GO Board Watch: October 13, 2016
Every Student Succeeds Act And Special Education
Welcome to GO’s School Board Watch for Thursday, October 13, 2016.
This week’s agenda includes:
- Every Students Succeeds Act requirements and implications for Oakland
- Update on special education and special education transportation
- Sufficiency of textbooks and instructional materials
1. Professional Culture
No informational or action items presented.
2. Quality Schools Development
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Every Student Succeeds Act was passed in 2015 with the purpose of building on recent gains in public education. It replaces the previous No Child Left Behind law. The Board will be briefed on the requirements of the law, how it will be implemented in Oakland, and what the potential implications will be for Oakland:
- Accountability Systems and Design: school districts are required to develop school report cards and systems for school accountability that draw from multiple sources, including at least one non-academic indicator.
- As a CORE District, Oakland will continue in a “waiver-like” state until next year when the state-level recommendations are finalized and ESSA will go fully into effect.
- OUSD will continue to focus on developing the School Performance Framework (SPF), which is a holistic school accountability tool that includes indicators like socio-emotional skills and school discipline.
- School Improvement: districts must focus on improving their lowest performing schools.
- OUSD is focusing on improving its lowest performing schools through the Elevation Network and through the school re-design process.
- Educator Evaluation: ESSA requires an equitable distribution of effective teachers.
- “OUSD has focused on Educator Effectiveness through the Teacher Growth and Development System (TGDS) and the Leadership Growth and Development System (LGDS) over the last three years.”
- Assessments, Funding, and other Major Areas: ESSA continues the requirement that states administer annual assessments to at least 95% of students in grades 3 – 8 and high school.
- OUSD meets this requirement through the Smarter Balanced assessments (generally referred to as SBAC) in English and Math.
The Board will hear the Superintendent’s work plan for improving student outcomes and educational equity for Oakland’s special education students. These improvements will include the following:
- Data Processes and Systems:
- OUSD will finalize the integration of the special education data system with the main data system.
- Individual Education Plan Compliance:
- Increase number of on-time Individual Education Plans and the number of transition plans for high school students.
- Increase graduation rate by 5% for students with disabilities.
- Least Restrictive Environment Continuum of Services:
- Increase equity of distribution of special education services throughout district.
- Reduce significant disproportionality of African American students referred to special education by 5%.
- Increase focus on educating students in least restrictive environment.
- Professional Learning and Development:
- Provide professional development for special education teachers through monthly training, professional learning communities, and an online platform.
- Communication Quality:
- Reduce number of complaints to the district and state by more than half.
- Increase Principal approval rating from 6% to 50%, as measured by the Education Resource Strategies study.
Special Education Transportation Update
This presentation is an informational update to the board to provide them with more context about the district’s transportation services. The department provides transportation to students in special education, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, OUSD utilizes four contractors. The main contractor is First Student. The cost for First Student’s services increased by $1 million for the 2016-17 school year to $7.5 million. It will increase by another million in 2017-18.
The presentation reviews a series of opportunities and challenges they see arising in the coming year as well as some proposed changes to support students.
3. Budget and Fiscal Management
No informational or action items presented.
4. Board Development and Strategy
No informational or action items presented.
5. Other
Sufficiency of Textbooks and Instructional Materials – School Year 2016-17
“California Education Code Section 60119 requires that the Board hold a public hearing, within the first eight weeks of school, to determine for each pupil the sufficiency of textbooks or instructional materials or both.”
Pursuant to the above Education Code, the Board will hear a report on the sufficiency of textbooks and instructional materials. If any school is found to be lacking sufficient materials, the Board must create a plan to address the need.
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*Board Watch is organized according to four areas roughly aligned with those in the Board of Education and Superintendent’s work plan: Professional Culture, Quality Schools Development, Fiscal Transparency and Management, Board Development and Strategy.