2014 Spring Alabama School Boards Magazine

ALABAMA

SCHOOL

BOARDS

Official Publication of the Alabama Association of School Boards

BRIGHT FUTURE

SPRING 2 0 1 4 AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

Shining a light on Alabama’s assessments

WHO’S WHO AT SDE SHERRILL PARRIS

TEXTING TEACHERS LURKING MENACE

PARTNERING WITH ADVOCACY GROUPS BEING OPEN, HONEST IS KEY

18

Inside

BRIGHT FUTURE

Spring 2014 Vol. 35, No. 1

Alabama student assessments are undergoing a sea change this year. State officials are shifting from tests that measure whether students are performing at grade level to tests that take a longer view and assess how prepared students will be to enter college or the workforce.

www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

8

23 IMPROVING SCHOOLS: ONE BITE AT A TIME

COMMON CORE CONFUSION Alabama’s College and Career Ready Standards — it’s about giving our kids the chance to compete with students across the country.

FEATURES 14 PARTNERING WITH ADVOCACY GROUPS

The key is to be open and honest about your concerns and make sure all sides understand the boundaries.

How a school system can deliver the value that nutritious meals provide without losing revenue.

24 THE TRANSITION OF OVERLAPPING SUPERINTENDENTS The idea of grooming someone for

greater office, providing him or her with time, and mentoring to prepare for bigger things to come, is taking hold in public education.

STAFF

PRESIDENT Katy Smith Campbell, J.D. Macon County

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sally Brewer Howell, J.D.

VICE PRESIDENT Pam Doyle Muscle Shoals

27 DOCTORS HELP TURN PAGE ON ILLITERACY

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Steve Foster Lowndes County

With the help of doctors, Reach Out and Read Alabama reached a milestone: More than a million books have been given away.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

IN EVERY ISSUE

A BAM ALA

16 USING INTERIM 4 TRENDS, RESEARCH & SUPERINTENDENTS DATES Primary purpose is to assist the system in maintaining a smooth 6 EDUCATION & THE LAW transition to a permanent superintendent.

10 WHO’S WHO AT SDE? 13 MARK YOUR CALENDAR PUBLICATION POLICY Alabama School Boards is published by the Ala31 HELP bama Association of School Boards as a service to its members. The articles published in each issue represent the ideas or beliefs of the writers and are 32 AT THE TABLE not necessarily the views of the Alabama Association OL of School Boards. Subscriptions sent to members SCHAORDS 35 PROFESSIONAL

O B of school boards are included in membership dues.

Complimentary copies are available upon request to SUSTAINING public school principals throughout the state. Additional annual subscriptions can be obtained for $30 MEMBERS by contacting AASB. Official

ion of Publicat

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PHOTO CREDITS

Cover: ©iStockphoto.com/manley099 Inside Pages: 4 - ©Blend Images - Fotolia.com; 6 - ©iStockphoto.com/ darrenwise; 8 - ©iStockphoto.com/LUGO; 14 - ©tashatuvango - Fotolia. com; 16 - ©Constantinos - Fotolia.com; 18 - ©iStockphoto.com/manley099; 23 - ©Studio Barcelona - Fotolia.com; 24 - ©iStockphoto.com/allsee ; 27 ©mizina - Fotolia.com

LURK

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Ken Roberts, CPA DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Denise L. Berkhalter, APR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Lissa Astilla Tucker, J.D. DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Susan Salter

DISTRICT 1 James Woosley Satsuma

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Sarah Cobb

DISTRICT 2 Don Nichols Perry County

MEETING/MARKETING COORDINATOR Katie Schroeder

DISTRICT 3 Jimmy Rodgers Covington County

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Debora Hendricks EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Tammy Wright

DISTRICT 4 Gwen Harris-Brooks Lanett

TECHNOLOGY/LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT Lashana Summerlin

DISTRICT 5 Suzy Baker Alabama School of Fine Arts

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Nancy Johnson Donna Norris Emily Maxwell

DISTRICT 6 Kathy Landers Talladega County

ALABAMA SCHOOL BOARDS EDITOR Linda Tynan

DISTRICT 7 Belinda McRae Marion County

rds ool Boa of Sch

GHT BRI URE FUT g a light

Entered as third-class mail at Montgomery, AL. Permit No. 34.

Alabama School Boards is designed by Linda Tynan Creative Services, Pike Road, AL. Address all editorial and advertising inquiries to: Alabama School Boards, Editor, P.O. Drawer 230488, Montgomery, AL 36123-0488. Phone: 334/277-9700 or e-mail info@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.

OFFICERS

G ERIN Y PARTNDVOCAC A WITHGROUPS IS KEY ST

, HONE

G OPEN

BEIN

DISTRICT 8 Karen Duke Decatur DISTRICT 9 Dr. Jennie Robinson Huntsville STATE BOARD LIAISON Dr. Yvette Richardson

OUR MISSION: To develop excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services.

Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 3

Trends Research&Dates

UP FRONT

— Compiled by Denise L. Berkhalter

Stand up for public schools The Stand Up 4 Public Schools campaign that launched this year to highlight the success of public education is a partnership effort of the National School Boards Association, the Alabama Association of School Boards and other state associations.

“Great public schools reflect the will of local communities and the strong governance of local school boards dedicated to advancing student achievement,” said NSBA Executive Director Thomas J. Gentzel. “This is an excellent vehicle for NSBA and our state associations to connect to share the great things happening in America’s public schools.”

Who is standing up for public schools?

Khan Academy founder Salman Khan is

22%

lending his celebrity status to the NSBA’s national public advocacy campaign.

Khan joins celebrity spokesmen Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who is a successful businessman and legendary basketball star, and Montel Williams, a former television talk show host and author of Living Well Emotionally.

12 Years a Slave Director Steve McQueen showed his support for public schools, too, by wearing a red campaign wristband when going on stage to accept the 2014 Academy Award for Best Picture. The Oscar-winning McQueen has said since he first read 12 Years a Slave, the memoir of Solomon Northup, it has been his dream that the book be taught in schools.

“I am immensely grateful to Montel Williams and the National School Boards Association for making this dream a reality and for sharing Solomon Northup’s story with today’s generation,” McQueen said. NSBA is partnering with New Regency, Penguin Books and the filmmakers to distribute copies of the acclaimed film, book and study guide to America’s public high schools in September.

Alabama’s boards of education are encouraged to help promote the campaign. Visit standup4publicschools. org to download the campaign toolkit.

Did you know?

Twenty-two percent of Alabama’s residents have a bachelor’s degree, reported a Feb. 25 al.com article using 2010 U.S. Census Bureau figures. Also, 82 percent of the state’s adults have high school diplomas.

4 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

TREND

Students skipping breakfast?

Several Alabama school systems are considering or are now offering free breakfast to all students to boost students’ energy and nutrition.

The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (fitness.gov) contends “a nutritious breakfast and learning go hand-in-hand.”

The council points to studies that show students who eat breakfast have better academic performance, behavior and attendance. Russellville schools is considering offering its students free breakfast in a pilot program that would begin in April, according to a TimesDaily.com article.

The Decatur, Huntsville and Mobile school systems, according to the article, have tried similar programs and have experienced less absenteeism, improved grades and fewer visits to the school nurse. [See One Bite at a Time, page 23]

$3,000 in prizes, ‘Excellence in Schools’ video contest ends April 11 Four lucky teams of public school students in grades 6 through 12 may win up to $3,000 in prizes for their 30- to 60-second commercials/public service announcements.

The contest applauds excellence in teaching, the creativity of Alabama’s public school students and the positive school experiences that inspire students to graduate. Entries will be accepted until April 11.

The Alabama Association of School Boards announces its third annual statewide How We Achieve Excellence in Our School video contest for public school students. The 2014 contest allows a maximum of two entries from each Alabama school system.

The contest is cosponsored

by Fairbanks LLC and Alabama Public Television (American Graduate grant funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting).

Entrance details available at AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.

Survey Says ...

SAY WHAT?

“Our College and Career Ready Standards have been in place for more than a year now. No one tells me how to teach these standards. … Each district in Alabama continues to choose its textbooks and pieces of literature to read in each school. In my math classes, gone are the days of asking my students to simply memorize a table in order to pass a test. Today, we are asking them to apply their reasoning skills, to develop number sense, memorize foundational facts, and then apply those to real world situations.”

— Suzanne Culbreth 2013 Alabama Teacher of the Year in appearance on WSFA 12 News

Each year the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama partners with the Samford Survey Research Center to conduct a survey of public opinion. This year’s survey, conducted in January, addressed two topics related to workforce development: education and aspiration. The survey work was underwritten, in part, by a grant from the Alabama Association of School Boards.

The survey asked Alabamians, “If a community is too poor to fund local schools adequately, should the state government make up the difference?” About 80 percent agree the state should make up the difference. Also, the survey found Alabamians: ü See public education as a top priority ü Have high aspirations for the performance of the school system ü Think funding for schools generally and funding for a number of programs should be increased

ü Are concerned about current spending practices

TRUSSVILLE

ü Think inequities in the current funding system are too great

School tax gets thumbs up Trussville voters chose to support their schools by casting a 59 percent yes vote for a 7-mill property tax. The nearly $2.1 million in funds will be used to renovate and expand an existing facility to house an elementary school and to construct a second elementary school.

è Trussville

Overcrowding has resulted in some children being educated in portable classrooms. Votes were cast by 4,747 residents, or 34 percent of Trussville’s registered voters.

Read the latest issue of The PARCA Perspective for an analysis of the 2014 PARCA Survey - Education and Aspirations at parca. samford.edu.

IF A COMMUNITY IS TOO POOR TO FUND LOCAL SCHOOLS, SHOULD THE STATE MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE? 81.8

Yes 9.6

No

8.7

No Opinion 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Percentage

For full results, go to parca.samford.edu

l

Source: 2014 PARCA Survey - Education & Aspiration

Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 5

EDUCATION & THE LAW

By Susan Tudor Crowther

SEEKING COUNSEL THE TROUBLE WITH TEXTING TEACHERS

W

e all know that texting while driving is dangerous. However, another menace is lurking out there — inappropriate texting between educators and students.

Recently, a school administrator commented that it seems that more and more teachers are reported for sexual relationships with students. This person wondered whether these incidents really were increasing, or if they were just getting caught more frequently.

The former may be true but the latter definitely is, too.

The reason is largely due to the new ways in which we communicate. Now, more than ever, teachers are communicating with students via text messages, and it is not always about school.

Such texting often starts about school and may become playful as the teacher bonds with his or her students.

Sometimes, though, these communications go far afield of appropriateness, even to the point of discussing inappropriate actions.

Electronic Paper Trails Teachers soliciting sex from students is not new.

However, when it is done via electronic means, it creates its own electronic paper trail. Because of this, there are more opportunities for a successful case being made against the teacher, since it is not based solely on conflicting testimony. In fact, parents frequently are the ones who discover the crime when they check their child’s cell phone messages.

In one case, a parent was concerned because her child’s cell phone bill showed that she was receiving texts during the school day, when instruction should have been occurring. The parent checked her child’s phone to see with whom she was communicating during that time.

She discovered that her daughter was having conversations of a sexual nature with her instructor during the school day.

6 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

Justifiably, action was taken against the teacher’s employment and her teaching certificate.

It is not always a parent who discovers the messages, though.

In a case in Alabama, a teacher, who was also a soccer coach, took a camping trip with a male member of her soccer team.

They stopped at a store to get camping supplies. The student was subsequently arrested after allegedly shoplifting condoms.

While in custody, his cell phone alerted that he had incoming messages. The police officer lawfully checked the phone to see who was texting him. The officer was concerned that the message might be coming from an accomplice still in the store.

Through questioning, the police determined it was the boy’s teacher who was texting him. The texts revealed that the teacher had earlier discussed the possibility of a sexual encounter that evening during the camping trip. It should be noted that this camping trip was sponsored by the school system and was for “team building.” On this occasion, only one student was attending.

Ultimately the police were faced with the decision of whether to charge the teacher with sexual contact with a student by electronic means under a new law in Alabama. The parents did not want to press charges, but the teacher still faced possible revocation of her teaching certificate by the Alabama Department of Education. The incident demonstrates the necessity for training on boundary issues for teachers.

Electronic Communications Policy While it seems logical that teachers would only be discussing schoolwork with students, sometimes the communications go beyond this topic. Therefore, employees should be trained on proper boundaries between them and students. Once a teacher sees a student as a friend, the lines become blurry and the environment is ripe for conversations to go beyond what is appropriate for a teacher and student.

Teachers should not discuss their personal lives with students, and especially not their dating or married life. If teachers are struggling with these issues, they should be encouraged to talk with another adult about it rather than with students.

In order to combat these types of scenarios, it is important to have a strong electronic communications policy in place. Should teachers communicate with students outside the classroom via cell phone at all? Are there legitimate reasons for this? Or would it be better for the communications to occur with the parent or guardian? Additionally, it is good for school systems to have policies that address the appropriate use of social media sites as well. Some school systems have policies prohibiting students and teachers from being friends on Facebook and other sites to avoid opportunities for inappropriate communications to occur.

Often parents will bring the inappropriate messages on their child’s device to the attention of school personnel. However, in the event that a teacher’s electronic device might have to be

searched, it is important to have a written appropriate use policy signed by the teacher. The policy should state that the teacher has no expectation of privacy for information stored on schoolowned equipment.

This will help in the event of a challenge under the Fourth Amendment. Furthermore, there should be set procedures for dealing with equipment you suspect has been used for the transmission of images. Before conducting the search, contact your school board lawyer and local law enforcement officials to ensure that the search and seizure, if needed, is conducted properly.

In fact, you might want to have law enforcement officials conduct it to avoid the possibility of a legal challenge, especially if there is the possibility that images considered child pornography might be discovered. They also will know the procedures for the proper seizure of the phone and documenting a chain of custody for evidence purposes.

Proceed With Caution These precautionary measures especially apply if the electronic device is personally owned by the teacher. In that scenario, teachers have more of a reasonable expectation of privacy in their text messages than for those found on schoolowned equipment. This means that the Fourth Amendment applies, prohibiting an unreasonable search and seizure.

While courts have found that a search is reasonable at its inception if it is suspected that inappropriate text messages were sent to a student, it can get tricky from there. For example, the courts have paid particular attention to whose messages were searched once the search began. Did the person conducting the search go beyond the scope of the search by searching for images or contacts on the phone?

For these reasons, you will need to proceed cautiously, with advice from your legal counsel and possibly police involvement.

Texting is a wonderful way to get messages to people quickly. However, like any form of communication, it can be misused. To help teachers know what is an appropriate means of communication with students, have policies in place setting limitations. Enforce these policies and take the appropriate action if inappropriate messages are suspected.

Also, help teachers to understand proper boundaries so that these issues are avoided. Remind teachers that students are in a subordinate position to them. Through these guidelines, hopefully the school system and the teachers themselves can avoid legal issues and emotional harm to students. n Susan Tudor Crowther (studor@alsde.edu) is the associate general counsel and assistant attorney general of the Alabama Department of Education and a member of NSBA’s Council of School Attorneys. For more information and articles on school legal issues, go to www.asbj.com/TopicsArchive/SchoolLawArchive.

Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 7

Confused

About The Common Core Confusion

By Larry Lee

P

ardon me while I scratch my head, but I’m still confused as to what all the “common core” talk was about this legislative session.

And, if the truth be known, I suspect the vast majority of Alabamians don’t know common core from apple core.

Still, this doesn’t stop the mention of it from stirring passion in some, especially the well-meaning folks who call themselves Tea Party types.

One reason I’m confused is because I don’t know which Republican to believe.

John Legg is a Republican state senator who chairs the Florida Senate Education committee, a former teacher and lives near Tampa. A few months ago he wrote the article Why Conservatives Support Common Core State Standards.

He said, “The movement to common core asserts higher-order thinking across the disciplines and concepts, which will yield a higher quality of comprehension for students, ensuring they are prepared for college, the workforce or to become a business owner/job creator. Common core is a set of academic standards and does not pose an identity or security risk to students.”

On the other hand our own Republican state senator, Scott Beason, spoke to an anti-common core rally in Montgomery earlier in the year. He read his fifth-grade daughter’s reading assign8 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

ment about the benefits of hybrid cars and called it an example of socialist indoctrination since the implication was that hybrid cars do not cause as much pollution as ones with internal combustion engines. (Wow, my sister has a hybrid vehicle. Did not know she was a socialist.

She may be the only one to ever graduate from Auburn University.)

Sen. Beason introduced bills this year that called for the repeal of the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards and would have replaced them with standards adopted in 1999 and 2003. In the 1985 movie classic, “Back to the Future,” Marty McFly was inadvertently sent back in time by Doc Brown’s time machine. It appeared that Beason had his own time machine and was hoping to send Alabama public school students and teachers back to 1999.

John Legg and Scott Beason. Two Republican state senators. One supports common core, one doesn’t. Which one should I believe?

At this point, trying to sort through my confusion, I did what I usually do when it comes to education issues: I went to the experts. In this case, school superintendents, principals and teachers who are largely being ignored in this debate. I doubt that, unlike Sen. Beason, they are experts on hybrid cars and socialism, but I do think they know a lot about education.

They quickly got me to understand that common core refers to standards — not curriculum. I also learned that Alabama used the Common Core State Standards, adjusted them to fit Alabama students and adopted the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.

As one teacher explained, “These standards encourage teachers to help students think, apply and create, instead of ‘sit and get’ instruction. Students make relevant and real-world connections across the disciplines.”

“These (common core) standards encourage teachers to help students think, apply and create, instead of ‘sit and get’ instruction. Students make relevant and realworld connections across the disciplines.”

What do the experts think about what Alabama is doing? Of the 50-plus I talked to, not a single one disagrees with the move.

“I have seen teachers re-energized.

One first-grade teacher came to me with tears in her eyes and said that she had

been in a rut and what she is now doing has brought joy back to her classroom,” said one longtime principal.

“We just had a school that exceeded national benchmarks in all content areas. I asked why this happened. The principal said that her teachers are finally able to teach again,” said a central office specialist.

“The standards are about doing what is right for the children, their future and their success. I don’t understand why adults in today’s society try to use children as a bargaining chip to promote their own agenda,” commented a Torchbearer school principal.

“We are spending time teaching teachers how to stop surface teaching and start expecting deeper use of and knowledge connected to writing and reading … developing a love of learning,” explained a superintendent.

“I love the college and career ready standards. It enables us to see how we measure up. I believe that Alabama schools are as good as those in other states,” said a principal.

“These standards are stronger than any we’ve ever had, no question. As long as we can teach and assess how we want, I’ll stand behind them 100 percent,” stated a principal of 20 years.

From a teacher of two decades, “Our new standards are one of the best things we’ve done in Alabama. We’re all finally saying that ‘sage on the stage’ teaching is ineffective and teachers must get students invested in their own learning. Less rote memorization and more thinking and application.”

“The Legislature needs to pause, take a breath and consider the repercussions of their decisions. Teachers, children and parents are simply in the boat without a paddle, and the Legislature is the wind shifting directions without knowing why, when or where,” summed up a superintendent.

A Baldwin County teacher told me, “In the past, we’ve been teaching a mile wide and an inch deep. At the end of the year, you knew you really had not given your students mastery of certain concepts, nor helped them to think deeply. But now we’ve narrowed the focus and are going much more in depth. This is allowing our kids to really understand what we’re trying to teach them.”

To get to this point, school systems have invested tremendous amounts of time and effort into professional development for teachers. They’ve invested substantial revenue into getting ready to implement the new standards.

But what do educators know when it comes to education?

Why should we be concerned about wasting money or telling teachers to forget about the two years of work they’ve just spent learning how to be better instructors?

So, let’s roll back the clock 15 years for our school kids. Let’s go back to 1999 when gas was $1.22 a gallon. Maybe we can redo the “welcome to Alabama” billboards to say, “Welcome to Alabama where the future is 15 years ago.” continued on page 32

Our Children Will Thank Us

By Dr. Tommy Bice John Adams, second president of the United States, is attributed with the following quote, “Facts are stubborn things: Whatever may be your wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

This quote seems most appropriate in the midst of the ever-increasing amount of misinformation circulating throughout our state regarding the “common core.” The term “common core” has come to stand for all that is perceived as evil regarding the federal government and almost anything else that can remotely be attached to “it” politically. In Bice a recent Alabama State Board of Education meeting, “it” was credited with things as obscure as retinal scans being conducted on students to measure their emotions and reported to the federal government to removing classical literature from Alabama classrooms – both simply false.

However, the members of the Alabama State Board of Education and I take our responsibility seriously and have listened to each and every concern, even those without any basis or evidence and, as a result, have taken the following actions: 1. Strategically chose to not participate in either of the federally funded Race to the Top Common Core Assessment Consortia but rather followed the recommendation of the Alabama Assessment and Accountability Taskforce to adopt the ACT and its related assessments for Alabama as it creates an aligned assessment system for K-12, our twoand four-year colleges, and business and industry.

2. Strategically deferred from applying for a federally funded Longitudinal Data System Grant to ensure state control of our student data system. The result is a statedeveloped and state-owned student data system managed through the Alabama Supercomputer Authority.

3. Adopted a Statewide Data Use and Governance Policy to ensure that not only our internal data system remains secure and meets all FERPA requirements, but that all contracts and agreements with third-party vendors . continued on page 30 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 9

WHO’S WHO AT THE SDE: Sherrill Parris Sherrill Parris has always had a passion for working with children. Before becoming deputy state superintendent of education in the state Department of Education, she was a social worker for over a decade, working with foster family and adoption placements.

Parris

“Our educators are responsible for preparing students to be successful in a world that we can’t even envision today.”

Parris believes the pivotal point in her career history was moving into the educational field and teaching first-grade students the same year her daughter began first grade. Her commitment then was to provide each student the same opportunities and individualized education that she wanted her daughter to have. This was a fortuitous mandate for her and is what shaped her beliefs about and commitment to individualized educational opportunities forever.

Parris takes a few moments to provide her thoughts on the Division of Teaching and Learning and the SDE.

about your position Q. Tandell usdepartment.

My specific responsibilities include leading and coordinating the work of all of the offices and programs in the department which focus on teaching and learning, thus the Division of Teaching and Learning. Those include the sections which most people know

as student assessment; educational technology (or technology initiatives); the Alabama Reading Initiative; the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative; instructional services; special education; federal programs; prevention and support services; educator preparation and certification; EDUCATEAlabama; LEADAlabama; standards; courses of study; textbooks, among others.

Q.

ow! So how are all these W sections managed?

When the department was reorganized several years ago under state Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice’s leadership, those areas of work were grouped into three offices, with a director for each office. Each office is led by an extremely talented and extraordinary individual.

Dr. Jayne Meyer is director of the Office of Teaching and Leading; Dr. Linda Felton-Smith is director of the Office of Learning Support; and Dr. Julie Hannah is director of the Office of Student Learning. Dr. Philip Cleveland, who is the director of Career Technical Education and Workforce Development, and Dr. Melinda Maddox, our assistant state superintendent for research, development, information and accountability, both work very closely with us in order

About the Division of Teaching and Learning Parris’ Role: Leading and coordinating the work of the Office of Student Learning, the Office of Learning Support and the Office of Teaching and Leading.

What is EDUCATEAlabama? A system designed to provide information about an educator’s current practice level within the Alabama Continuum for Teacher Development.

What is LEADAlabama? An online evaluation system for educational leaders. It consists of a self-assessment, professional learning plan, collaborative dialogue, evidence collection and a 360-degree assessment, the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education.

For More: 334 242-8154 10 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

to fully align the work of the department guided by the most recent data points, such as student outcomes, business and industry needs, etc.

Q.

hat do you wish the public and legislators W understood about teaching and student learning in Alabama?

The Alabama Department of Education, state Board of Education, 135 school systems and almost 1,500 schools have a strategic student needs-based plan, widely known as PLAN 2020. Specific indicators and targets are included in the plan, as well as the metrics to indicate whether we are on track to accomplish our goals by the year 2020.

We are already seeing significant positive results as evidenced by the recent release of the graduation rate, an unprecedented 5 percent increase, up to an 80 percent graduation rate statewide. And we had thought 80 percent was a reasonable target for 2016! PLAN 2020 is a shared plan. It is shared with students and educators and developed in partnership with those constituents as well as those constituents who receive our high school graduates – businesses, industries, community colleges and universities.

I would not only invite but would urge our legislators to visit the schools which they represent to see what actually is going on in these schools. If each legislator would commit even half a day to an in-school experience, he or she would return to Montgomery committed to passing legislation in support of this most important work.

n your opinion, what’s the biggest challenge Q. Ifacing Alabama teachers today?

Our educators are responsible for preparing students to be successful in a world that we can’t even envision today. Just think of the changes in our society, our lives, in the past decade. Those changes will be exponential in the next decade. Our greatest teachers are teaching students some essential information, but more importantly, they are teaching students how to think, to question, to learn, so that they will be prepared to deal with that unknown future.

Q.

hat has been your proudest moment in your W career?

ago. He remembered I cared about him and that made all the difference.

I swell with pride when I watch our state superintendent choke up with emotion in a public presentation about the children about who he cares so deeply. I am humbled and blessed to be doing this work, at this time, for these students and with these others who care so deeply.

Q.

hat role will assessments play in measuring W the success/progress of a teacher?

The new accountability system will, in fact, include some multiple measures of student outcomes. A task force of teachers and leaders is already hard at work wrestling with designing a meaningful way to do this. Student outcome measures – whether growth in learning, achievement, student surveys or other metrics – will account for just a portion of a balanced evaluation design. All educators in the state have received an online survey opportunity to share with the task force their thoughts about the design of educator evaluations. We anticipate recommendations being made to the state superintendent and the state Board of Education by early summer 2014.

sn’t there some task force work going on in Q. Iteaching and leading as well?

Simultaneously, with the task force working on educator evaluation design, another task force is working on a plan for improving educator preparation programs. Of course, that group includes not only K-12 educators but also representatives of our education professional organizations and of our colleges, which prepare and recommend for licensure our educators.

Recommendations from that task force are also expected by early summer 2014.

Q.

hat are EDUCATE Alabama and W LEADAlabama?

EDUCATEAlabama and LEADAlabama are processes through which teachers and leaders in our state can self-identify the areas in which they need to grow professionally and select the means for growing in those areas. These are helpful tools if used as designed and are not intended to be used to make personnel decisions. Continual professional growth is the goal forever and ever!

I couldn’t possibly name just one. I will lift up a few. The first happened in my very first year of teaching. I was a novice working so hard to figure it all out. In the midst of a reading group lesson with a small group of students, ‘Dana’ stood up with tears streaming down her face and eyes wide with delight and proclaimed, ‘I can read! Oh, Mrs. Parris, I can read!’ I was privileged to see that light come on, and it burns brightly to this day.

hat is new and different in the area of Q. Wstudent learning?

Another proud moment happened recently when ‘Patrick’ posted on my Facebook page that he really didn’t remember our lesson plans or room arrangement from over two decades

Additionally, teachers are using a variety of means to determine which students have in fact learned what was just

The most dramatic and exciting change in the area of student learning is the outcome of our College and Career Ready Standards in mathematics and English language arts. Students are now learning how to learn and to expect and want to be lifelong learners.

continued on page 28 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 11

12 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Make Your Plans Today!

2014 APRIL 11

H ow We Achieve Excellence in Our School video contest

Deadline for entries, $3,000 in prizes. Download entry form at www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

MAY 1 Webinar: Creating a High-Performing Team (1.5 hours)

$50 per individual code, $200 per group code 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

JUNE 19

Roles and Responsibilities Orientation core course (8 hours)*

Includes state-mandated ethics training $120 early registration; $140 on site The Perdido, Orange Beach

20 Effective Boards and Relationships Orientation (6 hours)*

30

Deadline for annual state-mandated school board training

Training year ends

JULY 1

New training year begins

Renew your Policy Pipeline subscription

17

Webinar (1.5 hours)

Email policy@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

$50 per individual code, $200 per group code 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

AUGUST

S ubmit ideas for AASB Annual Convention clinic sessions

Nominate student ROTC or performance group for AASB Annual Convention

S ubmit any proposals for resolutions & bylaws

$100 early registration; $120 on site The Perdido, Orange Beach

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Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 13

Partnering Carefully With Advocacy Groups

By Tom Salter

S

uperintendents, undoubtedly have many well-meaning individuals enter their office with a cure. These advocates are fighting a disorder that may be an educational ill, such as literacy, or a societal malady, such as childhood obesity.

As a rule, advocates with organized groups have their hearts in the right place. They are passionate and focused on a worthy cause. Many feel as if they are on a holy mission, if not ordained

by God, certainly held high by what they see as basic human rights. Often, they don’t understand how anyone sound of mind could disagree with their point of view. If you refuse their help, you could make an enemy that might work against you when you need public support. If you accept their help without setting boundaries, you could end up wrestling public-opinion alligators in the deep end of the pond.

Some requests are no-brainers. Warriors against cancer and heart disease and those fighting to increase child and adult literacy and graduation rates are welcome.

But what about those advocacy groups that might have controversial planks in their platforms? Do you allow a group that stands against emotional and sexual maltreatment of children but also views corporal punishment (a legal recourse in some states to correct bad behavior) as a form of abuse into your schools? Do you partner with a nonprofit organization that feeds the hungry but also publicly supports women’s rights to abortions? What do you do when a group you mostly agree with comes knocking on your school system’s door for an endorsement or collaboration?

Respecting Boundaries

14 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

Joe Krumm, who directs community and government relations for the North Clackamas School District in Milwaukie, Ore., works with various organizations that want to help kids while promoting their own agendas. He says it is possible to work with groups that support the public schools without “moving into areas that go over the line or make our parents or staff nervous.”

Krumm recalls a time when faith-based organizations used their work at schools to promote their beliefs in exchange for providing worthwhile services. His school system found ways to work together without crossing the line of church and state.

One situation began with community supporters cleaning up campuses on the weekends, then moved to a discussion about the problem of some children lacking proper nutrition on weekends.

This led to the creation of a program called Backpack Buddies where churches and other organizations provide students with food for over the weekend. The program operates in 20 schools and provides food to about 800 children to carry home in their backpacks every Friday. The students and the community recognize who the sponsors are, but no proselytizing takes place.

“Our children get what they need, and the churches fulfill at least part of their missions,” Krumm says.

He also works with political advocacy groups that sometimes press beyond what school systems are comfortable promoting.

“We have to make sure that the groups we work with are first interested in helping our schools and our students and that our

association with the group won’t put us in the hot seat because of their actions or stances that fall outside of our policies and our work,” Krumm says.

Fringe Interests In the Salem-Keizer Public Schools in Salem, Ore., Jay Remy, director of communications and community relations, has collaborated with community-based organizations that are not in complete harmony with the school system. Located in the state capital, Salem-Keizer fields requests from groups seeking the system’s endorsement for education causes being considered in the Oregon Legislature.

“We have national, state and local groups we work with where we are not 100 percent in alignment,” says Remy. “We have to consider their requests issue by issue.”

Some groups promoting something on the fringe of education seek a partnership with the system, which poses a challenge.

“We can’t get too far afield on issues that are not directly related to K-12,” he adds. “It is important to have partnerships where both sides win. It is tricky to walk the line, but you have to set the expectations before a project so no one is disappointed. I don’t want to discourage people from working with outside organizations, but you have to protect the interests of your district.”

When working with advocacy groups, the key is to be open

When working with advocacy groups, the key is to be open and honest about your concerns. Explain not only the issues but the reasons behind them. All sides should understand the boundaries. and honest about your concerns. Explain not only the issues but the reasons behind them. All sides should understand the boundaries. The “why” is as important as the “what.” If those on the other side of the table understand the reasons for your concerns, they are less likely to cross the line, keeping you both out of the deep end of the pond. n Tom Salter is senior communication officer in the Montgomery Public Schools in Montgomery. He can be reached at Tom.Salter@mps.k12.al.us.

Reprinted with permission from the January 2014 issue of School Administrator magazine, published by AASA, the school superintendents association.

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period — usually no longer than two years. Some states, including New Jersey and Alabama, put limits on interim tenures. An interim can serve for up to 180 days in Alabama.

During this time, the board is looking for a permanent leader and is going through the process of recruiting, interviewing and negotiating a contract.

Using

Interim

Superintendents

By Dr. Leonard D. Fitts

C

hoosing a superintendent is one of the board’s most important jobs. Many school systems are turning to interim school chiefs while the board makes this vital decision.

School systems are losing their superintendents at an alarming rate. What is more daunting is the shortage of available school leaders to replace the rapidly departing superintendents.

At any time, about 22 percent of the nation’s school systems are headed by interim or acting superintendents, rather than by permanent ones, according to the American Association of School Administrators.

The shortage of leadership for the schools adds an additional burden to school boards that are dealing with other urgent issues: tight budgets, student and staff safety and student academic achievement. In their efforts to continue the mission, vision and continued progress of the system, they have sought relief by hiring interims.

An interim superintendent is a person, often a retired superintendent, who provides leadership for a system for a short 16 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

A popular notion is that an interim is a placeholder and that, while he or she sits in the superintendent’s chair, the interim usually doesn’t act or behave like a “real” school superintendent. The typical interim school superintendent, so goes the myth, spends a quiet period minding the store until a new superintendent arrives.

Interim school superintendents often lack the prestige, power and time to accomplish much. They act as “caretakers” to maintain business as usual.

Any interim superintendent worth having is capable of making tough decisions and providing real leadership that steers a system toward its academic and fiscal goals. School boards should expect no less from any interim they employ.

Advantages of an interim The primary purpose of using an interim is to assist the system in maintaining a smooth transition to a new, permanent superintendent. The interim superintendent often acts as a breakwater between the previous administration and the future one.

Often, the interim is able to execute change more easily than a person currently employed in the system because he or she doesn’t necessarily have a history — for better or for worse — with different system constituencies.

Interim superintendents have proven their usefulness in a variety of settings. Successfully completed assignments have included: Ø Mentoring central office staff and enhancing skills with an effective evaluation process to build morale andestablish collaborative relationships Ø Addressing the dropout rate by introducing promising best practices Ø Strengthening accountability measures Good interim school superintendents are a rare breed. They are poised to assist a system for change and growth. They can deliver results in a wide variety of scenarios because of their extensive experience.

Good interims have the ability to listen attentively and assimilate information from various constituents: teachers, administrators, parents, citizens and others. They have the ability to earn quickly the respect of the board of education and central office staff. Above all, they have the courage to identify targets. They focus on setting and establishing priorities. They accept responsibility and accountability for an issue until it has been completely addressed. They are most effective for managing school systems in turbulent times.

Any interim superintendent worth having is capable of making tough decisions and providing real leadership that steers a system toward its academic and fiscal goals. School boards should expect no less.

And, like a good guest, they know when and how to leave their post. At the conclusion of the contract period, interims prepare for a quick and controlled transition. They compile data and provide information for the arriving superintendent and quietly remove the “interim” desk sign.

I have a great deal of experience in this position: I currently am an interim superintendent in New Jersey’s Berlin Township School System and previously served as an interim in three other school systems. Here are answers to some of the questions I am frequently asked about this topic: Ø What should a board look for? The board should seek someone who is student-centered and who has demonstrated effective communication skills and strong collaborative and visionary skills. This person should have unquestioned integrity and experience. He or she should have demonstrated success in a diverse community and school system, and have excellent organizational and fiscal management skills. A good interim also is familiar with research-based instructional strategies to challenge and engage students.

Fitts

When seriously considering candidates, boards need to make sure the candidate has demonstrated the ability to deal directly and fairly with everyone, be accessible and open-minded when making decisions, and to develop positive working relationships with many constituent groups. The interim also should indicate a willingness to be highly visible in the school and community. Successful experience as a superintendent or as a system-level administrator in a school system or similar size is also desirable. Ø Is there an interview process? Possibly. Boards may opt to advertise the position, establish the criteria, review applications, hold interviews, and complete a reference check on the finalist before hiring. In Alabama, the interim position does not have to be posted nor are interviews required. Ø How long should an interim serve? Most interims serve at least six months. Alabama’s limit is 180 days. Ø Should an interim make aggressive decisions? Yes. The board should grant the authority for an interim to function that way. Ø Should the interim have specific goals? Yes. The goals should be simple, clear, and attainable. A temporary superintendent needs to be an educational leader. However, it would be inappropriate for an interim to impose a new mission and vision for the school system.

Ø Is the title ‘interim’ appropriate? Yes. Systems are evolving and changing; they are not the place for a caretaker.

It is necessary to keep these institutions moving forward. Ø How can a board make an interim effective? All parties should bring a positive attitude of working together for the good of the system. Both the board and interim should spend time getting to know each other. The board should expect the interim to fully oversee the school and all educational programs. It also needs to provide the interim with full administrative authority and support to properly carry out his or her duties while holding him or her responsible for acceptable results.

All complaints and criticisms of the system and requests that come to board members should be referred to the interim.

Meanwhile, the interim should keep the board informed about school operations, problems and opportunities.

Future outlook School systems across the country started this school year with an increased number of interim school superintendents.

The necessity for systems to use interims has been driven by several factors: a competitive market for superintendents, retirements and reduction in compensation.

The superintendent’s job has become harder, including the necessity to build relationships with parents, families and citizens and to raise and sustain student achievement. Superintendent churn in many areas adds to the difficulty.

A school system cannot afford to be without a mature, experienced problem solver to address the issues, even for a short time. This period requires the services of proven practitioners with specific hands-on experience and successful track records to address the issues confronting systems.

It’s often said that the most important thing that a board will ever do is choose a superintendent. Choosing the right interim superintendent and working closely with that person to put his or her talents to use will produce the kind of top-notch performance that a board should expect from whomever is sitting — even temporarily — in the superintendent’s chair. n Dr. Leonard D. Fitts (drleonardm@aol.com) is the interim superintendent of the Berlin Township School District in West Berlin, N.J. Excerpt reprinted with permission from American School Board Journal, October 2013. Copyright 2013 National School Boards Association. All rights reserved.

Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 17

Bright Future

Shining a light on Alabama’s assessments Student assessments are undergoing a sea change this year. State officials are shifting from tests that measure whether students are performing at grade level, to tests that take a longer view and assess how prepared students will be to enter college or the workforce.

T

he switch will be made over the next two years, but the biggest changes are being made this year. This is the first year most high school seniors will not take the graduation exam but will take end-of-course exams, instead, according to Rebecca Mims, interim coordinator for the Alabama Department of Education’s Student Assessment Program. It also is the year most students will begin taking the national ACT college readiness assessments, rather than the Alabama reading and math tests.

The exception is the science portion of the ARMT+ tests, which will be given to fifth- and seventh-graders this year and next year.

The changes were made in support of the state’s strategic plan for education, called PLAN 2020. The goal of that plan is to ensure that every student graduates from high school prepared to succeed in college and/or a career. To reach that goal, the state 18 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

By Virginia Martin

set Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, and the ACT tests being given starting this year align with those standards, said Malissa Valdes-Hubert, APR, public information manager with the state Department of Education.

The various ACT tests given to students starting in third grade will measure not only whether a student is performing at grade level, but also where the student falls on the trajectory toward college readiness.

“We have reviewed ACT’s products, and they all align with our new standards. The ACT assessments also align to each other, so that we can see through from grade three Valdes-Hubert to 11 the continuum of growth as a student learns,” Valdes-Hubert said.

Jeremy Zelkowski, an assistant professor of secondary math education at the University of Alabama who has studied the CCRS, said results from the ACT tests should give students and parents a better idea of areas that the student needs to improve upon if he or she wants to go to college. “We’re going to an assessment that will be much more predictive of where students are and where they are going,” Zelkowski said.

However, the change is likely to cause some consternation among parents the first year, he said. Parents are used to getting results from the old tests, which showed where students fell on a trajectory to basic understanding of a subject. So some parents whose children have been ranked at or Zelkowski above grade level on past tests are going to be surprised when they are falling in the middle of the pack on the ACT tests, he predicted.

“It’s going to be a big eye-opening thing at first,” he said.

Another major change is that the graduation exam is being phased out. Only students who entered ninth grade for the first time in 2009-2010 or before will be required to pass the graduation exam, Mims said. Instead, they will take exams that cover what they learned during their courses that year. Zelkowski said the state’s not losing much with the death of the graduation exam. The math portion basically has been a ninth-grade math test, he said.

“The end of the graduation exam has been applauded,” Valdes-Hubert said. “Educators that we have heard from have been enthusiastic about the new ACT assessments and happy that they are aligned correctly to our standards.”

Overall, the new student assessments are similar in nature to the tests students took previously, Valdes-Hubert said. “There are different assessments, but there are not more than in the past. The assessments will measure what is learned throughout the year, so there is no teaching to the test. The customized lesson plans that teachers create and teach all year are based on

The move to a computer-based test raised some objections that the change would hurt students who are not used to working on computers and don’t have good keyboarding skills. But supporters argued that keyboarding skills were as necessary for getting a job now as being able to write with a pencil was in the past. the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, which guide learning and help show growth,” Valdes-Hubert said.

Another big change in testing occurred in January. The GED test – around since 1942 and previously updated in 1978, 1988 and 2002 – was revamped to align with the College and Career Ready Standards and is expected to be harder than before. It also no longer will be given with pencil and paper, but on computers. The move to a computer-based test raised some objections that the change would hurt students who are not used to working on computers and do not have good keyboarding skills. But supporters argued that keyboarding skills were as necessary for getting a job now as being able to write with a pencil was in the past. Paper tests are still available as an accommodation for individuals with disabilities. GED testing in Alabama is administered through the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education.

As for K-12 testing, here is a rundown by grade level, taken from state Department of Education and ACT documents: K-2 Children through the second grade will continue taking the formative/interim/benchmark assessments. Formative assessments “monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning,” notes Carnegie Mellon University’s Eberly Center.

GRADES 3-8 ACT Aspire: Alabama was the first state to approve use of the ACT Aspire, a summative assessment. Carnegie Mellon notes summative assessments evaluate student learning in comparison to standards or benchmarks. Students in grades three through eight will take ACT Aspire tests in the spring. The tests continued on page 20 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 19

BRIGHT FUTURE continued from page 19

this year will be given over two days, sometime between April 28 and May 23.

This year and in school year 2014-2015, all students in these grades are required to take the reading and math portions of the ACT Aspire test, and they optionally may take the English, science and writing portions. In 2015-2016, students in grades three through eight will take the reading and math portions of the test.

Students in grades five and seven also will take the science portion of the ACT Aspire test.

Alabama Science Assessment: Students in the fifth and seventh grades also will take the science portion of the ARMT+ test this year and next year, at which point that test will be phased out.

The test is conducted this year on one day between April 28 and May 23.

GRADE 8 ACT Explore: This test was given to eighth-graders this past fall and will be given to eighth-graders next year, after which it will be phased out. It measures college readiness in English, math, reading and science.

ACT Aspire: Starting in 2015-2016, this test will be given to eighth- and 10th-graders. It will cover English, math, reading, science and writing. The Aspire test is designed to give students more detailed data on their growth over several years, and it will give them more information about how they are likely to perform on future tests. Schools will be able to give the test either on paper or on a computer.

ACT QualityCore: These end-ofcourse assessments will be given to all students in the eighth to 12th grades.

GRADE 9 ACT QualityCore: These end-ofcourse assessments will be given to all students in the eighth to 12th grades starting this year. They are designed to measure how well students learned the material presented in various classes that year.

GRADE 10 ACT Plan: This test was given to 10th-graders this past fall and will be administered again next year, after which

it will be phased out. It measures college readiness in English, math, reading and science.

ACT Aspire: Starting in 2015-2016, this test will be given to eighth- and 10th-graders. It will cover English, math, reading, science and writing. The Aspire test is designed to give students more detailed data on their growth over several years, and it will give them more information about how they are likely to perform on future tests. Schools will be able to give the test either on paper or on a computer.

ACT QualityCore: The end-ofcourse assessments will be given to all students in the eighth to 12th grades starting this year.

GRADE 11 ACT Plus Writing: The ACT Plus Writing test will be given to 11th graders this spring and in future years. This year, the test is set to be administered on April 23, with a makeup day on May 7.

The test uses multiple-choice questions to measure a student’s college readicontinued on page 31

Alabama College- and Career-Ready Assessment System Timeline for Implementation School Year Grades K-2 Grades 3-8 Grades 8-12 ACT QualityCore College- and Career-Ready

End-of-Course Assessments Assessments 2013-2014 Formative/Interim/Benchmark ACT Aspire (Grades 3-8) English 10 ACT Explore (Grade 8) Assessments (LEA Determined) • Reading and Math required Algebra 1 ACT Plan (Grade 10) • English, Science, Writing (optional) ACT Plus Writing (Grade 11) Alabama Science Assessment (Grades 5 and 7) required 2014-2015 Formative/Interim/Benchmark ACT Aspire (Grades 3-8) English 10 ACT Explore (Grade 8) Assessments (LEA Determined) • Reading and Math required Algebra 1 ACT Plan (Grade 10) • English, Science, Writing (optional) (Others to be determined) ACT Plus Writing (Grade 11) Alabama Science Assessment ACT WorkKeys (Grade 12) Grades 5 and 7) required 2015-2016 Formative/Interim/Benchmark ACT Aspire English 10 ACT Aspire (Grades 8 and 10) Assessments (LEA Determined) • Reading (Grades 3-8) Algebra 1 ACT Plus Writing (Grade 11) • Math (Grades 3-8) (Others to be determined) ACT WorkKeys (Grade 12) • Science (Grades 5 and 7)

20 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

Test Talk Conversations about Alabama’s strategic plan for education and testing that aligns with new high-rigor standards continue as they have for several years, now.

“What we now have is an opportunity to refocus our innovative and creative efforts on students and relevant and engaging learning rather than just a score on a test.

Yes, tests will forever be part of the equation but no longer count as an all-or-nothing measure of accountability, but rather one part of a much bigger picture we know as public education.”

“To pass the new GED test, students will need some background knowledge, not just the ability to understand the passage in front of them. There will be more emphasis on critical thinking, more questions on science, and more writing. In addition, the scoring will change to identify whether the students who pass are just ‘high-school equivalent’ or are at a new higher standard of ‘college- and career-ready.’”

Excerpt from “The GED Test is About to Get Much Harder and Much More Expensive,” Oct. 8, 2013, theatlantic.com

Dr. Tommy Bice, state superintendent of education; August 2013 edition of Alabama Education News, alsde.edu

“Dr. Bice is saying, ‘We’re not accepting the status quo. We’re demanding that we do better,’ and I applaud that. … It would put a system of checks and balances in place at every level, and at the high school level, students will be able to complete and compete … We need to give them goals and targets to make sure they’re prepared for the next level.”

Dr. Gregory Fitch, executive director for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education; “Alabama school superintendent Tommy Bice wants overhaul of state’s testing regimen,” al.com, May 6, 2012

“We’re asking the kids to show their thinking a lot more. Instead of just saying, ‘two and two make four,’ they have to be able to explain that to me in one way, and that’s a pretty high level of thinking … I let them get the wrong answer, and I let them explain their thinking, and a lot of times they correct themselves. Other times, another child will say, ‘I think you’re wrong, and here’s why.’ That’s a way more powerful learning tool than how to put two numbers together with no thinking behind it at all. If you get something wrong, all you know is you were wrong. You don’t know why you were wrong, and you don’t know how to get it right the next time. We haven’t raised this kind of critical thinker – the person who can see outside the box and find alternative solutions. ... This is really restructuring the way we’re teaching kids and the way we’re asking them to think.”

Meghan Everette, 2012-2013 Alternate Alabama Teacher of the Year and first-

“With these changes in assessments, Alabama is likely to experience two different drops in standardized test scores in 2014 and 2015. Both drops will be unpopular, but both are necessary to improve educational outcomes. The 2014 drop in scores will occur when the percentage of students deemed ‘proficient’ in grades 3-8 declines due to the new Aspire tests being aligned with the more rigorous College and Career Ready Standards. The 2015 drop in scores will occur when all of Alabama’s graduating students have taken the ACT and Alabama’s percentage of students meeting the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks drops. Previously, the only students who took the ACT in Alabama were those who voluntarily took it in preparation for applying to college.”

“This is a new set of standards and assessments with a new way of scoring. Therefore, it is not possible to directly compare new scores with old ones. The new assessments measure deeper knowledge and skills deemed particularly important for students’ futures, including problem-solving, writing and critical thinking. Because the standards are more rigorous, student achievement scores may initially be lower.

“A dip should not necessarily be interpreted as a decline in student learning or in educator performance. Educators expect the short-term decline to improve as teachers and students become more familiar with the standards and better equipped to meet the challenges they present.”

Thomas Rains, policy director, A+ Education Partnership; Standardized Testing in

Excerpt from Parents’ Guide to

Alabama and Nationwide, December 2013, aplusala.org

New Assessments in Alabama, 2013, alabamapta.org

grade teacher at Daphne Elementary School in Baldwin County; “From the front lines: Teachers describe changes with Common Core,” Nov. 14, 2013, al.com

— Compiled by AASB Staff Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 21

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IMPROVING SCHOOLS

By Byron Headrick

One bite at a time

How can a school system deliver the value that nutritious meals provide without losing revenue?

T

his was the question the Chambers County School District wanted answered when it had a detailed efficiency review of the school system’s Child Nutrition Program conducted. The review found the opportunity for the Universal Breakfast and Breakfast in the Classroom programs.

participation per month average since program implementation in August 2013.

Furthermore, revenue increased from an average of $45,860 per month in the previous school year to an average of $96,381 per month since the universal breakfast program started in August 2013.

On the second day of school this year, Chambers County implemented the initiative that would both feed students and increase revenue for the school system. The program allows all students to receive free breakfast at school every morning.

Another important benefit, Hodge said, has been a reduction in truancy.

Comparative August-December data for 2012 and 2013 indicate a 21 percent decrease in absences. The number of repeat offenders has also decreased, allowing the school system to have fewer truancy meetings with parents.

Kelli Hodge, the school system’s superintendent, said results have been Hodge o u t s t a n d i n g.

Breakfast participation rates increased from a historical average of 35 percent participation per month to 92 percent

The school system’s community is also acknowledging its effort to meet the needs of students and their families, and employees said they have heard positive testimonials from parents. One parent with children at both Bob Harding Shawmut Elementary School and Valley High School said, “If it had not been for school breakfast, my children would not have had breakfast on several occasions,

especially over the last month. I can’t tell you what it means to know that even if I am running a bit late and do not have time to cook, my children will still be able to eat breakfast.” continued on page 30

6 Steps to Implement a Breakfast in the Classroom program Non-instructional areas, such as the Child Nutrition Program, can significantly impact the finances and academics of a school system. If your school system is considering a Breakfast in the Classroom program to address CNP inefficiencies such as low participation rates and high food costs, follow these steps.

1. Analyze the Child Nutrition Program and identify opportunities 2. Work with staff to develop processes and tie in to the school improvement plan 3. Secure buy-in of impacted parties 4. Include and work with the community 5. Promote the program through all communication channels 6. Monitor the program and track results

Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 23

The transition of

OVERLAPPING superintendents

By Scott Lafee

In the corporate world, the idea of grooming someone for greater office, of providing him or her with time and mentoring to prepare for bigger things to come, is routine, even expected. In public education, it’s far less common — and for the toughest job of all, the public school superintendency, it seems to happen hardly at all.

Why? There are obvious reasons. For one thing, circumstances often render impractical a lengthy, overlapping transition between outgoing and incoming superintendents. The departing administrator may be leaving on short notice or not by choice.

Imparted Knowledge Before she became superintendent of St. Michael-Albertville Schools in Albertville, Minn., in 2001, Marcia Ziegler was hired for a year to be an assistant administrator to her predecessor, who was planning his retirement.

When Ziegler decided to retire herself nine years later, she became part of reprised history.

“The school board felt that my hiring went so well that they wanted to do that process again,” she says.

Things had changed, of course. The school system, located roughly 30 miles northwest of Minneapolis, had doubled in size to 5,600 students, with all of the added complexities, expected and not. No one wanted a rash, rushed hire. As they had done before, the board advertised for an associate superintendent with the stated intention that the successful applicant would assume the top spot when Ziegler retired one year later. Ziegler would be involved in the search for her replacement.

James Behle, a veteran central-office administrator with the Iowa City, Iowa, schools, got the job, appointed by the sixmember school board in June 2010.

“I appreciated the transition process for the same reason the board did,” explains Behle, who recently started his third year as St. Michael-Albertville’s superintendent. “Because I was coming from out of state, it would allow me time to learn about a different school funding system, state assessment practices, curriculum requirements and state laws and regulations. It would allow me 24 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

to meet staff and introduce myself to the community without the challenges associated with being a first-year superintendent.”

Behle admits he had some concerns at first. He knew Ziegler only from his job interviews. And he recognized it would be at least six months on the job before he would know for certain he actually had the job he wanted. But those worries rapidly disappeared.

“The board included members who had served 16 years or more, indicating to me that the community was pleased with the decisions that had been made,” says Behle, who had spent the previous 31 years of his education career in Iowa. “The board president was clear that the intent was to hire me as superintendent after a period of time learning firsthand about my leadership. I quickly discovered in my conversations with Dr. Ziegler that I could work with her. She outlined a transition plan for both of us that had been approved by the school board.”

Much of the transition involved Ziegler imparting her years of accrued local knowledge to Behle, who took up the task of incorporating it in formal manuals, handbooks and special projects.

“I worked on updating and reviewing job descriptions, school board policies, and administrators’ evaluation processes and procedures,” Behle says. “I took on many of the responsibilities associated with a human resources director (a position the school system lacked at the time), including facilitating negotiations with the support staff unions. Being able to focus on projects without some of the day-to-day interruptions was very beneficial.”

As planned, Behle was formally offered the superintendent’s job midway through the transition period. Ziegler began transferring responsibilities and authority. By the end of the school year, she was acting as Behle’s assistant superintendent.

Components of Overlapping Tenure Any plan of a school board to overlap the incoming and outgoing superintendents is bound to be complex. Nonetheless, successful succession plans share a handful of basic characteristics or requirements, according to school leaders who have been involved in this distinctive form of leadership transition.

Their suggestions for why and how it can work include: m A lack of drama. The outgoing superintendent is not being forced out, leaving under a cloud or departing on short notice. Usually, it’s a planned retirement. m Veteran leadership. Both the board of education and the outgoing superintendent need to be confident and assured, particularly in their shared vision and long-term goals. That comes with experience. m Financial wherewithal.

Overlapping transitions often require paying two people for essentially the same job for a defined period. m Trust and transparency.

Both must exist in abundance. From the board to the incoming superintendent to the community, everybody must understand and support a well-conceived plan and believe it will be carried out in good faith. m Communication. See trust and transparency. Talk a lot. m Effort. Every transition plan suffers unforeseen glitches and distractions. People must be committed to resolving issues and getting past the rough spots.

— Scott Lafee

“When I realized my deputy superintendent would be retiring a year before my intended retirement, I began thinking that perhaps we could devise a great transition if we hired the next superintendent rather than a deputy and worked together for a year.”

Monte Bridges, former superintendent of the K-12 Puget Sound Educational Service District, Renton, Wash.

Ziegler now is enjoying the fruits of full retirement. Like Behle, she declares the transition plan to be a success.

“Ours worked because neither Dr. Behle nor I had any ego issues. I think the one year was pretty ideal. I think it would be more difficult for staff with a longer time period. Also, I believe having a highquality school board, excellent staff and a progressive community were key.”

Trial Period For John P. Welch, the transition to full-time, full-fledged superintendent began with an unusual title: “successor superintendent.”

“We kind of made up that title,” says Welch, chuckling.

Welch was hired to replace Monte Bridges, who had announced plans to retire as head of the K-12 Puget Sound Educational Service District, which provides services to 35 school systems and more than 200 private schools in the Seattle-Tacoma region in Washington state.

“The process started about 2½ years out from my actual retirement,” recalls Bridges, who spent 10 years atop the intermediate agency based in Renton, Wash. “When I realized my deputy superintendent would be retiring a year before my intended retirement, I began thinking we could devise a great transition if we hired the next superintendent rather than a deputy and worked together for a year.”

Bridges proposed the idea to his school board. After six months of consideration, they approved the novel idea.

Welch, who had been superintendent of nearby Highline Public Schools

for six years, arrived at Puget Sound in September 2011. The plan was to elevate him to superintendent on July 1, 2012.

“The time between was considered a bit of a trial period,” Welch admits, with the agreement allowing either party to end the experiment at the midpoint.

The transition appeared well-conceived to Welch. Though most day-to-day responsibilities and strategic work initially remained with Bridges, Welch was given opportunities to run several departments and launch a new science, technology, engineering and math network, including development of its five-year business plan.

“Basically, we looked at all of the roles that the superintendent and deputy/ successor were providing and began to divide up the work,” Bridges says. “The year was split into thirds, with each third representing a successive increase in responsibility for the incoming person.

We stayed connected so that we were both responsible as a team for the total body of work. I acted as a lead, a mentor, a partner, a supervisor and confidential colleague. The role I played was the exact role I perceived that I would play.”

Welch describes the process using an automobile analogy. From September through December 2011, he was in the backseat watching Bridges drive the vehicle. From January through March, he hopped in the front seat while Bridges continued to handle the wheel. After March, Welch moved to the driver’s seat and Bridges rode shotgun until the latter’s departure at the end of the school year.

Both men believe there was no ambiguity over who was in charge during the continued on page 26 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 25

OVERLAPPING SUPERINTENDENTS continued from page 25

10 months of overlap.

“There can be only one superintendent of record. Monte was that person. He signed over the superintendent’s title. But in terms of making decisions, for all practical purposes, I was completely involved and responsible,” says Welch.

Bridges, who now works with doctoral students at the University of Washington, says the transition worked to perfection. Welch credits Bridges.

“This kind of arrangement doesn’t work unless you have the right people involved and the right situation,” Welch says.

“I didn’t really know Monte well before I came to Puget Sound, though obviously I got to know him much better. I knew his leadership style though, and that is part of why this worked.

Monte was moving on. He wasn’t being ousted. He wanted things to go well.”

Two Bosses While attending AASA’s 2010 national conference in Phoenix, Ariz., Michael Nicholson stopped by the booth of the superintendent search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates where William Attea mentioned a leadership succession plan being put in place in a suburban school system just north of Chicago.

At the time, Nicholson was executive director for secondary learning in the Olentangy Local School District, near Columbus, Ohio. He had higher aspirations. The Glenview Public School District, with its 5,000 students in K-12, sounded like a logical move. He interviewed and landed the job, which was accompanied by a two-year overlap with the outgoing superintendent, Jerry Hill. “The idea for the transition came from the board,” Nicholson says. “Several cabinet positions were planned for turnover, due to retirements, and the board wanted to bring in a senior leader who could be the bridge and leader moving from old to new.”

Glenview’s transition plan was quite detailed, with Nicholson systematically and incrementally introduced to every aspect of the superintendent’s job, from instructional leadership and budget development to strategic planning and public relations. It was ideal on-the-job training for someone who had not worked as a superintendent. “For the first year,” Nicholson says, “I was responsible for mentoring, evaluating and supervising all the principals; developing and implementing district professional development; and coordinating and overseeing the district’s instructional coaches. Dr. Hill was mainly responsible for working with the board of education and leading the cabinet.”

After being told the school board wanted him to lead the system, Nicholson spent the second year of transition more focused on fleshing out strategies and collaborating with other system administrators. “The one challenging area involved principals and central office administrators essentially having two ‘bosses,’ particularly as we entered my final year,” says Hill, who 26 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

spent eight years as Glenview’s superintendent. “Mike and I had to coordinate our thinking and stay on the same wavelength regarding major projects and initiatives.”

Nicholson, who served 24 months as the superintendent-intraining, concedes some transitional bumps were inevitable.

“I’m not sure there is a clear way around the inherent confusion that may exist when there is an intentional overlap between superintendents,” says Nicholson, now in his second year at Glenview’s helm. “A board may need to accept some confusion while the new leader learns the system and the former leader keeps the system going. Perhaps acknowledging this up front can help mitigate the problem, though I’m not sure the confusion was in the formal command chain as much as in the informal.”

Not Everyone’s Taste Ultimately, the attraction of overlapping leadership boils down to familiarity and experience.

For veteran superintendents moving to new school systems, the idea likely holds little or no attraction, according to executive search experts such as Jacobson. They know the job and what to expect.

School boards, on the other hand, may have a different perspective. They want to know (as best they can) that their selected candidate can handle the diverse and increasingly complex demands of a modern-day superintendency, that there will be no unpleasant surprises, disappointments or regrets after the hire. Some boards are willing to put in the effort, money and time — to wait and see.

But the wait for the designated successor can be painfully long. William R. Shields served as the heir-apparent to outgoing superintendent Hank Gmitro in Bloomingdale, Ill.’s Consolidated Community School District 93 for 2½ years before assuming the top post. Prior to becoming Gmitro’s named successor, Shields had been an assistant superintendent for human resources for three years and had worked in the district for 13 years overall.

“I’m not sure it would work for everyone,” says Shields, now in his fifth year as superintendent in Bloomingdale. “I had a great love for the district and was willing to delay becoming a superintendent elsewhere for the opportunity in an organization I love very much. … It takes tremendous trust and patience, but I believe it’s paid off.”

By the time Shields officially became superintendent on July 1, 2009, he says, “I not only knew every facet of the community, but I also had the experiences of a seasoned superintendent.” n Scott Lafee is a health sciences writer at the University of California, San Diego and can be emailed at scott.lafee@gmail. com. Reprinted with permission from the November 2013 issue of School Administrator magazine, published by AASA, the school superintendents association.

Doctors help turn the page on illiteracy

By Marsha D. Raulerson

T

he Annie E. Casey Foundation developed Kids Count — an everyyear look at how children are doing state by state and county by county. After several years of tracking how children are doing, the foundation has developed three broad policy recommendations: 1. Support parents so they can effectively care and provide for their children.

2. Increase access to high-quality, birth through age 8 programs beginning with low-income children.

3. Develop comprehensive, integrated programs and data systems to address all aspects of children’s development and support their transition to elementary school and related programs for school-age children.

These policies recognize the important research on early brain development that make a strong case for investing in the first years of life. Reach Out and Read Alabama is a simple, inexpensive, boots-on-the-ground program that fulfills the first two goals. The program supports parents as the first teachers of their children.

Here’s how it works

2013 ANNUAL IMPACT 153,300 children served 128,300 books distributed 300 medical providers 67 program sites

In the past eight years, through the Reach Out and Read Alabama program, more than 300 medical providers in 67 practices and clinics have prescribed 1 million-plus books to Alabama’s youngest children to encourage families to read together.

At the 6-month well-child visit, the pediatrician uses an age- and culturallyappropriate book to introduce the importance of parents reading to their children every day. If you hand a board book to a 6-month-old, he will immediately put it in his mouth. This gives the pediatrician the chance to explain to the parent that this is how a baby explores his environment — and the child is really smart to use his eyes and hands together. It’s OK to chew on a book! The pediatrician also reads to the child in an animated way that demonstrates how to engage the child. It allows the doctor to show the parent that it is OK to make up a story to go with the pictures.

A new book is given to the child at every subsequent well-child visit. After a child is walking, the pediatrician can help the parent understand the next step in development. At this stage, a child will no

longer sit in a parent’s lap but will explore the room and return to the parent in order to point at a picture. Toddlers don’t sit still! This is normal behavior.

As a parent shares a book with a child every day, there are several important gains. Bedtime routines are established. The parent has an enjoyable way of interacting with the child and bonding is strengthened. The child begins to develop language skills, and communication between parent and child is encouraged. The child identifies a favorite book and learns the first concept of reading: that the printed page says the same thing every time it is read.

Reach Out and Read Alabama has continued on page 28

LEARN MORE

Experiences of children in the first critical years of life are crucial for their maturing brain. The First Eight Years examines ways to give kids a foundation for a lifetime of success. It emphasizes that, “from the moment they are born, young children are ready to learn.” For additional data or a copy of this report, visit www.kidscount.org.

To find out more about Reach Out and Read Alabama, visit www.roralabama.org.

Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 27

WHO’S WHO AT SDE continued from page 11

taught and which students need it retaught in a different way before moving on. What a joy to see students actively engaged in their learning rather than passively sitting and listening!

Individualization and differentiated support is at the heart of these changes, whether as applied to district support, school, teacher or student support.

about the learning support area? What’s Q. Wnewhatthere?

Many exciting things are happening in this arena, enough to merit its own article! In brief, there is a renewed commitment to fully implement Alabama’s comprehensive state guidance and counseling plan. Leadership for this work is a partnership between those with counseling expertise in the section of prevention and support services and the career technical education staff.

Every student in every grade needs to know there is a teacher in his or her building who has a passionate and personal commitment to that student’s success. Every student deserves a mentor. Guidance is not a position; it’s a function.

Simultaneously, there is the expectation that every student begins in middle school to explore career interests and aptitudes.

By ninth grade, each student will have a four-year plan, which can be revised at any time and as often as warranted. This plan will guide course choices and scheduling in high school

and assure that each student leaves high school prepared for his future of choice. In addition, Alabama’s high schools have a Graduation Tracking System, an online means of flagging those students who exhibit warning signs such as excessive absences, truancies, disciplinary infractions, etc. Prompt attention to those warnings can result in a potential dropout becoming a graduate.

o here’s your chance. You can share any Q. Smessage you want with school board members across Alabama. What is your message?

Alabama is a state very committed to local control. That translates into a huge responsibility resting directly on the shoulders of our school board members, both local and state.

Each of us in decision-making positions is potentially influenced daily by pressures from neighbors, relatives, politicians, political aspirations, colleagues, church friends and others. My most fervent and passionate plea and prayer is that our board members use their influence and their votes with the faces of their most beloved child or grandchild uppermost in their minds as the potential recipient of that decision or influence.

Dr. Bice often brings our attention to ‘the child in the chair.’

I think of it as the ‘child of the heart,’ the one so beloved that no power can override a board member’s commitment to doing only the very best for that child. n Leslie D. Moore is a freelance writer and public relations specialist with a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

DOCTORS HELP TURN THE PAGE continued from page 27

just reached a milestone: more than a million books given away. This program targets children both from lowincome families as well as children of immigrant parents in homes where English is a second language. These parents can share books in their native language or begin to develop English as they read to their children. Parents have the opportunity to contribute to their child’s brain development, and the child can gain a lifelong love of books, opening his world to unlimited possibilities.

DONATE AASB is partnering with Reach Out and Read Alabama to sponsor a virtual book drive so pediatricians and other physicians can give books to young children and their families to encourage reading. To give, go to http://www.razoo.com/story/ Alabama-Association-Of-SchoolBoards.

As a pediatrician and former reading specialist, I believe a love of reading is the key to becoming an educated adult and the health of a community is an outcome of the community’s education level. n Dr. Marsha D. Raulerson has practiced pediatrics in Brewton since 1981, is the former president of Alabama’s chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a board member of VOICES for Alabama’s Children and Children First Foundation Inc. 28 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

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IMPROVING SCHOOLS continued from page 23

By making breakfast available to all students, the Chambers County school system has reinforced its commitment to students, as well as its belief that education is a shared responsibility among home, school and community. As a parent with children at both W.F. Burns Middle School and Valley High School summarized, “Thank you for saving our family both time and money.”

Staff buy-in was key to the Chambers County breakfast initiative. From the beginning, kitchen and custodial staff, principals and teachers alike were receptive to the program.

Child Nutrition Program Director Donna Pike polled students to learn what they wanted for breakfast. A significant difference in preferences was discovered between high school and elementary school students. CNP staff made adjustments to the breakfast menus to incorporate this student feedback. An extra compensated hour was added to the work day for appropriate staff members. Principals worked with the central office to ensure all schools could begin the program on the second

day of classes. Teachers organized Breakfast Buddies, a group of students who serve the breakfast. This initiative promoted student responsibility and allowed the morning process to be more efficient.

Local businesses have also supported the initiative. Donations and grants received from several companies reduced up-front equipment costs for the program.

“The community has embraced Breakfast in the Classroom from day one,” Hodge said. “Everyone has worked together to the point that BIC is now written into each school’s yearly improvement plan. The program is thought of as an overall district program designed to improve schools.” n Byron Headrick is president and co-founder of LEAN Frog, which suggested ways to implement a Breakfast in the Classroom Program in the Chambers County schools. Learn more about LEAN Frog at www.theleanleap.com.

OUR CHILDREN continued from page 9

from any outside entity.

4. Appointed a State Data Privacy Officer to oversee our internal data system, review all contracts and agreements that include student data, and provide guidance and training to our local school systems on the development of their data use and governance policies.

7. Removed, as part of the standards revision process, Appendix B from the English/Language Arts Course of Study that included exemplars incorrectly referred to as a required Common Core reading list. These decisions rest at the local level as one part of the local curriculum and instructional resources development process.

5. Rescinded the original Memorandum of Agreement between the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association executed for the development of a set of Common Core State Standards.

This was the only signed agreement associated with the Common Core State Standards, but it had no binding authority past the development process; yet the state board felt it important to rescind it in good faith to those concerned that it had governance authority.

6. Conducted a mid-implementation review of Alabama College- and CareerReady Standards based on input from Alabama teachers, leaders and others.

This review was conducted by the same group of Alabama professionals who made the original recommendation for adoption in 2010. Their recommended changes to the standards were completed and adopted by the Alabama State Board of Education in January of 2014 with no permission sought nor needed 30 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

At no time throughout this year-long process of work did the Alabama State Board of Education or the Alabama State Department of Education seek or require approval from the United States Department of Education, the Office of the President of the United States, or any other professional organization or philanthropic foundation. Each and every decision by the state board was based on recommendations from Alabama teachers, administrators and professors who are experts in their individual fields of academia.

So it should be no surprise that I continue to be perplexed about this continual debate about federal overreach, indoctrination, data mining, etc., based on the facts that I have just presented that state otherwise. I am equally as perplexed that in recent forums conducted around the state “experts” who have spoken against our work here in

Alabama were all from outside our state and have never spent one second in an Alabama classroom. Yet they had much to share about what our teachers and leaders were doing.

And, finally, I am most perplexed because the facts as they apply to the state of Alabama are clear – we have not relinquished state control of our public education system to anyone but rather on three occasions adopted a resolution affirming the Alabama State Board of Education as the “sole and exclusive entity vested with the authority, without restriction, to adopt or revoke all academic standards in all subjects for students in the public schools of Alabama, without direct or indirect pressure or coercion by the United States government or any of its subdivisions.” I am not sure how much more direct that could be stated!

Facts are stubborn things and there you have them. n Dr. Tommy Bice is the Alabama Superintendent of Education. To learn more about the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, visit www.alsde.edu.

BRIGHT FUTURE continued from page 20

ALL GRADES

ness in English, math, reading and science, as well as a writing assignment to measure a student’s composition skills.

Alabama Alternate Assessment: This test is given to students with significant cognitive disabilities that prevent them from participating in the regular assessments, such as the ACT tests. The test covers English language arts, mathematics and science. The English language arts and mathematics test is being revamped in 2014-2015, and the science portion will be revised in 2015-2016. This year, the test will be conducted on one day between April 14 and May 2.

ACT QualityCore: These end-of-course assessments will be given to all students in the eighth to 12th grades starting this year.

GRADE 12 ACT WorkKeys: Starting in the 2014-2015 school year, high school seniors will be given this job skills assessment.

It will measure a student’s readiness to enter the workforce through tests on applied mathematics, locating information, and reading for information. It also will inform students of fields they are likely to be interested in and may be ready to enter.

ACT QualityCore: These end-of-course assessments will be given to all students in the eighth to 12th grades starting this year.

Graduation exam: Through 2015, the state will continue to conduct the graduation exam for students who entered ninth grade for the first time in 2009-2010 or before. After 2015, the test will be discontinued.

Q

ACCESS for ELLs: ACCESS is the acronym for Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State. This test is given to English language learners.

Sections address reading, writing, speaking and listening. The test this year is being conducted over two to three days between March 24 and May 2.

Alternate ACCESS for ELLs: This test is given to English language learners with significant cognitive disabilities who cannot participate in the ACCESS for ELLs. The test this year is being conducted over two to three days between March 24 and May 2. n Virginia Martin is a longtime journalist and former political editor at The Birmingham News. She currently is a freelance writer and editor living in Birmingham.

HELP

I heard a law passed this year that would provide immunity for educators. Is that true?

Yes. Act 2014-124 statutorily specifies

an officer, employee or agent of the state, including but not limited to an education employee acting in his or her official capacity, is immune from civil liability in any lawsuit pursuant to Article I, Section 14 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. Though current case law already existed for the provisions, the act now codifies them. There is no protection if the employee acts beyond his authority, willfully, maliciously, fraudulently, in bad faith or under a mistaken interpretation of the law.

— AASB Staff Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 31

COMMON CORE continued from page 9

AT THE TABLE

Kathy Landers School Board

Talladega County Board of Education

Hometown Childersburg

Been a school board member?

3.5 years

Books at Bedside

“Jesus Calling” Devotions for Every Day of the Year by Sarah Young and The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews

Inspiration Volunteering and helping others

Motto as a Board Member I try to provide as much help and support as possible to our students, teachers, administrators, etc.

Walter Mitty Fantasy At my age, I am pretty content; however, I would wish for my children to have long, healthy and prosperous lives.

Greatest Accomplishment as a Board Member The implementation of the 21st Century Project-Based Learning and 1:1 Technology initiatives, which have led to improved performance, behavior and graduation rates at our schools.

Pet Peeve as a Board Member Our board has a great working relationship; therefore, I can’t think of a particular pet peeve.

Reason I Like Being an AASB Member AASB provides support and so many opportunities for board members to learn how to become more effective leaders at the local level.

My Epitaph A generous heart, an open mind and a loving spirit.

32 Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014

The teachers I know have every confidence in the ability of our students to compete with other students across this country.

All they want is the chance to give them this opportunity. That’s why so many of them have invested so much time and effort into preparation for the last few years. They don’t want to go back to 1999. They know that if we do we are putting our kids at a huge disadvantage.

After going through these comments — and many more — I’ll throw out a suggestion. Perhaps some elected officials should visit a few schools rather than speak at rallies. I’ll even give them a ride in my car, which is not a hybrid. n Larry Lee led the study, Lessons Learned from Rural Schools, and is a long-time advocate for public education and frequently writes about education issues. He may be contacted at larrylee33@ knology.net.

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5. What is your overall satisfaction with Alabama School Boards?

Very satisfied m Somewhat satisfied m Neutral m Somewhat satisfied m Very dissatisfied m 6. Rate your satisfaction with the following features of Alabama School Boards.

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SUSTAINING MEMBERS

• Alabama Supercomputer Authority • Beason & Nalley

Huntsville, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256/533-1720

Newton, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/692-4600

• Charles Williams and Associates

Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/834-2038

• Generation Ready

• Barganier Davis Sims Architects Associated • Davis Architects Inc.

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/322-7482

• Evan Terry Associates PC

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/972-9100

• Information Transport Solutions

Wetumpka, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/567-1993

• Martin and Cobey

Athens, AL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256/232-5384

• R.K. Redding Construction & Planning Services Bremen, GA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 770/537-1845

• Schneider Electric

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/356-8781

• Siemens Building Technologies Inc.

Pelham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/403-8388

• Southland International Bus Sales

Birmingham, AL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888/844-1821

• STI

Mobile, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800/844-0884

• Synergetics, DCS

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/250-0700

New York, NY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866/792-5879

• Godwin Jones Architecture

Montgomery, AL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/387-2040

• Hoar Program Management

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/803-2121

• KHAFRA Engineers, Architects and Construction Managers

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/252-8353

• Lathan Associates Architects PC

Hoover, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/988-9112

• Oldschool Collaborative, LLC

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/999-1013

• PH&J Architects Inc.

Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/265-8781

• Ra-Lin and Associates Inc.

Carrollton, GA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 770/834-4884

• Terracon

Starkville, MS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662/461-0122

Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/942-1289

Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/420-1500

Fort Mitchell, KY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877/462-5967

• TCU Consulting Services LLC

• Union Springs Professional, LLC

Alabama School Boards • Spring 2014 35

Alabama Association of School Boards Post Office Drawer 230488 Montgomery, Alabama 36123-0488

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Montgomery, AL Permit No. 34

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Connect to excellence.

Introducing the National Connection National Resources for School Board Leaders

AASB is excited to offer our members a new package of resources of value to every school board in America. Through a partnership with the National School Boards Association, the National Connection service brings your board/superintendent team and district staff access to resources to help you: Get the real story from Washington, D.C.: In-depth analysis of federal policy.

Focus on results that matter: National research and best practices from high-performing school boards and districts across the country.

Meet the experts on innovation: Cutting-edge insights from the country’s leading experts on education innovation and improvement.

Create public commitment: Practical tools to build support for American public education.

Make a difference: Taking part helps support NSBA’s national advocacy agenda on behalf of local governance and public education.

Learn more today: www.alabamaschoolboards.org/getconnected

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National School Boards Association

National Connection

2/27/14 10:31 AM