepare for April 2007 election

ACT scores: Illinois students improve fifth consecutive year

Feds reject Illinois proposal for subgroup changes

ISBE veteran will take interim post while search continues

Adjustments made to pension law exemptions

Group criticizes state's 'qualified' teacher plan

It's time for fall division meeting season

RECENT IASB MAILINGS

DEVELOPMENTS IN SCHOOL LAW

NEWS FROM ISBE

Nominations sought for 2006 Burroughs Award

38 districts win arts and foreign language grants

NEWS HEADLINES

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Impact from late ISAT data to be 'minimal'

Most Illinois districts did not get results until after classes started this year from the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, information the districts must use to determine if they must offer free tutoring or transfers under federal law. Specifically, most school officials began the new school year without knowing whether their district had achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The delay comes after a tumultuous period for state testing – from late exam document delivery to error-riddled test booklets this spring. In an attempt to rectify some of the problems, the state board modified its contract with Harcourt Assessments Inc., allowing the Texas-based firm to continue scoring the exam while another contractor prints and distributes the tests.

Yet the state still does not have test results from Harcourt for the 11th-grade Prairie State Achievement Exam given in the spring, according to Becky McCabe, head of state testing.

In reference to this earlier delay, state officials said the latest wait should not be nearly as long. "This should be taken care of in short order," said Meta Minton, an Illinois State Board of Education spokeswoman, "We want to be extremely thorough because of the problems in the spring."

The latest delay created problems because under the federal NCLB guidelines schools can face serious sanctions, such as the state taking over a school district, for failing to meet standards six years in a row. Even schools failing to make AYP two years in a row must offer parents the opportunity to move their children to a different school.

Some school officials said the delay would likely cause problems for parents, who may be forced to make school attendance decisions weeks after the start of the school year: "This really complicates things, especially from a parent communication standpoint," said Kris Hauser, a communications specialist with Elgin-based School District U-46, where approximately 50 children transferred out of low-performing schools last year.

But not everyone is complaining. Susan Smith, curriculum director for Mattoon CUSD 2 schools, for example, said the late data is inconvenient but shouldn't cause problems. Curriculum coordination is not harshly impacted by a brief delay.

Once all of the required data are available, calculating AYP and identifying school improvement status will be the top priority for ISBE, according to soon-to-depart state schools superintendent Randy Dunn.

"In the meantime, there are steps that can be taken at the district level to ensure that programs are in place," Dunn said. "Whether the Title I school made AYP in 2005 will determine how the district prepares for the upcoming school year. Since it takes two consecutive years of making AYP to be removed from status, all Title I schools currently in federal improvement status that did not make AYP in 2005 will remain in improvement status and must offer choice options (if available) plus the services associated with last year's status, regardless of whether AYP is met in 2006," Dunn explained.

For example, a school currently required to offer school choice will at the very least remain in that status. However, if that school does not make AYP in 2006, it must offer school choice and Supplemental Education Services (SES). Even if it makes AYP it will remain in school choice status because it takes two consecutive years of making AYP to be removed from status.

District officials with Title I schools that are currently in federal improvement status that made AYP in 2005 should wait for 2006 AYP results before sending letters to parents and implementing programs, according to Dunn. If the school makes AYP in 2006 it will be removed from federal school improvement status. If the school does not make AYP in 2006, it will advance in status. At that point, the district should take all necessary actions to implement the new status, he said.

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Let IASB help you prepare for April 2007 election

The next election of school board members in Illinois will be held on Tuesday, April 17, 2007, which is later than usual because Passover in 2007 covers both the first and second Tuesdays in April. That means that the 2007 Consolidated Election, which includes the election of school board members, will be pushed back until the third Tuesday.

Although the State Board of Elections has not yet published a calendar of key dates and deadlines leading up to the 2007 Consolidated Election, some key dates have been calculated by IASB (although this list is unofficial) to help school board members and secretaries make plans. These tentative dates are now available online at IASB's Web site. Click on the link, "2007 Election Deadlines," about half-way down the page on the IASB home page, http://www.iasb.com.

IASB also recently mailed a packet of election materials to the board president, board secretary and superintendent in each member school district. The packet contained items of particular interest for the board secretary, including a 2006 Election Calendar, a checklist of the board secretary's duties and some other useful tools and information. Much of this material is also available on the IASB Web site: http://www.iasb.com. Additional packets are available by contacting Tammy Call at 217/528-9688, ext. 1108, or e-mail tcall@iasb.com.

In addition, IASB plans to mail out a kit to school leaders containing publications and materials about school board candidacy, including: election tips, the 2007 election calendar, a list of board secretary duties, a pamphlet on board service, articles about board elections, and publications on schools finance, state and local funding, the lottery, ethics, good governance, and a catalog of helpful IASB publications. IASB will also mail a tip sheet on recruiting candidates, a guide to planning workshops for candidates and new board members, and a sample news release to publicize such workshops.

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ACT scores: Illinois students improve fifth consecutive year

The average composite score on the ACT college entrance exam increased in Illinois for the fifth consecutive year, with a composite-score increase of two-tenths of a point, rising from 20.3 to 20.5.

This also was the fifth year that the ACT results for Illinois students have included the scores of all public school graduates, rather than just self-selected, college-bound students. Illinois and Colorado are the only two states to make the test mandatory. More than 137,000 Illinois high school graduates took the ACT this year.

"It is gratifying to see the success that both Colorado and Illinois have experienced in increasing academic achievement," said Richard L. Ferguson, ACT's chief executive officer. "These states have made strong efforts to ensure that more students are ready for the opportunity of a college education, and we are delighted to see those efforts paying off."

Of even greater significance, according to ACT officials, is the fact that students across all family income levels in Illinois and Colorado increased their achievement, on average. Similar increases across all income levels were not seen nationally, according to Ferguson.

"This is truly significant," said Ferguson. "What we're seeing in Illinois and Colorado is that all students are becoming better prepared for college and work, including those students from low-income families."

As a result of this success, more states will soon be following the lead of Illinois and Colorado. Michigan will begin administering the ACT as a statewide achievement exam in the spring of 2007, and Kentucky will be doing the same the following school year.

The ACT tests students' educational development in English, mathematics, reading and "science reasoning" on a scale of 1 to 36. The overall score is the average of test results in those four subjects.

Illinois students in 2006 scored 20.2 in English, 20.3 in math, 20.6 in reading, and 20.4 in science. That compares to last year's scores of 19.9 in English, 20.2 in math, 20.3 in reading and 20.4 in science.

The average ACT composite score for the U.S. high school graduating class of 2006 was 21.1, up from 20.9 last year. Scores were higher for both males and females, and for students across virtually all racial/ethnic groups.

The highest possible score is a 36. Of the 137,399 Illinois students who took the test, 33 posted a perfect 36.

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Feds reject Illinois proposal for subgroup changes

The U.S. Department of Education recently turned down Illinois' request for a significant change in its NCLB accountability plan — a change that would have made it easier for schools and school districts to show Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

The proposed change would have increased NCLB subgroup size from 45 students to 90 students.

As school leaders know, to make AYP under NCLB, schools and districts must meet achievement targets for each significant "subgroup" of students, such as minority group students, low-income students, or students with disabilities. Only subgroups large enough to produce reliable combined test scores are separately counted for AYP purposes.

"We feel it appropriate to request use of 90 as the state's subgroup number. We want to maintain a common-sense approach with schools and believe using a subgroup size of 90 is best for our schools …" State Superintendent of Education Randy Dunn stated.

But federal education officials disagree, noting that minimum subgroup size thresholds are intended to guard against statistical error. Before NCLB became law, researchers Douglas Staiger and Thomas Kane discovered that year-to-year scores in schools varied greatly, particularly in any one grade. One year's students often scored higher or lower than the previous year's class for reasons that had little to do with anything the school did. After some study, they concluded that measuring year-to-year changes among groups smaller than 67 would lead to misidentifying many schools as being subject to NCLB sanctions.

However, because NCLB penalizes schools that do not annually increase their scores sufficiently for every subgroup, measuring small subgroups makes it almost certain that schools will be labeled as failing for what are no more than normal fluctuations in scores. Professor Walt Haney, a professor at Boston College and Senior Research Associate in the Center for the Study of Testing Evaluation and Educational Policy, concluded in his own study that to ensure accuracy, group sizes should not be set below 100.

ISBE was notified on July 31st that the state agency's request to reduce the subgroup size had not been approved. Subgroup size standards vary among states. Currently no state uses a subgroup size as large as 90, and most use a size close to 45.

"We are disappointed because we felt the change would have made our Illinois plan for NCLB more workable," said state superintendent Dunn.

Illinois officials were able to secure federal approval for several amendments that could prove helpful for many schools, including:

• Expanded use of Confidence Intervals (CI) – A "confidence interval" is a statistical technique, somewhat like a margin of error in an opinion poll, that takes into account the natural fluctuations in test scores that occur due to measurement error and other factors unrelated to student learning.
• Backmapping - This is a process that will allow the state to use Grade 3 AYP to apply to Grade 2 feeder schools that end with Grade 2 (for instance, a K-2 primary building). Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, schools will no longer be using the Terra Nova exam or other such measures to assess students as they have for the past five years. The AYP decision for a K-2 school for 2006-07 and thereafter will be based on the third-grade assessment results of the receiving school.
• Continued use of a two percent proxy for scores of students with disabilities — Illinois used the U.S. Department of Education-allowed "2% proxy" in 2005. For schools not making AYP solely because the special education subgroup fails to have 47.5 percent meeting/exceeding standards, a specific percentage (based on a prescribed formula) will be added to the percent meeting/exceeding.

All the changes approved by federal officials will be in effect for this year's AYP calculations. The full list of changes is online at www.isbe.net/nclb.

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ISBE veteran will take interim post while search continues

The Illinois State Board of Education met on Aug. 10 with a private search firm – Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates – to begin seeking a permanent replacement for its state schools chief. Randy Dunn has resigned the top ISBE leadership post and will be taking the helm of Murray State University on Dec. 1.

Board interviews with candidates to replace Dunn as Illinois State Superintendent of Education are tentatively slated for February, with a final decision to be announced on Feb. 28.

The search firm is scheduled to meet with the state board to discuss input from all of these sessions during the week of October 9.

Other key dates listed on the tentative schedule include:

• Nov. 18 – Provide a progress report to the state board at IASB's Joint Annual Conference in Chicago;
• Week of Jan. 29 – Provide a seminar to the board on interview techniques and the final stages of the search process;
• After seminar, Week of Jan. 29 – Present a slate of candidates to the state board;
• Feb. 28 – Announce the appointment of a new state superintendent.

ISBE voted in August to name Christopher Koch, currently the agency's assistant superintendent for special education, as interim state superintendent when Dunn leaves in December.

Koch (pronounced "Cook") will act as state superintendent from Dec. 1 until Feb. 1, 2007, or a later date if the board decides to extend his tenure.

Koch has worked at ISBE since 1994. He was named director of special education in 2001 and served as chief education officer from 2002 to 2003. His previous experience as a special educator includes teaching experience in four different states.

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Adjustments made to pension law exemptions

On July 31, the governor signed SB 49 (Schoenberg, D-Evanston), a bill that makes adjustments to last year's teachers' pension law. Most of the changes are exemptions to the six percent salary increase limitation enacted last year. The bill became Public Act 94-1057, effective July 31, 2006. This new law:

• States that a school district reorganization constitutes a change in employment, exempting the salary from the six percent limitation;
• Gives the local school district an opportunity to dispute the TRS penalty calculation;
• Places a July 1, 2011, expiration date on the changes;
• Exempts from the six percent salary limitation "overload" work salary;
• Exempts from the six percent salary limitation salary increases from an in-district promotion that requires a change in certificates;
• Exempts from the six percent salary limitation salary paid to a teacher when the teacher is 10 or more years from retirement eligibility;
• Exempts from the six percent salary limitation salary paid to a teacher from the state over which the school district has no discretion (Master Teacher stipend);
• Requires TRS to prepare a report that gives details of the costs and payments of the program; and
• Gives school districts 90 days (instead of 30 days) to pay the contribution to TRS. A school district may go beyond 90 days (up to 3 years) to make the payment, but would be assessed an 8 ½ percent interest charge by TRS. These extensions of the 30-day time limit originally contained in the law were pushed by the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance in order to give school districts more financial flexibility. "It's a better law now," said Ben Schwarm.

The governor also signed an Open Meetings Act-related bill — SB 585 (Cullerton, D-Chicago) — into law. It amended the definition of "meeting" to be "any gathering, whether in person or by video or audio conference, telephone call, electronic means (such as, without limitation, electronic mail, electronic chat, and instant messaging), or other means of contemporaneous interactive communication, of a majority of a quorum of the members of a public body held for the purpose of discussing public business."

It also requires that a quorum of the public body be physically present at all meetings, unless the body has statewide jurisdiction. It permits a public body by rule or policy to allow a member to attend a meeting by video or audio means, provided a quorum is physically present. The bill became Public Act 94-1058, effective January 1, 2007.

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Group criticizes state's 'qualified' teacher plan

Illinois has developed a plan to direct qualified teachers to the classrooms of the state's poorest students, but a national special interest group charged on Aug. 10 that the state's plan falls short.

The Education Trust — which in the past has been accused of blaming educators for not solving America's larger social problems — examined "teacher equity" plans in all states and found most of them insufficient, in terms of both solutions and documentation of the problem. The problem, according to Education Trust, is that poor and minority students are concentrated in classrooms with the weakest teachers.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was established, in part, to remedy this by requiring that all core classes be taught by "highly qualified" teachers. That provision of the law is intended to make certain that minority students and children in poverty are not disproportionately taught by inexperienced teachers who are not qualified in those subject areas. States were required to submit "teacher equity" plans to the feds in July.

"In most states, there is more conversation than action," said Ross Wiener, Education Trust policy director. "It's hard to believe we're four years into this law with so little creativity and courage."

But Illinois has taken steps to improve. A survey will enable the state to find teacher shortage areas at individual schools next year, according to Linda Jamali, a top education administrator in the state. Illinois already has data on low-income schools with high concentrations of teachers who aren't highly qualified, and is targeting some help to such schools, Jamali said.

The state plan also told the feds about Illinois' "Grow Your Own Teacher" program, which supports community members and parents in becoming teachers in hard-to-staff schools. Illinois also has a mentoring program for principals in needy schools and wants to study the idea of "performance pay" for teachers.

The state believes these plans and programs will adequately address the problem because they address key issues, such as quality professional development, and highly qualified teacher deployment to target schools.

But Education Trust found fault with the state plan because they say it does not provide enough specific strategies to balance the distribution of highly qualified and experienced teachers.

The Education Trust report, "Teaching Inequality," is available online at http://www2.edtrust.org.

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It's time for fall division meeting season

DuPage Division, Sept. 20
Lake Park High School East Campus,
Roselle - 6 p.m.

Program: A panel of experts will lead a discussion on school and business partnerships: What can schools and business learn from each other? How can schools prepare students for success? How can schools partner with business to boost quality learning? How can school boards provide leadership for successfully linking with community businesses? What are 21st Century skills and how can they best be imparted?

Illini Division, Sept. 26
Villa Grove CUSD 302 - 6:30 - 9 p.m.

Program: Legislative Candidate Forum. It's an election year. Come meet the candidates for each of the nearby house and senate district seats. Those invited to participate include: Senator: Dale Righter; Representatives: Shane Cultra, Roger Eddy, Naomi Jakobsson and Chapin Rose, as well as Candidates: Rex Bradfield, Michael Frerichs and Judith Myers. Chat and network informally with the candidates before and during dinner, and learn more about their positions on educational issues at the forum. Bring your questions and concerns. Deanna Sullivan, Director, Governmental Relations, IASB, will facilitate.

North Cook Division, Sept. 27
Rosewood, Rosemont - 6 p.m.

Program: "Minority student achievement; How school boards can meet the challenge," featuring Dr. Lourdes Ferrer, assessment specialist, CHSD 94, West Chicago. Ferrer has advanced degrees in research, measurement, evaluation, and leadership. She is a dynamic speaker and passionate about her work. Her own experience of using education as a way out of poverty and significant international, multi-cultural experience gives her a perspective and authority commanding our attention. Components to be explored: 1) needs assessment; 2) staff development; 3) student motivation; 4) community outreach; 5) cultural proficiency. For more on Ferrer's work visit: www.drlourdes.net.

Southwestern Division, Sept. 28
Alton CUSD 11 - 5:30 p.m.

Shawnee Division, Oct. 2
Marion CUSD 2 - 6:30 – 9 p.m.

Egyptian Division, Oct. 3
Ashley CCSD 15 - 6:30 – 9 p.m.

Kishwaukee Division, Oct. 4,
Genoa Kingston High School,
Genoa - 6 p.m.

Abe Lincoln Division, Oct. 5,
Edinburg CUSD 4 - 5:30 p.m.

Blackhawk Division, Oct. 17,
Erie CUSD 1 - 6 p.m. - Dinner

Corn Belt Division, Oct. 18,
Olympia CUSD 16,
Stanford - 6 p.m. - Dinner

Two Rivers Division, Oct. 24,
Franklin CUSD 1 - 5:30 p.m.

Western Division, Oct. 24,
Avon CUSD 176 - 6 p.m. - Dinner

Central IL Valley Division, Oct. 25,
Dunlap CUSD 323 - 6 p.m. - Dinner

Kaskaskia Division, Oct. 26,
Hillsboro CUSD 3 - 5:30 Registration

Lake County Division, Oct. 30,
North Chicago High School - 6:30 p.m.

West Cook Division, October 30,
Elmcrest, Elmwood Park - 6 p.m.
Registration

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RECENT IASB MAILINGS

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IASB regularly sends informational materials to all member districts. Here is a list of such items recently mailed to representatives of your district. For more information about any item, contact your board president or district superintendent or get in touch with IASB.

Professional Advancement Seminar brochure, 8/16/06 to district superintendents.

Postcard reminder: IASB's school calendar available online, not in hard copies, 8/23/06 to board presidents and district superintendents.

Survey from lieutenant governor on ISBE services, 8/25/06 to board presidents.

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DEVELOPMENTS IN SCHOOL LAW

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By Melinda Selbee, General Counsel, IASB

Board role in reporting child abuse, neglect

Every state has a law requiring teachers to report child abuse or neglect. These laws identify the people who, based on their regular contact with children, must report suspected child abuse or neglect to a state agency. In Illinois, the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act's long list of mandated reporters includes school personnel (including administrators and both certified and non-certified school employees).

An amendment to the Act gives individual school board members new responsibilities. It requires that "[i]f an allegation is raised to a school board member during the course of an open or closed school board meeting that a child who is enrolled in the school district...is an abused child as defined in Section 3 of this Act, the member shall direct or cause the school board to direct the superintendent of the school district or other equivalent school administrator to comply with the requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of child abuse." 325 ILCS 5/4, amended by P.A. 94-888, eff. 6/20/06.

Board members do not typically have the relationship to children that makes them obvious leaders in the battle against child abuse. The role of school board member does not necessarily require the individual to counsel or provide medical services to children, teach them, or otherwise attend to children. So what can board members do to help? The answer is "plenty."

School board members can battle child abuse through their trustee and policy-making functions. Most boards have adopted a school district philosophy or mission statement that includes promoting a caring environment in which all children can learn and grow. Creating a pro-child expectation and providing the necessary tools are important board work. This is done, at least in part, by adopting policies prohibiting harassment and promoting civility, and monitoring those policies' implementation and effectiveness. By valuing staff adherence with child welfare laws, such as the Reporting Act, boards encourage compliance. Finally, by never tolerating sexual misconduct by a staff member, boards help battle child abuse. While the new legislation is limited in scope, it serves to remind board members to remain vigilant in performing their vital work.

School personnel and board members should not fear that complying with the Reporting Act will expose them to liability. The Act grants broad immunities against civil and criminal claims when a person acts in good faith. 325 ILCS 5/9. However, anyone who knowingly transmits a false report to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) commits a criminal offense.

The failure to comply with the Reporting Act carries several possible sanctions. First, the Act provides criminal sanctions for "knowingly and willfully" violating it. Second, a child-victim may have a viable negligence or civil rights action against an individual whose violation of the Act caused injury to the child...Doe v. Dimovski and Westmont Senior High School, 783 N.E.2d 193 (Ill.App.3d, 2003).

Every board member should take some time to understand his or her new responsibilities and the reporting requirements generally. The Act gives school personnel and school board members different responsibilities triggered by different events. Below is a framework to help board members understand their new responsibilities:

1. Understand when you have a duty to act. A board member must act "[i]f an allegation is raised to a school board member during the course of an open or closed school board meeting that a child who is enrolled in the school district of which he or she is a board member is an abused child as defined in Section 3 of this Act."

School personnel, as mandated reporters, have a duty to act whenever they have a "reasonable cause to believe a child known to them in their professional or official capacity may be an abused child or a neglected child." A board member, however, has a duty to act whenever he or she hears or receives an allegation of child abuse during a board meeting. While an allegation of neglect alone will not trigger a duty to act, a board member should consider asking the superintendent or administrator to investigate his or her responsibility to report.

Determining what is an "allegation" should be based on common sense, that is, what would a reasonable person believe? A board member should not try to determine whether the "allegation" is meritorious. Making a mistake will not lead to liability because of the immunity granted by the Act.

2. Understand what you have a duty to do. When required to act, the law mandates that a board member direct the superintendent or equivalent administrator to comply with the Reporting Act concerning mandatory child abuse reporting. In addition, a board member may make a report directly to DCFS if he or she suspects that a child may be an abused child or a neglected child.

In a very unusual move, the legislature granted each school board member the authority "in his or her individual capacity" to direct the superintendent or other equivalent administrator to comply with the child abuse reporting law. Thus a board vote is unnecessary. But grandstanding is also unnecessary – a board member should simply direct the superintendent during the board meeting, a recess, or after the meeting. If the alleged abuser is a staff member, the board member will have to keep an open mind until the school district, DCFS, and/or law enforcement investigations are completed. Finally, a board member should always keep information about a student confidential.

3. Understand the definition of an "abused child." The Act contains a definition of "abused child"...[at 325 ILCS 5/3]. A child is defined as a person under the age of 18 years. Under the Act, the person who is allegedly the abuser must be the child's "parent or immediate family member, or any person responsible for the child's welfare, or any individual residing in the same home as the child, or a paramour of the child's parent." The statutory definition of "person responsible for the child's welfare" includes school personnel...

4. Monitor your school board policies and re-commit your district to strict compliance with the Reporting Act. Each board should have a policy on mandated reporting. Other policies also play a significant part in the battle against child abuse. These include policies containing a district's philosophy or mission, guaranteeing equal educational opportunities, prohibiting harassment of students, and requiring professional conduct. Board members who wish to re-commit to strict compliance with the Act should encourage annual staff development sessions on the topic, and consider attending them.

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NEWS HEADLINES

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Carpentersville (July 30, Elgin Courier News) District 300, two local villages and a land developer are fighting in court over who will control 1,200 acres of land. The district needs the land to construct a new elementary school and is concerned about the economic impact of a lawsuit-induced delay.

Chicago (Aug. 15, Chicago Tribune) A new U.S. District Court decree eliminates, for the first time in 26 years, the need for Chicago schools to answer to the federal government about how it spends money on school integration.

Chicago (Aug. 14, Chicago Tribune) Officials with Chicago District 299 report that 10,500 homeless students were enrolled this year, compared with 3,500 in 2000. But improved reporting could account for some of the difference.

DeKalb (Aug. 16, DeKalb Daily Chronicle) The DeKalb board wants to see a proposed student survey from a community group, looking to avoid asking any questions the students may not be able to handle. Questions about alcohol use, violence, drug use and sexual activity may be included in the survey, which, sponsors say, is intended to help protect children from high-risk behaviors.

Granville (July 18, The News Tribune, La Salle) Granville village advocates make a pitch to the Putnam County School Board to rebuild Hopkins Elementary School in Granville. The group favors the rebuilding of the school — not in use since a 2004 tornado severely damaged it — over building an addition onto the Hennepin school building, another option being considered by the board.

Grayslake (July 27, The Daily Herald, Arlington Heights) To ensure civility among visitors to a charter school trustees meeting, a sergeant-at-arms is named for the first time to oversee public comment and to kick out anyone deemed to be breaking the rules.

Huntley (July 31, The Daily Herald, Arlington Heights) Huntley Unit District 158 board members consider approving an intense audit of the district's books. But some board members express concerns about the cost, which could range from $20,000 to $100,000, depending upon the complexity of the audit.

Lockport (July 31, Joliet Herald News) The high school will hold a graduation ceremony for a few hundred students in January, thus freeing crucial space for the much larger commencement in June 2007.

Machesney Park (Aug. 18, Rockford Register Star) School administrators tell the school board the district's school security efforts are effective, including the use of resource officers who patrol the local middle schools, and staff police officers who patrol the high schools.

Peoria (July 25, The Journal Star) District 150 will cut its cosmetology program to save money, the school board decides. Also, the board approved partial implementation of a student assessment system at six schools. The program, called "Tungsten Learning," will be provided by Edison Schools Inc., and will cost the district about $73,850.

Peru (July 26, The News Tribune, La Salle) Peru's city council receives a petition from about 300 citizens requesting that the municipality "reject the Peru Industrial Park TIF district, as a plan to divert our tax dollars to the city would hurt the ability of our schools to provide quality education without seeking an increase in taxes." An hour earlier the TIF joint review board essentially voted to give preliminary approval to the TIF.

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NEWS FROM ISBE

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Nominations sought for 2006 Burroughs Award

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is seeking nominations of local board presidents for the Thomas Lay Burroughs Award for the State's Outstanding School Board President. The deadline to receive nominations is Oct. 13.

Created in memory of the late ISBE chairman, the award is presented each November at the Joint Annual Conference. This year, the conference will be held on Nov. 17-19, and the award will be presented on Sunday morning, Nov. 19.

• Leadership on behalf of improved student learning and educational excellence,
• Leadership on behalf of equal educational opportunities, and
• Leadership in resolving a crisis or major difficulty.

For more information, phone ISBE's Jean Ladage or Marsha Moffett at 217/557-6626. Nominations may be sent via FAX to Ladage at 217/785-3972 or via email to: jladage@isbe.net.

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38 districts win arts and foreign language grants

ISBE, in partnership with the Illinois Arts Council, recently awarded grants totaling more than $1.1 million to 38 school districts across Illinois to strengthen their arts education and foreign language programs.

The funding, appropriated in last year's state budget, will assist districts in launching a planning process to develop curricula. The grants range in size from $12,000 to $40,000, depending on the size of the district, the scope of the program, and the level of planning required.

Receiving funding were districts from Chicago to Mount Vernon.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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October 2 – Yom Kippur

October 2 – Shawnee Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Marion CUSD 2, 6:30-9 p.m.

October 3 – Egyptian Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Ashley CCSD 15, 6:30-9 p.m.

October 4 – Kishwaukee Division Dinner Meeting, Genoa Kingston High School, Genoa, 6 p.m.

October 5 – Abe Lincoln Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Edinburg CUSD 4, 5:30 p.m.

October 15-17 – Illinois Principals Association Annual Convention, Springfield

October 17 – Blackhawk Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Erie CUSD 1, 6 p.m.

October 18 – Corn Belt Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Olympia CUSD 16, Stanford, 6 p.m., Dinner

October 18-19 – ISBE Board Meeting, Lockport Township High School

October 24 – Two Rivers Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Franklin CUSD 1, 5:30 p.m.

October 24 – Western Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Avon CUSD 176, 6 p.m., Dinner

October 25 – Central IL Valley Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Dunlap CUSD 323, 6 p.m., Dinner

October 26 – Kaskaskia Division Fall Meeting, Hillsboro CUSD 3, 5:30 Registration

October 30 – Lake County Division Dinner Meeting, North Chicago High School, 6:30 p.m.

October 30 – West Cook Division Fall Meeting, Elmcrest, Elmwood Park

For more information about coming events, see the IASB Web site at www.iasb.com/calendar/

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