Board of Ed meets at 8:30: opening remarks

They'll start, as usual, with comments from the Chair, Commissioner, and Secretary. Full agenda is here
Posting as we go once we start
Sagan comments that they will be short two members today (so far Craven, Doherty, Fryer, and Noyce are not here; Noyce and Fryer not expected)

Sagan: appreciation for all the members of the Board and the staff work on "getting us through K-8 assessment"
was frustrated with some of the comments that came after the point
attempts to make national statements about what our decision was
Doherty is here
Board has had an annual strategy retreat; did not have one this year; open to having one in the spring
Chester: ESSA voted through
"still looking through the act very carefully"
suspect that it is starting to shape up "as a bit of a Rorschach test"
Congress requring states to develop high standards
requiring annual assessments
focus on achievement gaps; identifying lowest performing schools in achievement, in subgroups, and in graduation rates
support for preK
places that anticipate appropriations; "another thing to see those funds actually appropriated and expended"
no longer AYP
"I don't see anything in the act that undoes anything that we've done in the past eight years"
run our own accountability system under the waiver
"don't see anything that requires us to change anything we're doing"
require states to include items other than academic indicators in assessment, but academic must be bulk
would suggest make an agenda item on a future meeting
"continue to move ahead" on student assessment
districts are giving us their decision on PARCC or MCAS for 2016
have a meeting of subcommittee on assessment scheduled for Dec 21
Gates grant on improving educator prepartion; only state agency to do so
looking forward to working with some doing work "Teaching Works" in MI
America's Promise: Grad Nation State Activation Award
partnership with America's Promise and Pearson
work with up to 10 districts with ELL whose graduations are the lowest
federal grant expires, pick this up
making progress on action plan on civics: revised college and career language
January meeting will be part joint with Higher Ed Board
visited Lawrence: very pleased
have added Madison Park to underperforming; "despite some very promising partnerships, has just continued to struggle"
will be addressing Holyoke; will be moving up on agenda
nothing from Peyser