January Board of Ed: competency determination

 here is the backup

Curtin: today is "purely for discussion"

four areas:
1. necessary updates to regulation to align with law
2. definitions 
3. DESE oversight
4. additional subject areas

"as the law changes, we try to add as much clarity as we possibly can"

current regulations cover four main areas: 

1. qualification for competency determination
2. educational proficiency plan
3. grade 10 score appeals
4. performance appeals

1. much of current CD regulations are no longer applicable and just need to be deleted
would leave in grade 10 score appeal (might not be used often, but isn't a conflict)

2. new language from statute could benefit from defining terms within updated law
could increase consistency among district policies
districts "have some very real questions on what things mean" in the law
could define:

• subject area (as in context of competency determination)
• demonstrating mastery
• satisfactorily completing coursework
• master of the skills, competencies, and knowledge
• MCAS high school tests administered in 2023
  
• others?
  

"I think we're finding out that this was a relatively sudden change and districts are doing their best" 
the Department could help

3. DESE oversight
four approaches recommended in FAQ: had to align to updated language; approved by governing board (largely school committee); share with all; publicly available in multiple languages
considering requiring those four steps in regulation
also should DESE collect those policies?

4. "any additional areas determined by the board" as well as listed areas that weren't on MCAS (history and social science, foreign language)
considering connecting those two areas
should regulation require history/social science and world language in local competency determination
and there is a chart here but it is way too small to read, but I think it is showing that many kids don't take particular history areas or world language

how prescriptive in history or social science?
consideration for world languages: what about English learners?
and when does this apply?

believe that some regulation would be helpful in providing clarity to districts

Hills: would separate new subject areas from more immediate concerns
subject areas "strike me as difficult"
"I just think that's one where we don't have to do immediately"
"we have a really immediate problem" as of last week
there's like 1500 students in grade 12 who have passed MCAS and have not passed appropriate coursework
"no real magical solution there"
don't have a better solution than the Commissioner granting waivers for this year's students
"assume that districts and superintendent and school committees would appreciate that flexibility"
"it's really hard for me to see options that avoid creating a whole bureaucratic, kind of, role for DESE"
suggest two paths: districts, how they're going to certify; if district can show how coursework has been competed
he's entirely lost me on what the two options are...sorry...and some districts won't adopt the second option...I don't know what we're talking about here

Stewart: timeline on council on graduation requirements?
Tutwiler: two year timeline; "we believe we can move in a fashion that is a lot speedier than that"
"I can say with a great deal of confidence that it's not going to take two years"
Stewart: superintendents pleading to cut back on paperwork; would be good to understand what is required
think districts need time to align with what happens
have a better understanding of what districts are doing
what are we saying are social science?
Johnston: standards really help us understand what the expectations are for grade levels
Curtin: we are not talking about adding a high school history or a high school world language assessment; this is adding it to the competency determinations that the districts are setting
Craven: until if and when legislation is passed, living in limbo
how to fulfill constitutional obligation of Board in assuring learning
"it's a mess right now"
"taking it piece by piece...we have an obligation, but we have a risk"

Tutwiler: you'd mentioned that a number of districts had gone forward
sharing landscape of what you see happening?
Curtin: not a comprehensive view
some districts only requiring algebra I (for math); others requiring both algebra I and geometry
same in English: only one year; others two
"the local graduation requirements may or may not take care of this as well"
policies approved, differences already happening
Tutwiler: incumbent on us to define more robustly to reflect the competency 
Curtin: I think that's what we're suggesting here
"anything would be challenging for the class of 2025 right now"
and note: that is why some of the requirements are what they are!
class of 2026 will schedule this spring for their senior year
waiting means you lose a year

Mohamed: short and long term obligation
fulfill requirement without creating bureaucracy

Fisher: some sort of oversight is needed
families assume that district criteria meet the needs of graduates after graduation
should be in mastery of coursework
policy for multilingual learners; commend for having that there, where we value native speakers
other red flag is budgets! hiring!
Curtin agrees about predictability in hiring

Rocha: what happens to districts that already voted?
Curtin: don't think that whatever we propose we could propose for the class of 2025
they might need to go through an additional process for the class of 2026 and going forward
I think most districts understand that their policies are for the class of 2025; they had to have one
Rocha: agree on wait in adding areas

Moriarty: scrambling because ballot initiative "is a godawful way to make policy"
supporting letting districts know that using MCAS is "absolutely an option"
would look at subject areas as soon as feasible
cites that 56% of English language learners "aren't exposed to world languages"...except they are, because they have a home language...
"think that is a call to action"

West: found compelling that parents are able to interpret a high school diploma as an indicator of preparedness
would favor working as aggressively with the legislature to take those words (which words?) out
statutory constraints on Board authority

Craven: potentially another meeting before the next meeting