Beshear to Appoint New Board Members to Implement Senate Bill 1

Over at Dr H's Blog, Education Commissioner Terry Holliday reminds us that Governor Steve Beshear will soon replace as many as seven members of the Kentucky Board of Education.

Those whose terms expired on the 14th of this month (and who typically serve until replaced) are: Chairman Joe Brothers, Vice Chair C.B. Akins and members Kaye Baird, Jeanne Huber Ferguson, Austin W. Moss, Judy H. Gibbons and Doug Hubbard.

That leaves Vice Chair Dorie Combs, Billy Harper, Brigitte B. Ramsey and David K. Karem whose terms expire 4/14/2012.

The new board will have the task of implementing Senate Bill 1 which calls for a new accountability system, internationally benchmarked standards, formative and diagnostic assessments, and thankfully, student growth measures.

Vision for Education Reform in Kentucky

The Commish says,

I have started the process of engaging all advisory councils in the dialogue concerning a new accountability system and strategic plan for the Kentucky Board of Education. The board will hold a strategic retreat prior to its June meeting... The key to our success in transforming education in Kentucky will reside in our ability to focus on a few goals with a few strategies that are done with precision and fidelity. These few goals will focus on the vision of every child proficient and prepared for success.

This vision will be measured by indicators of proficiency, growth and closing gaps among student groups.

Proficiency will be measured by the cohort graduation rate and our comparative position among states.

Growth will be measured by the increases in our annual percentage of high school graduates who are prepared for college and career as compared against other states.

Closing gaps will be measured by the decreases in gaps for the graduation and readiness rates among student groups in Kentucky as compared against other states.

Holliday sees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) along with the Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) system as the "ultimate measures" of Proficiency, Growth and Gap rates.

The NAEP is the only nationally representative longitudinal assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Assessments are conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U.S. history.
Since NAEP assessments are administered uniformly using the same sets of test booklets across the nation, NAEP results serve as a common metric for all states and selected urban districts. The NAEP has been used to show how some states lowered their own standards under the pressure of NCLB's current accountability model; a model Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he wants to change.

The EPAS system is required in Kentucky but does not enjoy NAEP's nearly universal acceptance due to its contrived set of benchmarks. Testing experts, like Skip Kifer, say the Hierarchical Linear Modeling EPAS uses is statistically indefensible and creates flawed benckmarks because it ignores institutions. Students are part of institutions and should be modeled that way.

Holliday's strategic priorities are based on federal guidance provided by Race to the Top, State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, the proposed plans for the reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (NCLB), SB 1, SB 168, SB 130 and other state statutes.

The new lingo is:

• Next Generation Learners
• Next Generation Professionals
• Next Generation Support Systems
• Next Generation Schools and Districts

In addition, Governor Steve Beshear has appointed a Transforming Education in Kentucky (TEK) Task Force which is scheduled to make recommendations for the 2011 legislative session.

Holliday has called for comments and suggestions from the public and the alphabet groups. The TEK Task Force will conduct community forums and focus groups in August to gather input.