SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois State Board of Education has announced the following meeting for February 21 via video-conference.  All State Board of Education meetings listed on this agenda will be accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons planning to attend who need special accommodations should contact the Board office no later than the date prior to the meeting. Contact the Superintendent’s office at the State Board of Education, Phone: 217-782-2221; TTY/TDD: 217-782-1900; Fax: 217-785-3972. 

Chairman Chico may call for a break in the meeting as necessary in order for the Board to go into closed session. 

State Board of Education Special Meeting via video conference

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 

9 a.m.

Chicago Location:   ISBE Video Conference Room, James R. Thompson Center, 14^th Floor

100 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL

Springfield Location: ISBE Video Conference Room, 3^rd Floor

100 N. First Street, Springfield, IL

This meeting will also be audio cast on the Internet at:  www.isbe.net

 AGENDA

   I.Roll Call/Pledge of Allegiance

A.   Consideration of and Possible Actions on Any Requests for Participation in Meeting by Other Means

II.Public Participation  

III.Resolutions & Recognition 

IV.  *Superintendent’s Report – Consent Agenda

All action consideration items listed with an asterisk (*) are considered to be routine and will be enacted in one motion and vote.  Any board member who wishes separate discussion on any item listed on the consent agenda may remove that item from the consent agenda, in which event, the item will be considered in its normal sequence. 

A.   *Approval of Minutes:

1.   Plenary Minutes: January 26, 2012

2.   Education Policy Planning Committee:  January 25, 2012

3.   Finance & Audit Committee:  January 25, 2012

4.   Governmental Relations Committee:  January 26, 2012

B.   *Rules for Initial Review

1.   Part 226 (Special Education)

2.   Part 475 (Contested Cases and other Formal Hearings) REPEAL

3.   Part 475 (Contested Cases and other Formal Hearings) NEW PART

4.   Part 485 (Appeal Proceedings before the State Teacher Certification Board) REPEAL

C.   *Contracts and Grants Over $1 Million

1.   Contract Renewal:  NCS Pearson, Inc. for Administration of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT)

2.   Contract Renewal:  NCS Pearson, Inc. for Illinois Alternate Assessment (IAA)

3.   Contract Renewal:  NCS Pearson, Inc. for Development of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT)

4.   Contract Renewal:  ACT, Inc. for Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE), EXPLORE and PLAN Assessments

D.  *Spring 2012 Waiver Report

End of Consent Agenda

E.   The New Teacher Project – Unit Recognition

F.    ESEA Flexibility Waiver

G.   Rules for Adoption

1.   Part 50 (Evaluation of Certified Employees under Articles 24A and 34 of the School Code)

  V.  Discussion Items

A.    Legislative Update

B.    District Oversight – (verbal update)

C.    Open Meetings Act Training (verbal discussion)

D.    Other Items for Discussion

VI.    Announcements

A.    IBHE Liaison Report (Dr. Proshanta Nandi)

B.    P-20 Council Liaison Report (Joyce Karon)

C.    Superintendent’s/Senior Staff Announcements

D.    Chairman’s Report

E.    Member Reports

VII.  Information Items

A.   ISBE Fiscal & Administrative Monthly Reports (available online at www.isbe.net/board/fiscal_admin_rep.htm 

VIII.  Closed Session (as needed)

IX.    Reconvene (No action will be taken following closed session, other than to adjourn the meeting.)

X.    Adjourn

(Reprint from ReMARCs, by Marc H. Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League) 

The National Urban League and Corinthian Colleges Inc. this week announced a $1 million partnership to create the Urban Empowered College Bound Program, an education initiative that will help people who did not finish high school to earn a GED.
 
The Urban Empowered College Bound Program will enable National Urban League to strengthen and coordinate GED programs being offered by its local affiliates around the country.  Beginning July 1, the Corinthian grant also will enable National Urban League affiliates in Pittsburgh, PA and Orlando, FL to expand their successful GED programs to serve more than 200 students.
 
We at the National Urban League have focused our mission of economic empowerment on guiding young people toward the skills they need for career success in the 21^st Century. Students who earn their GED have a better chance of completing postsecondary education, gaining full-time employment and earning higher salaries than those who do not. Corinthian has a long history of preparing students for careers in demand and of giving every student an equal opportunity to succeed.
 
Corinthian Chairman and CEO Jack Massimino said, “Both the National Urban League and Corinthian understand that education is the key to economic success and a better life.  For the 29 million Americans who don’t have a high school diploma, earning a GED is an essential first step.  Both our organizations help hundreds of people take that first step every year.  We’re proud to help the National Urban League do even more of this life-changing work.”
 
The Urban Empowered College Bound Program will be planned and overseen by the National Urban League, and managed and delivered by the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and the Central Florida Urban League.  The affiliates will work closely with local Corinthian Colleges campuses to identify and enroll interested and qualified students.  The Program’s first classes are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2012.

Author’s own memory offers testimony of court ordered formidable task

Shoals, AL (BlackNews.com) — Dr. Brandon Sparkman’s Called to Jackson, Mississippi: The Last Bastion of Segregation: a Historical Documentary, (published by iUniverse 2011), is a narrative of the excruciating execution of integration in Jackson schools. Written by the man who was superintendant of schools during that period, Sparkman’s narrative is clear, cogent, concise and intriguing.

The Civil Rights movement, from 1950 to 1980, witnessed the greatest conflict and turmoil America has known since the Civil War. The heart of this conflict centered on integration of public schools. Called to Jackson, Mississippi: The Last Bastion of Segregation is a three-year snapshot of this struggle that changed America forever.

Jackson, Mississippi, in 1970, was the last place Sparkman would have chosen to work, but an anonymous threatening letter lured him there. Sparkman recalls his quest to ensure a quality education for all students in Jackson, and to save the schools from complete chaos and destruction during the height of desegregation.

His book details how he regularly faced rebellious communities, hostile parents, disruptive students, defiant elected officials, unreasonable judges and the Ku Klux Klan. It describes how he confronted the most hated white man in Mississippi, how he courageously took the governor of the state to court while dismantling the last bastion of segregated schools. He accomplished this despite interference from his own assistants.

Presenting a firsthand account of an important pivotal moment in American history, Sparkman takes his readers behind-the-scenes of political maneuvering, clandestine meetings with adversaries, a face-to-face encounter with the Klan, and other personal and intriguing recollections.

The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at iUniverse.com (http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000469153/Called-to-Jackson-Mississippi-The-Last-Bastion-of-Segregation.aspx)

About the Author
Brandon Sparkman spent 35 years in public education serving as teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent in Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina. He is also a writer, speaker, consultant and adjunct professor. Semi-retired, he and his wife, Anne, live in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He can be contacted at buster14@charter.net

Sparkman is the former owner and CEO of an educational publishing company, and holds more than 125 publications in various trade books, magazines and instructional training materials.

Copies may be purchased, or ordered, through local booksellers, on-line retailers, or the publisher. It is available in hardcover, soft cover and ebook editions.

Photo Caption: Bookcover

Seventeen districts receive grants totaling nearly $872,000 to improve student opportunities 

SPRINGFIELD, IL —The Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Arts Council Wednesday announced they have awarded nearly $872,000 to 17 school districts across the state for Arts and Foreign Language (AFL) Assistance Grants. In addition to general state education funds, these competitive state grants aim to support arts and foreign language programming in the classroom.

“These grants help districts promote a well-rounded education through arts and foreign language programming,” said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. “They are developing innovative programs that can be shared and perhaps replicated in other schools across the state.”

The AFL program, established in 2006, helps Illinois public school districts, public university laboratory schools, charter schools and area vocational schools with the development, maintenance, or enhancement of curricular programs in the Arts or Foreign Language. Funding is available for up to four years; one year of program planning and three years of program implementation.

A panel of experts in foreign language and the arts reviewed 39 new planning and implementation proposals before awarding 10 grants totaling $516,775. Another seven districts were awarded $355,123 in continued AFL implementation funding for Fiscal Year 2012. 

District plans range from using funds to establish a choral program to expanding a Chinese immersion program. The winning districts are listed below:

CHICAGO, IL – African American students are driving positive academic change in some public schools nationwide, says Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, national education consultant and author of the newly released There Is Nothing Wrong With Black Students. In fact, Black students in more than 3,000 schools are performing well above the national average.

There are eight million African American students nationwide: 7.5 million attend public schools, 400,000 attend private schools, and 100,000 are homeschooled. Of the 7.5 million public school students, 90 percent (6.75 million) attend regular schools, and ten percent attend accelerated magnet schools. Kunjufu spotlights the great strides being made in some regular public schools because he says, “This marginalized population has been the most neglected. I want all children to succeed, but I focus on the 6.75 million African American children in regular public schools because they lack both choice and a voice.”

Kunjufu, who logs several days a week working with schools in some of the most underserved communities nationwide, says educators at the forefront of change are modeling innovative approaches, including:

• Culturally relevant curriculum design and Africentric charter schools
• Single gender classrooms and schools
• Improved teacher quality
• Pedagogy adapted to the learning styles of students
• Strong academic leadership from principals
• Block scheduling and attention to time on task.

Illustrating the goal of academic parity, Kunjufu says there is virtually no racial gap between Black and White homeschooled students. In grades K-12, both groups scored, on average, in the 87th percentile in reading. In math, Whites scored in the 82nd percentile while Blacks scored in the 77th percentile.

Two of the great turnaround stories in African American male education have occurred in single gender schools. Kunjufu says Eagles Academy (New York) and Urban Prep (Chicago) are outstanding schools that bring out the full potential of this population. Eagles students consistently outperform their peers in state-wide exams. Urban Prep has the distinction of all of their graduates being accepted into four-year colleges.

African American charter schools, notable for their use of Africentric curricula, have produced a 1.5 percent or greater annual increase in academic achievement. An 80 percent or higher graduation rate is the norm at these schools.

“When they have the same access to a quality education as their peers in private schools, home schools, and wealthy public schools, Black students are well able to overcome any challenge,” says Kunjufu.

There Is Nothing Wrong offers educational models of excellence, resources, best practices, and hope for educators who are dedicated to improving academic outcomes for Black students.

For additional information, contact 1-800-552-1991, Fax# (708) 672-0466. P.O. Box 1799, Chicago Heights, IL 60412. Website: http://www.africanamericanimages.com, Email: customersvc@africanamericanimages.com.

Historical Black History Day: City of Dallas to host “Love for a Black Brotha” Educational Symposium, February 17,  2012

10,000 Strong as One will kick off “Love for a Black Brotha,” an educational symposium, at the news conference. Invited guests include local community leaders, educators and artists.

Dallas, TX (BlackNews.com) — The city of Dallas will become the first city to host a powerful educational symposium called “Love for a Black Brotha” – a historical new holiday to uplift education, love and honor. The program utilizes the history of Black men of the past to the present, to connect with today’s African American boys by using a strategy of mirroring, founded by Sistah Shabazz.

The actual event will be held on Friday, February 17, 2012, 11am – 9:30pm, at the African American Museum, 3536 Grand Ave, Dallas, TX 75210 (In Fair Park). An honorary ceremony at noon will also be held to honor Dr. Robinson, John Wiley Price, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson and others.

Nationally certified school psychologist, Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson, will present a highly acclaimed educational workshop from 2pm – 3:30pm for Dallas ISD educators and community educators. The theme is “Changing Behavior Without Drugs: Effective Behavior Modification Strategies for the Classroom & Home and Navigating the World of Special Education Successful Tips & Strategies for Parents.”

10,000 Strong as One created this day to inspire and educate families on the importance of how Love is an inspiration to education.

Love for a Black Brotha Day will feature a consortium of Black businesses working as one: Vendors, Dallas’ Bandan Koro: African Dance and Drum Ensemble, Love Expressions, Health Services, Righteous Foods, Town Hall Meeting for Brothas Only.

$10 donation, www.loveforablackbrotha.com / Door

ITINERARY FOR FEBRUARY 17, 2012

Part 1
11:00am Museum Tour
12:00pm Luncheon & Noon Honor Ceremony
2:00-3:30pm (1.5 hours Educational Workshop for Educator)

Part 2 – Community Festival @ African American Museum 3536 Grand Ave. Dallas, TX 75210 (In Fair Park)
4:00pm Doors Open – Introduction of Vendors
6:00pm Welcome, Mission – Jam Session
6:30pm Opening, Award acknowledgement and Introduction of guest speaker
7:00pm Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson
8:15pm Love Expressions
8:30pm Talk It Out (Brothas Only)
9:30pm Love Dance
For more information, contact:
Sistah Shabazz
214-329-8214
soulsistahshabazz@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/LoveforaBlackBrotha

Press Conference will be held February 14, 2012 at 11am at the African American Museum, 3536 Grand Ave, Dallas, TX 75210 (In Fair Park)

Illinois Moves Closer to AP Equity and Excellence for Latino Students; Number of Latino graduates taking AP courses quadrupled over the past 10 years

SPRINGFIELD, IL – A record number of Illinois students took AP exams in 2011, bumping Latino students’ participation rates to an all-time high and moving the state closer to equity among this student population. The number of Latino graduates taking AP courses has quadrupled in the last decade, according to ‘The 8^th Annual AP Report to the Nation.’  The percentage of Illinois graduates completing more than one AP exam has more than doubled since 2001, and the percentage of seniors posting a successful score on these rigorous exams has increased by 7.5 percent since 2001.

“We have made significant strides during the past decade in Illinois, increasing the number of students taking AP classes and scoring well on AP exams,” said State Superintendent Christopher A. Koch. “I expect these gains to continue for all students as we implement Illinois’ internationally-benchmarked learning standards and better monitor student progress over time.”

Illinois ranks in the upper half of the nation in 2011 for the number of high school seniors – 18.5 percent – who scored a 3 or higher on an AP exam. In addition, participation among all categories – by gender, ethnicity and economic class – increased in Illinois as schools implement new, more rigorous college and career-ready standards.

“Reaching equity among our Latino students is an important step in closing the achievement gap and better preparing students to succeed,” said State Board Chairman Gery J. Chico. “We must provide rigorous opportunities for all students, regardless of race, ethnicity or zip code to continue Illinois’ economic vitality in the future.”

Illinois ranked 15^th in the nation for having the greatest percent of seniors posting a 3 or higher, which studies have shown is predictive of college success and college graduation. The percentage of Illinois students reaching that benchmark has increased by 7.5 percentage points since 2001 when 11 percent of students scored a 3 or higher.  Nearly 30 percent of all high school seniors in the Class of 2011 took at least one AP exam during high school, compared to 20.5 percent in 2006 and 15 percent in 2001.

More of Illinois’ traditionally underserved public high school graduates are participating and succeeding in AP. Research shows that minority and low-income students who earn a 3 or higher on an AP exam are more likely than their peers to earn higher degrees in college and a college degree within five years of enrolling. Some highlights regarding Illinois’ progress toward achieving equity and excellence for its students include:

·         15.1 percent of graduates were Hispanic/Latino, and 13.1 percent of successful AP students from the Class of 2011 were Hispanic/Latino. The number of Latino students who took at least one AP exam during high school more than doubled, from 2,864 in 2006 to 6,246 in 2011. The number of these students who scored a three or higher on at least one AP exam nearly doubled, from 1,630 to 3,213 during that time.

·         The number of Black/African American students who took at least one AP Exam during high school more than doubled, from 2,092 in 2006 to 4,686 in 2011, and the number of these students who scored 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam nearly doubled, from 544 to 1,044.

·         The number of low-income students who took at least one AP Exam during high school more than doubled, from 4,038 in the class of 2006 to 10,273 in the class of 2011. The number of these students who scored 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam also more than doubled, from 1,565 to 3,894 during that time.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) adopted the more rigorous, internationally-benchmarked Common Core Standards in English and mathematics in 2010, and school districts are in the process of implementing those standards in classroom curriculum. Last year, Illinois was named a lead state in a collaborative development of new science standards to be drafted within the next year.  Illinois is also one of 11 states serving on the governing board of the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). The new online assessments, which will be better aligned to the state standards, will be ready for states to administer in the 2014-15 school year.

 Other highlights of the 8th annual AP Report to the Nation: 

·         Nearly 12 percent of students scored a 3 or higher on the AP Social Science Exam, making it the exam with the greatest number of Illinois students achieving a successful score.

·         The most popular AP exam in Illinois for the graduating class of 2011 was U.S. History with 13,390  tests taken compared to Chemistry with 4,212 tests taken.

·         The 8^th Annual Report to the Nation features Whitney M. Young Magnet School in Chicago and AP Calculus teacher Matthew Moran. Nationally, 202,725 public high school graduates took AP Calculus AB in 2010-11. In Illinois, 2,732 test takers reported Calculus AB exam scores to higher education institutions last school year.

 SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois State Board of Education has announced several changes to its upcoming meeting schedule.

This month’s meeting will take place at 9 a.m. Feb. 21. The one-day meeting will be conducted via video-conference in the Springfield and Chicago offices.

Next month’s meeting will take place March 21 in Springfield.

This fall, the October meeting will take place Oct. 29-30 in the Chicago area.

Additional meeting dates and details are listed below:

NOTE: State Board of Education two-day committee/plenary sessions are held in the 4th Floor Board Room at 100 North First Street, Springfield, Illinois. 

When the State Board of Education plenary session is scheduled in conjunction with committee meetings, the plenary session will typically be held at 9:30 a.m. on the second day of each two-day meeting cycle

On dates when one-day meetings are held via video-conference, the meeting will typically begin at 10:30 a.m.

Please watch for the meeting posting for a possible change in the start time of these regular meetings.

Study group will develop policy recommendations on the use of technology in classrooms across the country

SPRINGFIELD, IL — The Illinois State Board of Education announced today that two Board members have been selected to serve at the national level for a study group on the expanding use of technology in K-12 education.

Dr. Vinni M. Hall and Lanita J. Koster were selected by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) to serve on the year-long study group “The Role of Technology in Schools and Communities.”

“It is vital that we have a presence at the national level on important issues shaping the face of education, including the ever-changing role of technology in our schools,” said Gery J. Chico, Chairman of the Board. “I would like to congratulate my colleagues on the State Board of Education.”

The NASBE study group will prepare a comprehensive report after meeting with other board members, researchers and policy analysts to examine the impact of technology on teaching and standards, as well as the social and emotional health of students in relation to technology. Policy recommendations will include how to best use technology to personalize teaching and learning for all students, preparing students for computer-based assessments, developing student’s media literacy and sense of responsibility when using digital tools, and increasing a teacher’s skill at using technology in the classroom.

Dr. Vinni M. Hall of Chicago, who serves as Board Secretary, was first appointed to the State Board of Education in September 2004. She brings years of education experience, in both instruction and administration, to the State Board of Education. Dr. Hall has served as a consultant to Chicago Public Schools and the Illinois Center for Education and Rehabilitation. Dr. Hall also served as an Associate Professor/Special Education Chair at Chicago State University and Director of the Inclusive Schools Project for Chicago Public Schools. She began her teaching career at CPS in 1967.

Lanita J. Koster of Chicago was appointed to the State Board of Education in May 2008. Koster brings more than 35 years of Illinois educational experience to the Illinois State Board of Education. Most recently, she served as the educational issues director for the Illinois Federation of Teachers. She began her career as a school social worker in East Aurora School District 131.

NASBE is a nonprofit association based in Arlington, Va., that represents state and territorial boards of education. For more information, visit http://www.nasbe.org.

The State Board of Education consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate. The board sets educational policies and guidelines for public and private schools, preschool through grade 12, as well as vocational education. It analyzes the aims, needs and requirements of education and recommends legislation to the General Assembly and Governor for the benefit of the more than 2 million schoolchildren in Illinois.