Ed Prep Report Card Gets Green Light, Board Discusses ALSDE Reorganization, Assessment Update

The State Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the development and dissemination of a report card on educator preparation programs during its March 8 meeting. The report card would allow the ALSDE to review and take steps to address educator programs with insufficient pass rates.

Dr. Cynthia McCarty (District 6) joined other board members in expressing strong support for the effort. “I appreciate this because I think it will allow for transparency, accountability and provide information to drive improvement,” McCarty said.

State Superintendent Dr. Ed Richardson said a draft of the report card will be ready in May, after he has had an opportunity to meet with deans of colleges of education to discuss options and hear concerns. That meeting is scheduled for March 27.

The board also approved a resolution for the adoption of the Digital Literacy and Computer Science Education State Course of Study. Betty Peters (District 2), who did not vote for the resolution, requested additional discussion on the matter, stating that she still has several questions and has heard concerns from parents about the need to have more reading, writing and arithmetic along with the instruction taking place on digital devices. Richardson said that while no changes will be made to the course of study, questions could still be discussed at a subsequent work session.

The interim state superintendent’s report included an update on the state’s intervention in Montgomery Public Schools. He informed the board that scheduled mediation and pending litigation surrounding the sale of Georgia Washington Middle School have delayed the implementation of his proposed financial plan for MPS. The sale would generate $9 million which would allow MPS to meet the minimum required operating balance and have sufficient reserves to address student achievement issues. Should the sale not take place, Richardson said he will need to look at a plan B to generate the $9 million.

During the board work session following Thursday’s meeting, Richardson provided the board with an outline for the new organizational chart for the ALSDE. He told the board the restructuring has been a major task for several months. He said one of the primary goals of the reorganization is to reduce the number of exempt employees at the department “to a reasonable number.” He also said he aims to organize departments with fewer moving parts to be able to operate more efficiently. Meetings with 31 exempt employees impacted by the reorganization were scheduled for Friday, March 9 and a department-wide meeting Tuesday, March 13. The reorganization plan will be brought back before the board for approval at the April meeting.

Richardson encouraged the board to rescind a resolution passed several years ago that he said “left the door wide open” for the state superintendent to make significant hiring decisions in terms of number of hires and salaries. He recommended the board follow state law, which does not allow a state superintendent to unilaterally create and hire for new, exempt positions.

Another significant topic addressed in Thursday’s work session was an assessment update. Dr. Joe Morton, previous state superintendent of education and current ALSDE consultant, told the board there currently is no way to measure growth because there is no 10th grade assessment. That presents significant issues not only because growth is used to improve instruction, but also because growth is a major indicator in the State Report Card.

Morton updated the board on the results of a survey administered to members of the Assessment Task Force, which includes a cross-section of teachers, principals, administrators and parents. Results of the survey indicated that a majority of respondents would like to see the “pre-ACT” administered to all 10th grade students. The ACT would be administered in 11th grade, which would provide information needed to measure growth.

Dr. Tony Thacker, assistant state superintendent, said additional positive outcomes of administering the pre-ACT included a larger number of students entering the 11th grade better prepared to take the ACT and with reduced test anxiety.

A full-day meeting is scheduled later this month with the Assessment Task Force to discuss the bid that will go out for the next state assessment. That bid is expected to be reviewed by the board at the next meeting.

Next State Board Meeting

The board’s next meeting will take place on April 12 at 10 a.m. in Montgomery, with a work session to follow. 

Still Time to Register for Summer Conference