IV.    Member Comments and Reports from Board Member Representatives to Other Groups

Mrs. Blacketor discussed the NASBE Governmental Affairs Committee meeting, held on January 25-26, 2008, in Alexandria, Virginia.

V.     Committee Reports

A.  Mr. Edwards reported on the Strategic Planning Committee and discussed the following issues:

• The committee is fine tuning the plan and expectations are this will help schools, not burden them.
• Twenty-first Century Skills are a very important part of the plan.
• The next committee meeting will be held at 1 p.m.

B.   Mr. Gabet reported on the Regulatory Review Committee and discussed the following issues:

• The Committee members met yesterday and discussed the revision of curriculum rules.
• The committee will recommend striking the recommended minutes.
• The department will create a model or a document that would be indicative of an exemplary curriculum, including the number of minutes that a school could spend on a broad based curriculum.
• The Department of Education updated the committee about accreditation as a process, and the idea of consolidating the numerous plans and data that local schools have to send to the department as part of accreditation.
• Board members received a letter from Dr. Eugene White regarding a time waiver for professional development.  Committee members determined it was not a power of the Board to grant such waivers; it is a Department of Education power.
• Dr. Robert Marra met with the committee and brought them up to date on special education rules.
  

VI.    Discussion

A.  Wesley Bruce, Assistant Superintendent, and Jeffery P. Zaring, State Board of Education Administrator, gave an assessment and accountability update:

• The department is working on draft contract language and work plans for the assessment plan.
• The application for the diagnostic assessments, will go out on Monday, February 10.
• Meetings have been held with all vendors on all components of the plan.
• Annual Yearly Progress reports have gone out, and appeals are starting to come in.
• P.L. 221 recommendations for the category placements should come before the Board at the March meeting.
• The Department of Education will soon submit the NCLB accountability amendments.
• The first peer review for modified assessment for students who have persistent academic disabilities should occur in March.
• NCLB racial and ethnic categories are changing, and, in two years, we will have additional student groups.

B.   Mr. Zaring discussed legislative issues and gave Board members an updated list of the most significant bills.

C.  Dr. Robert Marra, Assistant Superintendent, discussed draft language for new special education rules, including:

• Current plans call for the State Board to have five public hearings which will start in late March.  The final hearing will be held on April 2. 
• The Board will be asked later in the meeting to approve the start of the promulgation process.
• Major issues were discussed.
• This matter will come before the Board for approval at the May meeting.

Dr. Marra thanked Nina Brahm and Becky Reynolds for all the work and help they have provided throughout this process.

D.  Bill Gavaghan, Director, Indiana Principal Leadership Academy (IPLA), discussed the following:

• A new curriculum is being developed for the IPLA.
• There is a fit between the balanced score card work that the Board has been working on and the IPLA curriculum.
• IPLA is a two year professional development academy for principals in Indiana.
• IPLA has modified its vision and mission statement and added a set of core values and a strategic objective.
• Twenty-one standards were cut down to 13, and rubrics were written for each of those standards.

 
VII.  Public Comments

Public comments were provided by the following individuals:

• Carol Craig, NAACP.
• Rylin Rodgers, FV.
• Jen Akers, ARC.
• Delores Myerson, parent.
• Loui Lord Newson, proxy for Denise Arland.
• Liz Freeman Floyd, autism society.                                   

VIII. Consent Agenda

A.  Mr. Zaring presented a request for approval of certification of amendments to the Governing Body Selection Plan for the Board of Education, MSD of Wayne Township. [Agenda item VIII, B]

B.   Mr. Zaring presented a request for approval of certification of amendments to the Governing Body Selection Plan, Board of School Trustees, La Porte Community School Corporation. [Agenda item VIII, C]

Mr. Pettibone moved for approval of the consent agenda items.  Mr. Edwards seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

IX.    Action

A.  Mr. McDowell presented a request for approval of the Interlocal Agreement creating the Indiana Virtual Academy.

Dr. Fred Sagester, Director, spoke on behalf of the Indiana Virtual Academy.

Mrs. Blacketor made a motion to delete item number three and approve the Interlocal Agreement.  The motion failed for lack of a second.

Mr. Shane moved for approval of the interlocal agreement creating the Indiana Virtual Academy.  Mr. Edwards seconded the motion.  The motion passed with eight ayes and one abstention (Mrs. Blacketor).

B.   Dr. Marra presented a request for approval of the Student with Disabilities Child Count.

Mr. Pettibone moved for approval.  Mr. Huston seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

C.  Dr. Marra presented a request for approval of a rulemaking process for special education rules.

Mr. Huston moved for approval.  Mr. Shane seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

X.     Board Operations

Mr. Zaring said the NASBE 2008 Legislative Conference will be held on March 13-14, 2008, in Washington, D.C.

Mrs. Blacketor said she will attend the conference.

Mr. Shane moved for adjournment.  Mr. Huston seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.  The meeting adjourned at 12:32 p.m.