The State Board of Education unanimously adopted a new state course of study for Career Technical Education (CTE) during the board’s regular meeting Thursday. The board also adopted the new state course of study for English Language Arts (ELA), with Board Vice President Jackie Zeigler (District 1), Stephanie Bell (District 3) and Dr. Wayne Reynolds (District 7) voting no.

Bell, explaining that she has heard concerns about the ELA standards from parents and teachers in her district, said she believed the issues raised could be remedied with additional time. She also expressed concern with pandemic-related restrictions that prevented the public from providing feedback on the standards to the full board in an open work session.

The board unanimously approved a resolution to receive State Textbook Committee recommendations for adoption of CTE textbooks in three clusters: agriculture, food and natural resources; law, public safety, corrections and security; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Other board action included unanimous approval of the following resolutions related to the Alabama Literacy Act:

• Educator Assessment Requirements – A resolution confirming the board’s intention to discontinue use of the Praxis #5205 assessment for certification in the areas of elementary education, early childhood education and collaborative special education, adopting in its place the Foundations of Reading 190 assessment. The assessment will be administered to teacher candidates entering colleges of education or alternative programs on or after Sept. 1, 2022.
• Summer Reading Assessments – A resolution to adopt the State Superintendent’s vetted list of formative assessments to measure progress at the beginning and end of K-3 summer reading camps for students identified as having reading deficiencies.

State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey’s report included praise for the ELA and CTE course of study committee members that completed the majority their work via remote meetings over the last year. Mackey also expressed gratitude for the role of the arts in education, particularly in difficult times such as the pandemic. Earlier in the meeting, the board recognized students across the state for their submissions to the Superintendent’s Annual Visual Arts Exhibit. Mackey said he looks forward to being able to celebrate next year’s winners in-person.

Work Session Discussion: ESSER 3 Funds, State Assessments and More

The work session following Thursday’s meeting included an update on round 3 of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. Mackey said school systems are expected to receive double the amounts distributed under ESSER 1 and 2 funds, with amounts ranging from $870 per-pupil in higher income systems to $9,500 per-pupil in lower-income systems. The ESSER 3 funds will be disbursed based on the Title I distribution formula. School systems that don’t receive Title I dollars (Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Trussville) will not be included in this round of ESSER funding. Mackey explained the ESSER 3 funds will have more allowable expenses than ESSER 1 and 2, such as career technical expenses, any expenses under IDEA and adaptive equipment for special education students.

The bulk of the work session agenda was devoted to board member questions on a range of issues, including:

• COVID-19 related mental health supports for students and teachers;
• The textbook selection process and related SB217;
• Implementation status of recommendations made by Lean Frog to overhaul the department’s teacher certification processes;
• Progress on the new ALSDE website expected to launch this summer.

Responding to board member questions about LETRS training on the science of reading, Assistant State Superintendent of Student Learning Dr. Elisabeth Davis reiterated the ALSDE’s commitment providing the training for any Alabama educator interested. Mackey explained that ESSER funds can be used to cover the cost of this training.

Mackey updated the board on plans to administer state assessments this spring, explaining that the tests will be required and there is no virtual option for students to take these assessments. Students in grade 11 will be required to take the ACT, and students in grades 2 through 8 will take the new ACAP assessment. The department recently received waiver instructions from the Biden administration related to federal accountability requirements, including a waiver for required participation rates. Mackey explained the state will need at least a 70% participation rate in every subgroup to receive valid data from the assessments. Waivers also are being considered for state accountability purposes, including the A-F school grades and failing schools list under the Alabama Accountability Act.

Mackey said school systems are strongly encouraging all students to participate in this year’s assessments to provide vital data about where students are academically and the degree of learning losses resulting from the pandemic.

Other work session discussion included an update from Deputy State Superintendent Andy Craig on the ALSDE’s financials as part of a previous request by the board for quarterly financial reports. Bell requested the department also begin providing the board with a list of all contracts of $100k or more.

Next State Board of Education Meeting

The next State Board of Education meeting will take place April 8 at 10 a.m., with a work session to follow.