2007 April/May Alabama School Boards Magazine

New Flexibility in Assessing Students with Disabilities Professional Learning Communities Need Board Support Alabama’s AMSTI and Reading Connection Official Publication of the Alabama Association of School Boards

April/May 2007

EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD: Children’s Well-Being Impacts Decision Making March Conferences Attendees Learned to Mind the Money BOARDMANSHIP BASICS

OFFICERS Jim Methvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . President Alabama School of Fine Arts

April/May 2007 Vol. 28, No. 2

IN THIS ISSUE

Sue Helms . . . . . . . . . . President-Elect Madison City

COVER STORY

Florence Bellamy . . . . . Vice President Phenix City

LEADING LADIES: THE RISE TO THE SUPERINTENDENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Tommy McDaniel . . . . . Past President Alabama School of Math and Science STAFF Sandra Sims-deGraffenried, Ed.D. Executive Director Sally Brewer Howell, J.D. Assistant Executive Director Denise L. Berkhalter Director of Public Relations Editor, Alabama School Boards Susan Rountree Salter Director of Membership Services Lissa Astilla Tucker Director of Governmental Relations Debora Hendricks Administrative Assistant Donna Norris Administrative Assistant Kay Shaw Bookkeeper Lashana Summerlin Receptionist Tammy Wright Executive Assistant Aeryca Ezell Clerical Assistant BOARD OF DIRECTORS Patsy Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 1 Monroe County Steven Foster . . . . . . . . . . . . District 2 Lowndes County Jeff Bailey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 3 Covington County Katy S. Campbell . . . . . . . . . District 4 Macon County Jennifer Parsons . . . . . . . . . . District 5 Jefferson County Sue Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 6 Jacksonville Susan Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 7 Winfield Dr. Charles Elliott . . . . . . . . . District 8 Decatur Laura Casey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 9 Albertville Sandra Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . State Board Tuscaloosa

A determined little girl, Reba Anderson would gather her brothers together in her pretend classroom and begin the day’s lesson. Anderson’s mother was amused by her daughter’s display of a dream. It’s a dream that turned into reality. Her education career has meandered through classroom teaching, guidance counseling and roles as assistant principal and principal. Now the Fayette County Board of Education superintendent is among the state's 25 female superintendents.

FEATURES

March Conference Attendees Learned to Mind the Money . . . . . . . 8 Professional Learning Communities Need Board Support . . . . . . 10 Educating the Whole Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Priming the Engineering Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative: The Reading Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Complications of Teen Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 DEPARTMENTS

Alabama Education News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Education & the Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Potpourri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 At the Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 ...............................

Building Your Boardmanship Skills Worth the Time and Money — Help Others Understand Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Five C’s of Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 Ethical Ways to Resolve Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BOARDMANSHIP BASICS

29 29 30 31

PUBLICATION POLICY Alabama School Boards is published by the Alabama Association of School Boards as a service to its member school boards. The articles published in each issue represent the ideas or beliefs of the writers and are not necessarily the views of the Alabama Association of School Boards. Subscriptions sent to members of school boards are included in membership dues, and complimentary copies are sent to public school principals throughout the state. Additional subscriptions can be obtained by contacting AASB. Entered as third-class mail at Montgomery, AL. Permit No. 34.

Alabama School Boards is designed by J. Durham Design, L.L.C., Montgomery, AL. Address all editorial and advertising inquiries to: Alabama School Boards, Editor, P.O. Drawer 230488, Montgomery, AL 36123-0488. Phone: 334/277-9700.

Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 3

Alabama Education News Nominate Your Board for 2008 Magna Awards Spotlight your school system and win $3,500 by entering the 2008 Magna Awards by the Oct. 1 deadline.

Presented by American School Board Journal, with the support of Sodexho School Services, the annual Magna Awards recognize school boards that are taking bold and creative steps to advance student learning through programs developed or actively supported by the school board. A distinguished panel of independent judges will select up to two dozen winners and award a cash prize of $3,500 to each of three Grand Prize Winners, one from each of three enrollment categories: under 5,000, 5,000-20,000 and over 20,000.

The program’s theme is “Best Practices: Advancing Student Learning Through School Board Leadership.” Find more information online at www.asbj.com/ magna, download nomination forms at http://www.asbj.com/magna/nominations/f orm.cfm and call 703/838-6739 if you have questions.

AASB’s Secretaries Workshops June 15& 18 AASB is offering a workshop to help superintendents’ and school board secretaries better manage their daily juggling act. The Superintendent & School Board Secretaries Workshops will be June 15 at The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover and June 18 at the Hampton Inn & Suites-EastChase in Montgomery.

Participants will learn everything from

More than just fun in the sun, AASB’s 2007 Summer Conference delivers the nuts and bolts of team-building to education leaders interested in strengthening group decision-making, governance team relationships and team communication. Conference speakers will discuss everything from forming teams, managing conflicts to the basics of collaborative teamwork.

Soon registration will be available onlie at www.theaasb.org for the July 29-31 summer conference in Orange Beach at the Perdido Beach Resort. The conference begins at 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon, July 29, and will be followed at 6:30 p.m. with a welcome beachside buffet. The reception will also offer members an opportunity to bid farewell to retiring Executive Director Dr. Sandra SimsdeGraffenried and welcome her soon-to-be-appointed successor. The program will run a full day on Monday and conclude before noon on Tuesday. It will be followed Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning by Leadership I, the first segment of AASB’s new board member/new superintendent orientation designed for those with two years of service or less.

Though AASB’s room block at Perdido Beach Resort has been sold out, additional housing is available at the Island House Hotel just a half-mile from the Perdodio Beach Resort. AASB’s group code is 2263500 under group name AL Association of School Boards. Rates range from $165 to $172 plus tax. Condos are also available.

For details, log on to AASB’s Web site and choose “conference information.”

how to deal with angry people and prepare agenda packets to proper note taking and writing legally sound minutes. They’ll learn why it’s important for secretaries to understand Alabama’s Open Meetings Act and the regulations related to public documents such as minutes and personnel files.

Lodging is available for $112 per night (plus tax) at the Hampton Inn & Suites by calling 334/277-1818. Call 205/987-1600 to reserve $120-per-night (plus tax) lodging at The Wynfrey Hotel. Workshop registration is $90 per person, which includes lunch. For details, visit www.theaasb.org and choose “conference information.”

Vote on Trust Funds Set for June 5 Alabama voters will go to the polls June 5 to consider two constitutional amendments, one to address the liability for retired employee health care and another to increase the state’s Capital Improvement Trust Fund cap.

New federal reporting guidelines require states to report estimated future health care costs of retired state employees and teachers. The state Legislature approved the creation of irrevocable trust funds to fund this liability. If the liability isn’t addressed, Alabama’s position with bond rating agencies could be hurt, resulting in higher interest payments on debt issued for school construction or economic development projects. Supporters say a yes vote would: improve Alabama’s accountability, enable better policy decisions and protect funds for retired employees.

In order for Alabama to continue offering economic incentives to new and existing businesses, supporters are calling for an increase in the bonding (borrowing) cap on the Capital Improvement Trust Fund. If approved, the amendment would raise the current $350 million bonding cap to $750 million. Supporters say a yes vote on this amendment would: create thousands of new jobs and bring billions of new dollars into Alabama’s economy.

4 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

Alabama Scores a B- for Technology Use Alabama has made strides in K-12 technology use. The state boosted its C+ to a Bin Education Week’s “Technology Counts 2007: A Digital Decade” report. In the 2005-06 school year, 55 percent of Alabama’s students had a computer in the classroom, and 78.5 percent had at least one in the lab/media center. There were 4.8 students per instructional computer and the same number per computer with a highspeed Internet connection.

By comparison, 49.5 percent of U.S. students had a computer in the classroom in 2005-06, and 77 percent had a computer in the lab/media center. There were 3.8 students per instructional computer and 3.7 students per high-speed

Internet-connected computer.

Alabama earned a C- in the “access to technology category,” down from last year’s C, and repeated last year’s C in “capacity to use technology.” Only 23 states in the nation, including Alabama, have established a virtual school.

Alabama’s ACCESS Distance Learning program — or Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators & Students Statewide — will soon expand to every public high

school giving students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to take advanced level courses and electives access to such programs using virtual classroom technology. There are now 117 high schools participating in ACCESS Distance Learning, a number expected to increase in the fall if the Legislature approves $25 million in funding.

Most states have technology standards for students (48) and teachers (45), though only 36 states have them for administrators. Alabama has technology standards in place for all three. In addition, teachers in Alabama have access to professional development online, digital content to supplement learning and electronic resources such as e-journals and other online academic collections.

Pre-K Conference Builds on State’s Success In 2000, Alabama launched a pilot prekindergarten program that has earned recognition from the National Institute for Early Education Research for its high standards.

The preschool initiative focuses on 4year-olds and is in place at 59 locations.

Gov. Bob Riley proposes $7.7 million in the next fiscal year to expand early childhood education, according to the Tuscaloosa News. Alabama has already budgeted $4.4 million this year for the preK program that serves 2 percent of preschoolers or 1,080 children.

In mid-March, hundreds of preschool and child care professionals gathered at Auburn University Montgomery for the second annual Alabama Pre-Kindergarten Conference to applaud the state program’s success.

The two-day conference was sponsored by the Office of School Readiness in the state Department of Children’s Affairs and provided training and networking opportunities for pre-K teachers, administrators, staff, parents and advocates.

“We are committed to the need for and value of early education and the expansion of the opportunity for high quality volun-

tary pre-K to all Alabama’s children,” said Alabama Department of Children’s Affairs Commissioner Richard H. Dorrough.

The theme of the event was “Building Blocks for a Better Tomorrow.” Highlights included keynote speaker Jack Hartmann, a well-known children’s music artist; Maryann “Mar” Harman, music educator; Iza Trapani, children’s author and illustrator; and a variety of skills building workshops.

Judy Short of Discount School Supply teaches attendees a session on “Art, Literacy and Learning” during the state’s second pre-kindergarten conference at Auburn University Montgomery.

Julia Brazier of Family Child Care Partnerships, Auburn University, guides attendees on the “Journey Toward an Anti-Bias and Inclusive Classroom” in her pre-kindergarten conference workshop.

Alabama’s success is noted in the National Institute for Early Education Research “2006 State Preschool Yearbook” report, which shows the state met all 10 quality standard benchmarks. These include early learning standards, teacher degree, specialized teacher training, assistant teacher degree, teacher in-service, required screening/referral and support services, maximum class size, meals, monitoring and staff-child ratio.

The yearbook ranks Alabama 11th among states for its pre-K resources but 38th in access because few preschoolers enter the state program. Alabama’s pre-kindergarten program served 1 percent of 4year-old preschoolers in 2002 and only 2 percent each year since then.

(Continued on page 9) Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 5

Education&the Law Regulations Give More Flexibility in Assessing Students with Disabilities From the U.S. Secretary of Education Office

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings in April announced new regulations under No Child Left Behind allowing states to test certain students with disabilities using an alternate assessment that more appropriately aligns with students’ needs and yields more meaningful results for schools and parents. The U.S. Department of Education reports the new regulations provide states and schools with greater flexibility by allowing them to more accurately evaluate these students’ academic progress and tailor instruction based on individual needs. nder the new regulations, states may develop modified academic achievement standards based on grade-level content and alternate assessments based on those standards for students with disabilities who are capable of achieving high standards but may not reach grade level in the same timeframe as their peers. States may count proficient and advanced test scores on these alternate assessments for up to 2 percent of all

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6 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

students assessed when calculating adequate yearly progress, or AYP, under No Child Left Behind.

These regulations build on the flexibility provided for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, which allows states to count up to 1 percent of proficient and advanced assessment scores based on

alternate achievement standards toward AYP calculation.

Spellings also announced that the U.S. Department of Education will provide $21.1 million in grant funds for technical assistance as states develop new assessments for these students. Competitive funds will be available as follows: • $7.6 million under the Title I Enhanced Assessment Grants program that states can use to develop these new assessments.

• $13.5 million under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, General Supervision Enhancement Grants program.

States also may use funds from Title I, Title VI State Assessment Grants, and the IDEA to develop these new assessments.

The department also released written guidance to states on the implementation

"Students with disabilities ... are capable of achieving high academic standards, and now states and schools can be better attuned to their needs.

No Child Left Behind has put the needs of students with disabilities front and center, and this regulation helps continue to drive the field forward in developing better tests for students with disabilities."

— Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education

of the new regulations, offering recommendations on issues such as how students with disabilities can be appropriately identified for this assessment.

What You Need to Know about the Modified Standards The regulations released under NCLB and IDEA allow states to develop modified academic achievement standards that are challenging for eligible students and measure a student’s mastery of gradelevel content, but are less difficult than grade-level achievement standards.

The modified achievement standards are intended for a small group of students whose disabilities have prevented them from achieving grade-level proficiency and who likely will not reach grade-level achievement in the same timeframe as other students. Currently, these students must take either the grade-level assessment, which is often too difficult, or an alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, which is too easy. Neither of these options provides an accurate assessment of what these students know and can do.

Alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards will provide a more appropriate measure of these students’ achievement of gradelevel content and give teachers and parents information that can be used to better inform instruction.

For this group of students, states may

develop alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards. States may count the proficient and advanced scores on those assessments when measuring adequate yearly progress under NCLB, as long as the number of those scores does not exceed 2 percent of all students assessed.

The Role IEP Teams Play A student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team, which includes the student’s parents, will determine whether the student will be assessed based on modified academic achievement standards.

• States must develop guidelines for IEP Teams to ensure that they are appropriately identifying students to be assessed based on modified academic achievement standards.

• The regulations include several safeguards to ensure that students are not inappropriately assessed based on modified academic achievement standards, including not choosing such an assessment solely because of a particular disability; considering the student’s performance on multiple items of objective evidence over time; and evaluating annually whether it is appropriate to continue using such assessments.

IEP goals that are based on grade-level content standards must be included in the IEPs of students who are assessed based on modified academic achievement standards.

This will help ensure that these students receive instruction in grade-level content,

so they can make progress toward meeting grade-level achievement. IEP goals based on grade-level content standards focus the teacher, student and parents on grade-level content and on providing the educational supports and services that a student needs to reach those standards.

How Students with Disabilities May be Assessed With the addition of the final regulations on modified academic achievement standards under NCLB, students with disabilities may be assessed in the following ways (unless otherwise noted, the proficient and advanced scores for all students being appropriately assessed may be counted towards AYP): • General state assessment • General state assessment with appropriate accommodations • Alternate assessment based on gradelevel academic achievement standards • Alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (up to 2 percent of all proficient and advanced scores may count towards AYP) • Alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (up to 1 percent of all proficient and advanced scores may count towards AYP). ▲ This information was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. For more information, visit www.ed.gov or call 800/USA-LEARN. Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 7

March Conference Attendees Learned to

Mind the Money

By Denise L. Berkhalter

Nearly 300 school leaders benefited from training on the basics of financial oversight, accountability and fiduciary responsibilities during AASB’s March conference in Hoover. wo tracks designed to help board members ensure the fiscal health and strength of their systems were available — one for novices and another for veterans. Presentations centered on the theme “Minding the Money: Leadership for Financial Accountability.”

Financial consultant David Smith gave attendees some “rules to live by” and taught them what they needed to know about audits. Tuscaloosa City Board of Education Chief School Financial Officer Patrick Conner told attendees how to read financial documents and shared ideas on using policies and practices to prevent financial malfeasance.

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Financial consultant David Smith gave attendees some “rules to live by” and taught them what they needed to know about audits.

Russellville Superintendent Dr. Wayne Ray discussed the role of CSFOs and how to align spending with system priorities, while Homewood Superintendent Dr. Jodi Newton spoke about making financial operations transparent. Craig Pouncey, the state Department of Education’s assistant superintendent for administrative and financial services, provided insight on how school boards can be certain their school systems are living within their financial means.

8 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

In addition to speakers, the March conference also included a surprise visit from U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Sessions wants to expand the success of Alabama’s Reading Initiative — a research-based program designed to help secondary students achieve grade-level reading — to the middle and high school grades.

Sessions introduced legislation with cosponsor Sen. Patty Murray of Washington State in March that would authorize $200 million this fiscal year for adolescent literacy programs for students in grades 412. The Striving Readers Act of 2007 would reach all states by 2011.

AASB Executive Director Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried, who was pleased with the conference that helped “equip education leaders with the skills they need to provide a high level of accountability to their communities,” also made an announcement at the conference.

Sims-deGraffenried will retire as executive director of the Alabama Association

“Of all my work experience, working with school boards and school board members has been the most rewarding and enjoyable of my career.”

— Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried AASB Executive Director Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenreid, who will be retiring in June after 19 years with AASB, was greeted with a surprise visit from U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (left), who is promoting the expansion of Alabama’s Reading Initiative.

Patrick Conner explained how to read financial documents and shared ideas on using policies and practices to prevent financial malfeasance.

of School Boards effective June 30 after serving more than 40 years in public education.

“Of all my work experience,” SimsdeGraffenried said, “working with school boards and school board members has been the most rewarding and enjoyable of my career.”

The former teacher, counselor and central office supervisor has led AASB for 19 years. She first joined AASB in 1985 as assistant executive director and became executive director in 1988. ▲

Alabama Education News Continued from page 5

Alabama’s early education initiative is a mixture of public schools, private child care centers, Head Start centers, faithbased centers, universities and housing authorities. These combined efforts reach 4,025 special education students, 14,894 students in federally funded Head Start, in addition to the 1,000-plus students enrolled in the state program. State spending per pre-K child enrolled was at $4,216 last year compared to $4,518 per child in K-12.

Riley said he believes reaching children during their preschool years eliminates many barriers to success at school. “We must do all that we can to help our children be ready to learn and excel in structured settings once they enter school,” he said.

School Tax News The Bibb County Commission approved a 1-cent sales tax increase in March. The 20-year tax, which begins May 1, will be used to improve, upgrade and maintain facilities in the Bibb County School System. The Birmingham News reported the tax could bring in about $800,000 to $1 million per year.

Other school tax issues and tax referenda mentioned in the news recently include: ▲ The Butler County Commission raised sales tax by one-half cent to help fund the school system’s $25 million comprehensive building plan. The ordinance passed in March raises sales tax effective July 1. ▲ Washington County voters will decide

Attorney J.R. Brooks of Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C. in Huntsville presents AASB's Personnel Law Review Seminar themed “What Every Education Leader & Administrator Should Know About Hiring, Firing & Non-Renewing.”

Nearly 200 Learn to Navigate Personnel Decisions

AASB recently helped nearly 200 attendees learn how to navigate legal landmines with a review of Alabama’s tenure and fair dismissal laws, contract principal law and other critical employment law issues.

The association’s Personnel Law Review Seminar themed “What Every Education Leader & Administrator Should Know About Hiring, Firing & NonRenewing” drew school board members, attorneys, human resource staff and others interested in school personnel law to April sessions in Montgomery and Birmingham.

Attorney J.R. Brooks of Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C. in Huntsville presented the seminar for AASB. He addressed tenure and non-probationary status, terminations and non-renewals, contract cancellation, the importance of employee evaluations, personnel records, probationary versus contract principals, board hearings and arbitration, substitute and part-time staff and other issues.

“It’s extremely important for principals and superintendents to understand how vital it is to evaluate employees,” Brooks told attendees. “Another thing is the importance of documentation. Require documentation. It should reflect what the employee is being evaluated for, and it needs to be accurate. It needs to be in their personnel file. The person should get a copy of it, so they know what they’re doing wrong and how they can improve.”

Copies of the handouts are available by contacting Donna at 800/562-0601 or donna@theaasb.org.

in June on the renewal of a 7-mill school tax, which will expire Oct. 1. ▲ Sheffield voters renewed a 20-year-old 5-mill property tax for education during a special May 8 election by an overwhelming margin of 631 yes votes, 88.4 percent, to 83 no votes, 11.6 percent.

The tax, according to the Times Daily, generates about $200,000 in revenue for city schools. ▲ The Limestone County Commission voted recently to call for an Aug. 14 countywide referendum on a 1-cent sales tax for schools in Limestone County and Athens. If the penny tax is approved by voters, about $5 million will be raised each year for county schools and about $1.5 million for Athens schools. A $50 million bond issue to build and renovate schools could be secured using the extra revenue, reported the Huntsville Times. ▲ The Coosa County Commission defeated the schools’ request for a 1cent sales tax increase and suggested the board of education take it to the public for a countywide referendum.

The Coosa County News reported the tax would’ve been used to construct a $2.2 million cafeteria/gymnasium facility. ▲ Clay voters said no to a 7.5-mill increase in property taxes that would have been used to split from Jefferson County to start a city school system. No votes numbered 1,867, compared to 501 yes votes in the May 8 special election, according to the Birmingham News.

Correction: Congressman Robert Aderholt was not pictured with a photograph of AASB’s Immediate Past President Tommy McDaniel in the Spring 2007 issue. The correct photo of McDaniel and Aderholt is ▲ shown here.

Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 9

Professional Learning Communities Need Board Support

By Stoney M. Beavers

Professional learning communities are the result of an increased emphasis on innovative approaches to educational reform.

In order to properly support professional learning communities (PLCs) within their schools and systems, individual board members must first fully understand the concept of and need for these communities.

What are Professional Learning Communities?

A professional learning community is a group of teachers, administrators and other educational professionals who seek and share learning to improve their level of effectiveness. The community uses the new knowledge they’ve gained to reach their end goal of increasing student success.

Dr. Shirley M. Hord’s 1997 article, “Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Practice,” outlines five dimensions of these communities: shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collective learning and application of learning, supportive conditions and shared personal practice.

School board members can use these dimensions to create conditions and take action that help professional learning communities succeed.

What is the School Board’s Role?

■ Look at the Whole Picture One of the most important contributions of the school board body to any school system is its global perspective that is sometimes lacking in school administrators and specialized program coordinators. School boards should be making deciStoney M. Beavers is the secondary curriculum coordinator for Blount County schools, Alabama’s 2006-07 Alternate Teacher of the Year and winner of the Milken National Educator Award.

10 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

sions on what is best for all students within a school system and not just focusing on specific locations or groups. School board members also possess the ability to look at the goals and objectives of the system and make decisions about aligning and coordinating efforts, budgets and resources to address these universal goals.

Whereas individuals may have difficulty maintaining a clear focus, the school board can function as a compass constantly set toward instructional improvement. They can then fully and confidently examine issues of quality professional development, funding, collaboration and data analysis in light of the systemwide goals and in terms of what the professional learning communities are learning in these areas. The board may work to promote such collaboration through voting to fund the substitutes, consultants and resources necessary to allow teachers and administrators to fully realize the potential of PLCs. ■ Think Outside the Traditional Boards must also reconsider the traditional structures, schedules and processes of schools and, through their global perspective, ensure that these are still aligned and coordinated with the school system’s core values and mission. As the 2003 Southwest Educational Development Laboratory article “Launching Professional Learning Communities: Beginning Actions” points out, sometimes school system initiatives are “disjointed” and not clearly articulated. From their global perspective, school board members can work with the local school system to better coordinate and align these existing efforts.

■ Create Community Support After gaining knowledge of professional learning communities and re-examining their roles in supporting them, local boards must also openly and honestly reflect upon the political nature of such reform efforts. Board members must help create community support for this type of professional development and help stakeholders understand the process and emphasis of such an initiative. Again, they must strive to maintain the focus on instruction, what the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory article calls an “unwavering focus on student learning.”

■ Focus on Professional Growth Local boards must also ask the tough questions about teacher growth and development and seek whenever possible to remove political or “bureaucratic obstacles” that confine teachers and administrators and keep them from engaging in the types of professional development activities that may be outside the norm but that are research-based and sound in method-

ology. In addition, school boards can outline the values, missions and beliefs that will guide how PLCs systematically promote teacher growth in a time of changing demographics and increased educational challenges.

How Do PLCs Impact Student Learning?

In all of these efforts, board members are supporting genuine professional development, which should directly translate to increased student achieve-

How to Create Professional Learning Communities

By Stoney M. Beavers While there are several models for creating professional learning communities within schools and school systems, successful PLCs must have some configuration of what the authors of the National Education Service article “Whatever It Takes” call “common threads.” These common threads are clarity of purpose; collaborative culture; collective inquiry into best practice and current reality; action orientation; commitment to continuous improvement; focus on results; strong leaders who empower teachers; commitment to face adversity, conflict and anxiety; and the same guiding phrase.

One very strong approach for beginning and sustaining PLCs is the Concerns Based Adoption Model for individual change, which has been used very successfully with accreditation and school improvement focus areas.

This model directly addresses the question of “readiness” in beginning the process of forming professional learning communities. After addressing readiness, leaders should consider facilitators for the process and explore the advantages and disadvantages of both internal and external facilitators.

Barriers and supports should also be considered, and the focus must constantly remain on learning.

PLCs begin with a core group who recognize or who can be led to recognize a need for change. Environment and culture must also support this type of professional development. Key factors here include carving out time and space to allow for job-embedded collaboration. In addition, PLCs must ask themselves if there is anything currently monopolizing much of their time that is not directly related to learning and student achievement that can be “let go.” Juggle whether something can be removed or diminished if another duty or task must be added to teachers’ plates, so the overall quality of work and the ultimate goal of enhanced student learning are protected.

Next, the PLC must create a shared vision, conduct action research and explore how these results align or do not align with the vision. Members must face obstacles and be aware of the ebb and flow of the implementation cycle. PLCs also benefit strongly from professional study groups that read, discuss and implement best practices literature. The professional learning communities should be key personnel who seek out and create high quality professional development opportunities for all teachers and leaders within their schools and school systems.

Finally, the professional learning community should continually examine a variety of data sources to find areas of strength and weakness. They must celebrate the strengths through rituals and ceremonies, and they must then re-commit to renewing and sustaining the process as they address the weaknesses.

ment. When this school system support empowers local schools to take on responsibility for their own growth, then they are also building leadership capacity within the school system. With the right system-level support, several professional learning communities should ideally interconnect to explore similar issues and solutions and thus work together to turn the toughest problems of the school system into the most engaging of opportunities.

Finally, when it all comes together, board members should be the first in line to recognize and reward those individuals and schools that are truly dedicated to students and to student learning and that are making a real difference in the lives of their students. With this celebration of success come additional opportunities to listen to teachers and administrators and reflect upon what else can be done at the board level to support and sustain genuine professional learning that has a significant impact on student ▲ success.

Find Out More • Annenberg Institute for School Reform (2004). Professional Learning Communities: Professional Development Strategies that Improve Instruction. Providence, RI: WestEd. • Hord, S. (1997). Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Practice. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

• Leo, T. & D. Cowan. (2003). Issues about Change: Launching Professional Learning Communities: Beginning Actions. Madison, WI: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

• DuFour, R, DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Karhanek, G. (2004). Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don’t Learn.

Bloomington: National Education Service.

• Hord, Shirley M. (1997). SEDL: Professional Learning Communities.

Retrieved March 30, 2007, from SEDL Web site: http://www.sedl.org/pubs/ change34/ Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 11

Educating the

WHOLE CHILD

By Denise L. Berkhalter

Raise mathematics and reading to proficiency or face sanctions — even closure. This daunting thought is in the minds of education leaders as their school systems strive to meet the demands of No Child Left Behind.

“We as educators have responsibility for the total development of our students, not just their intellectual development,” said Stanford University’s Lee Jacks Professor of Education Emerita Dr. Nel Noddings. “We don’t just have a responsibility for stuffing a lot of facts in their heads, so they can answer standardized test questions, that’s for sure.”

National School Boards Association Immediate Past President Joan E. Schmidt agrees it is imperative schools continue to address whole child needs, even in today’s difficult political climate.

12 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

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he No Child Left Behind Act has placed pressure on schools to raise test scores or face serious consequences,” Schmidt said in an NSBA news story. “The most serious consequence, however, may well be an unintended one: the narrowing of the curriculum.”

Narrowing the Curriculum Results of the Center on Education Policy’s July 2005 survey published in “NCLB: Narrowing the Curriculum?” show most school systems did not or only minimally reduced time spent on subjects other than reading and math — including social studies, science, art and music and physical education.

However, of school systems reporting a somewhat or a great reduction in time teaching these subjects, 27 percent reduced social studies, 22 percent reduced science, 20 percent cut art and music and 10 percent reduced physical education instruction time.

Schmidt said cutting music and health programs are a mistake. Research, she says, proves music instruction improves literacy, strengthens mathematical reasoning and enhances critical thinking skills. In addition, she said, physically and emotionally healthy children are better learners and achievers. “(School board members) must insist that the needs of the whole child be addressed ... If we are truly committed to educating all of the children, we had better not settle for merely raising test scores,” Schmidt said. “We must prepare our children to participate in a democratic society, to make ethical decisions, to live in a community. And we must help them grow as human beings, able to experience life intellectually and artistically... And we must support the physical and emotional wellbeing of our children.”

Addressing Child Well-being Another way to describe child well-being is “human flourishing,” Noddings said in a recent telephone interview. To talk about educating the whole child, she said, is to also discuss well-being.

“If kids are in pain, worried sick about something at home or living in inadequate housing, how do you expect them to learn well?” she asked.

Even two young academic stars at Greenville High School in Butler County link well-being with grades and behavior at school.

Lauren Bryan, a junior, and Branddon Bailey, a senior, are busy “A” students with their share of teenage and academic

stress. Both wake early, drive to school, rush to class and whittle through daily assignments and class projects. They need little direction with homework, but still thrive on positive relationships with their parents. Bailey is from what he describes as a two-parent, middle class home in a neighborhood where many residents know each other. He has an older sister in college.

Bryan comes from a two-parent upper-middle class family and has a brother. She enjoys country living with no close neighbors, though folks in the area are friendly. Both students are extremely active in extracurricular activities.

(Continued on page 14)

Snapshot of a Child’s Day “A Child’s Day: 2003” is the third examination of children’s well-being and their daily activities based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation. Here are some highlights from the report (available online at http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/p70-109.pdf): ▲ Nearly 1 in 4 children in the 12- to 17-year-old age group

▲ Children 12 to 17 were more likely than children 6 to 11

were in a special class for gifted students or did advanced work in an academic subject.

Seventy-five percent of children 12 to 17 years old enrolled in school were academically “on track” (at or above the grade level for peers their age) in 2003, up 6 percentage points since 1994.

Eleven percent (2.7 million) of children 12 to 17 had been expelled or suspended from school at least once in 2003. Boys (14 percent) were more likely than girls (8 percent) to have been suspended.

About 30 million children participated in the National School Lunch Program in 2003, including 1.6 million kids under 6, 15 million 6- to 11-yearolds and 13.4 million children 12 to 17.

Aside from normal progression within a school system, 24 percent of children 6 to 11 and 41 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds had changed schools at some time since first grade.

In 2003, 18 million children (38 percent) under 12 had been cared for regularly in a nonrelative child care arrangement at some point in their childhood. Nearly half (47 percent) of 3- to 5-year-olds had been in nonrelative child care — most likely preschool.

to participate in sports (42 percent and 36 percent, respectively). About one-third of both groups participated in club activities. ▲ Parents were more likely to impose restrictions on TV viewing in the last decade. For example, about 67 percent of children 3 to 5 had limits on what television shows they could watch, when and for how long in 2003, up significantly from 54 percent in 1994. ▲ Eating with a parent was less likely to occur for teenagers than children under 6. In 2003, 24 percent of children 12 to 17 ate breakfast with a parent every day in a typical week, while 58 percent ate dinner together. Among children under 6, 57 percent ate breakfast with mom or dad, and 79 percent were at the table for dinner. ▲ About 72 percent of kids under 6 were praised by mom or dad three or more times per day, compared with 51 percent of children 6 to 11 years old and 37 percent of 12- to 17year-olds. ▲ Children 1 to 2 were read to an average of 7.8 times in the previous week of the survey, while children 3 to 5 were read to an average of 6.8 times in the previous week.

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Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 13

Educating the Whole Child...

Continued from page 13

Bailey, who is poised to be class valedictorian, once saw his 4.0 threatened by “girl problems” this year.

“I wasn’t really happy the first nine weeks. I was a little stressed. My grades were still A’s but mostly 90s. The second nine weeks I calmed down and was happier. My grades went up to mostly 98s. If you’re not happy and if you’re stressed, you worry and can’t think positively,” Bailey said.

Bailey credits his parents, who attended career tech schools, and their constant encouragement for remaining a success in school. The 18-year-old is excelling in advanced placement calculus and government and juggles academics with marching band, a variety of clubs and several honors societies.

“My parents instilled in my older sister and me the importance of education. I’ve always known I needed to do my best and learn all I can learn, so I would be able to go to college after high school,” said Bailey, who plans to study business at Auburn University Montgomery and become a financial manager. “My parents are also very involved in my life. They want to know where I’m going, how long I’ll be there. They ask me how I’m doing and how my grades are. They have a lot of confidence in me.”

Sixteen-year-old Bryan, whose grade point average hovers around 3.9, gains great confidence from her co-op work.

The junior class president — who takes advanced placement English and history

“My parents instilled in my older sister and me the importance of education.

I’ve always known I needed to do my best and learn all I can learn, so I would be able to go to college after high school.”

— Branddon Bailey, Senior, Greenville High School

and is a member of honors societies and clubs — leaves school after sixth period for her job at Watson Animal Clinic.

The future veterinarian beamed about her recent move up from “kennel girl” to afternoons working in the clinic, exam and surgery rooms and sometimes in the office. After work, she rushes home to feed her horses and then does homework before supper with her family. “I like eating together. Everyone gets to talk about their day, well, except me,” she quipped, “because my day at the animal clinic doesn’t make for appropriate supper conversation.”

Bryan said she is inspired by her parents, the mom who has a master’s degree in administration and the hard working dad who pushes his daughter to earn a college degree even though he did not.

“My mom and I are more like sisters than mother and daughter. We keep up with all the gossip and talk about school stuff, and she’s really helping me get all my college courses in animal sciences

"My mom and I are more like sisters than mother and daughter. We keep up with all the gossip and talk about school stuff, and she's helping me get all my college courses in animal sciences together at Auburn University," — Lauren Bryan Junior, Greenville High School 14 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

together at Auburn University,” she said.

To supply policymakers with child well-being data useful for decision-making, the U.S. Census Bureau recently released a study of children’s living arrangements, family characteristics, early child care experiences, daily interaction with parents, extracurricular activities, academic experience and parents’ educational expectations.

Authors of “A Child’s Day 2003: Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being” say children whose low income families live below the poverty level “are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities and to be academically on-track than children living in families above poverty and with higher levels of family income.” Children of parents with lower levels of educational attainment or who live in single-parent homes tend to have less interaction with parents, such as family conversations, being read to or sharing daily meals.

On the other hand, 75 percent of students 12 to 17 years old were academically on grade level in 2003, up 6 percentage points since 1994. Nearly 1 in 4 children in that age group were in a special class for gifted students or did advanced work in an academic subject.

Working Together Though Noddings said educating the whole child tends to improve academics, she also thinks doing so is not solely the school’s responsibility.

“We need far stronger interagency work,” she said. “Schools can’t do it alone.

“We attend to the whole child because we love and want what’s best for the whole child and don’t just love the child's brain or athletic ability. The more nearly we attend to the needs of whole children, the more likely we are to produce a better society in which people can flourish.”

— Dr. Nel Noddings, Stanford University They need to work with medical, social and legal agencies.”

Diversity makes it even more important for all sectors of society to address the developmental needs of children, Noddings explained. Like snowflakes, no two students are exactly alike.

Children bring to the classroom their home and life experiences, various cultures and worldviews and come to school in various states of well-being. Even parents can’t be relied upon as the primary source of child development.

“It’s easy enough to say, ‘Oh, the parents should be doing this.’

If they’re not doing it, are you going to throw up your hands and give up? People want to say all parents love and care for their children. That’s not true in every case,” she said.

Schools, as part of society, have a moral duty to produce graduates of sound character, who think critically and who have a social conscience and awareness of global issues, Noddings said.

In the September 2005 Education Leadership magazine article “What Does it Mean to Educate the Whole Child,” Noddings said public education’s history points to schools established “as much for moral and social reasons as for academic instruction.”

She explained: “We don’t treat children decently because they are tomorrow’s adults. We treat them decently because we love them and they are our children. We’re supposed to feed them because they’re hungry, not because they won’t learn if we don’t.

“Similarly, we attend to the whole child because we love and want what’s best for the whole child and don’t just love the child’s brain or athletic ability,” Noddings said. “The more nearly we attend to the needs of whole children, the more likely we are to produce a better society in which people can flourish.”

Developing a New Vision So how do schools — when funding and resources are scarce and testing pressure is so high — mold students into life-long learners, ethical and empathetic citizens and workers ready for the globally competitive workplace?

Schmidt says school boards and the larger community must embrace what she calls a future that “demands a new vision for education — one that is rooted in a shared obligation to educate the whole child.”

The leaders in this initiative must serve as role models to the children and collaborate in a way that “looks beyond differences, asks the right questions, focuses on the common ground and devel-

ops strategies that transcend the agendas of any individual or group,” she said.

Noddings says all teachers must embrace their role as moral educators and take responsibility for educating the whole child. School boards, she said, can encourage that deeper educational attitude and seek out the advice of experts in balancing whole child education with maintaining high assessment scores.

“You can’t give everything up for the sake of good achievement scores. It’s paradoxical,” she said. “If you don’t do these things to develop the whole child, you won’t get very good achievement scores either.” ▲

▲ July 9-13: The state Department of Education

recently announced open registration for its 2007 Mega Conference set for July 9-13 at the Riverview Plaza Hotel, Battle House Hotel and the Mobile Convention Center. Registration is $115. In addition to a variety of workshops, the event will feature a general session with Dr. Pedro Antonio Noguera of New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education. Noguera will speak about “Creating School Cultures That Promote Academic Excellence.” For details, visit www.alsde.edu and choose “special links.” ▲ June/July: The University of Alabama and

Auburn University will offer Advanced Placement Summer Institutes for AP teachers, administrators and counselors. Sessions are scheduled for July 913, July 16-20 and July 23-27 at the University of Alabama and June 25-29 at Auburn University. For details, visit www.auburn.edu/outreach/apsi/ or http://academicoutreach.ua.edu/page.cfm?page =degreeWeb&wpid=20&wmid=82 online.

Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 15

By Denise L. Berkhalter

A determined little girl, Reba Anderson would gather her brothers together in her pretend classroom and begin the day's lesson.

Anderson's mother was amused by her daughter's display of a dream — to become a teacher someday. It's a dream that turned into reality. Her education career has meandered through classroom teaching, guidance counseling and roles as assistant principal and principal.

Now the Fayette County Board of Education superintendent is among the state's 25 female superintendents.

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nderson and other women are chipping away at more than five decades of male-dominated leadership in education. They are proving women can do more than teach; they can also manage big-dollar budgets, lead personnel and oversee the education of children.

“What may be the difference between men and women in any job situation is we get to the top and have to prove ourselves first,” Anderson said. “There’s an author who claims many females are successful because they pursue careers they truly love and are invested in, whereas males may be in it for the prestige, money or because their fathers did it. I do love my job.”

What puzzles Anderson, however, is how few superintendents are women. When she decided to run for the superintendency in 2002, she had no female role models to guide her.

“I hope there will be more women seeking superintendent positions. Somehow, it makes sense to me that in a profession where the majority of teachers are female that you have female leadership,” she said.

On the national scene, men make up only 24.9 percent of the nation’s 3 million public school teachers and 24.8 percent of Alabama’s 49,574 teachers. Yet, men are in 90 percent of the superintendent jobs in U.S. school systems and are 40 times more likely to advance through the ranks to the position. Only 19 percent of Alabama’s 131 superintendents are women.

And, women are interested and qualified to be the chief executives of school systems. An American Association of School Administrators (AASA) study showed 52 percent of those seeking advanced degrees in education administration are women.

In addition, 40 percent of women in central-office administration — the traditional pool of superintendent candidates — aspire to the superintendency.

School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) Executive Director Dr. Susan L. Lockwood said inroads have been made. A woman in the top ranks of education is no longer taboo.

Lockwood remembers life as one of about 10 female superintendents when she led the Eufaula school system in 1996. The number of female superintendents has held steady in the low to mid-20s for the past four years, she said.

“Surprisingly,” Lockwood said, “we’ve gained an awful lot of elected women superintendents.”

Lockwood said the superintendent had traditionally been regarded as the person who controlled the system’s purse strings, and men were stereotypically seen as more capable money managers than women.

“Now the superintendent is seen more as someone who can be an instructional leader and also handle the purse strings. Boards are a little more conscientious about looking for people who can be strong instructional leaders,” she said.

The focus on instruction due to intense accountability measures has opened the superintendency door for more women because they are more likely to have a strong instructional background, Lockwood said.

Female superintendents are also blazing a trail for others to follow. Their successes increase the likelihood that more women will be considered for superintendent vacancies, Lockwood said.

At the first SSA retreat for women members earlier this year, the group conceded what slowed their progress toward the superintendent’s seat was their “choice” to be mothers and wives first. According to AASA survey findings, 35 percent of women superintendents raised children under the age of 20 while in the position, while 30 percent waited until their children were older to pursue the superintendency. Of the respondents, 36 percent landed the job by age 45, though the median age for female and male superintendents is between 54 and 55.

(Continued on page 18)

Helping lead the way in educating Alabama’s students are: Reba Anderson (bottom, left), Fayette County Board of Education superintendent; Dr. Vivian B. Carter (bottom, right), Russell County superintendent; and School Superintendents of Alabama Executive Director Dr. Susan L. Lockwood (top, right).

Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 17

Leading Ladies...

Continued from page 17

“Family was always my top priority. I took six years out of my career to stay home with my children,” said Anderson, who finally decided to run for the superintendent’s office in 2002 and was reelected in 2006.

“I was principal at Fayette Elementary School in Fayette County, and there were several factors that caused me to run,” she said.

“One, the timing was right because my children are grown, and two, I thought there was a need for leadership in our county from someone who has school experience.”

Anderson is thankful for her great working relationship with the Fayette County school board. She has experienced no gender bias in her current position.

those seeking advanced degrees 52% Of in education administration are women. women in central-office 40% Of administration — the traditional pool of superintendent candidates — aspire to the superintendency.

“But, you’ll probably find, if you speak with many of us female superintendents, somewhere in our background deliberate acts of gender discrimination,” she said.

Dr. Vivian B. Carter, Russell County superintendent, warns women of color that the road to education administration may not always be smooth.

There are few women of color serving in superintendencies. The AASA study identifies only 7 percent of those surveyed as women of color. Only 1 percent said they were Latinas. African-American women, the study found, don’t attain superintendent’s positions as quickly as whites. Fifty-six percent of African-American women, compared to 70 percent of white aspiring superintendents are hired within the first year of seeking the job. Only 8 percent of white women wait five or more years to get work as a superintendent compared to 25 percent of African-American women and 9 percent of white men. Diverse school boards, the study reports, are more likely to hire superintendents of color.

Even through times when race seemed to be an issue on her road to the superintendency, Carter said she pushed forward with her aspirations to lead. She refused to give in or give up.

“I want people to accept me as a leader, not as a black leader or woman leader but a leader concerned about making a difference in the lives of children,” she said before offering advice to other women of color interested in administrative positions. “Just because the door opens doesn’t mean there won’t be obstacles. Just because you have the basic qualifications for the position, doesn’t 18 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

mean the road is going to be smooth. So, be prepared for obstacles, so you’re able to sustain yourself.”

Anderson, Carter and Lockwood agree that professional development and experience are key to securing a superintendent position. Lockwood encourages aspiring superintendents to take advantage of SSA’s mentoring and training programs, enter feeder programs such as the University of Alabama’s Superintendents’ Academy and pursue a doctoral degree.

Nineteen of Alabama’s 25 female superintendents have doctorates. Nationally, 60 percent of superintendents have doctoral degrees.

Carter, who earned her education doctorate in child and youth studies at Florida’s Nova Southeastern University, believes women should use professional development to gain an understanding of school law, finance, curriculum/instruction and working with people.

“When I say people, I’m thinking about parents, children and your ability to empower others and get them to buy into the school system’s mission,” she said. “Employ people who are truly interested in making a difference and working collaboratively with the school system.”

Anderson said classroom experience and active involvement have been valuable to her on the road to education administration.

“I attended board meetings for several years before I even had an idea I would want to be a superintendent. I served on board policy committees to write and revise board policy. So, I had that information before I ever came into this office,” she said.

When it comes to leadership style, Anderson believes a good blend of the authoritative approach generally associated with men and the collaborative method often attributed to women is best.

“I read a book on women in positions of leadership, and the author put forth the idea that one reason women have not been able to be effective leaders is because they didn’t grow up playing T-ball and Little League ball — the way boys learn you win some and lose some,” Anderson said. “I grew up with three brothers, which gives me an advantage. I did learn how to get up, brush myself off and go on. I can be very authoritative when I need to be, but I still think when you give your stakeholders a feeling of ownership they ▲ are much more willing to work for you.”

FIRST LADIES School Superintendents of Alabama research indicates women have been at the helm of school systems for many decades. Below are a few of the earliest serving women superintendents: 1910-1922: Alice Coleman, Attalla City 1916-1921: J.M. Sanders, Pike County 1917-1926: R.L. Faucett, Autauga County 1919-1920: Margaret Broadus, Russellville City 1920-1924: Annie Heard, Auburn City 1920-1926: J.A. Liner, Sylacauga City

Priming the

Engineering Pipeline

By Denise L. Berkhalter

Alabama hopes to fill its engineering pipeline with students interested in math and science and make the state more attractive to industries that bring high-wage engineering jobs. his fall, the state’s Engineering Academy Initiative will launch seven or more pilot pre-engineering projects. The academy sites will be competitively chosen from public high schools interested in preparing students academically for undergraduate engineering programs; informing students about engineering; and showing students how they can apply what they study to enhance their futures and impact society. Each site will receive $100,000 for materials, supplies and other start-up costs. The application phase for the initiative has ended, and the pilot engineering academies are expected to be announced prior to summer training for faculty.

“Nationally, the demand for engineers is expected to grow over the next few years,” said Dr. Anita Buckley-Commander, director of classroom improvement for the state Department of Education. “But, the number of students completing degrees in engineering is decreasing. Engineering graduation trends in Alabama mirror the national decline.”

The initiative will employ specialized curriculum and hands-on engineering experiences in an

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attempt to counteract this trend and increase the number of high school graduates selecting engineering as a career, Buckley-Commander said.

This is a collaborative effort of the state Department of Education, the Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Coalition and the engineering colleges at Alabama A&M University, Auburn University, Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama-Birmingham, the University of Alabama-Huntsville and the University of South Alabama. The partners funded the initial planning phase that began last May and ends this July and used two existing Alabama programs as a source of inspiration for the initiative — the Hoover High School Engineering Academy in

Hoover and the Engineering Pathway Integrated Curriculum at Davidson High School in Mobile.

To be selected as an engineering academy, a high school must designate both a lead and back-up teacher to attend weeklong summer training, offer an advanced placement calculus course with at least 14 students enrolled and commit to preparing high school students to complete the necessary coursework for pursuing an engineering degree. The academies will recruit rising ninth-graders each year and help them develop skills in engineering design, technical communication, solid and computer modeling, data acquisition and analysis, digital signal processing, programming logic, engineering entrepreneurship and more. The program curriculum may also include science coursework that culminates in physics. Pilot programs will not only use existing faculty but may tap into professional engineers and lessons via videoconferencing.

(Continued on page 28)

Davidson High School’s Engineering Pathway Integrated Curriculum is a specialized math and science path for students interested in post-secondary education in engineering or geotechnical, geological physical, meteorological or environmental fields. These photos show events highlighted in EPIC’s www.davidsonepic.org photo gallery.

Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 19

By Dr. David Nichols

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istorically Alabama has not fared well in national rankings for school funding and student achievement. Statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics show that Alabama students have consistently scored below the national average. The old adage, “Thank God for Mississippi,� has been true. However, in recent years Alabama has begun to gradually move ahead of Mississippi and many other states in student achievement.

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labama’s recent development and implementation of one of the nation’s best math and science initiatives signals an upturn in student performance. Alabama schools are on the precipice of recognizable academic progress. Local school board members should be aware of the significant impact this can have on student achievement and test scores. But to make sure that this happens in math and science, education officials must intensify their efforts in the early grades to ensure that more children can read on grade level.

Alabama was recently recognized in a scholarly publication for its success with the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). According to a news release from the state Department of Education, an article in the December/January edition of Educational Leadership heralded AMSTI as one of the successful initiatives in the nation where strong teacher preparation programs result in improved student achievement. The AMSTI program was first implemented on a limited basis in 2002 and may be coming to a school near you. This is one of those success stories in which universities and public schools are collaborating in the development and delivery of teacher training. AMSTI gives teachers the skills, materials, equipment and opportunities to provide instruction in class followed by hands-on applications in the laboratory.

I recently had the privilege to visit several schools that have AMSTI programs at the middle and high school levels.

I observed a science learning experience in both the classroom setting (biology) and in a chemistry laboratory. Of particular significance was the genuine eagerness of students to learn. One teacher at a middle school said, “We now have everything we need to adequately teach the children about science and in such a way that they enjoy learning.”

This indeed is good news for Alabama students. But let’s not get so caught up in the celebration of the promise AMSTI holds that we lose our focus on the children who are unable to read the science and math books. Far too many students are unprepared to succeed in these courses in schools across the state. They cannot read on an adequate level to comprehend the materials in the traditional courses such as science, math, history and social studies.

Many Alabama schools have made progress in reading. The use of scientifically based research reading core programs in the early grades has proven extraordinarily effective in children learning to read on grade level, thus, succeeding in other subjects. The Alabama Reading First Initiative requires the use of research-based core and intervention programs.

Consequently, reading progress in these schools consistently outpace students in similar schools not using research-based core programs. Yet, many schools continue to use teaching methods that are not working for an unacceptably high percentage of children.

One of the most reliable assessments of reading used in Alabama and in most states is the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Using statistics from the Alabama Department of Education, of the approximately 230,000 children in grades K-3 who were administered the DIBELS test in the spring of 2006, more than 50,000 did not benchmark (read on grade level). According to state Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton, “DIBELS data are of utmost importance because they point to what matters most for teaching students to read.”

Alabama has much to celebrate in terms of progress in math, science and in reading initiatives. Local school boards should all be proud that Alabama is recognized as a model for the AMSTI program. To perpetuate this achievement and progress, the crisis of reading in many of our elementary schools should receive intensive initiatives using scientifically research-based reading programs already proven effective in Alabama schools. Every school board member should insist on reading success for more children in the early grades. Then we will see our math and science programs produce tremendous outcomes of success in the future. Alabama has the potential and the opportunity to rise to the top in academic progress in the nation. ▲

David Nichols, Ed.D., is a member of the Shelby County Board of Education and serves as an education consultant.

Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 21

Complications of

Teen Pregnancy

By Jamie L. Keith

n 2005, there were 11,514 teen pregnancies (ages 10-19) in the state — a pregnancy rate of 37.7. This is an alarming statistic for Alabama communities. And, when we look beyond the numbers, we see that teen pregnancy affects several critical social issues, including poverty and income disparity; overall child well-being; child welfare; out-of-wedlock births; healthy relationships and marriage; responsible fatherhood; health issues; edu-

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cation; substance use and other risky behaviors; and violence. Of particular concern to the education community in Alabama should be the impact teen pregnancy has on educational success.

According to a publication by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Why the Education Community Cares About Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Notes from the Field, October 2006, educational success is significantly hampered by teenage pregnancy, both for the teen and her child.

• Only 41 percent of teens who begin families before age 18 ever complete high school.

• A recent study found that approximately 50 percent of first-time teen mothers under 18 that had dropped out did so before they were pregnant; the other half dropped out after becoming pregnant.

• Parenthood is a leading cause among teen girls for dropping out of high school.

• Only about 2 percent of teen mothers have a college degree by age 30.

• Children of teen parents often do worse in school and are 50 percent more likely to repeat a grade.

• Educational failure is a key predictor of teen pregnancy.

The problem of teen pregnancy is greater than we often think.

• 750,000 girls get pregnant each year in the United States, and 3 out of 10 young women become pregnant at least once before age 20.

• Eighty percent of these pregnancies are to unmarried teens.

• Over one-half of teen pregnancies end in birth.

• Fourteen percent of high school-aged males report causing at least one pregnancy.

22 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

• The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the industrialized world.

• Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $9 billion annually.

The education community can make a big difference in reducing teen pregnancy.

• Students who feel a strong connection to their school and have a higher grade point average are more likely to postpone sexual activity.

• Students cite teachers and counselors as second only to their families as the most reliable sources of sexuality related information.

• Youth development programs are proving promising in lowering rates of early pregnancy. These initiatives include programs often active during or after school at a school site, such as school-to-work activities, community service activities, mentoring, tutoring and other activities that foster a sense of self in youth.

• Female athletes are less likely to get pregnant, begin having sex later, have sex less often, have fewer partners and are more likely to use contraception than non-athletes.

Schools across the country have established innovative programs to reduce teen pregnancy.

• CHAMPS seeks to prevent teen pregnancy through early intervention. This youth development program includes tutoring, after-school activities, sexuality education, mental health services and service learning for third- through sixthgraders in inner-city Nashville.

• A network of 31 school-based health centers has been established throughout Louisiana. In addition to general health care, counseling and education (including abstinence-based pregnancy/STD prevention), some centers also sponsor

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tutoring and peer education.

To reduce the teen dropout rate, Project ASPIRE was established in 1987 by Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati schools to offer mentoring, tutoring and career counseling.

Beacon schools in New York City serve as “safe havens” during after-school, evening and weekend hours, providing youth development activities and family/community support.

Girls Inc.’s “Preventing Teen Pregnancy” curriculum was recently adopted by a San Antonio, Texas, middle school, as it has been in schools and programs across the country.

A Wisconsin teacher used NBC’s “The More You Know About Teen Pregnancy” advertising contest as the basis for a group project that included research on teen pregnancy, interviews with the students’ classmates and work with an advertising agency.

There is a significant impact school boards can make when addressing teen pregnancy in local communities. School boards make a difference by: • Providing leadership for policymaking; • Defining a vision for fully developing young people; • Monitoring the needs of youth in local communities and setting or revising policies based on identified needs; • Directing the superintendent to address the issue of teen pregnancy prevention through policy implementation; • Partnering with other community organizations for the purpose of communication and community outreach;

• Ensuring programs are available that enhance student achievement and health development; and • Providing resources for effective teen pregnancy programs.

The Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy serves as a catalyst for the development and implementation of community prevention efforts, thereby improving the physical, mental, emotional and socioeconomic well-being of children, families and communities in Alabama. The campaign will provide assistance to school boards in their efforts to reduce teen pregnancy by identifying data on teen pregnancy in local communities; providing information on effective pregnancy prevention curricula; identifying resources that will provide specific information about teen risktaking behavior; and assisting with the development of a collaborative network for the purpose of assessing community needs and implementing effective programs. ▲ Jamie L. Keith is executive director of the Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

Portions of this article was reprinted with permission from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, www.teenpregnancy.org. For additional information, contact Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 334/2658004, acptp@bellsouth.net, www.acptp. org.

For additional information about teen pregnancy prevention and Alabama statistics, please visit the following Web sites: ▲ National School Boards Association http://www.nsba.org/site/doc_schoolhealth_abstract. asp?TrackID=&SID=1&DID=25326&CID=1116&VID=53 ▲ Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy www.acptp.org ▲ National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy www.teenpregnancy.org ▲ Alabama Department of Public Health http://ph.state.al.us/chs/HealthStatistics/Pregnancy/PregBirth-Teen.htm

June 2007 Board/Superintendent Secretaries' Workshop 15 Birmingham 18 Montgomery

July 2007 11- NSBA/Southern 14 Region Conference San Antonio, Texas 29- AASB Summer 31 Conference Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach Jul. 31- Leadership I Aug. 1 Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach

September 2007 District Academy Programs 17 District 2 Academy 20 District 3 Academy 24 District 8 Academy 25 District 9 Academy 27 District 7 Academy

October 2007 District Academy Programs 1 District 5 Academy 4 District 6 Academy 9 District 1 Academy 11 District 4 Academy 21- Academy Core 22 Conference Hoover

December 2007 6-8 AASB Annual Convention Wynfrey Hotel, Hoover 6

AASB Leadership II Core Wynfrey Hotel, Hoover

Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 23

Potpourri PEOPLE ▲ Kudos to Conecuh County school board chairman David Cook Jr., who has been elected to represent Southern Pine Electric Cooperative of Brewton on the Alabama Electric Cooperative Inc. Board of Trustees. ▲ Congratulations to Bill Veitch, who was

reappointed to a five-year term on the Hoover school board. Veitch has served as president of the board. ▲ Congratulations to Jennifer Sittason,

who was reappointed to the Hartselle school board. Sittason was first appointed in August 2005. ▲ Kudos to Wetumpka YMCA Hall of

Fame inductee Larry Teel. A member of the Elmore County school board, Teel is one of four inducted into the hall. ▲ Hats off to AASB Vice President Flo-

rence Bellamy and AASB Assistant Executive Director Sally Howell for representing AASB at the Learning First Alliance’s National Summit on Public Education in 21st-Century America. The March conference on the future of public education was held in Washington D.C. AASB was heavily involved in launching the state’s LFA initiative and continues its work with education partners. ▲ Kudos to AASB President Jim Methvin,

Kudos to AASB District VI Director Sue Jones (second from left) and Assistant Executive Director Sally Howell (left) who joined fellow members of the state’s Leadership Network for Healthy Students and Healthy Schools to present the group’s findings and actions to the state Board of Education recently. The 15-member network established in 2004 is crafting recommendations that emphasize prevention of HIV/AIDS and related health issues through education. Also pictured are state board member Stephanie Bell, center, and network member Mary Ellen Taylor, a junior at Sylacauga High School.

who served as a panelist at U.S. Rep. Artur Davis’ town hall meeting to discuss No Child Left Behind April 11 in Birmingham.

▲ A welcome goes to Hank Allen, who

▲ A welcome goes to Dr. Verdell

▲ Welcome to Greene County Board of

Dawson, who was named interim superintendent by the Selma school board. Dawson, who has been trained through the state Department of Education’s Superintendent Academy, formerly served as Selma’s administrative assistant.

Education’s Interim Superintendent Eddie Hill, who was recommended to the school board by the state Department of Education. Hill, an SDE employee, started in his new position March 19.

Best wishes to Dr. Robert A. Lane, who recently concluded many years of service on both the Alabama Association of School Boards’ and the National School Boards Association’s boards of directors. For eight years he has served NSBA’s board of directors, only the third Alabamian to earn membership on the national board. He is a past president of AASB, a Lowndes County school board member and has long been active in education at the state, regional and national levels. He has served NSBA and NSBA’s Southern Region in a number of capacities, including committee leadership. During the National School Boards Association Conference in April, Lane was awarded a certificate of recognition from Gov. Bob Riley and a resolution from the Alabama Legislature for his representation of public schoolchildren at the state and national level. Lane is pictured with AASB Executive Director Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried and AASB President Jim Methvin.

24 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

won the Cullman County superintendent race. Allen is the former principal of West Point Middle School.

▲ Welcome aboard Andy Craig as super-

intendent of Hoover Board of Education. Craig had served as Hoover’s interim superintendent and was hired in 2001 as Hoover’s assistant superintendent for finance and business and chief financial officer. ▲ Hats off to Mobile County Board of

School Commissioners and Madison City Board of Education, both with speakers who made presentations in the “Share the Success” portion of the National School Boards Association’s annual conference in San Francisco. ▲ A pat on the back goes to Chasidy

Miroff, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Brookwood Middle School

in the Tuscaloosa County school system. Miroff is the only Alabamian and one of only 16 chosen nationwide for the 2007 Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar Abroad Program, which includes a five-week study tour of Thailand and Vietnam. ▲ Welcome to the new

superintendent of Demopolis schools, former Hillcrest Middle School (Tuscaloosa County) principal L a w re n c e Wayne Vickers. He re- Vickers places Dr. Wesley Hill, who retires in June. ▲ Hats off to the West End High School

(Birmingham) chapter of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, the first chapter from Alabama to ever win the National Career Connection High School award, which includes $1,000 to be presented at the FCCLA national leadership meeting in July in Anaheim, Calif. ▲ Congratulations to Dr.

Eric Mackey, superintendent of Jacksonville Board of Education, who was presented the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce Bren- Mackey da Dozier Hollis Chairman’s Cup for outstanding service to the chamber.

▲ Applause to Mercedes Jones of Gun-

tersville High School in Guntersville for her first-place win in the Books-AMillion Creative Writing Contest. The award comes with a $5,000 scholarship. ▲ Applause to Sean Stevens, a business teacher at Sylacauga High School in the Sylacauga school system, for his selection as the state’s Outstanding Business Educator Award winner. The award was presented by the Alabama Business Education Association. ▲Sympathies to the family of Virginia Burt Lowery, who died recently at age 83. Her 52 years of service to Russell County schools included 30 years as a teacher and 22 years as a member of the school board. ▲ Kudos to Dan Meissner

of the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education, who won free registration for either the July 2007 or October 2007 AASB School Board Meissner Member Academy conferences. He was chosen from those who completed and returned AASB evaluation forms at the March Conference in Birmingham.

Congratulations also go to Christine Knight of the Bessemer school board, who won an attendance prize from conference sponsor The Silver Trunk. ▲ Condolences to the family of former

▲ Kudos to the 19 Alabama public high school students who won 2007 National

Achievement Scholarships for undergraduate study. Alabama’s winners are among the more than 800 African-American high school seniors in the nation who will share more than $2.5 million in scholarships for scholastic achievement. They are: Bethany J. Andrews of W. P. Davidson High School, Mobile County • Kyra A. Baker of Murphy High School, Mobile County • Ryan J. Davis of Daphne High School, Baldwin County • Shannon L. Gray of Ensley High School, Birmingham • Yaa N. Gyasi of Virgil I. Grissom High School, Huntsville • Jasmine A. Hoskins of Homewood High School, Homewood • Brittany A. Johnson of Alabama School of Fine Arts • Shannon L. McNeal of Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School, Montgomery County • Terrence C. Moore of Oak Grove High School, Jefferson County • James R. Nichols of Booker T. Washington Magnet High School, Montgomery County • Daniel O. Osula of Walker High School, Jasper • Brandi N. Powe of Murphy High School, Mobile County; Jasmine J. Rencher of Baker High School, Mobile County • Helen H. Solomon of Auburn High School, Auburn • Kenneth K. Stallworth of T. R. Miller High School, Brewton • Rhone Y. Triplett of Sparkman High School, Madison County • Claire J. Watson of Murphy High School, Mobile County • Joi R. Webb of Hoover High School, Hoover • and Elizabeth D. Whiting of Northview High School, Dothan.

state Sen. Charles Langford, known for his work in a 1964 lawsuit that desegregated Montgomery’s public schools. Langford died recently at age 84.

SCHOOLS ▲ Good job distinguished recipients of

National Assessment of Educational Progress Motivation Contest Award. The awards were presented to North Birmingham Elementary School, Birmingham; J.E. Terry Elementary School, Dallas County; and Haleyville Elementary School, Haleyville. ▲ Way to go T.R. Simmons Elementary School of Jasper. The school is the only one in the state awarded the Exemplary Reading Award presented by the International Reading Association and Alabama Reading Initiative for excellent reading instruction and student reading fluency. ▲ Congratulations to the 2006-07 Banner

Schools chosen by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools for demonstrating outstanding educational programs and having a dedicated teaching staff. The winners are Lakewood Elementary School, Phenix City; Memorial Park Elementary School, Jasper; Owens Elementary School, Limestone County; Winterboro High School, Talladega County; Riverchase Middle School, Shelby County; Taylorville Elementary School, Tuscaloosa County; Bankhead Middle School, Walker County; Blount County Career Technical Center, Blount County; Boaz Middle School, Boaz; Haleyville Elementary School, Hayleyville; J.O. Johnson High School Huntsville; and Jefferson County Counseling and Learning Center, Jefferson County. ▲ Hats off to Hoover High School for its selection as one of 24 model high schools nationwide. Hoover High was chosen by the International Center for Leadership in Education and will share its best practices, such as shared decision-making and the use of data to personalize education, at the 15th annual Model Schools Conference in Washington, D.C. ▲ Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 25

At the Table Jennifer Parsons School Board Jefferson County Board of Education Hometown Sylvan Springs A Board Member for Since 1998 Books at Bedside Chasing Hope. It’s the story of two Afghan boys who escaped from Afghanistan, made their way to Germany and are currently living with a friend of mine who was a missionary in Germany.

Inspiration As a school board member, I’m inspired by the children our school district serves and the impact the decisions I make will ultimately have on the students. Because I’m a former teacher, I’m also constantly evaluating how the decisions I make will impact teachers in the classroom.

Personally, my hope is that I, on a daily basis, do the right thing and treat others the way I would want them to treat me.

Motto as a Board Member To be passionate about the decisions that I’m asked to make and to understand the impact that they have on our school system.

Walter Mitty Fantasy I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon.

Advice to New Board Members Take your job very seriously. Find out all the information that you can possibly find out concerning decisions that you’re going to be asked to make. Always have an open ear to listen, but be very careful before you give a response. Think about your response very seriously and about the impact of what they’re asking you to do.

HELP!

Greatest Accomplishment as a Board Member Of course, I didn’t do it by myself. But, a year after I came on the board we underwent state intervention due to financial problems. We were able to work through that, and now we have at least three month’s operating expenses saved up. It’s a wonderful thing. My greatest accomplishment is now being able to say our school system is financially stable and sound and that we know where our dollars are and where our dollars go.

Pet Peeve as a Board Member Right now we have a great board of education, and we really work well together. So, I really don’t have a pet peeve. I have a tendency to, if I can’t fix it, just tune it out and not worry about it.

Reason I Like Being an AASB Member The continuing education for board members is excellent. I feel like it gives me a network of board members beyond my local board. They have often faced some of the difficulties that I’ve either faced or am about to face, and they can advise me or tell me how they dealt with similar situations.

That really makes a difference.

My Epitaph She was always doing the right thing.

26 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

▲

What financial information should school boards expect from their superintendents?

Q A

School board members play a major role in ensuring their school system’s fiscal health, and information in financial statements also helps board members make informed financial decisions. State law requires that school boards receive monthly financial statements, monthly receipts and the sources of those receipts, monthly reports of expenditures, an annual projected budget, monthly and/or quarterly reports that show expenditures relative to the projected budget and an annual report of the board of education’s fixed assets inventory. Not receiving these regular reports is a red flag.

— Denise L. Berkhalter

Alabama Association of School Boards

Professional Sustaining Members

AASB appreciates these professional members for supporting association activities and you all year long.

Alabama Beverage Association Montgomery, Alabama 334/263-6621 Alabama Gas Corporation Birmingham, Alabama 205/326-8425 Alabama Supercomputer Authority Montgomery, Alabama 334/832-2405

Gallet & Associates Inc. Birmingham, Alabama 205/942-1289 Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc. Montgomery, 334/271-3200 Birmingham, 205/879-4462 Mobile, 251/460-4006 Hoar Program Management Birmingham, Alabama 205/803-2121

McKee & Associates Architecture and Design Montgomery, Alabama 334/834-9933 Payne & Associates Architects Montgomery, Alabama 334/272-2180 PH&J Architects Inc. Montgomery, Alabama 334/265-8781 Rosser International, Inc. Montgomery, Alabama 334/244-7484

Barganier Davis Sims Architects Montgomery, Alabama 334/834-2038

Jenkins Munroe Jenkins Architecture Anniston, Alabama 256/820-6844

BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama 205/220-5771

JH Partners Architecture/Interiors Huntsville, Alabama 256/539-0764

Christian Testing Labs Montgomery, Alabama 334/264-4422

Kelly Services, Inc. Dothan Alabama 334/673-7136

Council of Alabama Coca-Cola Bottlers, Inc. Birmingham, Alabama 205/841-2653

KHAFRA Engineers, Architects and Construction Managers Birmingham, Alabama 205/252-8353

Davis Architects Inc. Birmingham, Alabama 205/322-7482

Paul B. Krebs & Associates, Inc. Birmingham, Alabama 205/987-7411

TAC Energy Solutions Birmingham, Alabama 205/970-6132

Exford Architects Birmingham, Alabama 205/314-3411

Lathan Associates Architects PC Birmingham, Alabama 205/879-9110

Evan Terry Associates PC Birmingham, Alabama 205/972-9100

Fuqua & Partners Architects PC Huntsville, Alabama 256/534-3516

McCauley Associates Inc. Birmingham, Alabama 205/969-0303

Volkert & Associates Inc. Mobile, Alabama 251/432-6735

Sain Associates Birmingham, Alabama 205/940-6420 Sherlock Smith & Adams Inc. Montgomery, Alabama 334/263-6481 Southland International Bus Sales Birmingham, Alabama 888/844-1821 2WR/Holmes Wilkins Acrhitects Inc. Montgomery, Alabama 334/263-6400

Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007 27

The Engineering Pipeline...

Continued from page 19

“Students completing the program will be better prepared for success in college level courses required for engineering,” Buckley-Commander said. “The high school initiative also offers students a strong sequence of math and science courses with emphasis on advanced placement calculus. In addition, it engages students in engineering design processes that help them relate their coursework to reallife applications.”

Each of the state’s seven engineering colleges will partner with a selected high school to advise and guide the program’s progress and provide support from the engineering faculty.

“I see students who never dreamed of going to college or having these kinds of careers open their eyes and persevere and end up making more money than they ever thought they’d make.”

—Dr. Charles Murray Lawson State Community College Buckley-Commander sees how the state’s initiative falls in line with the American Competitiveness Initiative President George W. Bush announced last January in his State of the Union Address. Bush wants academic programs that ensure America continues to lead the world in science and technology.

“We’re focusing on higher levels of math and science, and that focus is going to do a great deal to better prepare our students for professions in those fields,” Buckley-Commander said. “If this year is a success, I would hope that we could pull in more high schools interested in developing a curriculum related to engineering.”

In addition to the state’s initiative and the pre-engineering programs at Hoover 28 Alabama School Boards • April/May 2007

SPARKING INTEREST To find out more about pre-engineering programs in Alabama’s public high schools, contact: ▲ Engineering Academy Initiative - Dr. Anita Buckley-Commander, director of classroom improvement, Alabama Department of Education, 334/242-8155, abuckley@alsde.edu ▲ Hoover High School Engineering Academy - Dr. Mark D. Conner,

director, 205/439-1170 ext. 36091, mconner@hoover.k12.al.us ▲ Engineering Pathway Integrated Curriculum at Davidson High School, Mobile - Lewis Copeland, principal, 251/221-3084, copeland@mcpss.com ▲ Lawson State Community College Pre-Engineering Program Dr. Charles Murray, associate dean of career tech, 205/426-7423, cmurray@lawsonstate.edu

and Davidson, a community college effort is sparking high school students’ interest in engineering careers to prime the pipeline with a future employable, talented work force.

Lawson State’s pre-engineering academy for high school students launched in January as a partnership effort with Bessemer Public School System. About 25 students work on pre-engineering projects to receive high school credit.

“One of our main goals is working with minorities and ladies to encourage them to pursue careers in engineering,” said Dr. Charles Murray, associate dean for career technical education at Lawson State Community College with campuses in Birmingham and Bessemer. Murray says workplace changes have been dynamic over the years, and he is eager for young people to recognize and tap into new career opportunities.

“I’ve been doing this for 24 or 25 years, and I can really see how career tech programs change lives. I see students who never dreamed of going to college or having these kinds of careers open their eyes and persevere and end up making more money than they ever thought they’d make,” he said.

Engineering graduates entering today’s market could expect starting salaries at around $45,000 annually, while veteran engineers with 10-plus years experience could earn well over six figures. In 2004, nearly 73,000 graduates earned engineering bachelor degrees, up from nearly 62,000 in 1999, according to the American Society

for Engineering Education. The National Science Foundation reports 8.4 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in science and engineering in 2004 were to blacks, 7.3 percent to Hispanics and 65.1 percent to whites. A total of 13,257 engineering bachelor degrees were awarded to women in 2004, compared to 51,418 awarded to men.

Lawson State will begin classes this summer for Bessemer schools, but students are already coming in on Saturdays and after school, Murray said. He hopes to expand the program to other school systems and beyond math students to include those who hadn’t considered engineering as a career choice.

“These are hands-on, fun experiences,” he added. “Kids can design race cars, print their 3-D scale models with working and moving parts and put their race car in a wind tunnel to test it. The software kind of guides them through it. It’s almost like applied math. They may dislike formulas, but once they put it all in the computer and see the logic behind it, then it dawns on them.”

Alabama’s economic base is no longer only dependent on smoke-stack industries, Murray said. Over the last decade, he has seen a big push toward higher paying careers that require a more advanced, skilled, educated work force.

“Everything is changing so rapidly.

There are exciting opportunities out there that some kids would have no exposure to unless they entered a program like this,” he said. ▲

APRIL/MAY 2007 Volume 14, No. 1

Published as a service of the Alabama Association of School Boards

Building Your Boardmanship Skills Worth the Time and Money — Help Others Understand Why The most important part of attending AASB conferences is the valuable information you take home to your community. The ideas and strategies you learn through clinic sessions, workshops, roundtables, speakers and exhibitors can be implemented back home in your own school system.

Show your community how each conference benefits the children of your public schools. It is your responsibility as a school board member to promote the understanding that public money will go farther if school board members are well informed. Decisions you make about school policy, personnel, finance, curriculum and communications can be expensive and time consuming. Mistakes cost time and dollars — resources

bers seriously, so let your community know.

The following procedures and communications practices can strengthen your relationship with the community and news media:

Before the Conference

your school system cannot afford to waste.

You can help the public and news media understand why participation in board member development programs is essential, how the school system benefits from what is learned, and why attendance at these programs is not only legitimate but a sound investment for the school system. You take your responsibilities as school board mem-

▲ Make a public announcement at a board meeting that representatives from your school system will attend.

Indicate who will attend, the purpose and value of their participation and the approximate budgeted cost.

Prepare a press release or use one prepared by AASB to coincide with this public announcement. Incorporate basic information about the program and your school system participation.

(Continued on page 30)

AASB AND NSBA ANNUAL EVENTS ▲ Spring and Fall District Meetings ▲ March - AASB Academy Core Conference; ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

Attendance at conventions, conferences, workshops and seminars like AASB’s recent Personnel Law Review Seminar help board members stay current on events, issues and regulations affecting their school systems.

▲ ▲

“Early Bird” Workshop March/April - NSBA Annual Conference and Exposition April - Harassment Workshop June - Progressive Discipline Workshop July - NSBA/Southern Region Conference AASB Summer Conference; AASB Leadership I Session October - AASB Academy Core Conference December - AASB Annual Convention

Alabama School Boards / BOARDMANSHIP BASICS • April/May 2007 29

▲ Answer factually and promptly any inquiries about the upcoming conference. All inquiries should be channeled for response to one official spokesperson — usually the board president or superintendent. ▲ Review the meeting program and determine which sessions, discussions and activities will directly benefit your school system and your board members. Prepare to explain your choices. ▲ Designate an attending representative to prepare a written or verbal summary report to the entire board following the conference.

During the Conference ▲ List specific questions you want answered during the sessions. If the speakers don’t satisfy your needs, ask questions during or after the presentation. Take notes on each session. ▲ Collect material, if available, to share with board members who did not attend, including available speech texts that have relevance to your school system, literature from exhibits on applicable education products and services,

handouts and other materials such as reports, studies or reprints. ▲ Get acquainted and talk informally with other attendees during breaks, receptions and other social events. You can gain a great deal by networking with colleagues from school systems confronting the same challenges that you face.

After the Conference ▲ Prepare a news release for distribution as soon as possible after your return. It should include the success of the conference, its overall value to the school system and local community, local school system representatives who attended and the education topics discussed. Include quotes by your attendees on how the conference related to your school board’s programs and goals. ▲ At a board meeting, orally share the highlights of the report and your own observations and impressions. If you discovered that your school system is more successful than others in a given area of activity, point this out and com-

The Five C’s of Management Less than one-third of all leaders are perceived to be strong, according to a survey by the marketing information company TSN. As a result, increasingly larger percentages of the work force are disengaged. The survey also found that: • 40 percent of employees feel disconnected from their employers; • Two out of every three employees do not identify with or feel motivated to drive their employer’s goals and objectives; and • 25 percent of employees are just “showing up to collect a paycheck.”

So what does it take to be “perceived as a strong leader?”

• Character: People will not follow someone for long if they can’t trust him or her. Leaders have to be trustworthy to produce sustainable results.

• Caring: The old cliché is true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Leaders show they care about their team personally and professionally.

30 Alabama School Boards / BOARDMANSHIP BASICS • April/May 2007

pliment the staff and board. ▲ Be available for response to media inquiries, interview requests and other matters relating to the conference. Be prepared, informed and direct in your response. ▲ Explain the benefits and return on investment for conference participation. School governance is a huge and complex responsibility. Training school board members to be effective leaders and decision makers is an educational investment that benefits the entire community. ▲ Be positive and well-informed about the conference programming and its importance to the local school system.

School board members, chosen by the community to set policy for a complex school system, must have access to the best and most current information if they are to serve the students and community effectively.

Adapted and reprinted with permission from the National School Boards Association, 1680 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314, 703/838-6722.

• Commitment: Leaders do things poor managers won’t do.

Commit to your work. Believe in it. Bring passion to your work.

• Confidence: Leaders know where they are going and demonstrate this by their words and actions. They have no doubt that they will arrive at their destination, and, furthermore, they make you want to go with them. They instill confidence in you as well. They get you to believe in yourself and your team and to see yourself as winners before it actually occurs.

• Communication: Leaders have crystal clear compelling visions and communicate those visions repeatedly. In addition to letting people know clearly where they stand, leaders are also exceptional listeners. Leaders make certain they continuously get unfiltered information, good or bad.

Managers who develop these qualities will create an environment where their team will willingly do what they would not otherwise do.

John Wright is a speaker and trainer for High Impact Leaders Management Training. Find this article and other tips at www.leadersinstitute.com.

7 Ethical Ways to Resolve Conflict onflicts are inevitable, but the more we know about human nature, the better we will be at resolving conflicts and the better the outcome might be for both parties. We know that different people have different priorities and different styles in dealing with situations that may occur, but in general, human beings have certain characteristics that are very similar - even across gender, racial and socio-economic lines.

These natural human characteristics include:

C • • • •

People love to be agreed with.

People hate to be disagreed with.

People like other people who agree with them.

People dislike other people who disagree with them.

• People who are good at resolving conflicts look for some point of agreement and use good people skills to get others to see a different point of view.

So, we know when we disagree with people, we are likely to raise resentment. Therefore, it might be a good idea to strengthen our soft-skills — or our people skills — when dealing with conflicts or potential conflicts. If we find ourselves in

a tense situation and we raise our voice, the other party is likely to respond in kind. This will usually escalate the situation quickly. Understanding this human nature is one of the first and most important steps in anger management. Below are seven additional tips for avoiding and ultimately managing and resolving conflicts.

1. Be proactive instead of reactive.

2. Be slow to anger, especially over petty issues.

3. Instead of telling people they are wrong, point out mistakes indirectly.

4. Look for some type of common ground as soon as possible.

5. If you find that you are in the wrong, admit it.

6. Admit one of your own poor decisions before pointing out a similar error by others.

7. Mend fences whenever possible.

Adapted from an article written by Doug Staneart, doug@leaderinstitute.com, is CEO of The Leaders Institute, Team Building and Employee Development Training. Find this article and other tips at www.leadersinstitute.com.

Alabama School Boards / BOARDMANSHIP BASICS • April/May 2007 31

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