Inside
16 Winter 2012 Vol. 33, No. 4
www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org
22
community embraces families of montgomery public schools' students
14 Governance act
Find out the details regarding training and board member conduct.
10-year plan seeks voluntary prekindergarten for all 4-year-olds.
24 attending to the gifted in rural schools
Make gifted education programs a focus of improvement in your system.
IN EVERY ISSUE 8 could history repeat itself?
The folly of a 10 percent educator pay raise.
12 an app a day keeps bad grades away
4 trends, research & dates 6 Education & the law 10 who’s who at sde 27 CALENDAR 28 AT THE HE TABLE
School systems launch digital learning programs.
OFFICERS PRESIDENT Steve Foster Lowndes County PRESIDENT-ELECT Katy Smith Campbell Macon County VICE PRESIDENT Pam Doyle Muscle Shoals IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Florence Bellamy Phenix City
BOARD OF DIRECTORS DISTRICT 1 James Woosley Satsuma
DISTRICT 4 Gwen Harris-Brooks Lanett DISTRICT 5 Suzy Baker Alabama School of Fine Arts DISTRICT 6 Dr. Tony Bolton Oxford
On THE COVER: compilation of artwork ©istockPhoto.com Pages 3, 6, 16, 18, 19 & 22 artwork ©istockPhoto.com Pages 3, 5, 7, 8, 24, 27 & 31 artwork ©fotolia.com Pages 12 (top) & 13 submitted by Joe Rogers / Huntsville City Schools Pages 12 (bottom) submitted by Beth McKinny / Athens City Schools
Correction: The article "10 Good Things About Public Education" by Patte Barth, which ran in the last issue, was reprinted with permission from the American School Board Journal.
STATE BOARD LIAISON Mary Scott Hunter
STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sally Brewer Howell, J.D. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Ken Roberts, CPA DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Denise L. Berkhalter, APR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Lissa Astilla Tucker DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Susan Salter Assistant DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Sarah Cobb MEETING/MARKETING COORDINATOR Angela Ing
DISTRICT 2 Don Nichols Perry County DISTRICT 3 Jimmy Rodgers Covington County
PUBLICATION POLICY Alabama School Boards is published by the Alabama 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 not necessarily the views of the Alabama Association of School Boards. Subscriptions sent to members of school boards are included in membership dues. Complimentary copies are available upon request to public school principals throughout the state. Additional annual subscriptions can be obtained for $30 by contacting AASB. 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.
AASB outlines its legislative priorities for the 2013 session that convenes Feb. 5.
20 Pre-k plan
FEATURES
goat hill advocacy in 2013
DISTRICT 7 Belinda McRae Marion County DISTRICT 8 Karen Duke Decatur DISTRICT 9 Dr. Jennie Robinson Huntsville
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Debora Hendricks EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Tammy Wright BOOKKEEPER Morgan Hilliard STAFF & TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT Lashana Summerlin ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Donna Norris Katie Schroeder CLERICAL ASSISTANT Sha’Wanda Franklin ALABAMA SCHOOL BOARDS EDITOR Linda Tynan
Our Mission: To develop excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services.
Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 3
Trends Research&Dates
UP FRONT
-Compiled by Denise L. Berkhalter
AASB Announces Newest Members of its Board of Directors The Alabama Association of School Boards Board of Directors recently announced its newest members: District 5 Director Suzy Baker of the Alabama School of Fine Arts Board of Trustees, District 3 Director Jimmy Rodgers of Covington County and District 1 Director James Woosley of Satsuma. They officially began serving as directors on Dec. 8. Congratulations also go to the new directors recently appointed by the AASB Board of Directors to fill uncompleted terms in Districts 4, 6 and 8. Karen Duke of Decatur filled the vacant District 8 directorship, and Gwen Harris-Brooks of Lanett was appointed to the District 4 seat. Dr. Tony Bolton of Oxford stepped into the District 6 directorship. “We’re excited to have these talented new members on our board,” said AASB Executive Director Sally Howell, “and we look forward to working with them to enhance our service to school boards around the state.” Unopposed in their elections were Belinda McRae of Marion County for District 7 and Dr. Jennie Robinson of Huntsville for District 9. McRae, who was finishing an unexpired term, began her first full term on the AASB board, while Robinson began her second term. Don Nichols of Perry County was not up for re-election and continues as director of District 2.
Welcome Aboard Three new staff members are hard at work for the Alabama Association of School Boards. Sarah Cobb has been assistant director of leadership development since September and is responsible for online course development and assists with field services and training. The Troy University graduate is a former public relations and marketing manager for a statewide nonprofit and is the mother of two daughters, 11 and 5. Katie Schroeder, the administrative assistant for leadership development since August, graduated from the University of Alabama in hospitality management. Sha’Wanda Franklin, a senior at Jefferson Davis High School in Montgomery County, comes to AASB through a school cooperative education program and provides clerical assistance. 4 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
Good News in Alabama’s Schools Hoover City Schools teacher Pamela Yau Smith is Alabama’s winner of the 2012 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, known by many as the “Education Oscar.” The Edgewood Elementary School teacher received $25,000. The award honors educators’ exceptional work as models for the state and nation. Shelby County Schools teacher Brian Copes is a 2012 People Magazine Teacher of the Year. The Calera High School career tech teacher is one of only five educators chosen for the prestigious award. Copes teaches pre-engineering, research and design and engineering applications classes. Last summer, Copes traveled with 10 of his students to Honduras. The students had designed prosthetic limbs from automotive parts for 14 amputees. They also assembled utility vehicles to provide ambulance services to remote locations in Honduras. The Alabama/Classworks 2013 Superintendent of the Year is Dr. Jeff Langham of the Elmore County school system. Chosen from nine finalists, Langham has led his school system since 2005. He is a former education specialist for the state Department of Education and rose through the administrative ranks after his time as an English teacher in the Elmore County school system.
Five Alabama Schools Win 2012 Blue Ribbon U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recognized 269 schools nationwide as 2012 Blue Ribbon Schools, including five Alabama schools. The recognition is for academic excellence or for making progress in improving student academic achievement levels. The state’s winners are: • Daphne High School (Baldwin County) • Forest Hills School (Florence) • Liberty Middle School (Madison) • Piedmont High School (Piedmont) • Spencer Elementary School (Mobile County)
Tag! You’re It! An example of partnerships that work is the recent joint effort of the Madison County School System and the Madison County Commission. The Commission funded the “Tag! You’re it!” program for the Hazel Green, Buckhorn, New Hope and Madison County high schools and the Sparkman High and Ninth Grade Academy. The program, created by Larry Ransom and country music artist Michael Peterson, helps young people think about their direction in life. Peterson talked to Madison County students about setting personal goals and being reflective.
Congratulations 2012 All-State School Board Members The AASB All-State School Board Recognition Program commends up to five past or present school board members across the state who have exhibited exemplary boardsmanship. The 2012 AllState Board members are Ola Ball of Brewton, Karen Duke of Decatur, William “Bill” Silver Jr. of Saraland, the Rev. Schmitt Moore of Tuscaloosa County and Tracy Roberts of Baldwin County, who was elected in November to the Alabama State Board of Education. They were honored at an awards luncheon during the AASB Annual Convention in December. Ball
Duke
Silver
Moore
Roberts
Did You Know? 1.2 million students in the United States drop out of school each year. Eight out of 10 students who drop out of school end up in prison. To battle the dropout problem, the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation has launched a Stay in School campaign. The Alabama State Department of Education has Stay in School posters available for display in your schools. To request posters, email aen@alsde.edu. Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 5
EDUCATION & THE LAW By William “Woody” Sanderson, Attorney, Lanier Ford
Abide by the spirit of the Open Meetings law
W
Sanderson
hen does a gathering of board members become engaged in a meeting under the Alabama Open Meetings Act? When does a group of board members constitute a subcommittee or committee? At what point do email exchanges of information between and among members run the risk of being viewed as deliberations in violation of the OMA?
Let the Sunshine in
These are all questions which come up often with respect to the coming together of board members. And they are questions that are not always easily answered. Since the adoption of the act in 2005, boards have struggled at times to clearly understand the extent to which the OMA applies to interaction between and among their members. The definitions of the statute are clear enough when we’re talking about prearranged and regularly scheduled meetings. Most of us now understand that meetings of finance, curriculum and textbook committees, etc., are also meetings as defined by the statute. Providing a notice of such meetings and conducting them publicly is clearly required. Here, we’ll try to address some of the more difficult issues arising from member gatherings when less than a quorum participates, from committees and so-called serial meetings, and from the ever-increasing use of email communication.
Q.
A.
When does a gathering of board members become a meeting?
The short answer is when it constitutes a quorum of the board, committee or subcommittee to which the members belong and discusses business expected 6 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
to come before the particular body at a future date. Thus, two members of a board may constitute a quorum of a standing or special committee if it is a two-member committee. And members may constitute a committee even if simply asked by the board president to meet on an ad hoc basis to discuss board business, assuming the board president is authorized to name committees. This does not mean, however, that a quorum of board members or indeed the entire board cannot gather together or participate in private events, social functions, sporting events, etc. As long as the school board does not discuss board business, there is no prohibition in the OMA against such gatherings.
Avoid using email to build or reach a consensus of the board about issues to be presented later for board decision. Give public notice of all meetings in which a quorum of members of the board, a committee or subcommittee will participate to discuss business. Avoid serial meetings in which members purposely meet in groups of less than a quorum in order to form a consensus about issues to come before the board. That is not to say that a member may not talk with another member about board business privately. In fact, Alabama courts to date have not found that serial meetings of small groups meeting to discuss business expected to later come before the entire board violate the OMA, but when the intent is to form a consensus privately about board business and later announce it publicly in a board meeting, the spirit and intent of the OMA is clearly violated, and it may be only a matter of time before a court reaches the conclusion that such gatherings violate the law.
Q.
A.
When does a group of board members constitute a subcommittee or committee?
It is clear that a committee, whether standing or special, that is formed for a particular purpose is a committee or subcommittee of the school board and is obliged to hold its meetings publicly to discuss business expected to come before the committee in the future. A recent Alabama Supreme Court case (Slagle v. Ross) held that three groups of board members which were appointed by the board president to discuss privately the superintendent’s goals constituted committees. The court drew an interesting
distinction, however, in concluding that the gatherings of these committees did not constitute meetings because the business to be discussed was expected to come before the entire board at a future date and not before the committee. This distinction was made because of specific facts in that case and should not be viewed as reliable precedent.
Q.
A.
When are email exchanges at risk of being viewed as deliberations?
Alabama courts have not yet provided much guidance regarding email communications in the context of the OMA. Clearly, that case is coming sooner rather than later. Under the right facts, it would not be surprising to see a ruling that board members who electronically participate in a meeting to deliberate on matters of business expected to come before the entire board at a later date violate the OMA. For example, if emails between members demonstrate that a quorum of members responded to emails from each other on business matters within a brief window of time, a court may be led to conclude that a quorum was present, albeit electronically, and that it deliberated on issues expected to come before the board.
Email has become an indispensible tool for communication. However, board members should studiously avoid using email to build or reach a consensus of the board about issues to be presented later for board decision. Members may exchange information or express opinions one-on-one with the superintendent or another member of the school board (or more than one member if less than a quorum of the board or any committee on which the participants serve). Members should avoid use of reply all or forward to send responses or email strings to members so that a one-on-one exchange of ideas cannot be viewed as a deliberation among a quorum. The Open Meetings Act serves a valuable purpose in building and maintaining confidence in the openness and transparency of board members as they go about the business of serving the public. Alabama’s OMA provides sufficient flexibility for board members, in groups less than a quorum, to exchange views and ideas that may inform the deliberations that the board conducts in public meetings. With a little caution and a good dose of common sense, school board members can perform their duties efficiently and effectively in compliance with the OMA while maintaining the trust of their constituents. n Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 7
Executive Director’s PERSPECTIVE By Sally Howell
Could History Repeat Itself? The folly of a 10 percent educator pay raise
Do Alabama educators DESERVE a significant raise? You betcha. But, can the state afford to give them a 10 percent raise? Absolutely not. Not even if done over two years. Howell
T
he recent “flag in the ground” statement by the Alabama Education Association that it will pursue such a high pay raise is an assault on the Budget Stabilization Act – commonly called the Rolling Reserve Act – with the added benefit of fueling sniper attacks on anyone who advocates for budget restraint so Alabama can live within its means. The truth is Alabama has fantastic news. There will be sufficient growth available in the Education Trust Fund to fund a pay raise for our education employees. Most legislative leaders seem to support an education pay raise. The only dilemma facing legislative leaders is how much of a raise the state can afford – and sustain. Sustainability of a pay raise will be one of the pivotal issues in the 2013 legislative session. While the state has experienced significant growth in FY 2012, that rate of growth is expected to decline significantly for the 2013 and 2014 fiscal years. Sustainability means there must be enough revenue or funding in 2014, 2015 and beyond for any pay raise granted. And there simply is not sufficient revenue projected to sustain more than a 2 to 3 percent raise. 8 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
Calling for a raise that is unsustainable creates unfounded expectations. It causes division in the education and legislative ranks. It will make teachers and employees
H Ed ig uc he at r io n
N Pro
feel like they have “lost” something they never had. Let’s do the math. Based on conservative projections, there should be some $339 million more to allocate for schools in fiscal year 2014. A pay raise costs between $35 million and $37 million per percentage point. That means a 10 percent raise would cost $370 million, while a 2 percent raise would be $74 million. Depending on what the final revenue forecast for 2014 will be, some may claim a 10 percent raise is within reach – much like the Golden Gate Bridge looks golden, but only when the sun is setting on it. The rest of the time it is an ugly rust color. But, the equation doesn’t stop there. Some of the $339 million is due to one-time money – about $130 million. Therefore, the available revenue for continuing expenses is closer to some $209 million. Then, consider higher education’s share. Most likely, K-12 will
Ra D ise iv is s l or s
l
New ograms
only receive about 68 to 70 percent of the dollars. That leaves only about $140 million for ongoing expenses such as pay raises. Clearly, even if every cent of K-12’s share was committed to a pay raise, there is simply not enough for a 5 percent raise – let alone a 10 percent raise. And, since projections now indicate there will be no growth or even a possible decline for 2015, the other “half” of the 10 percent raise is a fantasy as well. It does seem the state could afford a raise in the neighborhood of 2 to 3 percent – if those funds are not committed to hiring more teachers (decreasing the divisors) or other ongoing expenses – without creating the scenario to force the state into proration. Because the state can’t afford to use one-time money on ongoing expenses – again – it is folly to push for an unsustainable pay raise unless you have another goal. In the global economic meltdown that our nation has experienced the last few years, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that some, not all, of the recent financial problems in Alabama were self-inflicted. In 2007 and 2008, the state expanded education programs and gave pay raises – worthy programs and expenditures – using some one-time revenue. Some were unconcerned that a small budget shortfall could occur, claiming it would fan the flames for increasing state education funding. The unexpected implosion of the economy grew the crisis to epic proportions. We can’t repeat the same mistake and cause budget woes by passing a pay raise – no matter how warranted – that the state cannot sustain. And Alabama has set up a budget process to prevent it. If we don’t want to manufacture proration for FY 2015 and future years, we must be prudent in 2014.
Calling for a raise that is unsustainable creates unfounded expectations. It causes division in the education and legislative ranks. It will make teachers and employees feel like they have “lost” something they never had. Proration, of course, would be offset by the stabilization fund created under the Rolling Reserve Act. And it is this act that is as much the target of the Alabama Education Association’s hyperbole for a 10 percent pay raise as the raise itself. The Rolling Reserve Act has been dubbed the “blockhead budget act” by AEA because it temporarily saves state funds by preventing the Alabama Legislature from allocating every dime (or more) it projects will be available. Since when is saving money considered stupid? It isn’t as if the money disappears. It will support K-12 schools in the future with a strategic and stable budget process. Sufficiency of funding is another issue entirely, one this state will have to eventually face. But the Rolling Reserve Act, though it may not be perfect in its implementation, is doing exactly what it was intended to do – promote budget stability. Saving funds is no failure. Failing to save and heed the past is. As the saying goes, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” n Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 9
who is who at the sde: Dr. Philip C. Cleveland By Lissa Astilla Tucker
Learning that works for Alabama. That’s the ultimate goal of the Alabama Department of Education’s career and technical education, or CTE, programs. The programs develop the talents and skills of students by giving them opportunities to explore career options in more than Cleveland
215 courses statewide. CTE graduates can earn a diploma and college credit, and industries in Alabama gain an educated, skilled workforce. Building the bridge between the classroom and the workplace in Alabama is Dr. Philip C. Cleveland. In June, he became the state education department’s new director of career and technical education and workforce development. He leads a team of 27 staff. The newly created position includes an expanded role to work with workforce and economic development councils. Cleveland taps into his past experiences, which include serving as a teacher, career and technical education director and interim community college president. He is the former J.B. Pennington High School principal and was a Wallace State Community College dean and vice president. He has two degrees from Auburn University, a bachelor’s in agriculture business and economics and a master’s in agriculture education. He also has an associate’s degree from Alabama A&M in agribusiness education and an Ed.D. in organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Cleveland took a few moments to share his thoughts and plans for career tech in Alabama.
10 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
hat are your plans and Q. Wgoals for career tech? Do they dovetail with Plan
2020, the SDE’s strategic plan for K-12 education?
A.
Well, what we’re doing is the college- and career-ready part to establish a set of industryrecognized credentials. Our economic developers and industry partners indicated that these are the credentials that a student can come out of high school with to show they have these skill sets and have what it takes to be successful employees. We’ve established those with industry input. Now what we’re doing at every local school system is working to use those credentials as a mark of success for career-ready students. It’s really dovetailing great in two ways: First, right out of high school, students are ready to enter into the world of work; and secondly, working with the community college systems, students will not be duplicating coursework. If they take two years of welding in high school, they wouldn’t have to take first-semester welding at the college level. It really provides students the opportunity to further their education, go to work right after high school or go on to a university. And we work with the universities to make this a true K-20 opportunity for our students and citizens of the state.
Q.
The SDE plans to recommend a single diploma with multiple paths for graduation. It allows requirements to be met on academic and career interests. How does this change the current system
and what is the timeline for implementation?
A.
Currently, we have six diploma endorsements. We are streamlining that so every student will have the same diploma as a graduate in the Alabama school system. That will allow for students to choose their pathways – whether that be a pathway in the arts, in the career tech field, in foreign language, or whatever area the student’s interest lies. We hope they will utilize the statefunded career assessment instrument that looks at the student’s interest, aptitude and skill level, so students make informed decisions. We hope parents will help students to make those decisions based on the assessment results. We are working to get the assessment fully implemented so that entering ninth-grade students in 2013 will be able to take advantage of that tool. Hopefully, that will help ensure when a student gets out of high school he is truly on a path that meets his interest level, aptitude and skill set. All of this would start next year, pending state board approval.
Q.
You’re working more closely with postsecondary as well. In what ways are you bridging the gap between K-12 and postsecondary, particularly regarding dual enrollment and sharing resources for career tech efforts?
A.
We’ve created a joint advisory committee, working together so that we are not duplicating services. We’re sharing facilities. We’re sharing equipment. We’re working together to be seamless as one. The benefit of the student is our key concern. The joint advisory committee really provides an opportunity for us to take a hard look at what we are doing. It helps us see if we are aligning what our community college partners are doing, and we’re finding that we are in most cases. We are also looking at the regional workforce data in each of the 10 regional workforce areas, and we’re going out to all the LEAs
[local education agencies such as school systems] to look at the course offerings. We’re looking at the regional workforce data to see if they are aligned and to make sure the programs that we’re offering on the local level are aligned with the regional workforce needs. We’re meeting with the superintendents, and school board members have attended some of those meetings. We are hoping to have met with all of the LEAs by mid-December. That’s face-to-face meetings at every school system. Alignment also goes to the community colleges to make sure those programs can offer the next steps for kids that want to continue their education and have that opportunity.
Q.
Please explain the revised certification plan for career tech.
A.
For teacher certification, we are making sure the professionals are given the credibility that they deserve – if they are a master electrician, for instance. That is something that not just anyone can acquire. We are making sure we’re recognizing that master skill level in that regard because in the old system they really weren’t given credit for their industry credentials. I hesitate to say this, but I’m going to anyway. I’d much rather have a master electrician teaching an electrical program than a four-year college graduate. It’s practical, and a lot of times we think that
education prepares you for everything, but that’s not quite true. The majority of our careers today are in need of us doing more, most of those need a skill set rather than a four-year degree. And I’m not downplaying a four-year college degree, but a skill set is essential. No one can take a skill set away from someone. Once they have mastered the electrical trade, they have mastered the electrical trade. You can take that and always make a very viable living for a family.
Q.
Are you still hoping for a bond issue to upgrade career tech program equipment and supplies? Isn’t maintenance of this equipment an ongoing expense?
A.
We have been very fortunate this year to get what is called Operations and Maintenance. And they’re starting to allow us to expand, so the bond and the O&M money are going to allow us to look at our equipment and make sure it’s modern. The last thing you want to do is train students and have them go into the industry and hear, “Well, we haven’t had that machine for 10 years.” We’ve got to stay cutting-edge and current. That’s why the partnership between us and the community college system is so important, because there’s no way those school systems can each afford (Continued on page 26)
About the Career and Technical Education Section The Career and Technical Education Section seeks to engage students in career fields to prepare graduates for today’s competitive workforce. The section is part of the Alabama Department of Education’s Division of Professional Services and oversees implementation of the following career clusters: agriculture, food and natural resources; architecture and construction; arts, audio-visual technology and communications; business, management and administration; education and training; finance; government and public administration; health science; hospitality and tourism; human services; information technology; law, public safety, corrections and security; manufacturing; marketing, sales and services; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and transportation, distribution and logistics. For more: 334/242-9111 or www.alcareertech.org Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 11
EDUCATION & Technology By Kim Roedl
S
An App a Day Keeps Bad Grades Away
ocial studies and science are two of second-grader John Franklin’s favorite subjects. Since his class at Blossomwood Elementary School in Huntsville started using iPads, Franklin said his interest has only increased. The 8-year-old is attracted to the iPad’s sharp graphics that make pictures seem to jump off the page and the educational apps that transform the learning experience into fun and games. “I really like studying on the iPad because I can learn so many new things,” Franklin said. “When I am studying social studies, the pictures really give me a good look of what things looked like back then.” Franklin’s elementary school now has enough iPads for every student in prekindergarten through grade 2 to use while in the classroom, and students in upper grades use netbooks and laptops. Franklin
COST ANALYSIS The 2012-13 school year began this fall with new technology for every student in the Huntsville City School System. Here is a look at what the 1-to-1 initiative and digital curriculum costs: § Average per student cost of laptops: $200 per year § Average curriculum cost per student: $97 per year § Average cost of professional development: $865 per teacher per year or $57 per student per year § Total annual cost per student: $354 or 3.5 percent out of an average total expenditure of about $10,000 per student 12 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
Huntsville City Schools students in the first grade at Mountain Gap Elementary School show off their iPads in a “We § Our iPads” sign.
is a beneficiary of the Huntsville City School System’s debut this fall of more than 22,000 iPads and laptops to be used in schools systemwide. The initiative is part of Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski’s plan to digitize student learning. It is not a new concept.
“We call students these days digital natives because using technology is second nature to them,” said Blossomwood Principal Christie Finley. “They enjoy it and understand it. What kids see as games is technology-based learning.”
Finley said teachers are using the iPads Huntsville, Athens, Baldwin County, in a variety of educational environments Cullman City, Florence, Piedmont and — from phonics-based activities in literacy centers to math drills in mathematother school systems in Alabama are ics centers. joining the wave of K-12 school systems across the country that are integrating high-tech devices into the classroom. Advocates say netbooks, laptops, tablet PCs and other digital devices engage students in learning because they are familiar with the technology. These advocates also say the devices provide valuable access to numerous apps educators Athens City Schools is conducting a pilot to determine uses for iPads as teaching aids. The initiative is under way at three can use to supplement daily of the system’s seven schools, including Athens Elementary lessons. School, where these kindergartners attend.
“This is what learning looks like in the 21st century,” she said. “Having the iPads in the classroom isn’t going to replace [existing resources], but it will enhance the way students learn. Teachers incorporate the iPad into their routine, and it fits into their lessons. It is a great tool,” said Finley, whose school introduced the iPads into classrooms last school year. Finley said students are enthusiastic about the use of iPads in their classrooms. “It’s so interactive, and it has made learning more personalized for them. Kids enjoy it,” she said. Keith Ward, Huntsville schools’ director of communications, agrees. “It opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for student learning. They have been surrounded by technology all of their lives. It is the way they learn,” Ward said.
Huntsville launched its digital learning initiative this fall. Jalyn Hoang, a Monte Sano Elementary School kindergartner, learns using an iPad in class.
“In addition to the digital curriculum, we have also received over 380,000 items of new curricula in terms of textbooks, supplementary materials, CD/DVD media, in addition to the online curricular materials,” Ward said. “Previously, we had resources that were 8 to 10 years old, and none were aligned with the common core. Now all resources are aligned, new and will remain current.” [Alabama adopted the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics in 2010.]
project to be completed since it depends on available funding. However, Bridges said he hopes iPads will be used in all of the elementary schools by the end of the 2012-2013 school year, and he would like to have digital technology at the middle school and high school levels by next school year. Students work with iPads, netbooks and laptops at Mountain Gap Elementary School.
Ward said subscriptions to regularly produced information sources keep digital content current, as opposed to “an encyclopedia that is out-of-date the moment it is printed.” Going digital takes time and funding. Athens City Schools began researching the implementation three years ago. Superintendent Dr. Orman Bridges Jr. said his school system opted for a slow, deliberate process to not only secure funding but also to install or upgrade wireless networks. He also thoroughly supports having iPads and other devices in the classroom. “It is one of the things that will enhance learning and enhance achievement,” said Bridges, who feels it’s important to remind stakeholders that iPads and other digital devices can be useful learning and teaching tools. “The iPads and other electronic devices are not put into place to replace teaching — they enhance teaching.” In late September, the Athens school board approved a $70,000 purchase of 120 iPads for use in three schools – Athens Elementary, Cowart Elementary and Athens Intermediate schools – to pilot the classroom use of these devices. This is the second year that Athens Elementary has used iPads in the classroom. The Athens school board also approved capital improvement projects that call for a $475,000 upgrade of local area networks and wireless networks as well as a $350,000 upgrade to school computers. Bridges said the school system’s long-term goal is to have digital technology in all seven schools. Presently, there is no timeline for the
Florence City Schools kicked off its iPad initiative last school year, which it is implementing in stages for grades 10-12. High schoolers also began using electronic (Continued on page 28)
WHAT’S AN APP? There are reportedly as many as 250,000 downloadable apps in Apple’s App Store for the iPad. So, what is an app? An app, or application, is software designed to make a certain task easy for the user to perform. Below are five free iPad applications for K-12 education. For more, view the education list (click “free”) under the Apps Tracker link at www.padgadget.com. iTunes U – The world’s largest digital catalog of iTunes U app free education content, including complete courses. Khan Academy – A number of educational topics, including K-12 math, science and even the humanities. PBS KIDS Video – Weekly, videos offer a set of fun educational experiences that will engage students in reading, science and math.
progress.
TapQuiz Maps World Edition – Lessons on the countries of the world. Keeps track of learning
Science360 – A National Science Foundation app with easy access to engaging science and engineering images and video. Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 13
Governance Act
SDE issues guidance for Governance Act by Susan Salter
A
s a result of the School Board Governance Improvement Act of 2012, Alabama school board members will have additional opportunities to gain critical education and guidance on proper board roles and techniques.
Save the Date Governance Act webinar Jan. 16 , 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
In December, state Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice approved guidelines for implementing the act, including specifying when and how much training local school board members will be required to get during their tenure. The Governance Act officially became law when Gov. Robert Bentley signed it last spring. However, the measure left much of the detail about how the training would be handled to Bice and directed that he develop the training component in conjunction with the Alabama Association of School Boards. Since then, AASB has worked with Bice and state Department of Education Chief of Staff Dr. Craig Pouncey to create regulations that will be manageable for school board members – many of whom serve without compensation – while still meeting the law’s intent of raising board members’ knowledge and skill levels. “The regulations approved by Dr. Bice truly strike that balance,” said AASB Executive Director Sally Howell. “They set a standard for all board members to get an initial orientation as well as ongoing training each year. But they leave board members and board superintendent teams flexibility to choose the types of ongoing training that will address the skills they specifically want to improve based on their own systems’ needs.”
14 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
The Governance Act has a number of components. In addition to requiring training, it: • Raises the bar to require that all new board members have a high school diploma or the equivalent in order to qualify to serve; • Mandates creation of a state model code of conduct for school board members as well as adoption of a local code; • Requires all board members to sign a form affirming the principles of effective school board governance; and • Creates the ability for local boards and the state to sanction members who do not earn the required number of training hours each year or who violate the principles of governance in ways that constitute neglect of duty or willful misconduct. To date, the state board has approved the affirmation and sent them to local boards. While the state has mandated all new board members sign the affirmations prior to taking office, Bice has recommended all board members sign them now. The signed documents are to be made part of the minutes of a board meeting. The state board also has approved its model code of conduct, which specifies expected behavior by individual members and the board as a whole, both in and away from board meetings. Local boards have until April 1, 2013, to adopt their own code of conduct, but those local codes
must, at a minimum, include everything in the state’s model. AASB is encouraging local boards to begin reviewing the state model now but to hold off on giving final approval to their own code until after Pouncey conducts a Governance Act webinar for AASB members on Jan. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Training Specifics
Under the training plan Bice recently approved, the training requirements will be phased in in two segments. From Jan. 1 to June 30, 2013, every school board member will be required to attend at least three hours of training. Starting July 1 and running on an annual July-to-June training year, all members must have six hours of training annually.
At least two of the six hours must be whole board, interactive training, which is defined: “A training session attended by at least the majority of the members of a school board during which the trainer or facilitator interacts directly with the board and members discuss an issue or issues specifically as they pertain to the board or system.” Howell said the whole-board training likely will prove to be the most valuable training local boards receive. “Research is clear that boards learn most effectively when they sit as a group to address their specific needs,” she said. She stressed that, for whole-board training, all the members should attend and the board must interact directly with the instructor or facilitator regarding their own performance or system. “Simply having the board and superintendent come together to listen to a webinar won’t meet the state requirement,” Howell said.
Advance Approval
Also of note is the requirement that all training be provided by AASB or approved in advance. The process will be administered by AASB, but training proposals will be reviewed by a committee comprised of representatives of the state education department, AASB and School Superintendents of Alabama. Individuals or groups wanting to provide training must apply at least 60 days
in advance, and applications will be reviewed within 30 days of their receipt. Applications will be reviewed based on the course to be taught, qualifications of the instructor(s) and activities to be used. Also under the plan, only in-state training and Alabama-specific training can be used to meet the mandated hours. Attendance at NSBA or Southern Region conferences will not count. Also, hours will not roll over from year to year; six hours must be earned every year. Board members may, however, earn hours in a variety of ways, including conferences, webinars, online courses and on-site training.
Orientation Requirements
In addition to the annual training, board members will be required to have an orientation, with courses covering the following: roles and responsibilities of the board; finance; ethics; board meetings; legal and personnel issues; advocacy; the Governance Act; student and school performance; working with the board attorney and superintendent; and public/ media relations. AASB’s existing two-part orientation meets this requirement.
Although the law requires all board members to receive orientation training, Bice agreed to several provisions that will impact board members who are already in office. First, any board member who has already taken both of AASB’s orientation courses will be deemed to have met the requirement. Second, if you have taken one, but not both the AASB courses, you will only have to take the course you have missed. And finally, if you haven’t already taken both courses, you may wait to take them until you are re-elected or reappointed. About 40 percent of AASB’s current members have completed the orientation already. Those starting board service for the first time will have one year from the July following their election or appointment to complete the orientation requirement. Thus, a city board member taking office in June 2013 will have until June 30, 2014, to complete the orientation; members elected or appointed in fall 2013 would
have until June 30, 2015, to complete it. Members-elect will be encouraged to complete the orientation before taking office, and AASB is ramping up the number of times it is offered to make that more convenient for members. The association now offers both segments of the orientation just prior to the annual convention in December and the summer conference in June. One segment also will be offered each spring and the other each fall, giving new members three opportunities a year to complete the requirement. Beginning in June, AASB also will launch an online learning program to enable members to complete the orientation and other courses from home. AASB expects to launch the program with the six-hour Effective Boards and Relationships orientation course. The eight-hour Roles & Responsibilities orientation course will be offered online next fall and other courses will follow.
Hardship Exceptions
While the state’s plan will give board members a number of paths to completing the orientation and ongoing training requirements, the state also will allow individual board members to apply for a hardship exception if they are unable to meet the year’s training requirement. Likely, such requests would be granted only in extreme cases.
Under the state’s program, AASB will provide the state superintendent a report indicating whether each board member has met the training requirement for the year. The report will be submitted annually by Aug. 1. n
Susan Salter is AASB’s director of leadership development. For more information, contact her at 800/562-0601 or ssalter@ AlabamaSchoolBoards.org. Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 15
Goat Hill Advocacy AASB’s 2013 Legislative & Policy Agenda by Denise Berkhalter
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hat knocking at the door is the 2013 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature. At high noon on Feb. 5, men and women whose political fates lie in the decisions they make will return to downtown Montgomery.
Goat Hill, as politicos call it, will be abuzz with lobbyists and advocates. The Alabama Association of School Boards’ governmental relations team and its group of Leader to Leader grassroots advocates will be front and center. Education, in some form or fashion, is a mainstay issue in the Senate and House chambers. There are five key issues connected to successful student outcomes that AASB will fight for as part of its 2013 Legislative and Policy Agenda. Take a look.
Freedom and Innovation for Every School
Plan 2020, the state’s strategic plan for public education, seeks to “create a policy environment that promotes and rewards performance, innovation and creativity.” By 2016, the state intends to grow the number of school systems that apply for relief from certain state Department of Education regulations. Those granted that flexibility from rules are designated as “School boards are Innovation School Systems that can pioneer or institute advanced approaches to address an array of distinctive puzzled that the very needs in their schools. In exchange, these schools are held to a higher standard of accountability for student freedoms from legal performance. The Innovative School Systems program requirements and statutes enjoyed by was approved by the state Board of Education in May 2010. other education institutions are the
same freedoms local boards of education have been requesting for years. Public schools need the freedom to innovate and flourish.” – Sally Howell, executive director Alabama Association of School Boards
AASB supports the Innovation School Systems approach and believes such flexibility should extend to state laws, as well. Local school boards should receive waivers from certain state laws that restrict innovation and prevent school boards from implementing muchneeded solutions to repairable problems. Flexibility from restrictive laws and regulations can spur student achievement, build public support and provide parents and students high-quality options within the public school environment.
Local decision-makers know where the opportunities for innovation and transformation are, and they truly understand that no two school systems are exactly the same. A law that fits the needs of some school systems may actually impede schools that need the tractability to take bold steps toward change. 16 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
HOW YOU CAN HELP “Alabama’s high-quality First Class pre-K program, which is funded by the state, only serves 6 percent of our 4-year-olds. Just another 16 percent of Alabama 4-year-olds … attend the federal Head Start pre-K program.” – Allison de la Torre, executive director Alabama School Readiness Alliance (Press-Register, Aug. 26, 2012)
Pre-K Opportunities for Every 4-year-old
Parents have the right to say no to pre-kindergarten for their children. That’s a choice Alabama preserves. However, no parent should be forced to watch their children struggle in first grade because they simply didn’t have access to high-quality early education. AASB supports a sustained, annual increase over 10 years to build access to a state-funded pre-kindergarten opportunity for every 4-year-old. The state’s First-Class pre-K program has ranked No. 1 for years for meeting all national quality standards and is a completely voluntary program. It is delivered in a variety of ways, including in public schools that have the resources to offer a program. Research and data consistently prove pre-K is the most effective investment to promote school readiness and student achievement. Pre-K is a cost-effective measure to improve graduation rates and decrease dropout rates.
Great Schools in Every Zip Code
Fewer than two dozen schools in the state have been identified as persistently at-risk. These schools are those that qualified for federal School Improvement Grants and have struggled to make adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act so they can exit improvement status. AASB supports focused efforts and innovative options for these at-risk schools. Local school boards must have viable tools to address the distinct needs of students, as well as professional development and staffing needs. AASB calls for a deep look at the unique challenges at these schools and for targeted resources to improve at-risk schools and asks that school boards be given the flexibility to immediately make changes necessary to turn these schools around. (Continued on page 18)
AASB needs your help in downtown Montgomery and back home in legislators’ districts. Here is what you can do. Relationships: If you have a relationship with legislators, give our governmental relations team a call at 800/562-0601. If you don’t have a relationship with your legislators, start building one. They care about what you have to say. You are a key constituent. If there are resources we can provide to make grassroots advocacy a bit easier, let us know. Tips: If there are advocacy issues gurgling in your community that could impact public education in this state, tell us about them. Your tips about news and issues may point to trends that AASB can share with education policymakers. Leader to Leader: AASB counts on active members to push the agenda of public education to the masses and to political leaders in downtown Montgomery. That is why the association developed its Leader to Leader grassroots advocacy group, which is made up of school board members just like you. Each member is chosen for his or her dedication to advocacy. Leader to Leader’s goal is to equip local school board members with the skills they need to traverse the statehouse and have meaningful conversations with their legislators in Montgomery and back home. Members serve as knowledgeable sources of K-12 education information to state policymakers. If you wish to be considered for the Leader to Leader team, email Governmental Relations Director Lissa Tucker at ltucker@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org. Advocate for Schools: Please make sure AASB has your correct and preferred email address on file. The association emails its Advocate for Schools legislative and policy newsletter every week the Legislature is in session. There are calls to action and other news alerts that may be sent by email as well. You can also follow AASB at @alaschoolboards on either Facebook or Twitter to get the latest news and updates. Resolutions: At times, local boards will choose to take a stand on a legislative or state policy issue by issuing a resolution of its own. If your board approves such a resolution, please share a copy with AASB. School boards often have insight on legislative issues that could impact the way AASB advocates on those issues. It’s easy to believe your insight may not make a big difference, but it certainly does. Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 17
appropriations to local schools if it can be avoided.
“Every child in every zip code of this state deserves a quality education. Let’s implement a targeted plan that addresses the specific needs of our persistently at-risk schools.” – Lissa Tucker, director of governmental relations Alabama Association of School Boards
AASB does not support an arbitrarily inflated raise amount, especially when the state has no means to sustain it long term. AASB does support a raise for teachers, one the state can afford and that prevents proration and the loss of jobs in the long run. Alabama must budget within its means and avoid spending onetime money for long-term obligations.
Constitutional Protection from Unfunded Mandates
Local school boards are the only local governmental entity without constitutional protection from unfunded state mandates under Amendment 621 of the Alabama Constitution. AASB asks legislators to let voters decide if they wish to protect schools from unfunded mandates. It is irrational to think cash-strapped schools can successfully accomplish state directives without the necessary resources. n
Sustainable Raises for Employees
After years of painful cuts in funding and benefit adjustments, AASB certainly believes education employees are overdue for a sustainable raise. They haven’t had one since 2008. Yet, sustainable is the operative word.
Every 1 percent increase in education employees’ pay costs the state between $35 million and $37 million. Push that envelope too far, and proration – which Alabama legislators worked hard to safeguard against – will once again rear its ugly head. The Budget Stabilization Act, commonly known as the Rolling Reserve Act, put sensible budgeting in place that could support and sustain a 2 to 3 percent raise for education employees. AASB could also support use of one-time funds for employees, if the budget would allow it. Budgeting more than the state has for education often results in employee pink slips because personnel is such a large portion of local school boards’ budgets. After so many years of consecutive budget cuts and lower-than-average budgeting for education, it simply doesn’t make sense to go back to defaulting on promised
“We would like to give a raise [to education employees], but it has to be affordable and sustainable.” – Sen. Trip Pittman, chairman Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee (Montgomery Advertiser, Oct. 24, 2012)
18 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
AASB Winter District Meetings
Goat Hill Advocacy in 2013
Join your area legislators and the AASB governmental relations team for a chat and chew about education advocacy on Goat Hill during the 2013 Regular Legislative Session. The discussions will include pre-filed and potential education legislation that directly or indirectly impacts learning in the classroom and education budgets. Hear about the top issues facing K-12 public education in the coming year. Take a look at AASB’s legislative and policy agenda, and receive an update on enforcement of the 2012 School Board Governance Act.
District 1 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Jan. 8, 2013 District 2 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Feb. 11, 2013 District 3 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Jan. 10, 2013 District 4 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Jan. 22, 2013 District 5 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Jan. 31, 2013 District 6 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Jan. 17, 2013 District 7 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Feb. 4, 2013 District 8 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Jan. 14, 2013 District 9 . .. .. .. .. .. .. Jan. 15, 2013
Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 19
10-year plan seeks voluntary pre-kindergarten for all 4-year-olds
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iding a national wave of public support for quality pre-kindergarten programs, an Alabama task force will soon present to the state Legislature its 10-year plan to make the state-funded First Class pre-K program available to all 4-year-olds in Alabama. “Support for state-funded, high quality pre-K is at an all-time high,” said Allison de la Torre, executive director of the Alabama School Readiness Alliance. The alliance formed the Pre-K Task Force, which represents a wide range of business, industry and community leaders. “Here in Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley is making this one of his top education priorities. He understands the research and the return on investment of high-quality pre-K. He understands that, despite the economic downturn and not having a lot of money, this is something worth investing in. Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard supports high-quality pre-K and expanding the program, and we have a lot of bipartisan support in the Legislature. This is one of those rare issues that brings everyone together,” de la Torre said. First Class, a voluntary program, is nationally recognized for its high quality, and it is funded at about $19 million for fiscal year 2013. The Pre-K Task Force plan calls for an annual investment in First 20 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
By David Granger Class of an additional $12.5 million each year for 10 years beginning in FY 2014, resulting in full funding of the program at approximately $144 million by FY 2023, the target date for making the program available to all Alabama 4-year-olds whose families choose to enroll them. For those who may balk at the price tag, experts point to the benefits of pre-K. Jan Hume is director of the Alabama Department of Children’s Affairs’ Office of School Readiness, which administers First Class, and says links between quality pre-K and school success are clear. “In addition to getting them used to a classroom setting, used to separation from their parent each morning and those seemingly simple, but important, things, we can also tie a high-quality pre-K experience to higher third-grade reading test scores,” said Hume. “That’s key because we can tie those higher thirdgrade reading scores to a more successful school experience throughout and to lower dropout rates.” Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski is a big believer in pre-K. His system boasts more than 40 pre-K sites, including two First Class sites and 23 that are locally funded. He says investing in children before they enter school will save the school system money later.
“Clearly, it’s a good investment,” said Wardynski. “Anything we can do to give the kids a head start on the front end can help reduce costs for remediation and tutoring on the back end. Those back-end services are not cheap. So it’s much better to have the kids in pre-K and allow them to have a leg up when they get to kindergarten than it is to have a kid have a problem, get a bad attitude and become a discipline problem. And that will happen.” The Pre-K Task Force’s plan will be a basic policy blueprint for expanding First Class, which has been recognized by the National Institute for Early Education Research with its highest possible ranking for quality each of the last six years. First Class requires health screenings and assessments for all children in the program, a child-staff ratio of no more than 9-to-1, a lead teacher with a bachelor’s degree in child development or early childhood education [salary range is $36,144 to $60,824 depending on education and experience] and an assistant with a child development associate credential [minimum salary of $17,679]. Each classroom
53 private child care centers or private schools, five faith-based sites and five other sites, including university, military and other private child care. Another 16 percent of the state’s 4-year-olds attend the federal Head Start pre-K program. Though quality varies and many families struggle to pay tuition, some 43 percent of the state’s 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in some kind of preschool or pre-K program, according to the 2012 Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Book. That also means 57 percent of the state’s 3- and 4-year-olds lack access to any type of pre-K experience.
must operate at least 6.5 hours a day for a minimum of 180 days a year and use a curriculum approved by the Office of School Readiness. Finally, First Class requires at least six hours of parental participation per year and that teachers complete 40 hours of approved professional development each year. The plan includes: Guidelines for use of First Class funds; Endorses a closer working relationship – with regard to standards, assessment, accountability and data systems – between the Office of School Readiness and the Alabama Department of Education; Supports ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance the program’s effectiveness through assessment, classroom observation and professional development; and Supports diverse delivery or the use of sites affiliated with public schools as well as community-based pre-K programs such as private child care centers, faith-based sites, Head Start centers, etc. In the 2011-12 school year, First Class served 3,888 Alabama 4-year-olds – only 6 percent of the 60,790 identified in the 2010 census – at 217 sites, including 115 public schools, 39 Head Start centers,
De la Torre said those are the kinds of numbers that have many task force members wanting an even faster expansion of First Class. However, she thinks the slow growth of the program will be key to its success, and, because the statewide expansion will be implemented over 10 years, she doesn’t see the additional facilities and teachers the program will require as a problem. “We know that there are a lot of people out there who know about First Class and want to be a part of the program and are already beginning to plan,” de la Torre said. “I get phone calls from child care centers and school administrators all the time that are interested in being a part of the program. I talked to a principal in Pratt City who has three classrooms that are empty and ready.
us respond to the increase in demand.” What can a school board do to prepare for the First Class expansion? Stephanie Walker has a rare perspective. In addition to being a member of the Brewton City Board of Education and the AASB Board of Directors, Walker is also director of the preschool program at Brewton’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. “First, if the board members are not familiar with what the pre-K plan looks like, they need to look at it and discuss it,” said Walker. “They need to see if they have available classroom space that can be converted to an area suitable for pre-K children, so you’re not spending money for construction. They need to look at areas that are near the kindergartners and not older children. They should take a look at what playground materials are available and think about the costs of adding needed playground material.” “And they should probably talk with the teachers they have who hold early childhood certifications just to see what the existing knowledge and experience base is,” Walker said. “And if there are existing pre-K providers in the area – whether they be private, faith-based, whatever – I would suggest that the board meet with those providers to further investigate the need and just get their general input into any plans to pursue a First Class site.” David Granger is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience in media and public relations for higher education and government. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Auburn University. n
“As far as qualified teachers are concerned, we’ve got a lot of teachers who have been laid off, and we’ve got a lot of young 10-year phase-in to fully fund pre-K for 4-year-olds teachers enterMillions ing the pipeline. 150 0 We have some retired kinder120 0 garten teachers who could help. 90 0 And also I think our universi60 0 ties’ colleges of education, when 30 0 they see that program is going to 0 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 20 014 2015 2015 2 016 2 017 2 018 2 019 2 020 2 021 2 022 2 023 expand, will help
Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 21 Millions
Community Embraces Families of Montgomery Public Schools’ Students By David Granger “It takes a village to raise a child.” While there is some debate about the origin of this expression of communal responsibility for children – though often attributed to Nigeria’s Igbo and Yoruba cultures – there is, among Montgomery school and law enforcement officials, a growing embrace of its principles.
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he Helping Montgomery Families Initiative, a program of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, is a partnership with Montgomery Public Schools that identifies children who are truant or exhibit behavior that is disruptive, but not criminal, and works with those children and their families to address any underlying causes. The initiative partners with a number of government and private agencies 22 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
“When I stand in court in case after case, the one thing that I’m continually seeing in the defendants is a lack of education,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Ellen Brooks. “And if you dig deeper, you discover that the criminal activity has its roots in the classroom where the person was acting out or maybe that person wasn’t even in school. So it occurred to me that if we could keep kids in school, keep them behaving and provide them with the opportunity to learn, perhaps we could end some crime.”
Both the behavioral and truancy prongs of the initiative follow progressive steps to address problematic students. The Truancy Brooks Intervention Program notifies parents of their children’s first and second unexcused absences. The third unexcused absence requires a parental conference to address the issue and, if possible, link the parents with helpful school, government or community services. On the occasion of a child’s fifth
So Brooks worked to create the Helping Montgomery Families Initiative. She hired Sandra Edwards, a social worker with more than 25 years experience, as executive director of the program in 2007. After a short pilot period, the program was expanded to include the entire MPS system in the 2008-09 school year.
Absenteeism and disruptive behavior are the top two alterable variables associated with dropouts. Poor grades is the third.
with the resources and expertise to help these families in an effort to prevent continued truancy or behavioral problems and, as a result, allow children in the families a better chance at a good education.
A look at the research • A 2008 study conducted at Arizona State University that tracked students from kindergarten through high school found that dropout patterns were linked with poor attendance, beginning in kindergarten. The study also found that, as early as kindergarten, behavioral differences are apparent between those who go on to graduate and those who drop out, and that dropouts miss an average of 124 school days by eighth grade. • According to Jeremy Finn, professor and associate dean for research at the University of Buffalo’s Graduate School of Education, research associated with a 2008 paper he co-authored for the Journal of Education Research showed that highmisconduct students were three
result in a warrant being issued against the truant student’s parents or guardians for violation of the Alabama Compulsory School Attendance law.
if a child has a specific need, if there’s a barrier, we like to work with the parents to reduce that barrier, eliminate that barrier to access of services.”
To address students who exhibit disruptive behavior in the classroom, HMFI receives weekly suspension reports from all MPS schools and reviews those reports to identify students that meet the program’s criteria. Parents of those students receive a letter of concern from the district attorney’s office. If the student receives no additional suspensions, parents have no further contact from the DA, but the student is tracked for the remainder of the term. A second suspension results in an assessment letter and the assignment of a case officer to conduct an assessment. The HMFI Multidisciplinary Team then reviews the assessment to assist HMFI in the development of an individualized intervention plan.
After students and families are linked with school, government or community services that may be helpful, case officers monitor the families’ compliance through completion of the individualized intervention plan.
Dropouts miss an average of 124 school days by eighth grade.
times more likely to drop out than moderate-misconduct students. Moderate-misconduct students were 2 1/2 times more likely to drop out than low-misconduct students. • A 2004 report published by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition listed absenteeism and disruptive behavior as two of the top three alterable variables associated with dropouts. Poor grades is the third.
unexcused absence, the student is considered truant; the parent or guardian must participate in a school-based attendance intervention program, a juvenile court early warning session; and the family is, again, linked to potentially helpful school and community services through both MPS and HMFI. Failure to cooperate can
The team meets every Wednesday. It includes representatives from the Montgomery County Department of Human Resources, the Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery Area Mental Health Association, the Center for Child and Adolescent Development, the Family Sunshine Center, Chemical Addictions Program Inc., Child Protect, Gift of Life Foundation, the Montgomery Police Department’s Juvenile Division, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Special Education and Student Social Services departments of Montgomery Public Schools. “That’s just folks that come together on a weekly basis,” said Edwards. “What happens, for example, is if we find out through our process that a child is being sexually abused, we’ve got Child Protect right at the table. So that provides immediate access, because one of our goals is
While HMFI takes great care to protect the anonymity of the children and families it helps, Edwards shared the story of “Carla,” a 15-year-old eighth-grader who had been suspended for threats and intimidation. After meeting with “Carla” and her family to assess her case, an intervention plan was developed specifically for them and included grief and sexabuse counseling, as well as MPS studentsupport services. “Carla” saw her grades improve significantly, became active in many school activities and successfully completed the eighth grade. Edwards also said Auburn University at Montgomery’s Center for Government & Public Affairs recently completed a study of students who had been referred to HFMI. “They looked at a specific number of children that had completed this program and the same number of children where the families failed to access the services and follow through or were noncompliant,” Edwards said. “They found that those children whose families were noncompliant were eight times more likely to be suspended than those who completed the program.” Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Barbara W. Thompson says the work done through HFMI has “exceeded expectations.” (Continued on page 25)
LEARN MORE To learn more about the Helping Montgomery Families Initiative, contact the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office at 334/832-1683 or mcdaadmin@mc-ala.org. Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 23
Attending to the Gifted in Rural Schools by Donald L. Kordosky
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ural school systems nationwide have a difficult time meeting the needs of their gifted students.
The evidence has become obvious during my career as a teacher, building administrator and superintendent of a 600-student school system in the central Cascade Mountains of Oregon, an hour from the closest urban area. The last point shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s not just limited funding that hampers rural schools from serving gifted students; it’s also the distance to supplemental learning resources that educators in cities and suburbs can easily access.
than their urban and suburban talented and gifted peers. This is partially due to the adult and peer relationships that are fostered in rural settings that are much less common in urban settings. Yet gifted students suffer greater rates of depression, discipline issues, suicide attempts, dropping out and self-destructive behavior, including alcoholism, drug abuse and sexual promiscuity.
In some cases, especially in the lower grade levels, nongifted students land in gifted programs while truly gifted students do not. I’m aware of rural schools where the preponderance of students in gifted programs happens to be the children of school system employees. By including nongifted students, the services offered in a talented and gifted program are diluted for those who truly deserve to be there.
The federal government spends almost nothing on gifted education. While most states mandate gifted education programs, they do not provide any additional funding for gifted education.
Without clear exiting procedures and re-evaluations of gifted students on a chronological basis dictated by board policy, school staff can find themselves serving students who are not gifted or even embroiled in a political mess when they attempt to remove nonqualified students from gifted programs.
Clarifying Procedures
There are strategies a school system administrator can pursue that will result in improved services for gifted students without substantial cost increases.
Make gifted education programs a focus of improvement in your school system.
Assuming 2.5 percent of our students in K-12 education qualify as talented and gifted, my calculations suggest 378,000 gifted students attend rural schools nationwide. Most do not receive an education aligned with their unique abilities and learning readiness, spending most or all of their time in traditional heterogeneous classrooms with nongifted peers. The gifted student often is simply provided with more of the same work as the average student or is expected to function as a “classroom helper” for students of lower ability.
Clarify identification procedures.
Research by Marcia Gentry, Mary Rizza and Robert Gable, appearing in the spring 2001 issue of Gifted Child Quarterly, shows rural gifted students enjoy school more
Develop and implement clear ways for students to be identified for talented and gifted programming and to leave a program.
24 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
Superintendents, central-office administrators, principals and school board members can make gifted education a systemwide priority. Increasing the awareness of gifted students’ needs is the first step toward improving your program. Gifted students in your system most likely are being underserved. By actively articulating this to patrons and staff, you have the power to raise awareness of the issue.
and
exiting
Attend to the heterogeneous classroom. Most services for gifted students in rural areas are going to occur in the heterogeneous classroom, so the most effective place to address this issue is there. The use of differentiated teaching strategies to provide instruction for all students is paramount. You can make this a priority for your teachers. Although differentiation is a catchphrase often thrown around in educational circles, few teachers are more than casually familiar with the concept. Rural
school systems can take advantage of the available training in differentiation. The Summer Institute on Academic Diversity offered by Carol Ann Tomlinson of the University of Virginia is the best place to start. The Oakridge School District, where I am superintendent, participated for two years in Tomlinson’s hallmark program by sending teachers and administrators to be trained in the pedagogy of differentiation. By training one teacher to provide training for all teachers in the system, you have a catalyst for improvement in the classroom at a modest cost.
Create individualized education plans for gifted students. This could mirror the mandated individualized education plans for students in special education. Annual gifted team meetings include a building administrator, the school’s coordinator for talented and gifted, the student’s parents and teacher(s) and the student. These meetings serve as the cornerstone for constructing a strong systemwide gifted program. Every student identified as talented or gifted in Oakridge participates in two TAGEP [talented and gifted education plan] meetings each school year where individualized education plans are designed and performance outcomes are monitored. The TAGEP document should include information about the student’s identified exceptionalities, annual achievement goals, preferred learning modalities and preferred differentiation strategies. This information then can be used by the regular classroom teacher to challenge, inspire and engage the individual rural, gifted student. In the Oakridge School District, the process is posted on the district’s website [www.oakridge.k12.or.us] and can be used as a template to review and modify your school system’s process for serving gifted students. Donald Kordosky is superintendent of the Oakridge School District in Oakridge, Ore., and the author of “Rural Gifted Students: Victims of Public Education” (Dog Ear Publishing). Email: dkordosky@oakridge. k12.or.us. Reprinted with permission from The School Administrator. n
Community Embraces... Continued from page 23
“We are experiencing a marked reduction in our levels of truancy and unexcused absences,” said Thompson. “This program is making a difThompson ference in the lives of children. The most important element is that children and their families are getting the help and support they need. Truancy is just the symptom. The disease is often poverty, mental illness or alcohol or other drug abuse issues. This program helps get to the root of the problem.” Another benefit of the program, according to Brooks, is that it often goes beyond helping a single student succeed to helping an entire family identify and correct problems that affect not only school attendance and behavior, but also family life. “Usually when you help one child in a family, you end up helping the entire family,” Brooks said. “Younger siblings will notice the behavior – good or bad – of an older sibling, so if the behavior is good, then that’s going to be passed along. The program often helps the entire family improve its lot.”
Alabama Community Foundation, city of Montgomery, Montgomery County Commission, Montgomery Public Schools and a Safe Schools/Healthy Students federal grant. According to Brooks, the key to the success of the program is the collaboration among the more than 50 agencies involved. She said federal evaluators who observed Montgomery’s program as part of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant cited the collaboration among those agencies involved in HFMI as unmatched. “They said they haven’t seen cooperation and communication like what exists among the agencies in the HMFI,” Brooks said. “It’s a miracle to get people together, but to get them together and continue to have them come back year after year, that shows that they all believe in what we’re doing. Without [all the agencies involved] this would not work.” David Granger is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience in media and public relations for higher education and government. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Auburn University. n
TUSCALOOSA BIRMINGHAM
DEMOPOLIS
Montgomery’s HFMI program is based on a similar program in Mobile County begun by former Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. The Mobile County program was equally successful but has seen drastic budget cuts, according to Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich. Meanwhile, other district attorneys and school systems in Alabama [Autauga, Elmore and Lowndes counties among them, according to Edwards] either have started or are evaluating the feasibility of similar programs. HMFI’s budget for 2012-13 is $561,222. That funding comes from a number of sources, including the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, Central
WWW.ELLISARCHITECTS.COM Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 25
Who is Who at the SDE Continued from page 11
to buy a $100,000 piece of equipment in every area. If we partner and share that equipment, then we can better utilize our funds to keep it current. We are working to do that, and in the end students will really reap the benefit.
Q.
So there is a bond issue on the table?
A.
Yes. We are working with the legislators now to put a bond together this upcoming session. It will be to make sure our equipment is cutting-edge equipment that meets industry standards. We are hoping for a $30 million bond, and we are working with the local school systems. I’ve asked for a needs assessment based on their industry equipment list. Our industry advisory committee developed an equipment list for every program. Systems have looked at their equipment list and compared it to their current equipment to identify needs and will send me a needs assessment. I can look at that, and we can help to meet the needs of a local school system. So instead of ‘I would like to have this,’ it’s more of ‘what are the essential needs that we can help meet?’ In the local school systems where there might be a need or desire for a program that is not funded on a local level, we want to be able to provide some assistance for the new program through this bond issue.
ill CTE collaborate closer with business and Q. Windustry?
A.
Well, we can always strengthen our relationship with business and industry, so I don’t want to downplay that. We definitely want to have a strong partnership with our industry partners, and they are a part of the joint advisory committee. It meets four times a year, and we have industry partners from all sectors of the cluster areas that meet and give their input on what we need to do.
hat suggestions would you make for school Q. Wsystems that would like to offer CTE courses but are already struggling to provide required core courses because of very limited resources?
A.
I think the new one diploma and the industry credentials, being the mark of success, are going to really assist those local school systems to be able to place more emphasis on their career tech and workforce development. I think you’ll see an increase because it’s almost like the grad exam. As a high school principal, I had to really focus on the high school grad exam. Now, doing what we’re doing [phasing out the Alabama High School Graduation Exam and replacing it with end-of-course tests], principals are really going to be able to focus on some of their funds, and rightfully so. I think they are going to be able to repurpose some funds from a local level and some from the state level. We are rolling out the funding of credential26 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
ing instead of expecting locals to fund all of it, and that’s another big plus because we are providing them some assistance to make this happen.
hat questions about career tech should be Q. Wasked at the school board table?
A.
School boards need to make sure their course offerings are aligned with their regional local development data. That’s essential because we may have offered programs for years, but if those programs are not aligned with the regional workforce, we need to retool our teachers or look at and consider repurposing the program. For this, they have to have that data. Board members should make sure they ask for the data, so they can see where they are and know what they can do to better meet workforce development needs. It is essentially economic development, which in some cases is the tax base on which they are funded. n
HELP
was a former school board member, but I Q.onIhave won an election to once again serve my board. I understand the Alabama Ethics
Law underwent changes in 2010 and now requires ethics training for public officials. Do I have to take the ethics training? If so, when?
A.
Yes. Public officials must complete ethics training within 120 days after being sworn into office. Public employees must be trained within 90 days of being hired. Complying with the law is easy. Just take AASB's ethics module of the new board member orientation course or review the online educational video about the Alabama Ethics Law, which is posted on the Alabama Ethics Commission website (www.ethics.alabama.gov). You’ll receive a certificate of completion, and be sure to file a copy with your superintendent. Groups may also request a 55-minute ethics training DVD from the Ethics Commission, but be sure to mail a certified list with each public official’s name and date of completion to Barbi Lee, Chief, Finance & Administration Division, P.O. Box 4840, Montgomery, AL 36103-4840. Refer questions to the Ethics Commission at 334/242-2997.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Make Your Plans Today!
2013 January
8-Feb. 11 Winter District Meetings Goat Hill Advocacy in 2013 1 Academy Hour 8 District 1 Meeting 10 District 3 Meeting 11-12 Legislative Symposium 14 District 8 Meeting 15 District 9 Meeting 16 Mandated Board Training & Conduct Codes, Now What? Free Webinar
1.5 Academy Hours
17 District 6 Meeting 22 District 4 Meeting NSBA Federal Relations Network 27-29 Conference Washington, DC 31 District 5 Meeting
february
april
2 Roles and Responsibilities Orientation Course
Montgomery *8 Academy Hours
13-15
NSBA Annual Conference and Exposition
San Diego 3 Academy Hours
1.5 Academy Hours
Shelby County Instructional Services Center 3 Academy Hours
18 Boosters Gone Wild! Webinar 25 Regional Training North
MAY
20 Legislative Session Ends
JUNE
20-21 Roles and Responsibilities Orientation Course Perdido Beach Hotel, Orange Beach *8 Academy Hours
MARCH
21-22 Effective Boards and Relationships Orientation Course Perdido Beach Hotel, Orange Beach *6 Academy Hours 21-22 ACSBA Summer Conference Perdido Beach Hotel, Orange Beach
The Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham
15-16
L eadership for Financial Accountability AASB Core Academy Conference
23-25 SSA Summer Conference Perdido Beach Hotel, Orange Beach
4 District 7 Meeting 5 Legislature Convenes in Regular Session 11 District 2 Meeting 15
Plan 2020 ”Early Bird” Workshop
The Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham *6 Academy Hours
Note: Every attempt will be made to follow this schedule. * Core credit awarded only once
7 Academy Hours
JULY
6-8 NSBA/Southern Region San Destin, Destin, Fla. Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 27
AT THE TABLE
Belinda McRae
School Board Marion County School Board Hometown Hamilton How long have you been a board member? Since 2004, eight years Books at Bedside I’m a big fan of Joyce Meyer and have her books downloaded on my Kindle. Inspiration Because I’m an educator, what really inspires me is that I love watching young people think. New ideas rejuvenate me, too. I love progression and change. If you’re going to really live, you have to accept change. Motto as a Board Member Put the children first. Walter Mitty Fantasy To know that I have fulfilled my potential. Greatest Accomplishment as a Board Member I am the first female elected to this board. As for the progress we’ve made, I can’t really own that as an individual because we work as a group. Pet Peeve as a Board Member People who can’t see the big picture and who can only see what affects them. Reason I Like Being an AASB Member I like learning from other board members across the state and from the AASB folks. I just like learning and growing, and AASB gives me a statewide picture of what’s happening. Since I’m from a rural area, I also enjoy talking to people from Huntsville, Mobile and more urban areas about how their school systems are different and about how we can improve. My Epitaph She enjoyed every day. n 28 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012
An App a Day
Continued from page 13
textbooks. Plans include introducing iPads in seventh- through ninth-grade classrooms next school year. Dr. Janet Womack, superintendent of Florence City Schools, said digital technology is an excellent tool that is no threat to traditional instruction. “Technology has changed the face of learning in the classroom,” she said. “For us to meet students in their world, we must look at what their interests are and engage them. That is where blended learning comes in. Just placing an iPad or laptop in a student’s hands will not produce a higher level of learning. A tool is just that without a quality base of instruction.” Womack also said, “You have to ensure that your curriculum is solid and teachers are trained in using the digital technology. We are empowering students to take charge of their own learning, and our students are excited to be in the learning environment.” The superintendent said the Florence school system’s use of digital technology instead of textbooks allows students to have constant access to the most current information. Textbooks, on the other hand, are a different story. “Parents will find wide variety in how their students’ teachers integrate the use of (the iPad) into their traditional teaching methods,” Florence City Schools has noted on its website. “As this process moves forward over time, textbooks will eventually be replaced by electronic resources.” Kim Roedl is a former newspaper reporter whose current adventures include being a military wife and mother of five. n
Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 29
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Premier
Sustaining Members
• Goodwyn Mills & Cawood Inc.
• TCU Consulting Services LLC
Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/271-3200
Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/420-1500
• McKee & Associates Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/834-9933
• eBOARDsolutions Inc.
Lawrenceville, GA . . . . . . . . . 770/822-3626
• R.K. Redding Construction/ Planning Services Bremen, GA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 770/537-1845
• Volkert & Associates Inc.
• High Ground Solutions -
SchoolCast
Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . 205/988-5884
Sustaining Members • Alabama Beverage Association Montgomery, AL
• Alabama Supercomputer Authority
Mobile, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251/342-1070
Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/242-0100
BRONZE
Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/414-7550
Sustaining Members • AdvancedED-Alabama SACS CASI
• Crews & Associates Investment Firm • Hoar Program Management Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/803-2121
Montgomery, AL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/244-3163
• KHAFRA Engineers, Architects and Construction Managers
• Barganier Davis Sims Architects Associated
Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/252-8353
Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/834-2038
• Lathan Associates Architects PC
PLATINUM
• Davis Architects Inc.
Hoover, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/988-9112
• American Fidelity Assurance
• Information Transport Solutions
Sustaining Member Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/987-0950
• LEAN Frog Business Solutions
Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/322-7482
• Payne Lee & Associates Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/272-2180
Wetumpka, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/567-1993
• PH&J Architects Inc.
• JBHM Education Group
Montgomery, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334/265-8781
• Ra-Lin and Associates Inc.
Huntsville, AL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877/799-5327
Jackson, MS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601/987-9187
• Krebs Architecture & Engineering
Carrollton, GA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 770/834-4884
SILVER
Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/987-7411
• Terracon
Sustaining Members • Ellis Architects Tuscaloosa, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/752-4420
• GCA Education Services Knoxville, TN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888/588-0863
• 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
Birmingham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/942-1289
• Transportation South Pelham, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/663-2287
• WSV Architects Inc. Tuscaloosa, AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/345-6110 Alabama School Boards • Winter 2012 31
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