The Board of Ed meets at 8:30 (opening comments)

The Board of Ed meets at 8:30; you can find the agenda here.
Updating as we go once we start 
Not exactly a full house for a discussion of such import...
We seem to have had a shuffle of seats. Note that Margaret McKenna is not here and Ed Doherty is still coming.

Commissioner: "quite pleased to announce that Massachusetts has a received a grant...to expand and enhance our state longitudial data system"
$7M over four years; propose to expand in two areas:

1. better explore fiscal equity and return on investment
2. college and career readiness and watching students has they progress through the system (into college)

NAEP results being released next week; discussion at next meeting

urban results and Boston is one of the cities

Parthonon group reviewing organzational review: "finding it very helpful and very provocative"

Peyser: wanted to acknowledge and appreciate the Commissioner's comments framing of the decision we have in front of us

1. MCAS very much in need of an update; in "many respects it represents the best of student assessment from a decade ago" but time for an update
2. PARCC work in collaboration "reflects a great deal of that new thinking" test items in many respects
3. Massachusetts needs to control its own destiny

Noyce: Commissioner's evaluation process: include a verbal midpoint check-in, otherwise, connected to new initiatives that the Commissioner needs to report on

Fryer: subcommittee on charters: lots of potential reauthorization and new charters

important decision of how to narrow down 2000 "very worthy" requests for expansions to 600 new seats

Board will sort out who goes to which public hearings