Illinois State Board of Education Policy Planning Committee met Feb. 1.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
I. Roll Call
Chairperson Susie Morrison brought the meeting to order at 12:32 p.m. Roll call was taken, and a quorum was present with three members. Chairperson Morrison made the declaration, “An in-person meeting is not practical or prudent because of a disaster. Physical presence for the meeting is unfeasible due to the disaster.” All attendees joined via phone. She verified that each member could hear one another and follow the discussion, and that they were able to testify.
Committee Members Present
Chairperson Susie Morrison (virtual)
Dr. Donna Leak (virtual)
Jaime Guzman (virtual)
Other Board Members Present
None
Staff Present
Dr. Carmen I. Ayala, State Superintendent
Kirsten Parr, Board Services Coordinator
Kim Clarke, Executive Assistant to the State Superintendent
Dr. Brenda Dixon, Research and Evaluation Officer
Carisa Hurley, Director of Early Childhood
Christine Paxson, Director of ESSA/IL-EMPOWER
Dr. Dana Kinley, Executive Director of Systems of Support
Dr. Erica Thieman, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Ernesto Matias, Education Officer
Dr. Jason Helfer, Deputy Instructional Education Officer
Dr. Jennifer Kirmes, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Jennifer Saba, Executive Director of Regional Services
Krish Mohip, Deputy Operational Education Officer
Marci Johnson, Director of CTE and Innovation
Martin McGreal, Director of District/School Leadership
Oriana Wilson, Executive Director of Programs
Robert Wolfe, Financial Officer
Tassi Maton, Internal Audit Officer
Jeffrey Aranowski, Executive Director of Safe & Healthy Climate
Dr. Sean Clayton, Director of Assessment
Irma Snopek, Policy and Communications Officer
Cara Wiley, Director of Wellness
Jeremy Duffy, Legal Officer
Amanda Elliot, Executive Director of Legislative Affairs
Sergio Hernandez, Director of Family and Community Engagement
Joanne Clyde, Director of Multilingual
Barbara Hobrock, Principal Consultant of Legislative Affairs
Katie White, Supervisor of Educator Effectiveness
Scott Harry, Director of Budget
II. Public Participation
There was no public participation.
III. Approval of the January 11, 2022, Meeting Minutes
Dr. Leak made the motion for the Education Policy Planning Committee to approve the Jan. 11, 2022, meeting minutes. Mr. Guzman seconded the motion, and it passed by a unanimous roll call vote.
IV. Discussion Items
A. CTE: Connecting the Future of Learning and Work
Ms. Johnson presented on this item.
Chair Morrison suggested that the team should use as much data as possible, such as how the initiative looks different from 10 years ago and how the program is growing in order to celebrate the initiative.
Dr. Leak noted she is interested in the PowerPoint slide that shows where career and technical education (CTE) is preparing future Illinois teachers, and she is excited to hear the team’s thoughts.
Mr. Guzman noted to talk about the ties to the key partners in this initiative. Chair Morrison agreed.
B. IL-EMPOWER Year 3 External Evaluation Report Update
Ms. Paxson and Shelly Menendez, a senior research associate in evaluation and school improvement services at Measurement Inc., presented on this item. They shared the focus of the evaluation, the Year 3 evaluation activities, the schools’ continuous improvement efforts, IL-EMPOWER supports, and conclusions and recommendations.
Chair Morrison stated that she is looking for stronger recommendations. She noted the statewide system of support has existed for 25 years and noted that some of the same schools are struggling. She believes the student outcome performance data is missing and finds it troubling that the schools have been in the cohort
for four years and half of these schools do not work with a learning partner, half are not implementing a continuous improvement process, and half are not using data. She hopes the teams strengthen evaluations and points the Board toward stronger expectations for what is happening in the schools with no improvements.
Mr. Guzman agreed that the past couple of years have been unexcepted. He would like to see stronger causal relationships between implementation and impact and asked what the indicators are. Ms. Paxson noted the team is working on better defining the triangulation of data, and it created “A Year in the Life” so that central staff know what their role is. In terms of collecting data, Ms. Paxson noted that coordinators have been collecting data after meetings.
Mr. Guzman suggested that the team could start by looking at causal relationships in places where there is a sharper focus on programs targeting specific students.
Chair Morrison asked if the plan is to tighten recommendations and make them robust. She also recognized that there are a lot of partners and collaborators. Ms. Menendez added that it is challenging as an evaluator with partners and districts using different approaches. Ms. Paxson noted that part of the program requirement has been to collect data in School Improvement Plans and put it in the data dashboard.
Chair Morrison thinks that it is time to have a conversation focusing on what kinds of supports schools are able to access from their external partners. Ms. Menendez added that these are the lowest-performing schools with the most need and believes a greater intensity of support is necessary. Chair Morrison noted that half of the schools are not collaborating with partners and believes this is something the team needs to look into.
Dr. Leak noted there is a distinct difference between districts that are engaged on a regular basis versus districts that are not participating at all. She wondered if there is an issue with turnover.
Chair Morrison stated the K-2 schools rely on the third-grade assessment, but there is local data that shows progress. She thinks the team needs to relook at the K-2 structure.
Chair Morrison wanted to know what kind of supports the team is providing to school leaders, and she believes it is hard to change outcomes for students without leadership.
Dr. Leak noted the partners are very helpful to the specific needs of the district and believes the process to become a partner is important. Chair Morrison added that not all the partners are of equal quality and is curious about which partners are providing the best services and showing the best outcomes.
Chair Morrison asked what the timeline is for the student outcome data. Ms. Menendez noted the team is getting that data now and said it will be analyzed and completed in the next month.
C. High Impact Tutoring Update
Dr. Kirmes presented on this item. She noted updates regarding infrastructure and planning work, hiring, agreements, and district outreach.
Chair Morrison asked how many districts have signed up to participate. The answer was 13. Chair Morrison asked if the team has been advertising the program. The answer was yes, and Dr. Kirmes noted the partners have done outreach and believe they will reach the target.
Mr. Reisberg asked what the target number of districts is, and the answer was 48.
Mr. Reisberg asked if there is something that the 13 districts have in common. Dr. Kirmes noted she will look to see if there is anything the districts have in common.
Mr. Reisberg asked about the flow of money for this initiative. Dr. Kirmes noted that the agreement is with the Illinois Board of Higher Education so that is the only entity to which ISBE releases funds to directly. She added it is on a reimbursement basis for actual work performed so no money has moved yet. Mr. Reisberg wondered if the team should think about reallocations of state set-aside dollars toward other priorities that they have not yet identified.
Dr. Leak noted that follow up with a high impact tutoring presented from a bilingual conference led to some confusion about funding and costs. Dr. Kirmes said she would follow up to clarify with partners that the ISBE program is free for participating districts.
Chair Morrison asked what the total grant amount is. Dr. Kirmes noted that the current intergovernmental agreement is for $25 million for the current fiscal year and for fiscal year 2023. Those funds are from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief II. She added there is an additional $12.5 million set aside for this initiative but there has not been formal action taken about that money yet.
V. Review of February Board Action Items
A. Rules for Initial Review - Part 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) Comprehensive Sexual Health Education
There were no questions for this item.
B. Rules for Initial Review - Part 228 (Transitional Bilingual Education)
There were no questions for this item.
C. Rules for Adoption- Parts 1, 25, 28, 29, 65, 210, 226, 240, 252, and 401 Special Education Services Eligibility There were no questions for this item.
D. Rules for Adoption- Part 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) Substitute Teacher Recruitment Firms
There were no questions for this item.
E. Rules for Adoption – Part 6 (Mandatory Vaccinations for School Personnel) New Part
Ms. Parr noted that the memo will be shared with the Board soon, as it is still in the public comment stage and staff are analyzing the results.
F. Contracts & Grants over $1 Million – Approval of FY23 Intergovernmental Agreement with Regional Office of Education #35 to support Capacity Builder Learning Series for Priority Learning Standards and Curriculum Evaluation Tool
There were no questions for this item.
G. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million -- Approval to award grant to Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) for the Parent Mentoring Program from federal Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Funds Dr. Leak would like to make sure the team is fulfilling a maximum need and would like a breakdown to know that the $27 million will land in all the places it prefers.
H. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million -- Approval to release RFSP to procure qualified vendor to conduct IL EMPOWER program evaluation
Mr. Guzman would like an update on the guidelines when ISBE sets a goal versus when they do not set a goal, and Dr. Ayala noted she will share this question with Mr. Wolfe.
I. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million -- Approval of Illinois Resource Center Professional Development and Technical Assistance Sole Source FY23-24
There were no questions for this item.
J. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of 21st Century Community Learning Centers – IFB - Professional Development and Technical Assistance
There were no questions for this item.
K. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of 21st Century Community Learning Centers-IFB Monitoring There were no questions for this item.
L. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of 21st Century Community Learning Centers – Request for Proposals
There were no questions for this item.
M. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of McKinney Vento Homeless Education – Request for Proposals There were no questions for this item.
N. Approval of the Spring 2022 Waiver Report
There were no questions for this item.
VI. Review of March Board Action Items
A. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million -- Approval to enter Intergovernmental Agreement with Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Ms. Johnson and Jacqueline Moreno from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission provided information on this item.
Chair Morrison asked if this is a new grant and if the initiative occurred last year. Ms. Johnson noted it occurred last year but not with Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funding.
Chair Morrison asked what student outcome data is the team looking at to measure impact. Ms. Moreno noted that the data focuses on participation, and the primary indicator is participation of student and parents. She added the team uses FAFSA completion as an indicator.
Chair Morrison asked if the program is for both public schools and private schools. The answer was yes.
Mr. Guzman asked who the corps members are. Ms. Moreno noted that there are peer mentors, and every year the team recruits first-generation recent college graduates and places them in their local communities or school communities. She added that each mentor has a two-year commitment.
Mr. Guzman asked about the funding for the program. Ms. Moreno shared it started with a federal college access challenge grant and now its funding is through general revenue outreach. Mr. Guzman asked if the only new part is extending it by a year, and the answer was yes.
Mr. Guzman was interested in outcomes and reach and peer mentors. Ms. Moreno noted the program started in 2009, and the team tracks interactions with students but it does not track college completion. Mr. Guzman asked if the team tracks matriculation rates, and the answer was not yet but this is a plan for the near future.
Dr. Leak is interested in a visual that shows areas of the state where the team is seeing outreach events. Ms. Moreno noted she can share that information and reinforced that the program reaches districts throughout the state.
B. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Truants’ Alternative and Optional Education Program Grant Notice of Funding Opportunities/Request for Proposals
Ms. Saba provided information on this item.
Chair Morrison asked if the team knows how many students were not served because there was not enough money to fund those grants last time, and Ms. Saba said she will follow up in an update.
Chair Morrison asked about the Regional Offices of Education line item in the budget. Dr. Ayala noted that line item is a $12 million truancy initiative with a specific need.
C. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval to enter into a new five-year Intergovernmental Agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Madison for Educational Research (WCER) for WiDA Consortium for the administration of ACCESS and alternate ACCESS for English Learners
Dr. Clayton provided information on this item.
There were no questions for this item.
D. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval to enter into a new one-year Intergovernmental Agreement with the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University Carbondale for the administration of the Illinois Science Assessment
Dr. Clayton provided information on this item.
Chair Morrison asked how long the team has had an agreement with SIU. Dr. Clayton noted the first contract started in 2018.
Dr. Leak asked if it is one year because of the assessment update. The answer was no, and Dr. Ayala shared it is one year so Request for Proposals can be released in the following year. Dr. Ayala noted that this decision positions ISBE to be able to extend contracts so that they all align at a point where the team can then look at a more efficient way to manage the state science assessment.
Chair Morrison asked if the team anticipates that there will be one science contract moving forward, and the answer was yes.
E. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Non-Competitive Grant to Illinois Principals Association to Continue the ED Leaders Network
Mr. McGreal and Jason Leahy, executive director of the Illinois Principals Association, provided information on this item.
Dr. Leak noted the difficulty of finding new principals in Illinois. Mr. Leahy said his proposed alternative includes an expedited pathway with microcredentials and an internship. He also noted the rules and regulations regarding principal preparation are shifting in the right direction. Chair Morrison hopes there is an opportunity to pilot Mr. Leahy’s proposal and continue that conversation soon, and Mr. Leahy noted that conversation has begun with Dr. Ayala. Chair Morrison would love an update in two to three months, if possible.
Mr. Guzman asked how a non-competitive grant is different from sole source, Dr. Ayala noted she will also share this question with Mr. Wolfe.
Chair Morrison noted how proud she is of Mr. Leahy and his vision with Ed Leaders Network and she is grateful for his team.
F. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Non-Competitive Grant to Illinois Association of School Administrators for New Superintendent Mentoring and Transformational Leadership Academy
Mr. McGreal and Dr. Courtney Orzel, associate director for professional development for the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), provided information on this item.
Chair Morrison expressed her admiration for the partnership with IASA.
G. Approval of State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board Appointment
Ms. White provided information on this item.
There were no questions for this item.
VII. New Business: Items for the Next Agenda
VIII. Next Meeting: March 1, 2022
IX. Adjourn
Mr. Guzman made a motion to adjourn. Dr. Leak seconded the motion
https://www.isbe.net/Documents_Board_Meetings/20220201-EPP-Minutes.pdf
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